.380 VS 9mm

[judgedelta]

Of all my handguns, including a Smith 629 and a couple of 10mm's, my Ruger LCP has the most objectionable recoil. I have an older steel Sig 380 that is not bad to shoot, but it was hard for my wife to rack. I have a Glock 23 with a Storm Lake 9mm barrel and an Advantage Arms .22 conversion. Makes for some fun practice at around 7 yards. If she doesn't have any disabilities, she should be able, with some practice (and determination) to shoot a compact 9mm (like a G-19). Shooting a revolver double action at more than bad breath distance, under stress, is iffy at best, even with practice.

 

[Tcruse]

The only valid advise is to go to a range and rent several, in fact, you might want to make several trips before you decision. In general, a larger semi-automatic gun will have the lowest recoil. Second, try out some full sized .45 ACP guns, the recoil is not less but spread out over a longer time giving it more of a "push" than a "snap". If price is an issue, you might look at Century Arms PT9-SA, do not own one but they are getting excellent reviews and are priced right. Otherwise, look for a police 9mm trade in, maybe a Kahr, Glock, or S&W M&P. Also, think about a rail mounted light and/or laser for home defense since the need for low light shooting is a real possibility. Another advantage of 9mm is that ammo is much cheaper so you can practice more.

 

[Deaf Smith]

kyoten3,

Now if your .380 is of decent size, say Sig 232 size, and easy to shoot, then it can do.

Now some 9mms, using lower powered 9mm ammo, and being locked breached, actually kick LESS than most .380s!

If you want a soft kicking 9mm that is kind of smaller, then the Glock 24, with 'reduced recoil' ammo should do.

Now as for your wife and shotguns, how about a carbine!

Hi-point makes a real dandy 9mm carbine that is very easy to shoot and is inexpensive. Kel-Tec makes a folder that takes Glock mags, or an older Ruger Police Carbine (PC) Or, if you got the money, a M1 Carbine in .30 carbine.

Even a AR-15 I am sure your wife can handle.

Deaf

 

[Nick Burkhardt]

Trade your HiPoint pistol in for a 9mm HiPoint carbine.

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/art...r-opens-fire-home-invaders-assault-rifle.html

 

[kyoten3]

Thank you all for the suggestions and no im not ignoring revolvers at all, just going with what money i have to spend. I have found a taurus pt111 9mm for 199.00 at a LGD here but thats just a tad out of reach at the moment, im weighing if i should wait and get it later or just get the hi point 9mm. The 380 we have is a bersa thunder plus with 2 15 round mags. She doesnt like shooting it but can, she has carpel tunnel and we be having surgery the first part of next year so its not that she cant learn the recoil its that it physically hurts her quite a bit. I can shoot the bersa all day and not feel it but she says after 3 or 4 rounds shes almost in tears. The .22 phoenix arms hurts her some but she can get thru a mag of it without stopping. I really wanna do a 12 or 20ga shotgun for home defense but that would probably finish her hands off after one shot.

My only problem with revolvers is she isnt a gun person and has never fired any guns but the bersa and phoenix arms, shes afraid of revolvers because you can see the round among other things she says she cant open the cylinder and reload it like a semi auto.

Biggest problem is she wont practice with really nothing, we dont have a lot of money to dump into this at the moment so my best bet might be run with the bersa loaded with +p jhp ammo for me and the .22lr with hyper-velocity for her until she gets her wrist fixed, then look at the 9mm or 45acp.

Thoughts on 22lr in a 3" barrel if hyper velocity would be worth it, maybe a .22lr rifle would be better since that has pretty much no recoil at all.

 

[ugaarguy]

Don't mess her wrists up anymore with centerfires. I'd be hesitant for her to shoot anything more than a .22 pistol even after she's fully healed, but that's a question an ortho doc or nurse would have to answer. The .22 that she can practice with because it doesn't physically hurt her beats the heck out of anything else.

Given her physical limitations, as others have already mentioned, I'd strongly advise you to invest in making your future home a harder and less appealing target. There are some great threads in our Strategies, Tactics, and Training forum to get you started.

 

[Deaf Smith]

Thoughts on 22lr in a 3" barrel if hyper velocity would be worth it, maybe a .22lr rifle would be better since that has pretty much no recoil at all.

A Ruger 10/22 with 25 round magazine is a serious HD weapon. Enough penetration to be lethal, firepower to keep the show going, and accurate enough for head shots at 10 yards.

Highly recommend it with quality .22 ammo.

Deaf

 

[USAF_Vet]

From a dead sleep, I'm grabbing my S&W 469, 9mm DA/SA.

I'd rather shoot a full sized gun than try to fumble some pocket mouse gun while my fine motor skills are subdued. My EDC is a Taurus 709, but I'm still grabbing the S&W. It has a better grab, point and click interface for the adrenaline dump to compensate for.

Since no one makes a high cap full size .380, which I don't understand, I'll stick with my 9mm.

 

[edmo01]

A Ruger 10/22 with 25 round magazine is a serious HD weapon. Enough penetration to be lethal, firepower to keep the show going, and accurate enough for head shots at 10 yards.

Highly recommend it with quality .22 ammo.

Deaf

Based on your budget and wife's medical issues, I would also recommend you take a look at a semi-auto rifle in 22 LR.

There are several brands and models out there with the Ruger 10/22 being near the top of my list and the Marlin model 60 running a close second.

Rifles in 22 LR are easy to shoot, easy to hit with, have no recoil, and allow fast multiple hits. Not to mention it can be had for a fairly low price and is cheap to feed.

The 22 LR is not my first pick for self defense, but given your wife's limitations it might be something to look at. Additionally, the increased velocity out of the longer barrel of a rifle gives it quite a bit more zip... Possibly enough to give your wife a viable means of home protection.

22 LR Ballistic Test

Edmo

 

[Ibmikey]

Wow has this thread bounced about, i echo the comments about the Sig p238 and Glock G42 as being locked breech, soft shooters. Given your wife's limitationss and the suggestion you buy a .22 rifle I can advise against you buying a S&W 15-22 for yourself as once the wife shoots it you will no longer call it "yours". Great rifle for her, even in the house, with all the controls for later transition to an AR.

 

[Zendude]

For home defense a 410 shotgun would be my preference over a 22

 

[mavracer]

9mm hi point carbine??

 

[Zendude]

From a dead sleep, I'm grabbing my S&W 469, 9mm DA/SA.



Since no one makes a high cap full size .380, which I don't understand, I'll stick with my 9mm.

The Bersa Thunder 380 Plus holds 15 rounds and is a mid size frame. I don't know of any 380s that would have a 5 inch barrel though.

 

[sarduy]

Hey all, no im not trying to start a caliber war tonight and I understand the merits of 9mm as being the min. however I want to challenge that a bit. Lets say someone breaks into your home at night, you are half asleep and full of adrenaline, heart pounding and shaking, which do you think, taking the 'bigger is better' out of the picture, would perform better. I guess I'm asking that even though the 380 isnt as powerful as the 9mm if i cant hit the target with the 9mm or i get one shot on with 9mm and 5 on with 380, would it not be better to use the 380. I ask because we just found out that we are getting my mother in laws house/property, its in the sticks with only one neighbor thats very close. I have a .22lr pistol(10+1), 380 pistol (5+1) but im thinking of picking up a 9mm since I will be loosing my steel security door of my apartment.

Just not sure, I can handle the 9mm ok but the wife however not too sure about, its why i dont have a 12ga for home defense, she would just throw it at them. She is a fan of the .22lr but can shoot the 380 pretty decent just not a lot (hurts her wrist) the 9mm in question is a.....yes its a hi point. Heavy for its size but recoil is still more then the 380 we have.

Ive tried to get her used to shooting and she is good with the little 22 pistol and i have no doubt that 5 in the chest from a .22lr would leave someone pretty badly hurt just worried it wouldn't be fast enough.

380 is loaded with either speer gold dots or hornady critical defense and 2nd mag is fmj just in case.

use what YOU feel is best for you, for some people is nothing but a 10mm for others a 22lr is more than enough, i say , use what you can shoot accurate follow up shots. i'm sure the bad guy don't want to get shot with anything.

 

[Plan2Live]

You'd be hard pressed to find a 380 more controllable than a G19.

As long as you don't look at the Walther PK380. Similar sized frame as the G-lock, much less effort to rack the slide, very soft recoil. I did the shopping thing with a female friend recently, she handled many models and sizes. The Walther was by far the easiest semi-auto for her to manipulate and shoot.

She still didn't buy, she still isn't all that comfortable operating a pistol competently unsupervised. On the other hand, her #1 favorite gun to shoot is an Uzi with a shoulder stock followed closely by an AR15 chambered in 9mm. Too bad you have to jump through so many hoops to own a short barreled rifle/carbine.

 

[MICHAEL T]

Bersa 380 7+1 8+1 9+1 depending on model or the Bersa Plus 380 14+1 Easy to rack DA/SA Don't fire once Send a swarm of 380 at COM

 

[Panzerschwein]

With today's modern ammo, a .380 is nothing to sneeze at.

With my Bersa Thunder, I can pump eight Fiocchi Extrema 90 grain JHPs into a target 10 meters away, in a couple of seconds, and make about a fist sized group at worst. During deliberate slow fire, I can make about a 1" group at that range. These Fiocchi Extremas meet the FBI penetration level in denim/gel tests and expand very nicely to boot.

Works for me, and with a spare seven round magazine or two I don't feel under gunned at all.

 

[No4Mk1*]

Hearing your situation I suggest a 22LR semi auto rifle as well. Caliber choices all come down to energy vs rate of hits. Practice is important, avoid pain.

 

[TreeDoc]

+1, Have armed 2 grandparents with a 10/22 and a 25 round mag. Both were concerned with the stopping power of a squirrel gun. I told them they would hard pressed to find and intruder willing to brave an onslaught of 25 rounds.

 

[AStone]

A few years ago, I watched a video of an experienced bushcraft woman showing her kit --- pack, cooking gear, sleeping gear -- very minimalist.

Then, she got to her handgun: a .22 semi-auto.

Interviewer: "Wait. .22? Why not a 9 or .38?"

Woman: "I can take small game with it. For SD, three shots to the crotch of any man with this, he'll likely stop."

I've not seen any corroborating evidence, but ... it could be accurate.

 

[TwinReverb]

I think I can handle 9mm just fine, so I use that.

 

[kyoten3]

So after watching some videos of a .22lr going thru 6 sheets of 1/2" plywood makes me feel a bit better about it. As for the rifle just wondering about this the ruger 10/22 is about 275ish around here but our local walmart has a Mossberg 702 with a 10 round mag for 112.96 !!!! wondering if this would be a good choice for her. Seems to run really good by the videos I have seen.

Anyone out there own one of these or can speak from experience, I was very surprised to see a mossberg for that price.

As to ammo choice in a .22lr would you suggest lead round nose, copper plated solids, high velocity or hyper velocity hollow points.

Ohh and to the comment with the 380 and low round count, my EDC is a Bersa 380 thunder plus, I have 2 15 round mags one loaded with JHP ammo the other FMJ. I believe 15 rounds of even 380 should be enough to stop anyone short of a swat tac team, its big enough to get a really good grip on and I can shoot a 4-5 inch group at 25 yards with it but still light enough to ccw and to me has very little recoil. I have shot my brother in laws taurus pt111 9mm and while i can handle it ok, i can group better with the 380.

Once I get up enough money and can afford to spend it I do intend on buying a rossi +p .38 as my back up weapon, im not crazy about revolvers but I cant deny that they work and have a very minimal chance of failing.

 

[C0untZer0]

Brass Fetcher did a video on .22LR terminal ballistics for a handgun:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=R22ah5S9pu4

I think Brass Fetcher's testing showed the Winchester 40gr Super-X Power Point PLHP did pretty well. Things change when you're firing at rifle velocity, some hollow-points that wouldn't open up at handgun velocities will open up at the higher velocities a rifle produces, but I think the Winchester 40gr Super-X Power Point PLHP will still do fairly well.


.

 

[ku4hx]

I own hand guns in calibers ranging from .22 Long Rifle up through .454 Casull. The only two that ever actually hurt my hand were a S&W .38 Special "snubby" and a Walther PPK/S in .380 ACP. Many of the others have always been quite "active" in the hand but never painful.

If you can place shots well with a small .380 then it will likely serve you well if ever needed. If you need a slightly larger gun to be able to place shots well, go with that. So much of it depends one your capabilities and limitations. But with proper training and practice, many people do far better than they once thought possible.

Don't automatically assume the way you are today with respect to recoil and such is the way you'll always be. You may have to actually work at becoming a "good shot" and a competent gun handler. Few of us are born with the competencies we have today, they usually had to be nurtured and developed.