.380 or 9mm for pocket carry?

[MilitaryArms]

At first I jumped on the .380 bandwagon as the flood of new micro pistols hit the market a few years ago. The excitement for the .380 pistols only lasted for a while, then the flood of micro-9mm's came right on their heels.

Which do I favor? Check out this latest blog post on The Bang Switch:

.380 or 9mm Pocket Carry? | The Bang Switch


AB3A1946 by MilitaryArmsChannel, on Flickr

 

[ru44mag]

I agree for the most part. Generally I carry either my CM9 or my Taurus 605. They are very easy to conceal, but there are still times, especially in the summer, when only the little .380s are small enough. Some activities just make a CCW very difficult to take with you. And a .380 is better than nothing. And a hammer is better than a .25 ACP. Lol

 

[bigus_D]

I like seeing the side by side photos. Now I'm sure I'll never carry a pocket 9mm. My lcp is already almost too big sometimes.

 

[WestSider]

I like seeing the side by side photos. Now I'm sure I'll never carry a pocket 9mm. My lcp is already almost too big sometimes.

This.

I have tried "pocket" 9mm's and found them to be too big for pocket carry for my taste. The Ruger LCP still fills this role the best for me. I love the Shield but I wouldn't pocket carry it.

 

[shooter521]

I have tried "pocket" 9mm's and found them to be too big for pocket carry for my taste.

This.

My pocket/backup/deep-concealment gun is a Kahr P380. It is by far the best of the micro-380s, with the possible exception of the SIG P238, which was not on my list b/c it is single-action.

 

[lovemachine]

While I agree that the 9mm is the better caliber to carry out of the 2, I do think that for a deep concealment carry gun, the .380 has the advantage.

I have never shot a pocket gun before, but, I have held them in a gun shop. For the way that I dress, there is no way I could pocket carry a pocket 9mm. Honestly, I think it would almost push it to pocket carry a .380...but I'd like to give it a try.

I think I'll just continue to carry my Glock 26, and just save my cash for training and ammo.

 

[TheNewGuy]

9mm

 

[chachi73]

"My lcp is already almost too big sometimes"

do you wear skinny jeans or something? P3at just looks like a cell phone in my front pocket.

 

[MilitaryArms]

Google "Shield pocket holsters" and look at all the products that pop up. I have to wonder how many of you are wearing skinny jeans. :

They are a bit large but I can easily stick my Shield in a front pocket of my 5.11 pants... Drops right in.

 

[bigus_D]

"My lcp is already almost too big sometimes"

do you wear skinny jeans or something? P3at just looks like a cell phone in my front pocket.

The grip prints just a little sometimes. For the most part, if somebody does notice it, I bet they think its my wallet or phone. But I'm carrying against company policy and couldn't imagine the additional risk associated with anything larger.

And yes, I look sweet in skinny jeans.

 

[BehindBlueI's]

Google "Shield pocket holsters" and look at all the products that pop up. I have to wonder how many of you are wearing skinny jeans. :

They are a bit large but I can easily stick my Shield in a front pocket of my 5.11 pants... Drops right in.

5.11s are designed for that, though. Lots of jeans don't have the deepest of pockets and length quickly matters. (Giggity?)

I still find the J-frame sized revolvers to be the easiest to pocket carry. The curvature of the grip, short overall length, and shape letting the barrel nest in the corner of the pocket means more than the thickness of the cylinder.

That said, I wouldn't rush out and purchase a new .380. If I already had one, it would be sufficient, but with so many great 9mm offerings on the market today I think your write up hits the nail on the head.

 

[Jordan]

I chose a pocket 9. A PF-9 to be exact. I got a good one, no failures. I could not stand the trigger on the LC9 or I might have gone with that. I liked the Kahr offerings as well but the 7+1 capacity of the Kel-Tec and the sub 300 price point really won it.

Though to be honest I have only ever carried in a pocket maybe twice. Usually its on a versa-carry.

 

[WestSider]

Google "Shield pocket holsters" and look at all the products that pop up. I have to wonder how many of you are wearing skinny jeans. :

They are a bit large but I can easily stick my Shield in a front pocket of my 5.11 pants... Drops right in.

I imagine I could get away with carrying my Shield in the pocket of my cargo shorts, but it doesn't work well for me in jeans, and I don't wear skinny jeans because I'm not skinny (6'1" 240 lbs).

Truth for me is I rarely pocket carry at all anyway, I have an LCP that I got for pocket/ankle carry and I can count on one hand the number of times I have carried it. I usually go IWB with my Shield in my Crossbreed Minituck.

 

[MilitaryArms]

And yes, I look sweet in skinny jeans.

Pics or it didn't happen.

 

[WC Deer Hunter]

Invalid argument, I frequently pocket carry my G27 in my front pocket of my jeans. It does print but not terribly with a Desantis pocket holster. I've had a PF9 that was ultra easy to conceal and have carried the wifes LCP. The LCP is un-noticeable period and you could easily just forget that it's there. The PF9 was about just as easy to carry IMO as the LCP. The G27 is a bit big for pocket carry but still not that big of a deal to me although I do generally carry it IWB. I'd say it depends on your needs like anything else to determine which is "better".

 

[Revopop]

So far, I've not felt the need for a tiny .380. I pocket carry a Kahr MK9 in a back jeans pocket or a Ruger LCR in the front pocket of cargo shorts. Both of them, particularly the Kahr, also disappear under a loose T shirt when worn on the belt.

 

[whippo]

380 in pocket for me

 

[mbaza3]

I found pocket carry to more comfortable with a 380 especially if you want to minimize printing. I have tried to pocket carry a Keltec PF9 and Kahr PM9 which are on the smaller end of 9mm pocket pistols but they are just a tad big to comfortably fit in a pocket all day long.

 

[dhw9am]

Does It Matter

I don't think it matters myself.
I think, that if you hit someone with a 380 loaded with Corbon Ammo, at lets say 20' away, the difference between that and a 9MM doesn't matter. Who ever it is, will want to leave you alone - period.
Just my opinion.

 

[horsehaulin]

P938 in a pocket holster, riding in my Wrangler jeans. No printing seen by the wife and no one even looked my way all day today.