Pocket carry .380 or 9mm?

[kokapelli]

I have a PM9 but do not pocket carry it very often because even though it's one of the smaller nines it's still too big for me to comfortably pocket carry.

I usually carry a P238 or a TCP with Winchester truncated cone FMJ rounds because rounds like Gold Dot do not even meet the minimum FBI depth requirements in ballistic gelatin tests.

 

[MCgunner]

None of the micro 9s are as small as their .380 and .32 counterparts.

But, some of 'em are plenty small enough. I pocket a P11, myself, comfortably. if you want really small, go NAA mini revolver, MUCH more compact than any .380....I mean, if you want the smallest and caliber doesn't matter. Personally, I trust .22 mag near as much as .380 for a primary caliber, but I pocket carry a 9. Hell, I pocket carry a .38 Ultralite snubby which is even larger than the P11.

 

[76shuvlinoff]

I have .22, .380, 9mm, .40, .45, and .357 available to me. The .380 LCP is with me more often than anything else. However it is in my waistband more often than my pants pocket. I have a desantis pocket holster but to me it still looks like a pistol in my pocket. Might just be paranoia, I don't know.

As far as .380 doing the job? I hope I never have to find out but this little mouse pistol is surprisingly accurate for me even with rapid multiple followup shots. I can't believe it would not be effective at the ranges I feel it was designed for.

 

[larryh1108]

...to me it still looks like a pistol in my pocket.

The key words are "to me". That's because you know it's a pistol in your pocket. To anyone else it can be a wallet, cell phone or too many other things to list. No one really cares unless they see it on your hip, in plain sight. Relax. It really does blend in to your pant's lines.

 

[klmspider]

380 or 9mm CCW

I nearly ALWAYS carry a poly 380. They are just much more likely to be with me. Either my P3AT or my S&W BG380.
I have several 9mm's, including two PF9's. I'll carry those when I'm on the bad side of town, but still want good conceal.
If concealing were only secondary, then I would carry something bigger, like my High Power or CZ 75.
Bigger is better, but not if you are going to end up leaving it behind.

 

[klmspider]

380 or 9mm CCW

I nearly ALWAYS carry a poly 380. They are just much more likely to be with me. Either my P3AT or my S&W BG380.
I have several 9mm's, including two PF9's. I'll carry those when I'm on the bad side of town, but still want good conceal.
If concealing were only secondary, then I would carry something bigger, like my High Power or CZ 75.
Bigger is better, but not if you are going to end up leaving it behind.

 

[Darkbob]

I voted for 9mm since that's my current pocket gun, Kahr MK9. (yeah it's heavy, I wear a belt )

That said, I think my next pistol purchase will be the smallest/lightest .380 I can find. Just to try it out.

 

[Big_John1961]

For true pocket carry, my Seecamp .380 is the choice. It just disappears in the pocket. And to the individual who said 9mm pistols are as small as the smallest .380's is mistaken. About the closest one I can think of is the Rohbaugh R9. To me, the Kahr PM9 is in no way a pocket carry gun. Too chunky and too heavy.

I actually carry my Seecamp .32 more than the .380. Shoots great, is manageable and reliable. I feel plenty well armed with it. That and a sap.

 

[Tdodge7]

I carry a Kel Tec P32 in the pocket sometimes in an uncle mikes pocket holster, usually only when I'm in a suit, otherwise it rides around 4 o'clock iwb with the belt clip. Though I've been carrying my Ruger LC9 more lately but every time I try it in a pocket with a holster it looks like I'm smuggling vhs tapes in my pocket so I also carry it 4 o'clock with the techna clip and a good pistol belt.

 

[MCgunner]

9 too big? Buy bigger pockets.

 

[45crittergitter]

Switched from a Mustang Pocketlite .380 to a Kel-Tec .32 to a Kel-Tec .380 to a Rohrbaugh 9mm. Custom leather front pocket holster. Back pocket extra mag carrier.

 

[WRGADog]

I rotate my pocket carry among

Kahr P380, PM9, and my Beretta Nano. In jeans it is the P380, in shorts it is either the PM9 or Nano. I use a DeSantis Nemisis pocket holster To pocket carry each of these weapons. Of the three, the Nano has become my gun of choice and I carry it ~95% of the time.

 

[Motownfire]

I carry a Ruger LCP. It's a great, small & reliable pocket gun. Many say that the .380 round is not enough for personal defense, none have aloud me to shoot them with it to find out.

 

[robinkevin]

If I was to pocket carry I would go with the .380 over the 9mm just due to size of the firearm. I don't dressed around my firearms and the small .380s just slide right in a jean pocket and still can be drawn from the pocket pretty easy.

Far as the 9mm being much better than the .380. Sure it's a little better, a little less dependent on shot placement. But still in real world shooting I think the difference in good defense calibers is no all it's cracked up to be. In at least 70% of defense shootings the criminal flees after the first shot regardless if they are hit or not, (This is based solely from arm citizen reports that I read).

Now with that all that being said I had a P3AT which was a good pistol, but I personally hated it because it was just too small for my hands. I prefer a better handling pistol to a easy concealable pistol and therefore choose to go with IWB carry in which I think small 9mm pistols are very nice for. They still conceal with ease, still light, yet handle much better if they should ever have to be called into action.

 

[wally]

None of the micro 9s are as small as their .380 and .32 counterparts. Even the Rohrbaugh is still on the big side for pocket carry.

Yup, its the extra weight as much as anything. Even in a cargo pocket that 1lb+ weight banging against you as you move is just no fun.

 

[bannockburn]

I went with a KelTec P3AT pretty much for the sole reason of being able to get one of the smallest and lightest .380s to pocket carry.