.380 vs 9mm carry gun

[BehindBlueI's]

I have never had a carry gun
But I think I would be more comfortable having it in my pocket then on my hip.
But I would make sure to get holsters for each scenario

Its not. A quality holster and belt makes belt carry extremely convenient and comfortable.. After you've carried it enough to get used to it, you'll forget its there. At the sizes you are talking about, IWB is extremely easy to make comfortable.

Everything is a trade off, but hip carry is faster, is often easier to conceal than a big lump in your pocket, is more comfortable sitting down, and remains comfortable. Its a reason its the "default" carry position. It just works better in the majority of situations.

 

[Gluemanz28]

I found this youtube video by shooting the bull. It was done recently for the G42

http://m.youtube.com/watch?v=6WMMr5ANHlw

 

[Rexmage]

I find more 9mm than .380, I've not actively sought .380 in... about a year. I kinda just gave up looking. the S&W Shield is nice, very agronomic. The Ruger LCP is nice though too, I know a few shop keepers who have little LCP's stuck in their smock pockets just in case.

 

[PeterJLH09]

I have owned and carried everything from 40 down to a .25. I personally believe that the best gun, is the one that fits you best. A .22LR is lethal beyond 400 yards ( I know I'm going to get a lot of response from this, just look it up) that being said, a .380 is a quite adequate as a carry weapon. (The .380 round is actually longer than a 9mm, but is the same diameter) Best advice: both calibers provide both sound and punch to stop an attacker. Now you need to asses what will work better for your situation. Most .380s generally are small enough to fit in your pocket, and are easily concealable.

Just my 2 cents

 

[Hohn]

Pretty sure that the 9mm is longer than a .380ACP...


Choose the gun first. Caliber second. If you find a carry able gun that fits your needs well, and it happens to be .380, just go with it and don't look back.

 

[Willegene]

Reading this site and other places I have been really back and forth

 

[Willegene]

I plan on going to the 1500 next week, Hopefully I will have a better idea once I start seeing some in person

 

[DFM914]

You should look seriously at the Shield in 9mm. You can buy them new for around $380 and they are reliable, accurate and easy to conceal/carry. My everyday carry is a Shield and I love it!

 

[dyerwatcher]

Highly recommend the Sigs....238 is great for deep concealment. I got rid of a P3AT and a Bodyguard then got my 238. Love it. Unless you need deep concealment, my 239 is also very easy to carry.

 

[BehindBlueI's]

(The .380 round is actually longer than a 9mm, but is the same diameter)

Vice versa. The .380 is shorter than the 9mm. The bullet is also lighter. Usually in the 90-100 grain range.

 

[LoriW]

Have you handled any of the guns? That usually eliminates guns for my customers. A gun might look great on paper but feel terrible in the hand. That could narrow down the list of what you want to rent and try. I would also be open to a slightly bigger handgun and holster carry (IWB or OWB, whichever you prefer). Generally the smaller the gun, the worse the sights, potentially making an already stressful experience (drawing the gun in self defense) even worse if you can't easily get a good sight picture. I don't really like the feel of the LCP personally. It feels too small for me (and I don't have big hands). Something a little more meaty feels better. But that's me. Go handle as many guns as you possibly can. Shoot the one's you like.

 

[LANShark42]

I have an SR9, SR9c and a Diamondback DB9. Love the Rugers, but the DB9 gets carried. Small. Light. 9mm. Until I can lose enough weight to comfortably carry my EEA .45.

 

[kings650]

I was carring bersa 380 for a while and recently changed to 9mm subcompact(XDS) because there are so many good 9mm subcompacts these days.
I can not think of any advantages of 380 over 9mm anymore.

 

[nakinate]

I was carring bersa 380 for a while and recently changed to 9mm subcompact(XDS) because there are so many good 9mm subcompacts these days.
I can not think of any advantages of 380 over 9mm anymore.

It depends on your situation.

My EDC is now a .380 because I was finding too many excuses to not carry my compact 9. When you work 50 hours a week (where you can't carry) and often have to get your kids at daycare (where you can't carry. BTW, I park in the street when I pick them up so a gun isn't on daycare property.) then I need something small and easy to remove from my person. Putting a larger gun on and off repeatedly is annoying, especially when you refuse to unholster. The way I figure it is that it is better to have a .380 in my pocket or waistband then to have a 9mm sitting at home.

Disclaimer: I carry my full size 9mm after work and on my days off.

 

[dhw9am]

I carry a Bersa Thunder 380. I carry it because I can hit what I aim at with it and it is totally reliable.
I have some problems with my shooting hand, and find small 9MM pistols difficult.
I have no problem with 380 ammo such as Corbon, being able to do the job if needed.

 

[nakinate]

I was as still am a graduate of the "bigger is better" school on caliber, but I've come to realize (call it "continuing education"?) the place for the smaller rounds. Now, I'm not going below 9mm in my carry gun most days, but for work, where I must remain incognito, or for my wife when we're out together and I'm carrying my G19 and she's wanting to wear closer fit clothing that would reveal her G26 more than she cares for, we've got a Kahr P380.

I carry what works in it and after finding Shooting the Bull's well-thought-out Ammo Quest for a 380 load that meets the FBI protocol, I'm carrying XTP loadings, which the little P380 and G42 before it seem to love.

Final Results of the .380 ACP Ammo Quest | Shooting The Bull

I carry a Bersa Thunder 380. I carry it because I can hit what I aim at with it and it is totally reliable.
I have some problems with my shooting hand, and find small 9MM pistols difficult.
I have no problem with 380 ammo such as Corbon, being able to do the job if needed.

Just carry the right rounds. Regardless of the caliber, do some research and carry the best rounds you can afford. I just ordered a box of Precision One XTP rounds based off of the info in the link posted by Wesnellans. That round should perform up to FBI standards just fine for me.

 

[bluehdflhrs]

I would look at 9s.I carry a Kahr PM9 very accurate and reliable.

 

[Giddaltti]

Here's my take on the TCP 738. I'm getting another one this year. https://www.indianagunowners.com/forums/handguns/307698-taurus-tcp-380-a.html. Since my post, I've shot over 1k rounds with no issues, and this also includes reloads. I love reloading .380. The triger has since smoothed out nicely, and I can't seem to put it away. My experience is that it's pretty stable, it takes a little getting used to the size. The grip extension is very nice however, I took the extension off and use a pocket holster for EDC. My girls call it a mouse gun. A .380 is ment for close quarter action, penetration at 15-20 yards starts to deminish (IMO). Defensive ammo is also key. After trial and error the Federal Premium HST is what I use, it has excellent expansion. I tried Speer, Sabers and other denfensive ammo and the HST had the best expansion and consistency.

 

[GunGirl13]

Hello. I am new to the site but have been following for a while. I just received my LTCH and have been carrying my Taurus 380 Revolver. A little hard to conceal. I have practiced with it a few times and it is not fun to shoot at all. I am looking to buy a S&W Shield 9mm or a Ruger LC9. Leaning more towards the Shield. Just wanted some feedback on either of these.

 

[ru44mag]

Hello. I am new to the site but have been following for a while. I just received my LTCH and have been carrying my Taurus 380 Revolver. A little hard to conceal. I have practiced with it a few times and it is not fun to shoot at all. I am looking to buy a S&W Shield 9mm or a Ruger LC9. Leaning more towards the Shield. Just wanted some feedback on either of these.

That's interesting...I did not know Taurus made a .380 revolver. I have owned several .380's. Kel-tech, TCP, and LCP. They are all gone, but the P238 remains. I don't have total confidence in the .380 so rarely is it my main carry weopon. But I just love this pistol. Accurate, low recoil and extremely reliable. If you choose pocket carry, this is what I recommend. Typically for me it is a BUG. I also have shot all the 9mm handguns the OP listed, and as much as I liked the P938, I still prefer my CM9. BBI is right, IWB is the way to go. I have 2 holsters I really like with my CM9. One is an El Paso, the other is a Talon, which I prefer. 200 miles plus in the UP snowmobiling, and I frequently was checking to make sure it was still there. There have been some concerns about frame wear with the CM9, but I personally don't see it as an issue. With Talon grips on my CM9, it is extremely comfortable to shoot, lowest recoil, very accurate and extremely reliable. Hope this helps. Oh...and if you can swing it, get both.