.380 or 9mm?

[Raynor Scheine]

I desperately need a pocket/ankle gun for concealement due to the clothing I wear for work, which can sometimes easily last nine to ten hours a day. Then with the commute home we're talking another hour or more. I have read a ton of information about the Walther PPK .380 and I'm seriously considering one. I'm pondering the thought of ankle carry with this model and I'm hoping to get some feedback from those who can tell me if this is a good choice for the application I'm desiring. Please don't suggest I get a full size 45. I have one. What I'm seeking is a small, reliable pistol that can be pocketed or ankled. When not at work I carry my Colt and at the same time I would like to carry the Walther on my leg.

Bersa? Kahr? Kel-Tec? Walther/S&W? Remember - long days in a suit, so size and weight matters! Thoughts?

 

[Lone_Gunman]

I recently got a Kel-Tec P3AT, its a wonderful pistol, and i have had no problems with mine, despite what others have said about theirs.

It is not significantly bigger than the P32, and you will forget you even have it if you arent careful.

Assuming you are not a nudist, you will always be able to conceal this gun.

If you are a nudist, you can probably still conceal it, but only if you are at least 30 pounds overweight

 

[MikeJ]

I currently have a NAA Guardian .32 that I really like and am planning on getting the .380 Guardian in the near future. It sounds as if we have some of the same concealment problems. I would love to get a Kahr MK9 but they are just a little too big for pocket carry for me. I personally don't like ankle carry as I feel it is too inconvenient should the need arise. I like the idea of having a gun I can put my hand on without causing suspicion should I sense trouble brewing. You can't do that with ankle carry. Many people like the KelTecs and they are certainly a viable option, I just prefer the Guardians. If you can handle a PPK in your pocket then I would strongly suggest that you look at the Kahr MK9 as they are virtually the same size. Good luck, Mike

 

[gbelleh]

A Kahr PM9 could be good for ankle carry. It is also good for pocket carry. It's lighter and fires a more powerful round than the Walther PPK. My PM9 is very accurate and reliable.

A good lightweight .38 revolver would make a great ankle gun too. Something like a S&W 342PD. Only 10.8 oz unloaded.

 

[tiberius]

Of course 9mm is better than .380, but if you cannot get a 9mm in your pocket at work, then the new Kel Tec P3AT is the king of pocket guns. I have about 550 rounds through mine and it works very well. I did have to polish the feed ramp the get reliable feeding of hollow points, however. For ~$250 you will get a .380 that weighs 10oz loaded, is .77" thick and is guaranteed for life. It is new,but shares the platform of the P32 of which over 130,000 have been sold....mine is flawless as well.

 

[sgt127]

Walther is a great gun, a classic. but, heavy. If you want to stay with the same size, look at a Sig P-230. Alloy frame. Or a good airweight S &W .38 J frame. I have a Kel-tec P3AT. It does hide well and reasonably reliable (not through playing with it yet) But, it would not be my first choice if I had to get into a gunfight. A bigger gun that you can hold onto better with better sights might work better for you. You will get a ton of good answers, I would be hard pressed to argue with anyones personal favorite choice.

But, from personel experience, the Walthers are a bit heavy for ankle carry.

 

[tbeb]

Buy a .38 special Smith & Wesson revolver that weighs 16 ozs. or less, and has a 2" barrel. A used model 38 is an excellent choice. Others would be a model 37, 42, 442, 638, or 642.

 

[PCRCCW]

Im torn with the statement "their isnt that much stopping power between the .380 and 9mm"....Ill actually sorta kinda agree and disagree.

First the rounds....data/oss/velocity/bla bla bla...highly snub the .380's effectiveness in a comparison of the 9mm. The #'s dont lie, so to speak.
You have 2 time the energy, coming from guns of similar size/barrels with the 9mm. That MATTERS alot to me......using a pocket gun your'e using your last resort and I WANT ALL OF THE HELP I CAN GET!

As far as plinking, shooting hams, water bottles and other media with both rounds...some interesting things happen. Both cause major damage to 5# hams...their was very little difference in damage caused by the Corbon .380 and Std. pressure Fed. JHP's in 9mm. It was actually very fun to test like this....

Now you get into +P+ Corbon 9mm and 40 S&W JHP's...ok...the difference between the rounds is VERY big now....These rounds basically took the back half of the ham away with it.... The smaller/less potent rounds would make a nice exit wound that really did surprise us..but not like this.

Id highly recommend doing this kind of test...your shooting meat. Ballistic gelatin, water, mud are all great for testing expansion and penetration....

But honestly, watching LARGE pcs of ham explode with some of these rounds was very very enlightening....

If it were up to me as for a gun/caliber...Id still get a mini Kahr and stock it with proven JHP's in 9mm or 40....the smaller guns are much more shooter friendly in 9mm.

Shoot well

 

[denfoote]

My mouse gun is the Kahr MK9 Elite. It works!! I can carry it all day in the pocket. I'd reach for it before I'd reach for that PPK/S that usually stays in the safe!! That's all I'm gunna say!!

 

[CZ-100]

Assuming you are not a nudist, you will always be able to conceal this gun.

If you are a nudist, you can probably still conceal it, but only if you are at least 30 pounds overweight

Or if they are into Gerbils you would have NO problem either

I am defiantly looking to get one of these, But no one in my area has them yet.

Does anyone know if they sell direct from the factory? as I only live 70 miles away.

 

[Blackhawk]

Since I've had both a PPK and PPK/S (both stainless, both Interarms, both beautiful), I wouldn't recommend either for your purpose. Too heavy and too big.

Since I've had a P-32 as an "always" pocket carry for quite a while, I'll say that size and weight gun is just about ideal for the purpose. Mine's been 100% and my opinion of the company couldn't be higher. Consequently, I have NO reservations about suggesting the P-3AT in .380 as the best choice for your purpose. As soon as they show up, one will be replacing my P-32 in my pocket.

I've also checked out my P-32 as an ankle gun. Ideal!

A pricey candidate for your purpose is the "yet to be seen" Rohrbaugh R-9. It's a 9mm that's about the size of a P-32, but a little heavier, and in stainless/aluminum. It's overdue, and it's MSRP is just under $1k, and I doubt that it will be discounted.... http://www.rohrbaughfirearms.com

 

[Raynor Scheine]

Thank you to all who responded. Sounds like I have a good selection to choose from. Looks like I'll pass on the sexy PPK and go for the lighter/smaller Kel-Tec P3AT. One thing that has me concerned a bit is the double action. Every 9mm or .380 seems to be DA. I've been shooting 1911's (Colt) for over 20 years and single action is all I know. (gulp). Is it something that requires getting use to? Or is it simply point and squeeze like my Colt?

 

[Blackhawk]

Point & Squeeze. The KT P-3AT is DAO with a twist in that the hammer is about half cocked by the slide going into battery. The hammer's blocked by a "hammer block" until the trigger is pulled. The trigger pull is in the 5.5# range so it's nowhere near as heavy as a pure DAO. (BTW, the PPK has a SA trigger pull of about 12# and a DA pull of almost 20#!!!!)

You will have slightly different trigger issues from your Colt but nothing you won't master in a box or two of ammo. For a CCW gun, I prefer DAO because there's no need to remember to cock the gun nor is anxiety as liable to cause premature firing. Squeezing a light trigger at the range is easy, but when stoked with adrenaline in a real shootout, a DAO trigger is liable to seem extremely light as well....

Best of luck to you!