I personally found the LC9 painful to shoot and stopped after 15 rounds. That is me, it will be different for others.
My own experience is that the gun is more important than the caliber up to a certain point.
The 380ACP has a real edge when using hollow point ammo in my opinion, it is not huge, especially if you are comparing to .32ACP ammo loaded with a good hollow point bullet, but it does exist and a .32ACP using hollow point ammo may not feed as reliably as a .380ACP round because of the semi-rimmed .32ACP case, depending on the gun.
That said, I own both calibers and the same guns in both calibers.
I found that some guns work better than others with the .32ACP. I carried a WALTHER PPK (not the PPK/S) in .32ACP and found it completely reliable and only stopped carrying it when I bought a GLOCK 42 in .380ACP. I noticed the recoil of the PPK was less than the larger PP series which have a more squared off grip. The same would apply to the PPK/S which uses the grip and frame of the PP series.
The soft shooting GLOCK 42 offers a .380ACP chambering with recoil that I perceive to be not much more than the PPK in .32ACP. It also is lighter, slimmer, will never rust and has better sights. I rate reliability as the same based on my own experience.
I have occasionally carried a BERETTA Tomcat in .32ACP because it is just more concealable than the GLOCK 42 or PPK. I have even smaller guns in .32ACP, but I have not found that I needed a to conceal a gun smaller than the Tomcat which is lot easier to shoot than the N.A.A. GUARDIAN and more reliable in my experience than the KEL TEC.
I had a COLT 1903 and a BERETTA model 81 and if loaded with .32ACP hollow point load like the FIOCCHI xtp round or COR BON Powerball. These large .32ACP pistols overcome the small grip and sight problems of the really small micro and some pocket pistols. Their large grips, mild recoil, large sights, controls and adequate magazine capacity make them much better protection guns than the small, weak .32ACP round would suggest. I felt they were perfectly adequate for a house gun, though I would prefer something heavier like a 9m.m.
To me, I would choose the gun first. I saved several hundred dollars when I bought the PPK instead of a PPK/S in .380ACP only to discover that the PPK really did live up to reputation as the best concealable gun available when it was introduced. I still have it and occasionally carry it when my GLOCK is not available (my wife really likes the GLOCK 42 and I bought her one for her birthday as a ccw weapon).
Some .32ACP pistols will be better for different uses. The BERETTA 81 and 82 and the CZ 83 in .32ACP will be mild recoiling, easy to shoot and operate guns for home defense. The PPK is a much better choice for a concealed carry gun if you do not wear a jacket or vest and the BERETTA Tomcat is the most concealable while still reliable and controllable. If you find a reliable one, the KEL TEC can just disappear on your person.
Jim
