small carry conceal handguns. 9mm or .380 , Why you carry one over the other ?

[AZ Hawk]

From Buffalo Bore's website: 9mm Luger +P+ Pistol and Handgun Ammo - (+P+) 147 gr. Jacketed Hollow Point (1,175 fps/M.E. 451 ft. lbs.)

Now we're talking!

That's getting pretty darn close to .357 SIG territory. I don't even want to how much pressure that round generates; you'd definitely need a heavier recoil spring!

[DefensiveCarry.com]

[EsCrasston]

why dont you carry a cap gun. They 'look' real enough and you probably (99.85%) wont have to actually use it anyway.

Are you saying that if you have the misfortune of having to draw your weapon on someone, you are going to fire no matter what? I highly doubt it. If you are, you should seriously reconsider carrying with that mentality because you could end up in some serious trouble. Most carry to protect themselves for that .15% chance that they may need to pull the trigger. The last thing they want is to have to pull the trigger, yet they are prepared to do so if the need presents itself within that slim percentage chance.

[EsCrasston]

Now we're talking!

That's getting pretty darn close to .357 SIG territory. I don't even want to how much pressure that round generates; you'd definitely need a heavier recoil spring!

Imagine shooting that bad boy through one of the new little 9mm platforms. Holy felt recoil batman!

[zonker1986]

Now we're talking!

That's getting pretty darn close to .357 SIG territory. I don't even want to how much pressure that round generates; you'd definitely need a heavier recoil spring!

my Hornaday TAP 147gr .357 SIGs are rated at 1225 fps.....1175fps for a 9mm is smoking hot.....sounds like a fun ride.

[TTPower]

Are you saying that if you have the misfortune of having to draw your weapon on someone, you are going to fire no matter what? I highly doubt it. If you are, you should seriously reconsider carrying with that mentality because you could end up in some serious trouble. Most carry to protect themselves for that .15% chance that they may need to pull the trigger. The last thing they want is to have to pull the trigger, yet they are prepared to do so if the need presents itself within that slim percentage chance.

why dont you carry a cap gun. They 'look' real enough and you probably (99.85%) wont have to actually use it anyway.

WOW ES i guess there's no way you're going to win arguments with comments like these !

"carry a cap gun!" i never saw this coming LOL

[EsCrasston]

WOW ES i guess there's no way you're going to win arguments with comments like these !

Does anyone ever really win arguments on forums? LOL. This is all in good sport for me. I enjoy reading others' points of view and sharing my own.

[AZJD1968]

While the .38sp and 9mm are generally held to be the minimum caliber for a lethal defense, that does presume a worst-case scenario.

If you do pull your weapon and fire a round, .

...... It will be in that .20% (worst case scenario) that I have to shoot at someone to defend my life or that of my family and I don't care who is doing what to dive or hide from me. All I'm going to care about is that my (or my families) attacker stops attacking. And I will not have to say to myself after the fact, "maybe I could have saved ....... if I had an adaquate SD caliber.
To the best of my ability, I will be prepared.

[AZJD1968]

Are you saying that if you have the misfortune of having to draw your weapon on someone, you are going to fire no matter what? I highly doubt it. If you are, you should seriously reconsider carrying with that mentality because you could end up in some serious trouble. Most carry to protect themselves for that .15% chance that they may need to pull the trigger. The last thing they want is to have to pull the trigger, yet they are prepared to do so if the need presents itself within that slim percentage chance.

Ha! We just said the same thing.... I didn't see your post because I was typing mine.

[EsCrasston]

Ha! We just said the same thing.... I didn't see your post because I was typing mine.

Great minds think alike!

[Yankeejib]

What I want to know is where you found a 147 gr. 9mm bullet that travels at 1,134 fps! The Federal HST 147 gr. +P has an average velocity of 1,050 fps out of a 4.25" barrel, so that bullet is movin!'

Then, why choose a 200 gr. .45 ACP bullet?

Just curious.

I took the numbers from BBTI - Ballistics by the Inch :: Home

[cluznar]

I carry a Bersa Thunder .380 and sometimes a Ruger SR9c 9mm both IWB and trust them with my life. Do not want a smaller pistol but if i did want a pocket pistol would carry a Beretta Tomcat .32 acp.

[SamRudolph]

I prefer the 9mm in a slightly bigger gun. Subjectively, a 9mm that you can get a full grip on, like a Kahr P9/K9, is just as easy or easier to shoot than the micro .380s.

[whoppo]

After reading 8 pages of this thread I feel as if I've gone back in time and I'm listening to my kids argue about which flavor ice cream is best.
Everyone has their own level of comfort when it comes down to an EDC caliber and the firearm into which they choose to load those rounds.
My personal philosophy is to carry the most powerful caliber you can in a firearm that you can conceal, shoot often, shoot proficiently and carry on your person EVERY day.
Thirty years ago I wore a suitcoat and tie every day, so it was easy for me to pack a 6" Dan Wesson .357 and a couple of speedloaders in a shoulder rig... every day. Since then I've carried 1911's, High Powers and various other defensive tools. Several months ago I carried an XD-40 service model, but I found it to simply be too heavy to comfortably carry IWB/OWB and I no longer dress for a shoulder rig.
Today I carry a Sig P238 Equinox with a CTC laser and hogue grips. Yes it's "only a .380", but I personally find it a pleasure to shoot frequently (average of 200-300 rounds a month), extremely accurate (draw and shoot fist-sized groups at 10 yards), easy to conceal with any attire (casual pants and a polo shirt today.. IWB and invisible), light (My P238 with a full 7rd mag and 1 in the pipe weighs about the same as one full 12rd XD-40 magazine), familiar (same manual of arms as my beloved 1911's)... and most importantly, I NEVER leave it home because it's inconvenient to carry.

Now.. all that being said, if it were convenient I'd carry the AR pistol with a beta-mag full of ss109, but that might be a bit impractical :) So it's the lowly .380 for me right now... perhaps when the Sig 938 is readily available and proven I'll grab one of those to get all the features listed above in 9mm, but until then I'm fine thanks.

[CoyoteHunter]

Walther .380, Browning BDM 9mm, Kimber Compact .45, CCW for years now. Which I carry depends on many factors, but I tend to use all of them fairly regularly.

Last week my wife and I took a day trip. The Browning 9mm was in the car console and the Walther was in my pocket.

[Wreckingba11]

I thought about a bg 380 but ended up with a kahr cm9. Why? Because I can afford to shoot more 9 ($11 per box vs $18) and I wanted a bit more power and an ever so slightly larger gun.