Conceal Carry caliber

[jesse]

Hello,
I have a G-27 currently. I love this gun. However, I want to carry another handgun.

I want one that I can carry in my pocket. I am looking at P-11 and Ruger LCP 380.

My question. Is a 380 caliber enough for personal protection?


What are people carrying for a second firearm and caliber?

Thanks in advance..

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[deadeye]

380 would be enough but you need to practice and get familiar with the pistol which can get a little expensive in 380. I dont partcularly care for 9mm but you may want to check into similar sized pistols in 9mm. I carry revolvers in 357 (LCR) and 38 (Ultralight)when pocket carrying but 45 compact (Kimber) when colder weather hits.

 

[Sun195]

.380 is good for pocket carry, but to echo Deadeye's comment, you'll want to practice enough to be proficient with it (of course, you'll want to practice with anything you carry, but these smaller guns may take some more work to become proficient with). You may also want to take a look at small 9mm guns as they're not all that much larger than a comparable .380 gun (in some cases). For me, a .38spl revolver seems to carry the best & is easy to draw; .357 would be same size, but a lot of fire coming out of such a small gun (you'd definitely want to practice with one of these).

It also depends on your build, and what clothes you wear. I can pocket-carry a much larger gun while wearing baggy shorts and a t-shirt; a P3AT is all I can carry if I'm wearing dress slacks and a tucked-in shirt. YMMV

Holster selection is also important. I've had good luck with DeSantis Nemsis holsters. I have a Pale Horse back-pocket holster for my P3AT that looks like a wallet in the way that it prints. Again - something you've got to try a few of to get the right one that works for you.

 

[Blitzkrieg]

I would not carry anything less than a 9MM +P, personally. .380 does not exactly have a great rep for dropping 300 lb meth or crack heads. It's a backup caliber

 

[Markjz]

oh god he asked a caliber question on a firearms forum -_- here we go

 

[orygun]

My typical carry gun is a .45. But, there are certainly times where the "dress code" prohibits carrying a full size 1911. For those times I have a TCP in .380 that I carry without reservation. I would prefer a .38 Special to a .380, but the little .380 carries so nicely. If I need to use it, I know I can put several shots where they need to go very quickly.

 

[4Freedom]

If I had my choice, I would carry an AR-15 loaded with 5.56 72gr HP rounds. Since, I am denied my constitutional right, I am stuck with a handgun. In that case, I think the 9mm with 124gr +P is the minimum of defense rounds. I do carry a snubby, which is .38 +P in my pocket as backup, but certainly would not want to have to rely on it, in anything but the most dire of situations, where I am without my M&P.

I would say get a good pancake style holster or something else that fits you and carry a full sized 9mm and up handgun. IMO, there is really no reason not to carry a full sized gun and those who say it is too hard to carry, just have not been creative enough in their concealment technique. Even if it is 100F, I am packing my full sized S&W M&P 9 and I am feeling nice and cool and nobody thinks twice that I am packing.

If you are unfortunate to work a job with some type of dress code, where concealing a full size gun is impossible, then I would check out the Ruger LCR .38 +P with CT grips. I bought that gun and really love it. It is very lightweight and its thin design obscures printing with the proper holster.

 

[hermannr]

Only thing to remember, a .22 in your pocket is worth more than a smith 500 in the safe. Whatever you decide on, be proficent with it. .380 works fine in the proper situations. It is not for long range work, or hardened targets.

 

[enjr4]

The best caliber is the one you will carry and the one you have practiced with until you are good. The 5 inch 1911 is probably the best defense gun there is (at least the most popular handgun); but, if you will not lug around a 4 pound carry gun, it isn't much good.

 

[DERGLOCKINMEISTER]

I have been carrying an LCP this summer with corbon hollow points , while at a relatives cabin I had the opportunity
to shoot it at a rattlesnake and I was surprised to discover that I had difficulty with the ammo feeding properly on
several rounds . Moral of the story is carry what you have confidence in , make sure your defensive rounds operate properly
in the weapon , and always make sure it says Glock on the slide .

 

[G1GRANDEUR]

This again?

What ever caliber is better then nothing. I don't even want to get shot with BB gun.

Key point is whatever you choice to carry, practice and practice. So you have good control over the gun. I not talking about recoil control. More of handing and management.

 

[Markjz]

If I had my choice, I would carry an AR-15 loaded with 5.56 72gr HP rounds. Since, I am denied my constitutional right, I am stuck with a handgun.

really? I'm pretty sure open carry of loaded rifles is legal. but the sheeple will go into a panic like no other.

IMO, there is really no reason not to carry a full sized gun and those who say it is too hard to carry, just have not been creative enough in their concealment technique.

well said. I carry Beretta 92 cause if I have to pull it out I want who ever is on the business end to know 100% what he is dealing with. then hopefully I wont have to shoot.

some of those super compact "conceal" hand guns are barely exposed from your grip.

Only thing to remember, a .22 in your pocket is worth more than a smith 500 in the safe. Whatever you decide on, be proficent with it. .380 works fine in the proper situations. It is not for long range work, or hardened targets.

yep. any news search on fatal self defense shooting will turn up plenty of cases where people used .22lr.

 

[One-Eyed Ross]

I would not carry anything less than a 9MM +P, personally. .380 does not exactly have a great rep for dropping 300 lb meth or crack heads. It's a backup caliber

uh, 300 lb meth/crack heads? Where are those from?

As for .380, yes, it will work. More important than all the internet forum blather is how you feel with the hand gun, and what you can do with it.

Personally, I find shooting a handgun I can use to hit the target with is far more important than having a socially acceptable caliber.

 

[Blitzkrieg]

uh, 300 lb meth/crack heads? Where are those from?

In every major US city

 

[One-Eyed Ross]

At 300 lb???

 

[Blitzkrieg]

yep. any news search on fatal self defense shooting will turn up plenty of cases where people used .22lr.

The point isn't whether they eventually die, it's whether they stopped shooting, beating or knifing you to death

.22lr has a 20 to 30% stopping power with one torso shot.. as an example .40 has a 92 % + stopping rate with one torso shot and .380 has a 60% or thereabouts rate

 

[Blitzkrieg]

At 300 lb???

I'm 280.. what is the big deal?

 

[One-Eyed Ross]

I'm 280.. what is the big deal?

The idea is a meth head/crack addict at 300 pounds is inconsistent with the addictive process for those drugs (at least in my experience with addicts). Now, if you said PCP or pot user, sure, 300 pounds is ok. But meth/crack users typically aren't that bulky (by the time they are to the "crack head" stage, anyway).

 

[Riot]

Just know the limitations and effectiveness of the gun you are carrying. Nobody here can tell you what gun or caliber is or is not appropriate to carry on your person. You just have to know the pros and cons of the gun. A pocket little .380 (i.e. a Kel Tel P3AT or similar) you've got to know that you're not going to be doing IDPA matches with it or dropping 300lb crack heads with it.

All joking aside, just do your own research is all anyone here can really advise you. Everyone has their own opinions and preferences on guns and calibers, but they're not you. They are not going to be carrying this gun; YOU are. So, my advice? Research the different rounds, go practice a bit, draw the gun from where you plan to carry it from and shoot some targets up. When I want to know the ballistics value of a specific grain of bullet or caliber, I'll go out and bring some stuff out on the range to shoot. Bring some gallon jugs full of water and some phone books. Compare the results yourself and try to have fun doing it!

 

[One-Eyed Ross]

The single most important factor is shot placement, not penetration. Shot placement wins out every time...the .380 has been around for over 100 years, designed by no less a figure than John Moses Browning. Is it perfect? No, but it is more than adequate when used within its design parameters. Unless you believe in the mythic instant "liquifaction."