9mm vs .380

WOOHOO!

That's what you want for home in the middle of the night.

Originally posted by RealityisanIllusion
reply to post by oppaperclip

 

I agree with much of what you said. However, for home defence, I prefer an 18 inch barelled 12 ga. pump shotgun with 00 buck. Accuracy with a pistol would be adversely affected if woken up at 3 a.m. and with the added adrenaline during a home invasion.

reply to post by captaintyinknots


They're the same thing, except the P6 was a police pistol in Germany, and can be told apart from the 225 by the hammer.. The P6 has a notch in it that bends when dropped so you can tell if it's safe to use or not.

Originally posted by thaknobodi
reply to post by captaintyinknots

 

They're the same thing, except the P6 was a police pistol in Germany, and can be told apart from the 225 by the hammer.. The P6 has a notch in it that bends when dropped so you can tell if it's safe to use or not.

Thought so.


Thanks!

I'm not trying to highjack this thread but I really want to post this video clip to show some people that doubt the rapid fire capabilities of a revolver

Youtube.com

Have not posted on ATS in awhile here but thought I would share with everyone my preferred 'all around' heat that I use for both home defense and carry:

www.shootingtimes.com...

Mine is the Service model with the 4 inch barrel. You can opt for the Tactical with the 5 inch barrel or go with the Subcompact for 3.5 inches.
Some people are not crazy about polymer frame handguns but I have grown quite fond of them and this one in particular. I was surprised when I came across XD because of the unobtrusive price versus all the features it has.. not to mention the 'feel' while shooting.

If mainly concerned about home defense, my top 3 are:

12 gauge shot gun. (of course)
.50 caliber Desert Eagle
.45 Caliber of any sort... preferably small frame.

Don't forget however, a shot gun can be a SERIOUS problem if a melee conflict arises and you don't have them down by that point. Of course in a 'at home' scenario you always wait for them to come to you.

Tactical is another story and don't have time to get into that.

All around #1 pick? Small frame service .45 is the only way to go..good for home and just as good for carry.

To answer the OP, if I had a choice betwen a .38 and a 9mm? I would choose the 9.

Somewhat generalized oppinion but I hope that helps.



P.S. Nothing against revolvers and I do collect them but thats about it. For anything beyond collecting/show and home defense, clips are superior on many levels.

I own both, and from personal experience I find it easier to fire the .380. The 9mm isn't necessarily a difficult gun to fire, but the .380 IMO is the better shooter for the average person. If you have a wealth of firearms training and experience with larger calibre weapons then the 9mm may feel right at home, but I'd say for conceal carry and everyday protection the .380 is going to be the way to go.

I personally prefer the .40 or .45, but I've been using firearms for quite sometime. I'm familiar with my handguns and thats the most important aspect of owning a firearm. If you're comfortable with the .380 then get the .380, if you prefer the 9mm, then get something chambered for that, its all subjective.

Accuracy trumps firepower any day.

Frankly I love my Baretta 9. A dependable weapon to be sure. I've tried some other 9's in the past but I really prefer the action on the Baretta.

Originally posted by captaintyinknots

Originally posted by RRokkyy
reply to post by captaintyinknots

 

A WWII vet told me during the war he picked up a German Luger 9mm pistol and fired it a a helmet. He did the same with his 45 pistol.

One went through both sides of the helmet.
The other made a dent in it.

Which do you think was better?

K, I am not tyring to be rude, but for the last time I KNOW THAT .45's are more powerful. That's not what I am asking about.

Edit becuase now I am wondering if it was the 9 that went through....

[edit on 11-3-2010 by captaintyinknots]

It was the 9 that went through. They say the 45 was designed to knock a man off of his horse.

LOL

Discussing guns eh?

That make you terrorists in this day & age?

Originally posted by RRokkyy

Originally posted by captaintyinknots

Originally posted by RRokkyy
reply to post by captaintyinknots

 

A WWII vet told me during the war he picked up a German Luger 9mm pistol and fired it a a helmet. He did the same with his 45 pistol.

One went through both sides of the helmet.
The other made a dent in it.

Which do you think was better?

K, I am not tyring to be rude, but for the last time I KNOW THAT .45's are more powerful. That's not what I am asking about.

Edit becuase now I am wondering if it was the 9 that went through....

[edit on 11-3-2010 by captaintyinknots]

It was the 9 that went through. They say the 45 was designed to knock a man off of his horse.

Most likely because the 9mm has much more velocity than the .45, but a shot from a 9mm will punch a hole right through an attacker in most cases but a .45 will open a large wound channel. Kind of the same senario is going on with our troops in Iraq, many say the 5.56x45 just punches right on through and the attacker is still shooting back thats why there are so many new rounds that have been developed for the M16 platform like the .458 SOCOM, 6.5 Grendel and the battle proven 7.62x51(.308). The modern battlefield is mostly all building to building and relatively close range combat and the 5.56 is not best suited for that type of combat. Size wins in close quarters as long as you can accurately shoot it.

A .380 is basically a 9mm short.. Get the 9mm because .380 is probably the hardest caliber to find.. When stores finally do get it in, it sells out in a day. Plus 9mm is more powerful.... The average .380 is moving just under or about 1000 fps.. With a 90 grain bullet, Where as 9mm is usually 1200, with a 115 grain, all the way up to 1400 for hot loads, and is much more available... Trust me, Don't get a .380, mainly due to availability, 2nd because 9mil is more powerful.


Deebo

[edit on 11-3-2010 by Deebo]

reply to post by Aliensdoexist


Any full metal jacket (ball, target) round, regardless of caliber, will most likely pass right through someone... Hollow points are designed to expand and stay in.
You should not be shooing at someone in self-defense with ball anyway, unless its all you have.

Deebo

[edit on 11-3-2010 by Deebo]

[edit on 11-3-2010 by Deebo]

As someone else said, check the prices of 9mm vs .380 ammo. In my opinion, while the .380 may be more user friendly (Bersa Thunder = A+), the 9mm is more practical since ammo is more readily available and cheaper.

Well my two cents, if you are not familiar with guns and have no expierance with various types, I would say forget about both. Go with a revolver, simpler, no where near the risk of a misfeed. If you get a misfeed or a dead round in an auto, you have to clear the round before you can fire another one, in a revolver, just pull the trigger again. Not a big deal if you are familiar with the firearm, but to a novice, that time and fraction of a second of confusion can mean life and death. If you are set on an auto, i am with the .40S&W and .45 acp crowd, the recoil is not that much different (depending on the actual ammo) and the weight is not that much more. I see price was a concern, there is a company called Rock Island Armory, they produce a 1911 .45 acp full size G.I that is available for $300-400. It is not a piece of crap, it is a reliable weapon. Or, a .40s&w would have a little less weight and recoil, almost the same as the 9mm, but is a signficantly better performer. I have a sig p226 in .40 and it is confortable, lightweight and shoots very smooth, recoild is not at all harsh, my wife learned to shoot with that particular pistol.

...I do understand that even a .22lr can put someone or something down if you know what you are doing, and I intend to practice to the point that it wont matter what size I actually carry...

Exactly.

The BEST Gun / Caliber is what YOU can accurately and consistently place on target.

Your best advice would be to shoot the different guns / calibers and see what you are most comfortable with.

Handgun ranges will typically rent hand guns for you to try. And the people that run shooting ranges are typically very knowledgeable and can help you with your quest for the perfect handgun.

And, to the gentleman who said that 9mm rounds are not readily available...

Uhhhhh, that is not correct. you can buy 9mm rounds almost anywhere you can buy rounds. Shop around before you blindly accept that advice.

If you were to decide on 9mm as a defensive round, I would recommend considering Cor-Bon JHP 115 gr. rounds.

Dude, they have a muzzle velocity of 1310 fps. They penetrate 10% ballistic gel to over 14 inches. They expand to 0.55 inches. And...wait for it...they impart a Ballistic Pressure Wave of almost 700 psi. To top that all off, they have a Marshall and Sanow “one-shot stop” rating of 90.6%.

Anyone shot center of mass with this round is guaranteed to have a bad hair day.


[edit on 12-3-2010 by hlesterjerome]

[edit on 12-3-2010 by hlesterjerome]

If you like Walthers, look for a used PPS or P99 in 9mm. Another good choice is a used SIG P239 in 9mm. If you are planning to carry, the PPS and SIG are more concealable with the edge going to the PPS.
9mm ammunition is more readily available and less expensive than 380. Practice with FMJ and use self defense loads for carry. You can probably buy either caliber but look for a pistol that is fairly light and compact. It is unlikely that you will ever get into a shootout, unless you live in a gang neighborhood, but you will be carrying it, for sure.

reply to post by pteridine


ya know it's funny but when my wife and I bought this place it was a nice upper middle class neighbourhood... in just the past...5 years or so... gangs have moved in. This May we'll be moving. many of my neighbours cannot

Sometimes trouble comes looking for you.

Originally posted by pteridine
...Practice with FMJ and use self defense loads for carry...

I agree with this 100%, but would recommend running your defensive rounds through your gun occasionally.

You need to make sure your chosen defensive rounds cycle through your gun OK. I've heard tales of some handguns being temperamental with certain Hollow Point loads.

Plus, you want to make sure your chosen defensive rounds shoot the same as you FMJ rounds.

I would suggest choosing FMJ rounds that have the same weight as your defensive rounds also.

Originally posted by RRokkyy
reply to post by captaintyinknots

 

A WWII vet told me during the war he picked up a German Luger 9mm pistol and fired it a a helmet. He did the same with his 45 pistol.

One went through both sides of the helmet.
The other made a dent in it.

Which do you think was better?

Well, if I were firing at helmets, the .45 would be the choice to use. But, how many times am I going to be attacked by helmets?

If you use a .380 with wadcutters the stopping power is much superior to the 9mm. The bullet of the 9mm moves through the air to fast and ill just put a hole in you which isn't as fatal as a slower moving .380 which will knock you on your ass and take a big chunk out of your body.
.380 Wins