Guns: A CCW Retrospective (Part 4)

The first handgun I carried regularly was the CZ 2075 RAMI 9mm. The RAMI is a fairly recent example of a continuing trend in autoloading handguns - the subcompact. Due in part to the now-expired "Assault Weapons" Ban and the increasing number of concealed carry permits being issued in the U.S., the market for service-style pistols with shorter grips and barrels has exploded. Guns of this type include the GLOCK 26, the XD subcompact, and the Para Warthog, and, in general, they are good choices for concealed carry if you can get used to not having a full grip.

When I first got it, the RAMI was definitely a mixed bag - one of the 10-rounders that came with it was defective, only holding 9 rounds. The gun was fairly small, but chunky, and you could only really get two fingers on the grip when drawing or shooting it. It was surprisingly accurate for a 2" barreled carry pistol, but I was definitely on the fence about it.

Luckily, I had the foresight to order a good holster and a good belt (note - nowadays, custom holsters take quite a bit of time to receive - wait times at K&D are up to three months). The RAMI, for all its ergonomics issues, concealed well and comfortably, and it was suitably reliable for my needs...

Of course, such things are not meant to last. My RAMI began having fatal failure-to-extracts after about 2000-odd rounds. I tried replacing the recoil spring and the ejector spring, and this got the gun back up to about 98%, but not good enough to carry. The search, as always, continues...