380 or 9mm

S

skipnjoe

New member
Thinking about buying a pistol.I cant decide if I want a 9mm or 380 auto. I like the berreta 92fs and their cheetha 84fs.I want one for walking the dog in the woods and a back up dispatch gun when predator hunting with my shotgun.I like the compact size of the cheetha but would the 380 be a good choice for me?
 
I have a Walther PPKS .380 and a EAA Witness 9mm. The 380 will fit in a jacket pocket, where as the full size 9mm needs a holster. The larger 9mm is more accurate and fun to shoot at the range. If I were you, I'd also consider a 22lr.
 
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380 Ammo is hard to find around here to and very expensive, the one shop that seems to have it regular want like $27 a box for it and has a one box limit, I would go with the 9 not only because I like the round but I also have a 92 and like it alot.
 
380 ammo will for some reason always be spendy. my walking the dog and me pistol is the keltec pf-9 9mm. Small, light, and very accurate. I did remove the lite rail since i don't need it, and put on a hogue handle jr. grip. The pistol runs well with 124gr jhp. blue
 
9mm trumpos the .380 in every way. Its abundant, cheaper, way more load offerings, much better balistically. Unless you need a super duper compact pistol I dont see the need for a .380, especially as your primary carry piece for those situations. I

f small size is important look at the Kel Tec PF-9. Given that one of your choices is the 92 I would say size doesnt matter and you cant go wrong with a 92. I personally dont like them but they work jsut fine.

In short I wouldnt carry anything smaller than a 9mm unless the situation dictated it. I own a P3AT and have no qualms about using it if there is no other choice but would nver be my first choice otherwise.
 
CCW is serious business. Being LEO, I have been carrying just about forever. There are several things to consider. First - if you dont have it with you then it does you no good if needed. Any caliber is better than nothing but looking at penetration specs and onsidering clothing that bad guys wear a 380 is marginal. Cost of 380 ammo is higher than 9mm and much less effective. Look at lots of handguns and quality holsters. In stressful situations, people revert to training. If you have no training and carry your handgun in different modes depending on whatever, then you will find yourself at a great disadvantage. Stick with a high quality accurate handgun, buy a good holster system and shoot often.
 
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Listen to the advice above, go with a 9. Lots of good options out there for reasonably priced, reliable 9mm semi-autos. The PF-9 is a fine option, though I understand recoil is a bit snappy. I have an XD subcompact that, while a bit of a fatty, is nice carry, easy to handle, and very accurate with both 115 grain plinking loads and full house 147 grain self defense loads. The Glock 19 is also a fine pistol chambered in 9mm and can be had for about 5 bills.
 
Originally Posted By: DesertRam The Glock 19 is also a fine pistol chambered in 9mm and can be had for about 5 bills. You can also find them as LE trade in for 369.00 around here.
 
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