.380 or 9????

[40salas]

Hey guys. I want to my CCW really soon. I'm on the fence right now.with the bodyguard or PF9. I do tented to wear shorts a lot. so a smaller and lighter ccw would be better.

I know a lot of people say a .380 isn't enough but dose anyone have any real life experience with a .380 not doing the job???

thanks for looking.

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[volcomdork182]

I don't know "real life" as in shooting someone. As i hope i never have to defend myself in a life or death situation, but i have owned a nna guardian 380 and have shot many of my friends 380's. And MY honest OPINION is that the 9mm is the better defense round. Its larger case allows for more velocity and therefore more energy being released on your target. Now don't get me wrong a 380 will put a man down but if the choice is there, i would take a 9mm.

I view this topic just like people do hunting. Everyone wants to have a magnum and if you don't, then your gun "isn't" powerful enough in their eyes. Its just a gimmick. In my eyes shot placement is more of a conclusive variable in wither or not your target will go down; rather than how much oomph a bullet has. Just like a deer prob cant tell the difference between a 30-06 and a 300 mag. Both supply a dead deer, both did what you wanted, both will work.

Well what i am getting at in my mixed mumbling is it comes down to preference and shot placement. If you shoot a 9mm better go with the 9 if you feel more comfortable with a 380 then choose a 380. Also other things to look at is cost of ammo.

 

[Blitzkrieg]

9MM is WAY more powerful.. the case is tapered and designed for more pressure. You fill in the blanks

 

[M67]

jmho~

I would recommend a sub compact 9mm over a 380 any day. There are many quality sub compact 9mm's that are easy to conceal and are about the same size as a 380, like S&W, Glock, Sig Sauer, Kahr, ruger, etc.....

And you can find much cheaper plinking ammo and better quality HP ammo with the 9mm rounds.

"The .380 ACP Sucks" by Nutnfancy - YouTube

 

[40salas]

.380 is really more $$ then 9mm!!!! I really had now idea! dose that even make any sense?

 

[G1GRANDEUR]

nothing wrong with .380 itself, but I'd go with 9mm. Because of ammo choices.

 

[Nwcid]

9mm truly does have much more power then a .380.......... but the .380 you have on you is much more powerful then .XX that you left in behind.

I generally carry a compact 9mm in a Comp-tac Minotaur holster even in shorts and T-shirt. I find this is a very good combo for me.

With that said there are many times/places/temp is too hot for me not to want to carry that on me. I will slip my .380 in my right front pocket. I have a gun, it is very concealed, if things feel funny I can walk around with my hands in my pocket like the rest of the idiots out there. Difference is if I feel the need I have my hand on my gun ready to go.......

 

[Unka-Boo]

Go shoot examples of the guns you are looking at BEFORE you buy one. It will save much frustration. If you have to have something that small, don't rule out a snubby revolver ( like the LCR ).

I had a PF9 for a while, worked OK, but it was "Meh"...Loooooooong trigger pull and so-so accuracy.

Settled on a Glock 19 for my EDC. The right holster will do wonders for concealment, I carried a fullsize USP 45 for a year with zero issues.


ETA.... 9mm ;^)

 

[BANE]

9mm pf9 is a great gun. Just polish the feed ramp.

 

[FarmerTed1971]

9mm... simply because ammo is cheap which means more practice... and practice makes perfect.

 

[gaijinsamurai]

Definitely go with the 9mm. However, I would recommend something other than the PF9.

I had a PF9 for a little while. In some respects, it is a nice CCW gun because it's small and lightweight. However, I would recommend something that can handle p+ loads, and I have read/heard that the PF9 is not suitable for sustaining hundreds of rounds.

For a defensive pistol, you will want to invest in lots of ammo, and practice as much as possible, in order to become proficient. The PF9 is OKAY, but since this may be the tool that you'll use to defend your life, why not get the best you can afford?

If you can afford it, spend two or three hundred dollars more and get a Glock 19 or 26, or if you prefer, a Smith & Wesson or Kahr.

 

[evltwn]

A tiny pocket sized 9mm may be a case of comfy to carry, difficult to shoot well. I pack an XDm 9mm iwb with shorts and a tee shirt all summer long. I shoot speed steel with it, and am quite happy with my level of proficiency. I forget it is with me half the time, and it is not the thinnest, lightest, for certain! For me, its not how light, small, yada yada, rather, will I be able to end a threat to my family should the need ever arise.

 

[mjbskwim]

380 is plenty if you shoot the attacker in the vitals and he doesn't have heavy clothing on.
But the 9mm will be better and is almost half the cost in ammo and the same cost for the gun.

The little bit bigger gun in 9mm is well worth it.

 

[Otter]

For self defense it all comes down to one shot stop statistics. A .380 ACP can achieve about a 70% rating. The 9mm goes up to 90%, but most bullets come in around 80%. Clearly the 9mm is better, but not as much better as some people would try to get you to believe. With my .380 I plan to keep shooting until the threat stops, so with each shot my percentage goes from 70% to 140% to 210% and so on.

As posted above, if you don't have it with you it doesn't matter how powerful a weapon you buy. Get something you will actually carry, and if you are okay with a bulky 45 caliber, get that, cause it has about the most stopping power available outside of some of the crazy big handgun calibers.

 

[40salas]

haha!!! Thanks guys! I'm leaning to a Pf-9
had no idea about the ammo cost of. 380.... why would it be more? less of everything

 

[stmcelroy]

Get what you'll carry. A .380 in the pocket is way better than the 9mm at home.

 

[Sun195]

haha!!! Thanks guys! I'm leaning to a Pf-9
had no idea about the ammo cost of. 380.... why would it be more? less of everything

More people manufacture 9mm, more people use 9mm, military uses 9mm.... more of something floating around out there typically means that prices will be lower. (or, insert your own economic theory here)

 

[40salas]

IV look up the pf9 and I'm seeing a lot of problems with miss feeds and I guess ur not a range gun(hurts the hand)

 

[wooner]

I carry a CW9. Little bigger than a pocket gun, but I really like being able to put 3 fingers on the grip. In my opinion, the Kahr's have a much nicer trigger than most of the other pocket guns. It is actually nice to shoot. Some of the other pocket guns I have shot I just wanted to put it down and never touch it again.

 

[jim97701]

Do a search and check out the Boberg compact nine, The power of a nine in a 380 sized package