Why .380 instead of small 9mm?

[jim314]

Yep, I believe your right. Thanks.

 

[Geronimo45]

Because James Bond used .380

In the books, at any rate, he used a .32.

Since looks do matter in a gun, it should be noted that most 9mms in midget packages are plug-ugly. The PPKs, HScs, and such are much prettier than down-sized 9mms. Recoil is, of course, an issue for some.

Also, it goes against the grain to carry a midget gun in a full-size caliber - for me, anyhow.

 

[Fburgtx]

Because a kel-tec 380 is still smaller than a Kahr (and less than half the price) and because a kel-tec 380 is about 1/4 the cost of a Rohrbaugh.

 

[Tomcat47]

Because they are tried and true performers. Colts, Barettas, Taurus, Llama....the list goes on. I carry Taurus PT58 HC..the new model of the PT58
which I must say is nice. (19+1 thus HC)

I had a Llama .380 Micromax and really miss it. It was really easy to conceal and shot very well...yes even for a Lamma. I had a Llama .45 and it was not as spectacular, but the .380 never gave a problem and had the grip safety and all..

 

[obxned]

Until somebody makes a reasonably priced 9mm that weighs about 11oz fully loaded and is still controllable in rapid fire, I'll just have to get by with the P3AT.

 

[wnycollector]

my primary CCW is a makarov in 9x18. It was cheap (to buy and shoot) and 100% reliable...plus I shoot it VERY well. I like the feel and durability of the steel frame!

I cant see moving up in price and recoil for an extra ~50-100ft/lbs of energy of a 9mm out of a short barrel.

 

[wnycollector]

hey tomcat47 my father-in-laws CCW is a old Llama .380! He carries it because he shoots it REAL well. I pity the bad guy he aims it at, because he can put an entire clip into a quarter sized hole with that little pistol!

 

[romma]

Ah, to think I held a Colt Mustang in my hands last year. Cost at the time: $425.00

I opted for a Walther PPK/S that currently is non-functioning instead...

 

[Dirty Bob]

Ah, to think I held a Colt Mustang in my hands last year. Cost at the time: $425.00

I feel your pain. The Mustangs were sweet. I wish Colt or Springfield or somebody would bring them back. I think they'd sell a lot of them.

I hold to my assertion that a lot of us love the pistols that .380 has been chambered in, rather than feeling lots of affection for the caliber itself.

On the other hand, the .380 ACP was yet another invention of genius John Moses Browning. I'm still experimenting with a semiwadcutter load for it, with the intention of using a compact, accurate .380 Makarov as a trail pistol.

Regards,
Dirty Bob

 

[scurtis_34471]

My Bersa Thunder .380 CC is light enough and small enough for comfortable pocket carry. It has excellent ergonomics and it is both accurate and reliable. I can rapid fire the entire 8-round magazine through a 2" hole in the dead center of a target at 7 yards. The only 9mm guns I've found that are as small or smaller are the Kel-Tec PF-9, the Rohrbaugh and the Kahr PM9/MK9. The Kahr costs double and the Rohrbaugh costs more than triple. The Kel-Tec has yet to prove itself completely reliable, is less accurate and somewhat unpleasant to shoot.

 

[brashboy]

I cant see moving up in price and recoil for an extra ~50-100ft/lbs of energy of a 9mm out of a short barrel.

I would love to see a comparison of ballistics results out of short barrels. Aren't the standard tables for .380 also derived from using 5" barrels or such, as they are with the 9mm? I don't think the ballistics results for .380s were derived with a 2" barrel, but I could be wrong.

If that is true, then the 9 gives up a lot of ME in a 3" or shorter barrel, but so would the .380.

 

[arthurcw]

I have an MK9 and a P3AT. As small as the MK9 is, that P3AT can just flat go places that the MK9 cannot. Pair of cotton slacks, polo shirt, pocket holster and my P3AT can go to church and get hugs all day and no one is the wiser.

I can also carry a spare mag in one of those small REI belt pouches and it just looks like I have a tiny little knife on my belt.

 

[Anna's Dad]

Mostly size--I sold my Kahr because it was just too big and heavy for pocket carry. I carry a Kel-Tec.

Also price--the Rohrbaugh R9 is probably small enough for pocket carry but I could buy 4 Kel-Tecs for the same cash.

 

[denfoote]

The PPS gets my vote for butt-ugly.

The PPS reminds me of a cross between a Glock and a CZ100.
Sort of like a mating of Amy Carter and Mick Jagger.

Fletcher: The smallest production 9mm is the Rohrbaugh R9.

Personally, I carry the MK9. The PPK/S currently sits in the safe.

In these times of terroristic uncertainty, I want the most compact firepower going for me as possible!!

 

[MNBud]

Sorry for the bad picture but I believe it was taken for the holster rather than the Colt mustang +2. I wanted a Mustang when they came out but fortunately could not afford it at the time and then they came out with the +2 that gave you 2 more rounds and longer grip to get a hold on.I now generally carry a little more power but like someone on here stated, it is great for when the attire only permits something this small.

 

[JohnKSa]

Cost, reliability & form.

Have you seen the new 9mm PPS by Walther? It's the same size as a PPK.

That thing has so many corners and "pokey" edges it's not even funny. Carry that in a belly band for a few hours and going unarmed will sound really great the next time out of the house.

I'm graduating to a small 9mm for the times I can carry IWB, but keeping my .380 for the times that a bellyband is all I can conceal.

 

[DBR]

Certain guns are designed to be the optimum size for certain calibers. Remember, John Moses Browning designed the cartridges and guns together as a matched pair. Luger also designed the 9mm for a particular configuration of gun. To the extent that the pair is bastardized, it is compromised in reliability or performance.

Personally, I like the 380 in my PPK or Colt Mustang Pocket Lite. Nether are exactly the spec of the original Colt 1908 but they are close enough. Mini 9MM are too far from the original design to make me feel comfortable. 9MM revolver is a different story.

 

[dstorm1911]

Keltec P3AT, Every body in my wifes family and mine all have one and not a single glitch outa any of em, they'll easily go where the full size guns or even compacts won't onea my step daughters is 4'10" weighs a wopping 75 lbs looks like a 14 year old but is actually 21 her favorite is her Taurus Milpro .40 for target shooting and carrying when concealment isn't an issue but when just running around etc... the P3AT is ALWAYS present on her someplace she can shoot it with some un-believable accuracy while she prefers the Taurus the reality is that the way she dresses....... the P3AT is the only option and so far......... none of the boys have ever spotted the lil gun

My Wifes favorite carry gun is a Star BM but what she actually can carry is her P3AT and get this she carries an NAA .22 LR mini revolver as backup to the P3AT!! no joke it cracks me up cause I usually have a 1911 or a SA XD 40 Tactical or XD 45 as my main gun (everyone knows I build guns so I don't even bother concealing but rather go the descrete carry route here in Arizona) and I carry the P3AT as its backup but...... her main gun is the P3AT and the NAA it actually fits inside her Cell phone case WITH her Motorola Razor phone! its ALWAYS in her hand so even if she gets seperated from the P3AT she's still armed....... we got ALOTA handguns to choose from but the reality is we live in a very hot town and the ladies don't wear much so the P3AT is the best option........

 

[3rdpig]

Why? Because people like the convenience of carrying a tiny gun so much that they can convince themselves that a tiny auto of dubious reliability and a reputation for breaking parts, chambered in a woefully underpowered cartridge, is good enough to see them through an armed encounter. I know, I used to do the same thing. After a hard look at just how reliable those little KT's are, and just how ineffective 32 and 380 are, I sold them to force myself to start carrying a gun that can provide expansion, minimum penetration, reliability and a track record of not breaking parts every 500 rounds or so. And I've had 4 KT pistols, the only one that was reliable was the P32 and only with FMJ rounds.

In my own little gel tests, not one 32 round would penetrate into the chest cavity after having to go through a simulated upper arm, and no 380 would make it more than 1 inch into the chest. Anyone who thinks that's enough penetration to stop a fight is dangerously fooling themselves. And those tests were in gel with no simulated bones.

And they might be right, said tiny auto may see them through an armed encounter if they're lucky. And God knows I'd rather be lucky than good, but I've learned in life that if you rely on luck you're going to wind up in trouble, probably sooner than later.

I used to think that any gun is better than no gun. But standing and fighting with a gun that's likely to fail or is so underpowered that it can only end the fight under ideal circumstances is probably not as smart as running like hell.

And before anyone says "you wouldn't want to get shot with a 32 or 380", I wouldn't want to get shot with a BB gun, but that doesn't mean I'll carry one for self defense either.

 

[Euclidean]

Show me a 9mm with the exact dimensions of a P3AT that doesn't cost over $450.

 

[abarth]

Price for me.

 

[ugaarguy]

So what are you carrying now 3rdPig?

 

[The Lone Haranguer]

I'm of the school of thought that sees no use for a .380 except in a little gun used for backup or if I need deeper concealment than can be obtained with a Kahr PM9. (e.g., Kel-Tec, Seecamp)

I do have one .380, a Beretta 86 Cheetah, but that one is a collector/"fun" gun simply because I like its unusual design and had more money than sense at the time. But a Glock 19 is almost exactly the same height and length yet holds 16 full-power 9mm Luger ca'tridges. Which one would I use to protect my hide? Take a wild guess.

 

[420Stainless]

Because I bought my PPK/S before the really compact nines were developed. If buying today, I probably would choose a polymer 9. I don't want to spend more money on a niche I believe I have adequately filled.

 

[JohnKSa]

no 380 would make it more than 1 inch into the chest

That's an ammunition issue, not a caliber problem.

.380 has sufficient penetration for SD with the proper ammunition.