Would you rather conceal carry 5 rounds of .357 or 7 rounds of .380?

[Zendude]

I would prefer the 380 only if it's a Sig 238.

 

[tomrkba]

I'll choose the LCP over the J-Frame revolver every time. Small 9mm pistols have eclipsed the snubby revolver in my opinion. They're flatter, smaller and I still get a round or two more capacity with a fast reload.

 

[C0untZer0]

You could get the Taurus M380 - 5 shot .380 ACP revolver

 

[MistWolf]

I know this doesn't answer your question as asked, but what I'd do is sell the LCP and get a Glock 43 9mm

 

[BSA1]

Five rounds of 158 grain .38+p in that revolver.

Ditto.

In my case they are Hornady Critical Defense FTX's.

 

[HexHead]

5 rounds of .44 Special.

 

[340PD]

5 rounds of 135 gr. Speer Gold Dot short barrel in 38 sp.

 

[ColtPythonElite]

I have carried 5 rounds of .357 near daily for years. I don't care for small semi-auto guns or the .380 round for that matter.

 

[420Stainless]

I prefer pocket carry, so the .380 works out better for me.

 

[chaim]

You're asking which to carry, which ignores an obvious option: since both have major disadvantages, minimize your disadvantages and carry both.

I have long liked the 5-shot snubs for CCW. They are a size and shape that conceals quite well, the 5-shots make them quite thin (for a revolver) and perfect for IWB. They give flexibility to carry either good .38+P JHPs, heavy 158gr SWCHPs, or .357mag as needed. Revolver calibers like the .38spl and .357mag have some quite effective hollow point designs. However, lately, I have become uncomfortable with the low capacity.

I have an LCP. While the .380 is a pretty marginal round (so is .38, but it is better than .380 IMO), it can do the job with the right round and training. 7 rounds is definitely better capacity than 5 (though still not necessarily ideal).

So, my suggestion would be to carry the SP101 IWB or OWB (whichever you prefer) to get the advantage of the revolver rounds (and .357mag if that is your preference) and pocket carry the LCP to increase your capacity. Then you'll be carrying 12 rounds (much more comforting to me than either 5 or 7), 5 of which would be quite capable. If you don't like pocket carry, carry one of them on your belt and the other in an ankle holster, or do one strong side and one weak side. I haven't done this often, but (when in state where I can legally CCW) I have carried my 5-shot Taurus 85CH (.38+P) IWB and my LCP in my pocket.

If you don't want to carry both, I'd do what I actually did do and replace them both (without actually replacing them, just not using them for carry) and get a pocketable micro-9mm and a 6 shot (or better) revolver. The Taurus 617 is a 7-shot .357mag that is only slightly larger than an SP101 (it might even fit your existing holsters), a Rossi 461/462 is a 6-shot revolver about the size of the SP101 (and it will fit your SP101 holsters).

 

[BudgetBucks1]

I never carry more than one gun at a time. Personally, I have to be comfortable to carry a gun all of the time and if I am not comfortable with it on then I will leave it in the truck. I carry my .380 Keltec(just like your LCP) everywhere I go because it is so comfortable that I forget it is there. Mine is reliable also. I have carried a .357 revolver and it wasn't nearly as comfortable to me. I carry a knife, keys, chapstick, wallet and a gun at all times and there is still plenty of room for the keltec even in my pockets. It is also quick to grab and go with the small .380. When I carry my fullsize Glock it takes longer to get a holster on and it is not nearly as comfortable. That being said If I go to a place with crowds I carry the full size.

 

[BSA1]

If the O.P. allows the other .380, the 9x18, then I would consider it as I have a P-64 and a Bulgarian Makarov.

But at heart I still prefer a revolver.

 

[greenmtnguy]

For "me", I'm probably more likely to need to defend against a 4 legged critter than a 2-legged one in many of my walkabouts, so I'll take the 357. If I was more of an urbanite I might go for slightly more capacity in a more fashionably chic package.

 

[R.W.Dale]

I waffled around such justifications as a wheel gun fundamentalist

But I came to a epiphany that debating 5 vs 7 or even 10 is still shorting myself.

I went from 5 rounds of 44spl or 38 to 30 rounds of 22wmr in a far lighter more accurate package. So my thoughts are if you're going to caliber downsize for the sake of capacity REALLY add some capacity

 

[Warp]

I personally would never want to rely on a rimfire cartridge for defense.

I also personally haven't seen anything that would make me think 22wmr is appropriate for defense.

 

[R.W.Dale]

I personally would never want to rely on a rimfire cartridge for defense.

I also personally haven't seen anything that would make me think 22wmr is appropriate for defense.

The gun either runs or it doesn't. In this case it runs great. They make defense 22wmr now that are a far cry from remchester may pop thunderboltcats

With 30 rounds on tap with no recoil it becomes more appropriate than it might otherwise. Unlike a 5 shot snub m there's no reason to try to "conserve" fire. While I'm not advocating spray n pray you will still have rounds left when you pump enough lead into the target for it to fall out of the view of the front sight.

Having shot living creatures with a 380 you can take it from me. You are NOT better armed than with a rimfire

 

[gbran]

5-.357 or 7-.380? I carry 5-357's or 8 when I can.

 

[Anmut]

5/357. Edc for me as is.

 

[Troy800]

357. Great round If 5 rounds isnt enough i recommend allot more range time. In a legit self defense (not shtf) by 5 round the bad guy will flee or be ontop you.

 

[Warp]

357. Great round If 5 rounds isnt enough i recommend allot more range time. In a legit self defense (not shtf) by 5 round the bad guy will flee or be ontop you.

This is bologna, please don't spread it.

 

[Sheepdog1968]

In all honesty, if those were my two choices, I'd probably sell one or both for something that has a better caliber than 380 and more capacity than the 357 (which is a fantastic round in my opinion).

 

[Bobson]

Of the two in the OP, I'd carry the LCP and wear a smile. Why? Because I don't think carrying a revolver makes sense given the reliability of modern semis. If/when there is a stoppage, most are quickly cleared with a simple tap/rack. Also, I can reload a pistol much more quickly than I can reload a revolver.

I don't dislike revolvers, I just find them impractical. Every time I say this, someone gets defensive and argues with me as though I insulted his mother, but I have to call it like I see it. Wanna use a musket instead of an AR for home defense? Go ahead, I guess. There's a better tool now, though. Same goes for carrying a pistol over a revolver.

 

[Bobson]

This is bologna, please don't spread it.

Come on, Warp. You can't spread bologna. Now, liverwurst? Okay.

 

[BLB68]

Given the two guns in question, I'd go with the SP-101. I don't have particularly large hands, but I don't like the tiny .380s because they seem hard to manipulate and control due to the size and flatness. I'd have to get a lot of range time with one to trust myself with it. Snub-nosed .357s, I have no issues with, though I'd probably carry it with .38 +p.

If it was a choice between a five shot .357 and a seven shot .380 in a pistol the size of a Walther PP/PPK series or Bersa Thunder, I'd go for the extra capacity and faster reloads. (If those were the only two choices; there are too many PP-series sized 9mms to carry and get cheaper practice with nowadays.)

 

[chipcom]

I prefer to avoid the question entirely by carrying 8 rounds of .45 acp in my 1911 or M&P compact.