.380 vs 9mm
I am looking into purchasing a second pistol that I can carry.
Although I very much prefer .40 or larger, the current .40 that I have is pretty much not concealable.
That being said, I am probably either going to go with either a .380 or a .9mm...
I am very much eyeing the .380 because I think the 'hurt factor' should I ever 'need' to use it in some emergency situation will be about the same. Or am I wrong?
That being said, I heard that .380 ammo is very hard to come by and it is expensive. I am not sure if this is still the case or not, but what good is a pistol if you have no ammo?
Of course I do want to take my pistol and shoot a few boxes just for the heck of it from time to time...and I don't want to have to hunt to high heaven for a box....
Anyway how available is .380 ammo? Also is the 'hurt factor' really that much different between a .380 vs a 9mm with comparable ammo?
Of the two pistols I am eyeing the .380 is very small and very light and has 7 rounds...the 9mm holds 8 rounds but is quite a bit larger of a weapon by comparison. (still small but not as small as the other)
Comfort and ease of concealment is of utmost importance this can be a big difference.
Also the .380 is $100 less...but the ammo...I am not sure about the ammo....
Although I very much prefer .40 or larger, the current .40 that I have is pretty much not concealable.
That being said, I am probably either going to go with either a .380 or a .9mm...
I am very much eyeing the .380 because I think the 'hurt factor' should I ever 'need' to use it in some emergency situation will be about the same. Or am I wrong?
That being said, I heard that .380 ammo is very hard to come by and it is expensive. I am not sure if this is still the case or not, but what good is a pistol if you have no ammo?
Of course I do want to take my pistol and shoot a few boxes just for the heck of it from time to time...and I don't want to have to hunt to high heaven for a box....
Anyway how available is .380 ammo? Also is the 'hurt factor' really that much different between a .380 vs a 9mm with comparable ammo?
Of the two pistols I am eyeing the .380 is very small and very light and has 7 rounds...the 9mm holds 8 rounds but is quite a bit larger of a weapon by comparison. (still small but not as small as the other)
Comfort and ease of concealment is of utmost importance this can be a big difference.
Also the .380 is $100 less...but the ammo...I am not sure about the ammo....
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I have both 9mm and 380 pistols. You will find the cost of the 380 pistol to be about $100k less than comparable 9mm models. However, the difference will be made up in about 20 boxes of ammo. 380 is more scarce than 9mm and about 25% more costly. 9mm is the most common round in the world. It is widely used by all NATO companies for their side arms so a lot of it is made. 380s are also know as 9mm kurz or short. That DOES NOT mean they are interchangeable, however.
As far as stopping power between a 380 and 9mm the type - hollow point, jacketed, weight, load, etc. You can find a 380 load that should be close to a 9mm load, just check with your local gun store.0 -
Overall, the 9mm provides a 40 percent greater wounding effectiveness (based on wound channel surface area) than does the .380
http://hunting.about.com/od/guns/l/aast9mmv380a.htm
That being said I have a Ruger LCP (.380) and would not want that in 9mm. Unless you want a small pocket gun go with the 9mm. The 9mm wins in performance and price every time.0 -
Yes, .380 has been in short supply. Yes, they are making it- just been a LOT of people buying more than they usually do. Yes, it IS gradually getting back on the shelf. Yes, 9mm is usually cheaper- milsurp overuns, etc.
The "one shot stop" rates for .380 are about 71%. For 9mm Parabellum, about 91%. Both numbers are based on a hot hollowpoint. Someone here will shortly speak up and knock the "One shot stop" data. Simply look at the numbers as an indicator of RELATIVE stopping power.
Myself, I carry a .38 Special snubbie, which has lower numbers, and I do not feel unprotected. Rule #1 of a gunfight is "Have a gun". A sidearm that is too heavy or too bulky will wind up protecting your dresser drawer. Light and compact is likely to be on your belt. My biggest factor would be that it works when you pull the trigegr- 100.0000000% of the time.0 -
I say it strictly comes down to how you want to carry.
Here is the spec for the ammo I carry, http://www.dakotaammo.net/Glaser-PowRBall/600/600/dept
Caliber: 380 Auto
Bullet Wt.: 70gr Pow'RBall
Velocity: 1100fps
Energy:188ftlbs
Caliber: 9mm Luger + P
Bullet Wt.: 100gr Pow'RBall
Velocity: 1475fps
Energy: 483ftlbs
So more then 2x as much energy in the 9mm.
Caliber: 40 S&W
Bullet Wt.: 135gr Pow'RBall
Velocity: 1325fps
Energy: 526ftlbs
Caliber: 45 Auto
Bullet Wt.: 165gr Pow'RBall
Velocity: 1225fps
Energy: 550ftlbs
I have and do carry a .380. I use to carry one a lot for years but now just sometimes. I like it because it is small and light. I carry in the front pocket and I can carry dressed almost anyway.
Last year I found a compact 9mm that fit me well, S&W M&Pc. With a good IWB holster I can carry this gun 95% of the time even in shorts and a T-shirt.
Long story short you need to decide what will carry best for you. If the .380 you are looking at will be a gun that you can and will have on you all the time then it is better then any gun you left laying ____________(insert place other then on you).0 -
spnriskmgr---
yes, that is the delimma I am running into. If I get the little pocket pistol, yes it is $100 cheaper, BUT long run cost it won't be cheaper.
Hell, my target .40 rounds are cheaper than the .380 rounds I have been finding so its obviously not an issue of materials.
Again, I don't want to end up paying an arm and a leg for rounds... so long run it won't be cheaper.
Nwcid is onto my exact train of thought... its all in the way I want to carry. Since I have never carried before (yep, I am newbie) I need to figure this out before forking out the dough.
That being said, small and light and easy is best. Cel phone, check. Car keys, check. Pistol, check...out the door...I don't want to have to be worrying about much more than that.
The fact is, I have never shot at anyone in my life and only been around one time in my entire life when anyone was shooting out of anger...and even then they were shooting in the air to scare someone... that was 20 years ago at least (a friend's mom and step dad were getting divorced...it was scary as hell and I was about 14 at the time)... I have to say though... although its rare (for me), it only takes once to make a believer (or a corpse)...If you are not looking for trouble odds are you won't find it....
That being said, easy and convinient are paramount....0 -
The 380 is a respectable round. Ken Waters did tests on this cartridge and found it would penetrate 11"in his test media. The 357 Magnum was 15" of penetration. For the ease of carry this is a good little cartridge. I have a 380 LCP Ruger and carry it everywhere. 0 -
Look at the Sig P6 9mm. [8D] 0 -
9mm luger is a *LOT* better than .380 ballistically.
With ordinary loads the 9mm luger will offer at LEAST 50% more kinetic energy than .380, but the kinetic energies alone don't tell the full story. Its because the 9mm luger uses a significantly HEAVIER bullet that offers better penetration.
Of course 9mm luger also offers a lot more recoil, though most experienced shooters don't have a problem with it, even from smaller guns.
If you want to buy it on the auction site, .380 ammo isn't scarce, its just expensive.
.380 ammo is becoming more readily available again, but 9mm luger will pretty much always be cheaper and more readily available due to its global popularity.
I think the bigger issue is the GUN, not the ammo. If you're having trouble concealing a .40SW pistol, you're likely to have trouble concealing a 9mm luger pistol, as they're usually of relatively similar size.
While personally I prefer a 9mm, the .380 you have on you is better than the 9mm you've left at home.
To my way of thinking +/- $100 shouldn't even be a factor in your decision at all, considering that you are likely to have this gun for many years. It will cost you more than that to swap a gun you don't like for one you do.
Also, as mentioned, you might also consider an alloy frame .38 special revolver. These are nearly as small as many .380s, nearly as light, and both more powerful and reliable.0 -
A small easyly concealable pistol isn't something that you will want to shoot all that often as they have small grips and short barrels. So the cost of ammo shouldn't really be much of a factor. Yes you should put a mag or two thru it several times a year, but it won't likely be what you want to take to the range several times a month. If a main reason to buy it is to be small and compact then the 380acp isn't all that bad, certainly better then a 32acp or a 22mag. And there will be folks saying that the 32acp and 22mag will get the job done if you do your part and they will be right. 0 -
I like the Kahr PM9. 0 -
I own a Kahr PM9. It is very close to a lot of the 380's out there in size and weight. The 9mm has more velocity and typically a larger bullet. It is more powerful, however, if concealability is the entire problem then consider the various small 380's 0 -
The Kahr PM40 is only a teensy bit bigger than the PM9. Either is highly concealable. 0
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