9mm or .380

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I have never understood this line of thinking... you are something like 100 times more likely to be hit by lightening in the US than you are of ever being caught in a mass shooting. By this reasoning you should be walking around with a foil hat with a ground wire taped to the bottom of your shoe.

You could also be caught at a concert where someone is popping off rounds 3000 yards to 4800 yards away. Do you never go to a concert without taking your .338 Laupa mag sniper rifle with you? Why would you go anywhere in public without a sniper rifle?... it has been proven that there is a possibility of of being killed by a mass shooter at greater than hand gun distances... more than once!

It sounds to me from this and the remaining part of the post that you somehow are assuming that engaging at a distance longer than 5 yards somehow necessitates a different type of gun. All it really takes is marksmanship and ability to perform under severe stress. I never suggested that you need to up-gun, and getting to a .338 Lapua example is a gross exaggeration. My Glock 42 is an easy 25 yard gun. If you want to start talking odds, don't bother carrying a gun at all.
 
Why a 380 ? For me s glock 42 works I can wear a pop can out at 50 ft I will hit average of 4 out of 6 clay birds at 28-30 yards it carries easily in either a pocket holster or in a pancake holster I don't bother switching to a small 22 woods bumming any more. If I feel I need more gun I go to my G29
 
Typicaly I have a Kahr CM9 for concealed carry. If for whatever reason I want to go smaller I take my SIG P238 along. And if I want to go with the smallest, lightest .380 I have then it's my KelTec P3AT.

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The only reason to own a .380 LCP is a pair of jeans with small pockets and a Sticky holster. Otherwise, the LC9s suits me fine.
 
ndjpow74: I carry a 9mm CZ PCR, a German-proofed ('94) Sig P228 and in hot weather, it's mostly the Russian .380 Makarov.
Note: some *commercial Maks* are chambered in 9x18. True Makarovs, whether military or commercial versions, were produced only in Russia, E. Germany, Bulgaria and the "P.R." of China.

These actual Makarovs--whether the .380 or 9x18-- are known for reliability and being easier to conceal than the 9x19 mms described above.
They are very rugged also and the DA triggers are not bad. Just a thought, in case you are unfamiliar.

I would much rather have this thin Makarov under a summer t-shirt, while squatting in a retail store, than have decided earlier at home Not to take my thicker, taller Sig or CZ.
That means no carry gun. I jogged with the Makarov in the IWB Remora (No clips) "holster" last summer many times against very wet t-shirts. This gun in the Remora under a tight belt stays snug when running on dirt trails for 30 min., in the 0830-0900 position.
And with freq. light CLP, no corrosion.
 
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My take is .380 is a fine CC caliber. Especially the fact that a few manufacturers purposely build the .380
pistols specifically for CC. Lighter, smaller, slimmer.

OTOH, 9mm X17 (.380) and 9mmX19 (9mm Luger, or "standard" 9mm) are very close in size, and easier than most calibers to confuse. I selected 9mm Luger, years ago, forgoing any .380, in order to avoid ammo
mix-ups.

It's not impossible, or even bad, to own both, but exercise a little extra caution, if you do.
 
Have a 9mm for ccw, thought about getting a .380

My top 2 choices are G-42 for the .380 and P-365 for the 9mm. Both can fit in a front pocket Kydex holster. The .380 is more comfortable in tighter pants. The P-365 ideal in cargo shorts and the like.

Recoil in the two is similar to me. Both pistols are reliable and good brand names. I think they are both good looking guns - of course that is very subjective. The lifetime warranty on the Sig is great.

I have friends that say that any caliber not starting with 4 is useless but I don't get into those arguments. If a person will only carry a .22 (certainly not my choice) then good for him\her.

I do honestly prefer to try to keep pistols caliber compatible. So, currently I shoot only the .380. Grabbing into my ammo supply there is no chance of picking the wrong box.... It also makes it easier to stockpile ammo at slightly less expense.

I do think that maybe when I can get a P-365 with a safety that I may switch out to 9mm. Yeah, the safety is a whole other argument.

I do not feel under gunned with a .380. Modern .380 ammo has come a long way I am told.
 
I got rid of all my 9mm (9x19) handguns years ago...gave them to my children. I'm a retired Marine (infantry) and am most comfortable with the ballistics of .380 (9x17) or Makarov (9x18) in FMJ. I'm not a believer in the whizz-bang new projectiles that often times do not provide adequate penetration into a human body. FMJ is all I carry in .380 or Makarov platforms. I prefer all steel and the Commies made some very reliable weapons that are most affordable on today's market. To me, it's all about dependability, penetration and shot placement...NOT caliber (yes, I even CC .22lr when nothing else fits). After the Corps, I became an RN and spent 15 years in a Level 2 Trauma ER and quickly discovered a well placed .22 is much more deadly than a .40 or .45 "non-vital" hit.
I've posted this link many times, but this is a most accurate rendering of why I don't believe in "magic bullets" that are commercially available:

http://smith-wessonforum.com/ammo/98508-380-load-calling-erich.html

Either you buy Erich's argument, or you don't. To each his own. I hope neither you nor I will ever have to test these findings.
 
380 is super popular in America today....just look on the gun store shelves....it sells out faster than 9mm sometimes. I carry 380 when I cannot conceal a bigger fatter 9mm in shorts/tshirt , or when I just want to pocket carry in jeans front pocket. A 12 0z 380 in the pocket is more comfortable than a 20 oz 9mm imo
 
If you like the Makarovs, here is a picture of my Russian Makarov in 380acp. I bought it brand-new in 1988 for $89. My memory is imperfect, but I don't believe it's ever malfunctioned. I don't know how many thousands of rounds I've put through it. My grandchildren could likely do the same. Before I got smaller lighter pistols I used to carry it sometimes. I never felt unarmed.

 
I just got curious and checked on actual prices on ammoseek. New 9x19 range ammo, with brass cases, start at about 14-15 cents each. New 9x17 range ammo , with brass cases, is about 19 cents each. So, yes there is a small difference there.

Comparing XTP, 9x19 is about 45 cents each while 9x17 is about 43-45 cents each. Frankly, for all people bemoan the difference in ammo cost, there isn't much there. I stuck to new, with brass cases because it provides a bit more of an apple-apple comparison and because I reload both so I would always order brass cases.
 
If you like the Makarovs, here is a picture of my Russian Makarov in 380acp. I bought it brand-new in 1988 for $89. My memory is imperfect, but I don't believe it's ever malfunctioned. I don't know how many thousands of rounds I've put through it. My grandchildren could likely do the same. Before I got smaller lighter pistols I used to carry it sometimes. I never felt unarmed.


While my memory is also far from perfect, and my Makarov is 9x18, I also do not remember any malfunctions. The only problem I have with it is that my daughter decided it is hers.
 
I have three 9x18's. Radom P64, Bulgarian Makarov and CZ-82. I, too, have fired countless rounds (mostly steel case) without a single malfunction. My 1984 .380 Interarms Walther PPK/S (U.S. made) is a great CCW and I will never sell it. It performs very well, but (after much trial and error) only with certain FMJ ammo. It's picky. Not so for the 9x18's I own. The Comm Bloc made simple, rugged pistols. They eat everything I throw at them. Furthermore, they don't need to be perfectly cleaned and lubed before firing. They're like the Energizer bunny. They just keep on running.
The concept of simplicity and 100% reliability under any condition seemed to have been their top engineering priority.
 
Golly, I haven't seen one of these "which caliber is better" debates in, well, at least a month.

I am a fan of both 9mm and 9mm short. Each has both advantages and disadvantages as with any caliber.
 
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I became an RN and spent 15 years in a Level 2 Trauma ER and quickly discovered a well placed .22 is much more deadly than a .40 or .45 "non-vital" hit.

Well said

I’ve often said just ask someone who goes on about stopping power if they’d willing get shot from a 22, then watch how the discussion changes.

Many have been killed by the “lowly” 22.

I’ve been on the wrong end of a gunman shooting up a campus. So I know what it’s like to need a gun and have the closet one locked away where you can’t get it.

So yes I’d bet my life on a 380 or even a 22 if it was all I could get. But I’d rather have a 9mm, 40 or 45. As I’ve posted before what we carry is a personal decision. And no gun is perfect for wveryth8ng. So OP has to think things through. Nothing says they can’t have more than one gun and use what’s best for each situation if they want and can afford it.

As others have mentioned practice is important. Too few don’t shoot enough. I’m in that group even though I did get some in yesterday and I did better than I expected. Having not shot in too long, I thought I’d be rustier than I was. That said the more we practice smart and mindfully the better we get.

So OP has some thinking to do and I hope they share what they’ve learned and what they do.
 
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