Concealed Carry Philosophy, Part IV

I hope through this series someone doesn't get the idea they need a lot of carry guns because you don't, I have a few because it is a hobby with me and something I have been collecting over 30 years. I also have no intent to 'show off ' but hopefully someone who is still trying to get the feel for concealed carry or even a seasoned pro might just get an idea and want to try it.
Yesterday I said I don't really feel the desire to have the latest and greatest carry piece, well that is pretty much true however this one is fairly new, I have not carried it much but I like it's design and it fits well with my 'Carry Philosophy' in that it is compact, something that can be carried all the time without feeling the need to have 13 rounds in the magazine and will work as intended (or at least so far as I have tested it)
This is the Springfield XDS it has a 3.3" barrel, is chambered for the 45ACP it is lightweight and very thin due to a single stack magazine. It carries 6 rounds (one in chamber and 5 in magazine) and unless you are a bleeding heart liberal what's not to love about the 45 ACP.  There are many good pocket size guns among which are 22, 32, 380 and even a few 9mm's but a 45 got my attention and I wanted to try it. You will not find a more compact semi auto 45 in fact you will have to look hard to find a 9mm this small. Springfield does make a 9mm this exact size now and a 40 cal is coming as well and they will carry a couple more rounds.
I like that it does not have a manual safety as such (one less function to worry with) there is a grip safety which means you have to be holding the gun to fire much like a 1911 and the trigger is like a Glock which is pre-set striker-fired which allows for good control of shots when practice shooting. I have only fired about 50 or 60 rounds through it but it functioned flawless with everything from FMJ to hollow points and defense loads and even some reloads and cast bullets.

XDS with extended mag.

Being 3 dot the sights are easy to acquire for target practice and recoil did not seem too harsh to me and is a blast to shoot. Springfield does make an extended mag (shown at right) which I think holds 2 more rounds but I don't care for it and probably won't buy one as it takes away from its concealability which is my focus here.
Overall it seems a fine carry gun.
The 9mm version holds 7+1 rounds which I think would make it a good option as well with a little less recoil and a little cheaper to shoot if that was a concern. 

Concealed Carry Philosophy, Part I here
Concealed Carry Philosophy, Part II here
Concealed Carry Philosophy, Part III here

Concealed Carry Philosophy, Part III

I have never felt I had to have the latest and most trendy carry pieces. I don't really care what is popular, I but know what I like and this next one is one of my favorites.
It is a S&W model 38 Airweight, like the 380, I have had this one a good while and really like to carry it. It is a little more bulky than the 380 but it still fits in the back pocket of my jeans with the grip being barely below the top edge of the pocket. I do have some pistols I carry in a waist band holster but with pocket pistols a shirt can be tucked in.  This 38 is an older model with a pinned barrel, a shrouded hammer and shows some wear as all good carry guns should.
It is a five shot revolver but fits my carry philosophy perfectly. Some of the reasons I like a revolver is when you are in a bind there is no safety to disengage, there is no magazine to come loose, misfires like dud ammo are instantly remedied by squeezing the trigger again. Reloading is still easy even with loose rounds and there is no slide to rack. They never misfeed, stove pipe or fail to eject and any of the above problems can cost a lot of valuable time in an emergency.
Don't get me wrong I am not trashing automatics because I have those I carry as well, I'm just giving my train of thought. For example, lets say someone walks up with a knife or gun and demands your money, you reach into your back pocket (or purse) pretending to retrieve your wallet you and draw a semi auto pistol. If for any of the reasons above (because you will be under stress) the gun fails to fire how much time is a armed man going to give you to slap the magazine, rack the slide and attempt to fire again, how long will it take you under stress, it depends on your training but I can assure you longer than squeezing a trigger rapidly two or three times on a revolver.  I have seen ammo fail to fire if it got wet or damp (over time) especially in the summer heat in a sweaty pocket or waistband, not very often but it does happen, this is another reason I cycle older ammo out of my carry guns. You have to check them often for lint and little objects which can get in the workings of a gun if carried in your pocket or purse.
 I am not seeking to persuade anyone to carry a particular gun just give my reasons and thought process....However I will say I never feel under-protected with my 38 revolver.

Concealed Carry Philosophy, Part I
Concealed Carry Philosophy, Part II
Concealed Carry Philosophy Part IV