A 380acp will get the job done. My smallest concealable handgun I easily carry is a small 2'' snub nose 6-shot .357 magnum loaded with some good .38 special loads. A lot of it depends on how I dress for where I'm going...cold weather and jacket can be an XDM .40cal or .45, a smaller Glock 30 .45 or it's bigger Brother Glock 21 or even a 14-round 1911. It all depends on what I feel like carrying for the time. Heck, I've also been known to carry my 8-shot .357 magnum loaded with some real manstoppers...lol. Carry what you feel most comfortable with.

OJ

 

Great to hear guys, thanks for all the input.

I think there is a good concensous that the 380 will do.

The more I have been looking and testing, .380 guns just fit me better. I am not a big guy. 6' at only 180lbs on a heavy day. I did some testing today. Took out my moms Glock 23 and Walther PPK and let me tell you both hurt the knuckle bone on my thumb so damn bad to shooting. Especially the glock being .40. It tore the skin. Not good.

Did however also take my uncles Sig P226 and LOVED it. But its a full size and I love most full size auto feeders. I cant say I have ever shot a gun that felt as good as his Sig. I even own a Super .38 Colt 1911 and the Sig feels better.


I was going to go for this Walther tomorrow

Walther PK 380 380acp : Semi-auto at GunBroker.com

But I liked the Sig SO much today I am going to look at this one before the walther

Sig Sauer 238 2 Tone 380 acp Night sights P238 : Semi-auto at GunBroker.com

Thoughts? If it fits my hand the same as its full size counterpart (how the grip curve fits my hand, not the size) I will probably own it tomorrow. Both of those guns are at my local gun shop

 

I like the Sig p 238 , a little more expensive than some of the others , but has a decent trigger and can handle + p ammo , what ever you buy , take it to the range and shoot it . Most gun ranges rent guns so you can try them out ... Lew

 

I dont have a range in 100 miles of me that will rent guns.

I have been researching more than my mind can handle and I am going to go look at the Sig first thing . From what I read I feel pretty sold on it. Easy to conceal, all metal frame (not a big plastic gun guy..) caliber with good defense options. I feel ready to buy it sight unseen even!

I am sitting here with a Walther PPK/S and the sig is slightly smaller then that. Which is good because thats the biggest gun I think I would want to conceal anyways.

 

The sig is a nice gun , you will like it ...

 

My CC pistol is a Springfield XD .45 ACP. I love that pistol, I am extremely comfortable shooting it and I am very accurate with it and that is with shooting it straight out of the box. But I have to admit, after carrying it for a while, it gets heavy, even in a fanny pack. Specially when I have 2 extra clips in there. So I have gotten to where when I carry it, I will leave the extra clips in my vehicle. That helps some. But I do not have the greatest hips on the planet and after a couple of hours it can really start to bother me. So I have been much more heavily dropping hints to my husband for a small .380 or even one of those tiny .357 that I can just slip in my pocket.

 

9mm vs .380 acp debate has been going on almost as long as 9mm vs .45 acp!!!!

I used to own (and carry) an Astra Constable in .380 acp.
Like a FOOL, I sold it to a guy at work, that had a terrible case of "I gotta have that" disease.

That was the Poor Man's Walther PPK/s.


As for .380 acp ammo being cheaper than 9mm. . . . WHERE!?!?!?!?!?
Everywhere I've looked and compared, I can buy two boxes of 9mm for the same price as 1 box of .380 acp.
And that's just for 'target' or 'plinking' ammo!! The price difference is really big for defensive ammo.

I just gave two boxes of S&B 95 gr FMJ .380 to a friend, at work.
He recently bought a Bersa "Thunder .380". Nice pistol, especially since it was $247.00!!!!! (New!)

Several of my friends have the Ruger LCP. I tried to like it. I really did. However, I have some 'ham hands', and I can only get my middle finger on the gripframe, with my ring finger and little finger trying to curl under the magazine!!!
My trigger finger tries to reach in front of the triggerguard, instead of inside of it!

Walther PPK/s. I'd love to buy one!!! I want a post-war Walther, but I do NOT want a current S&W licensed Walther.

Right now, my concealed carry pistol is a Glock 26 (aka/ "G26").
12 shots of Federal HST 124 gr JHP 'goodness'. Incredibly accurate pistol, for having a short barrel.
It's carried in a Don Hume mdl 715 IWB holster or in a Don Hume "JIT Slide" OWB holster.

I've also been known to carry a Glock 30SF (aka/G30SF) with Federal HST 230 gr JHP. 11 rounds available, carried in a Don Hume "JIT Slide" OWB holster.

 

Here in Eastern Ky.....It seems to be a tad cheaper....Depending a LOT on brand, etc....

.38 Special, Federal brand shells busted me for $27 per 50rds box...

The .380's aren't very...Popular around here...

.38, .40,.45, etc...Thats the norm for people in my area...So most of the private dealers (Non chain stores), pawn shops, etc will more or less cut prices just to move the stuff...

 

A buddy of mine lives in Virginia, and he and I have been going to shows there, and getting ammo, that I can't even get in MD.

Federal 9mm HST. 124 gr JHP - boxes of 50 rounds = $25.00
(In Maryland, the 25 round box is $31.00!)

Federal .40 S&W HST. 165 or 180 gr JHP - boxes of 50 rounds = $25.00.
(In Maryland, I've not found any HST in .40!)

Federal .45 acp HST. 230 gr JHP - boxes of 50 rounds = $27.00.
(In Maryland, 25 round box is $37.00!)

Just about any brand of .380 is more expensive than 9mm. .40 or .45.
The only reason I can think of, the dealers/shops don't buy the quantities of .380 as they do other calibers, so, the ammo costs more $$$.


For a NICE, compact 9mm, look at the Kimber "Solo". Single-stack 9mm.

 

I would like to say I wish I could get a single stack 9 or .40 but the more I handle all these smaller guns the more I realize I just dont think I can comfortably fit anything much larger. Really wanted a Walther PPS or a Kahr PM9 or even a Keltech Pf9 but theyre just a smidge to big for my build. I wish I was a little bigger but I gotta work with what I got.

Besides guns are not bad to have. I can always get another later =D

 

A few observations.

• The .380 acp is a "Blowback" design. You will feel more recoil impulse with this than a pistol with a "Locked Breech" (like a 9mm)!
With that said, the barrel in 99.999% of .380s are 'pinned' to the frame, and because of that, the slide and recoil spring have more force applied to them, and the recoil spring has to slow-down more energy.

• The Glock 23 (G23) is a .40 S&W (I own one) and the recoil is much more 'snappy' with the .40 S&W in that pistol size, than the 9mm is, in the EXACT same pistol, in 9mm (G19)!!!
My G19 is a DREAM to shoot. That pistol shoots like the bullets are riding a laserbeam, to the target!

• The Kimber "Solo" is a small 9mm pistol, and as less felt recoil than the .380. (Again, this 9mm is a "Locked Breech" instead of a "Blowback" design.)


Don't get me wrong. . . . IF I were to find a Walther PPK/s (older pistol) that is in GOOD shape. . . . I'll have the $$$ out of my wallet so fast, I'd probably pull a muscle!!

 

1st I want to say this thread has me thinking I'll never need a Viagra...


Yep...I can trade 4 .380acp Cartridges for a box of 9mm at my gun shop

 

....Be careful , guns are addictive if you shoot them , next thing you know you will have 20 of them...LOL....

 

I have an old German Walther PP(not the ppk) which shoots 380. Also have a Erma Luger 380, and a MAC 9(?) 380. Only the Walther is worth considering for carry. I DO NOT Carry so can't speak from extensive experience here. I also had a Colt 380 mini gov model way back(early 80s), got rid of it since the spring kept falling out and I liked the Walther better.

BTW there are many small 9mm about the size of a PPK, but they bite the hand pretty good. A small 380 can also bite too. Also, a PPK has pretty small grips, some people will not be comfortable.

The best gun for you is one you have CONFIDENCE IN, HAVE PRACTICED WITH, and finally WILL USE if you must, no waving around for show. You would be wise to get some training at the range if possible. Shoot often enough that the gun becomes automatic(pun) in your hands.

BE SURE TO TEST ANY ROUNDS YOU PLAN TO USE. Many guns don't like hollow points and will jam, so try it before you bet your life on it. Round nose FMJ usually works flawlessly with most autos, but has the negative of too much penetration and no expansion.

This advice is from reading way too many gun articles in 30+ years, and shooting 10's of thousands of rounds at the range, but never really carrying. BTW, check your local laws about carry. Some places it is illegal for you to even transport an unloaded pistol thru the city.

Good Luck, practice,

Jim Henderson

 

I dont understand the fascination with this gun. Its literally right next to me on the desk and its not that special in my personal opinion.

Oh trust me, I know. Ive been on a buying streak lately. Ive bought 3 guns in 2 months. Colt AR-15 Preban, Norinco AK-47 84S (5.56NATO AK) pre-ban and a Paratrooper SKS (short barreled).

But I turned 21 last Thrus needed a CCW. I went down to the gun store and they had sold that sig in the link. Ended up loving and buying a Walther PPS 9MM.



It fits great IWB and in the pocket. I really love it. Need to wait a week though because I dont have my CCP yet, its in the mail somewhere. I will have it in the next week or so. About the time I can pick up the gun. SWEET!