My experience is that recoil on small .380 ACP pistols is just as bad as 9mm (which is to say, not bad at all, but not any lighter), which I assume is because most small .380 ACP pistols are blowback operated and not recoil operated.
I hear, "most small .380 ACP pistols are blowback operated," on a regular basis and I question it. It is almost into the category of "myths." As an example of .380 pistols, counting my 9mm Makarov, I have five. Of those, only the Makarov is blowback. I am not going to deny that there are blowback .380 pistols on the market. Of popular .380 pistols, both the Bersa and the High-Point are bowback. There, I am done, I have named all of the popular blowback .380 pistols. Yes, there is the PPK and the Beretta Cougar family. I think most can agree that those models are not hot sellers.
However, most modern .380 Pistols use some form of delayed blowback/lickig breech mechanism. There is the entire Colt Government model family which includes, not surprisingly, the .380 Government model, the mustang, Sig, Kimber, Springfield. Then there is the Glock 42, the Walther PK38, and Smith & Wesson shield. There is the whole family of Kel-Tek derivatives. I can keep going, the point is, the, "most small .380 ACP pistols are blowback operated," is almost a myth.
Yes, I carry a .380
and consider it to be an adequate self-defense cartridge. I have been considering a 9mm due to the sheer number of designs in that caliber. However, the cost issue is a small one, I reload my practice ammunition. I am very concerned with over-penetration. I realize that many people consider over-penetration to be a myth. What I see is that that position (considering over-penetration to be a myth) is based on the assumption that all shots will hit the threat. That is a great goal; however, it does not bear well in examinations of actual shootings.
I will say that, considering my over penetration concern, I have been looking hard at the .22tcm. I would love to see some dry-wall tests of that round. My biggest concern there is the likely-hood that the .22tcm is not going to be available for a long time. At the present I carry ARX ammunition in my .380. This summer I plan to do my own series of dry wall tests and see if there is any good reason to continue carrying that round, as compared to the XTP that has good reviews and I can practice with much more affordably.
Returning to my original point, It is almost uncommon to see a blowback .380 pistol in actual use. At the present I also carry a Glock 42, which I consider entirely adequate for self-defense purposes. However, like others in this thread, I am looking closely at the SIG 365.
In the home there is no excuse to not have your best gun at the ready, best in terms of capacity and reliability, weather that's a pistol, rifle or shotgun. A shotgun is harder to handle in an enclosed area, but does the most damage.[emphasis mine]
I question this bit of conventional wisdom. I will argue that the 5.6 is the best for home defense. First, the AR is an excellent platform with over 40 years of use. However, I am focusing on the round itself. It is a proven stopper. Further, it has, close to, the lowest over-penetration risk of common defensive cartridges ( I say close, because while the .22lr is a common defensive cartridge, I would not recommend it).
This well known experiment showed the 40gr 5.56 round as being a significantly more "neighbor safe" self defensive round than the ubiquitous 12ga buck shot.
