ok, with all the advise i have been getting, my search for a lightweight, yet powerful and easily concealed handgun has been narrowed down. the final contestants are the:
glock 36
sig p239
kahr pm40
kimber ultra carry II
can you help me with the pros and cons of any of these?
which one is best?????

Kbatty, Don't know about the rest, but my Sig 239 in 357 Sig is my carry gun. Small, powerful and reliable. I have a big Kimber, so that would be my second choice.
Rich

:confused: I'll confuse you more...how about the Walther P99? Or the SW99? Same gun in either 9mm or 45. I have the P99 in 9mm. Adjustable handgrips, accurate and definately concealable. Probably cheaper than some listed.

Of those you listed, Kimber would be my choice, their reputation, is impeccable. I have always favored 1911 style guns, so I am bias on this. I have owned several Glocks and they are extremely dependable. My own choice for concealed carry is a Taurus model 450 in .45 Colt, it only gives five shots, but we're talking 200 gr. at 1100 fps. The gun has a 2 1/2" ported barrel is stainless steel, comes with great grips, and fixed sights. I also take a speedloader along. Hope I've been of some help.

Don

I would recommend the Sig 239. This is the most accurate TDA handgun that I have shot. It has the best transition from double to single action. Gun Tests authors liked the Sig 239 so well they bought one for their own use ! I also carry the Sig 239 in 357 Sig.
Regards Jubal

My daily carry gun is an unmodified Kimber Ultra CDP II in .45 ACP. I use Wilson +1 magazines and Speer Gold Dot 200gr +P hollowpoints. It carrys easily and shoots well.

The gun is utterly relaible and the controls are easily manipulated. The trigger is about 4 pounds with just the slightest hint of initial creep. The dual recoil springs soak up recoil well. Accuracy, even with a 3" barrel is fantastic. I can easily hold inside the 10 ring of a B27 target at 65 feet all day as long as I do may part.

Some people feel that the series II safety design is dangerous and prone to breaking and jamming. This hasn't been the case with mine or any of my friends Kimbers.

The only complaint I have is the rear sight design. It has a high/sharp ridge at the back that tends to wear away at cover garments a bit. A Kimber Rep recenly e-mailed me and said that they're changing to a more carry-friendly design, though.

Good luck

You left out the only make that I would even consider, HK. I won't lecture, but you should check out the USP Compact (9,357,40,45) and the P2000 (9 & 40). These are right in line with the other firearms you listed.

can't believe no one suggested Rugers

can't believe no one suggested Rugers

Only because kbatty was looking for 9mm's at the smaller end of the size spectrum. The Rugers are excellent guns. I've shot a couple of them. Excellent selling prices too. But small they aren't.

I normally carry a 2.5" S&W M66 with 130 grain Federal Personal Defense Hydra-Shocks in a Milt Sparks IWB VersiMax2 Holster. When in the mood for a semi-auto I carry my SIG 239 9mm with a 10 round magazine and Personal Defense Hydra-Shocks in a Milt Sparks IWB VersiMax2 Holster. Dennis

can't believe no one suggested Rugers

I HATE Ruger Auto pistols, they're BlackHawks are excelent guns (never shot a Redhawk but i would assume the same) every Ruger auto i've shot has jammed, everyone i've seen shoot a Ruger, it's jammed. i have never seen an automatic jam that bad, not even the WWI PPK jams like that. as for a carry gun i will once again suggest the Smith and Wesson Airlite series, but thats my opinion.

airlites are fine! so are SP101's and airweight bodyguards, and heck!, I love revolvers! :D

First off I will say that if the pistol you put into your hand doesn't feel good and comfortable to you, by all means DON'T BY IT! No matter what the person behind the counter tell you about it's pluses.

I was told once many years ago, that if you are going to bet your life on a handgun.......best it be a "Wheel Gun" a revolver in other words, like the Smith & Wesson lightweight 357 mag my wife carries. No rear sight to hang up on your pocket or purse, no hammer to catch on your clothing either. It's a 5 shot shooter that can penetrate and do the job needed done.

I also carry a Kimber 45 in the short barrel version, but many people can not handel the size of such a frame nor controll them while being fired with suitable accuracy. I suggest you go to a firing range and there you can try several pistols, as well as get good advice before you make your purchase.

I HATE Ruger Auto pistols, they're BlackHawks are excelent guns (never shot a Redhawk but i would assume the same) every Ruger auto i've shot has jammed, everyone i've seen shoot a Ruger, it's jammed. i have never seen an automatic jam that bad, not even the WWI PPK jams like that. as for a carry gun i will once again suggest the Smith and Wesson Airlite series, but thats my opinion.

Wow, that's quite interesting. Your experience is 180 degrees opposite of my own. Excluding the prototypical P85, which certainly had significant problems, I've never had a Ruger centerfire automatic fail to feed with less than 100% reliability. This includes two .45's, a .40, and a 9mm. One of the .45's is used as a rental gun and has seen several tens of thousands of rounds, mostly cast loads of questionable quality. Yet it never skipped a beat in the 200 or so rounds I put through it.

As for the Walther PPK, you're mistaken. There couldn't be a World War One-era gun since the original PP debuted in 1929. The shorter PPK came on the scene a few years later.

I dont know, the only auto pistols i've really liked were my grandfathers old Colt 1911 and his Browning 9mm (i think its called a "high power" though i could be wrong, i never really payed attention) the 15 round clip is always a nice thing :D
and its the smaller PPK that came out a little later, its a .32 caliber. Oh yes and your right, my fault, its a Pre-WWII, one of the first years they were made, he has 1 pre WW2, one from WW2 and a new one, and i've to shoot them all, the Newer one didn't jam at all, the older ones i wanted to just destroy, they jammed every 3 or 4 shots. I'f i was going to carry a gun for protection i would carry a revolver, they're just more reliable.

If you're looking for a traditional double-action in a 9mm, the smallest, lightest one on the market -- at least that I was able to find -- is the Smith & Wesson CS9.

I personally prefer the traditional double action. The double-action only models I've tried and owned either have trigger pulls that are too heavy (Kel-Tec) or way too light (Glock and Kahr). The Glock and Kahr triggers are so light that I was afraid I'd shoot myself in the foot or leg (or someplace worse) if I ever had to draw it quickly, because they have no external safeties.

But with a TDA like my CS9, I'm comfortable carrying it with a round in the pipe because I don't have to worry about accidentally pulling the trigger. I can flip off the manual safety with my thumb as I draw, so that's not an issue.

ok, with all the advise i have been getting, my search for a lightweight, yet powerful and easily concealed handgun has been narrowed down. the final contestants are the:
glock 36
sig p239
kahr pm40
kimber ultra carry II
can you help me with the pros and cons of any of these?
which one is best?????

I carry a Glock G30, the thing is super, no complaints at all.
Kimbers are awesome too, but for the same money you can get a Glock and $400 worth of ammo. By the time you burn that up, you will be both comfortable and deadly accurate.
Carry guns do get dinged up, It would cause me serious pain to ding up my Wilson, Whereas If I put a ding on my Glock it just adds character :D
Have a great one!