.380 ACP vs 9MM

[DirtTime]

Just an odd question for a self defense handgun.

What's your preference and why?

 

Please keep the discussion between the .380 and the 9.

Edited January 28, 2016 by ....rob

[Lawdwaz]

I like the 9mm as it has a little more ass behind it.  Smith & Wesson Shield is my choice, FWIW.

 

That said, I also own a Kel Tec P32 that fits the pocket of swim trunks.............and does get some action occasionally.

[turkeyfeathers]

9mm for energy.

Although it's easier to find an easily concealed .380 pocket stuffer

[cityboy]

9mm usually costs a lot less than .380

[DirtTime]

How about accuracy and models. Staying around $350?

[pistolp71]

A .380 is just a 9mm short. Both .38 caliber. If you don't mind carrying a larger pistol, hands down the 9mm. Problem is 9mm pistols have to be larger to handle the pressure. Too large for my liking for summer carry. There are some pretty small, single stack 9 mm's out there these days though. For me it's S&W Bodyguard .380 in summer, Glock 9mm winter

[Buckmaster7600]

I carry a Ruger lcp and a lc9 in the the summer. The 9mm has more power but "carryabillity" goes to the 380 most of the time. During the winter when carrying is easier I carry more powerful cartridges. My recomendation would be to shoot a bunch of them in your budget and pick the one that fits you the best and that you shoot the best and don't worry about the caliber.

[Nomad]

Well just picked up 100 rounds of 380 and 250 of 9 mm today, to add to my pretty large stash.

Both have come along way of late but 9mm is a more serious SD round and with guns like the Shield have become easy to carry all day. I'm trading in my Glock 40 that I've owned since the early '90s for a mod.19 9mm next week .

The baby 380s like my lcp are a nice pocket gun , but hollow points when they expand in this round don't penetrate and hardball penetrates but leaves a small wound channel .

There are some interesting rounds coming out in this caliber that may well improve things .

Yes shot placement is always key.

For a one gun, carry , home defense , target and so on and I'd go 9mm with out a second thought .

[nyantler]

A .380 is just a 9mm short. Both .38 caliber. If you don't mind carrying a larger pistol, hands down the 9mm. Problem is 9mm pistols have to be larger to handle the pressure. Too large for my liking for summer carry. There are some pretty small, single stack 9 mm's out there these days though. For me it's S&W Bodyguard .380 in summer, Glock 9mm winter

Agreed... 9mm is a tough one to conceal in summer... my little Kahr 380 tucks away much easier. I still would like to get a small 9... I like the ass behind it.

[jjb4900]

the one you'll carry is the best.....I have a Glock 40cal and had a 9mm, never carried either much because of size and concealeability. LCP is the one I usually carry.

[Nomad]

I have no problem carrying my Shield 9mm in the summer and I'm in shorts everyday . I wear untucked short sleeved , buttoned , collard shirts . I put the gun on today after the gym , went shopping, to the bank, walked the dog and now I'm lying in my recliner and don't even feel it on my hip .

If this was summer the only difference would be my pants would stop at my knee .... And my shirt Sleeves would stop at the elbow .

There are times in the summer I drop the 380 in a pocket , like if I'm wearing a wife beater or gym shorts .

I kinda look at it like this , if I need to use one what one would I want? The 9 hits harder has more rounds and is easier to hit with and at greater distances . I wonder if anyone who had to use there gun ever said I wish I had a smaller gun that was harder to hit with and had less rounds?

Yes it's all a compromise or we'd tote shotguns and ARs but today's slim 9 mm are easy to carry. Over the years I've carried a SW 357 L frame and Glock 40 , the 357 was uncomfortable but with a baggy shirt no body knew. A slim 9 is a piece of cake to carry.

While the 9 on the right is a little,much for me to pocket carry compared to the 380 on the left ,its a joy to carry all day on the belt and hides easy.

Edited January 28, 2016 by Larry302

[Red]

the ruger lc9 is small and light and you can still it in the pocket of your basketball shorts in the summer

[Carbonelement]

i read a study that was done by some hospital where they basically said any person that got shot once had like a 90% survival rate and any person shot twice had abt the same % death rate.  

 

I would have said carry the 9 because it has more "balls" but after that I say carry what ever you can snap 2 quick rounds off and keep close together.  I have a few 9s that make awesome carry guns in the summer but being that they are small they are not very accurate. But hey most self defense scenarios are within like 12 ft so i'm sure anything will do the trick as long as it goes "bang"

 

[ants]

My every day carry is the Ruger LC9S Pro. light and thin. The 9mm has  a lot more punch than the .380. But in the summer time, when I'm  just wearing shorts and a T shirt I often carry a Kel Tech P3AT 380 cal. Because it is even lighter, thinner and smaller than the LC9 and much easier to conceal.

Carry what ever you can conceal and feel comfortable  with.  The 9mm is better than the .380. But the 380 is affective up close and personal. Like with in 5 - 10 feet. I prefer hardball (FMJ) ammo in the  weaker 380.

I think that FMJ's are  more reliable and penetrate far better than 380 hollow points. 

Long story short..The 9mm is far superior to the .380 (both are 9mm bullets) It all depends on what type gun you want to carry.

[Five Seasons]

I own a glock23 in .40 and a ruger lcp in .380. I prefer the .40 for it's power but as others mentioned I find myself carrying my pocket lcp far more often, even in the winter where an IWB is easier. Truthfully the kick is about the same for the smaller frame lcp. With only 6 rounds and a relatively small caliber bullet the .380 doesn't have me feeling invincible, but I feel it'll handle 90% of situations I may end up in. I picked up the lcp off gunbroker with the laser for under $300. It's not the smoothest, sweetest shooting gun but it's easy to carry.

 

I honestly suggest you get one of each as time and budget allows, but I'd start with a 9mm first. And I wouldn't go with super compact. Get the mid range frame.

Edited January 28, 2016 by Belo

[Nomad]

How about accuracy and models. Staying around $350?

$350 is going to limit you to some .380s and perhaps a Taurus 9mm ( which I would avoid, although their revolvers get better reviews) .

I'd save up another $150 and another level of guns become available with way more choices.

Or go used.

I remember when the big gun debate was 9 vs 45 lol .

Edited January 28, 2016 by Larry302

[mac]

start with the 9 for sure. more SD choices for ammo also. maybe its a quarter to a half inch longer or higher but well worth that difference for the confidence it gives having a longer shell , more powder. Save more $ if possible to widen your choices otherwise the small Ruger may be the way to go on the lower end price point. I dont think you be disappointed once you have a 9, not many would say " oh, i really should have got the .380 cuz i cant shoot this 9." 

[chas0218]

Just an odd question for a self defense handgun.

What's your preference and why?

 

Please keep the discussion between the .380 and the 9.

.380 for deep concealment 9mm for fall/winter/spring carry. 

 

I have 9mm (Smith and Wesson SD9VE) and .40cal (Glock 23) I carry either one on a regular basis. My .380 (Smith and Wesson Bodyguard no laser) is my summer carry when I wear only a light shirt and shorts. It is difficult for me to CC my 9mm or .40cal during the summer months. If I wore pants and a looser fitting long tail shirt during the summer I could probably easily carry my 9mm or .40cal.

 

Kick of each gun is based on the load. 

 

9mm with 147gr. JHP kicks more than my 40cal. 150gr. JHP

My .380 in any round kicks as much as a standard 115gr. 9mm round.

 

Price wise I would not be afraid of a 9mm S&W sdve in 9 or 40. Here is what I paid for my guns.

Smith & Wesson Bodyguard .380 No laser - $325

Smith & Wesson SD9VE - $279.99

Glock 23 - $570.00

 

The SD9VE is basically the same as a glock but stainless upper and barrel. It works in the same way but cheaper and trigger isn't as nice. Either way I plan to buy another in .40cal next year.

 

Ammo wise the 9mm is cheapest and easiest to find ammo. 40cal is next then .380. Cheap .380 ammo is non-existent unless you buy junk then it won't cycle no matter what you do trust me I tried.

Edited January 28, 2016 by chas0218

[Culvercreek hunt club]

Don't be fooled by the price point, The Bersa is a great gun. 380 Thunder at 300-350 and about the same sized package in 9mm, 40 and 45 for 350-400

[chas0218]

I do like my .380 to hide in my kid's diaper bag. With all the crap my wife stashes in there the .380 takes up the least amount of room and keeps her from complaining.

[Mr VJP]

I think if you are only getting one handgun for carry, a small 9 mm is the best choice.  If you are getting a primary carry gun and a backup, I like a small .45 acp and a very small .380 for backup.

 

The .380 is quite capable when fired at spitting distance.

 

[Five Seasons]

I remember when the big gun debate was 9 vs 45 lol .

 

i'm a firm believer in shots on target. That's why i advise against a compact 9 or 40 and at least suggest sub-compact. You may have more power with 9 vs the 380, but if your frame is so small that you're all over the map with recoil you'll be upset with your choice. A few 380's on target may not have great knockdown power, but they're still better than no shots on target with a small frame 9.

 

Not sure if anyone rents guns in rochester at a range, but if so it's worth your money to try the same caliber in different frame sizes and you will quickly realize why the compact 9's and .40's aren't a great choice. When I first started shooting my .40 I was surprised at how inaccurate i was at 15 yards. The movies make it look so easy haha.

 

Glock is not known for comfort, features and accuracy. But they're a great line for reliability, value and offer a good line to choose from. If you try the G19 (sub-compact 9mm) vs the 27 (compact 9mm) in the same caliber you'll see why you want the larger frame. And while not a great carry choice, the full frame G17 is even nicer to shoot.

http://www.gandermountain.com/Guns/New-Guns/New-Handguns#filters?do=json&i=1&nav=1&q1=510&q2=510E&q3=510E1&q4=New+Handguns&q5=New+Guns&q6=Guns&q7=510E1A&q8=Glock&q9=.40~7E20S~7E26amp~7E3BW&x1=cat1&x2=cat2&x3=cat3&x4=t3&x5=t2&x6=t1&x7=cat4&x8=brand&x9=CALIBER&cat_depth=3&matched_cat=510E1&is_refined=1&ckey=X4Dht6PyG9b8nYFBQHVoGg

 

Edited January 28, 2016 by Belo

[ants]

 I like smaller guns. They are much more comfortable to carry and easier to conceal. From top is a Walther PPK .380cal, that I carried every day for over 20 years. A Kahr MK40 .40 cal that I carried for about 5 and the Ruger LC9s Pro .9mm that I currently carry. All great guns but the Ruger is by far the thinest and lightest. If you don't carry then bigger guns might fit you better.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Edited January 28, 2016 by ants

[Culvercreek hunt club]

 

you will quickly realize why the compact 9's and .40's aren't a great choice. When I first started shooting my .40 I was surprised at how inaccurate i was at 15 yards. 

 

 

A couple questions. how is your accuracy now? Sounds like the issue wasn't the ability of the pistol but you inexperience dealing with that size pistol. Same would be said for a subcompact. I agree there has to be shots on target and that is where "practice, practice and when you think you are good enough, practice more" come into play. Personally I wouldn't evaluate the capabilities of a CC weapon at the 15 yard mark. threat identification, yes, but engaging a threat will likely come at much closer rages.  How were you  "out of the box" at say 7 yards?

[mlammerhirt]

$350 is going to limit you to some .380s and perhaps a Taurus 9mm ( which I would avoid, although their revolvers get better reviews) .

I'd save up another $150 and another level of guns become available with way more choices.

Or go used.

I remember when the big gun debate was 9 vs 45 lol .

I have a Taurus 9mm and like Larry said the price range new is deff under 350...but if your looking to throw alot of rounds thru it deff upgrade.

But for a pistol on the cheaper side....it was a nice initial purchase.

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