.38 or 9mm

[cstreit]

I have a Sig P228 with a Hogue grip and love it! No safety though so if you were ever going to do a class, lots of decocking every time you fire... Ugh.

Second one will be the XD or the Glock... Love them both.

[MotoSook]

For quality, reliability and affordability, go with the CZ75B. The CZ75BD is with decocker, which is don't find necessary. You can get a new one for less than $500 and a used one can be had for about $400. The CZ is damn accurate too.

[Danimal16]

I fired the glock, ppk, and many other small caliber carry weapons. The only reason why I went with the 230 (older version of the 232??) is because the way it fit my hand and my ability to better control the weapon in many situations. In other words it was simply the best fit for me. I believe in fitting the weapon to the shooter, to purchase a weapon because of its "reputation" or "the way it looks" or others opinions negates the fact that each of these fine makes be it sig, glock, S&W, kimber, colt, browning, ppk etc, semi or wheel must be fit into the shooter.

[enzo1]

Sig..... Khar....or Glock

[Cdnone1]

I never hear any comments about Beretta's, but I have a Beretta 92 SF and love it. I guess it's a big heavy gun, but I'm not that concerned about getting tired if I'm using it and I love the way it shoots.
I of course don't carry it in public living in CA and all
Steve

[ODDJOB UNO]

Originally Posted by targa911S

If there was a James bond, and he did carry a Walther, there would have only been one movie, as he would be dead. I have owned 3 of them. A PP and two PPK's one an S. All three had jamming problems no matter what ammo you used. I would not want to stake my life on any of them. They are sexy guns though.

man you hit it on the head. let me tell ya a story bout a man named OJU...............


once upon a time up in press-kit(prescott,az) after spending an entire day being dragged around thru antique stores............i stopped in a spoon store. i have always liked the looks of a PPK/S. knew nothing about them.



lo and behold heres a BRAND NEW USED barely fired stainless smith und vesson PPK/S. for $369. hell i knew they were at least 5 bills if not 6 usually. looked it over played with it and checked bore. no box.


ran out the store like i had robbed the place w/fresh box of hornaday personnal defense rounds. 20 minutes later off in the middle of BFE we started shooting. and it started jamming WTF????????????????????????????



suddenly my deal wasnt a deal. got online. surfed net. found out everything i wanted and didnt want to know.


liked the feel of the new smiths vs the original nazi ones but it was a constant FTF for me. fought with the mutha.


2 days later................smith und vesson puts up RECALL NOTICE because some of them when LOADED and you dropped decocker WOULD GO BANG! YIKES!


wrote smith a nasty gram voicing my displeasure and how i wanted it ported polished crappy trigger pull addressed etc.




well sum beeaatch smith and vesson delivered big time. the damn thing eats anything now.


since i have a couple of HK4's and have found the .380 round to be THE MOST CANTAKEROUS ROUND i have ever feeked with. i did some real life ammo studies and testing.


and guess what feeds everytime???????????????



FREEKING MAGTECH from brazil.


all my .380's love the stuff. so i bought a 1000 rds of it on sale not too long ago as the seller had sat on them during the "goofy ammo times" and was loosing his shirt now.



yer not gonna get too much satisfaction out of a .380 unless ya port and polish them. and even then its questionable about hollowpoints always feeding.



so to ensure mine go bang EVERYTIME...............we use MAGTECH .380 rounds. they are ISO9001 certified mfg.



i really do love them tho. great pocket gun when its hot here. this entire summer i have been packing my PPK/S everywhere i go cuz its light and easily concealed even in a pair of shorts.



the hot POO place to get them worked on is CYLINDER AND SLIDE in nebraska. they are the gurus. german or smith and vesson mfgd.



the .380 is a nasty azz round for its size.

[enzo1]

I have a 380 Beretta 84f love everything about the gun,except it STOVEPIPES, called them , when it was new..... turned out it's my problem, never bought another 1, gun is still virtually brand new, I wouldn't sell it as my dad gave it to me as a 1st gun and it STOVEPIPES

[azasadny]

Folks,
Think about the weight and size of a handgun used primarily for concealed carry. The lighter and smaller, the better for concealment, but the smaller and lighter it is, the more felt recoil. The Sig P230/232 and 239 are nice to shoot, but the 239 is too heavy! I'll take a lighter gun for concealed carry any time.

My wife's Ruger LCP jumped all over until we replaced the stock recoil spring with a Wolff 11lb spring. Now the recoil is manageable and the brass doesn't fly too far, which is important since I reload.

[Brando]

I would have to say 9mm. Find a pistol that can use +P+.

[Jeff Higgins]

Originally Posted by pmajka

Looking at the walthers. .38 gun is half the price, but 9mm is cheaper ammo (well, not that much).

Any advice would be nice.

What is she going to use it for?

[targa911S]

Art you are spot on. I have wolff kits in all my carry spoons. They make a big diff in old guns.

[jyl]

Originally Posted by Superman

I'm still not sure why there is no such thing as a pocket-sized .45 ACP. The cartridges are a little bigger than 9mm, but they'll fit into a fairly small handle.

There is. I have one of these (but mine is prettier):



There are micro-1911 currently being made by Kimber, ParaOrdnance, etc.

But, they are all metal, thus heavy. You won't get integral lasers, as you're starting to see in the polymer guns (S&W "Bodyguard 380" for instance - and that gun is sold out). The 1911 "cocked and locked" action demands a real holster that shields the safety (both sides if ambi) and trigger and (in my opinion) includes a thumbstrap under the hammer. No way these can be "pocket guns". You'd want to put many hundreds of rounds through a micro-1911 before trusting the reliability. If you insist on a hot round, you can get a J-frame revolver in .357 Mag that weighs far less than my Detonics, though it holds 2 fewer rounds.

The appeal of the .45ACP cartridge don't outweight those downsides, in my view. Someday I'll sell my Detonics and get a micro-Glock w/ integral laser (when one is available). I never carry it - instead, I carry a J-frame in a pocket holster.

[red-beard]

Originally Posted by jyl

There is. I have one of these (but mine is prettier):



There are micro-1911 currently being made by Kimber, ParaOrdnance, etc.

But, they are all metal, thus heavy. You won't get integral lasers, as you're starting to see in the polymer guns (S&W "Bodyguard 380" for instance - and that gun is sold out). The 1911 "cocked and locked" action demands a real holster that shields the safety (both sides if ambi) and trigger and (in my opinion) includes a thumbstrap under the hammer. No way these can be "pocket guns". You'd want to put many hundreds of rounds through a micro-1911 before trusting the reliability. If you insist on a hot round, you can get a J-frame revolver in .357 Mag that weighs far less than my Detonics, though it holds 2 fewer rounds.

The appeal of the .45ACP cartridge don't outweight those downsides, in my view. Someday I'll sell my Detonics and get a micro-Glock w/ integral laser (when one is available). I never carry it - instead, I carry a J-frame in a pocket holster.

I have this:



It is a Colt Defender.

SPECIFICATIONS:
Caliber: .45 ACP
ACTION: Single
CAPACITY: 7 + 1 Rounds
BARREL LENGTH: 3"
OVERALL LENGTH: 6-3/4"
MATERIAL: Stainless Steel and Aluminum
FINISH: Matte Stainless Steel
HAMMER: Combat Style
TRIGGER: Smooth
FRONT SIGHT: Fixed White Dot, Dovetailed
REAR SIGHT: Fixed White Dot, Snag Free
GRIPS: Pebble Finish Rubber Wraparound
WEIGHT: 22-1/2 Oz
SAFETIES: Firing Pin, Hi Ride Grip, Extended Manual Disconnect
SPECIAL FEATURES: 2 Magazines

It comes with Hogue grips, which can be replaced with a Crimson Trace Laser grip.

[Mike C]

Originally Posted by Soukus

For quality, reliability and affordability, go with the CZ75B. The CZ75BD is with decocker, which is don't find necessary. You can get a new one for less than $500 and a used one can be had for about $400. The CZ is damn accurate too.

Cz is a well kept secret. I have a CZ 24 & just got my P-06 40 cal. Check out the CZ 75 B in 9mm or the SP-01 9mm. Prices are very good & these guns are fantastic!

[RWebb]

"9mm pistol manufacturers [] out there"

nobody mentioned Browning

a Browning 9 mm is most like a Porsche 911 b/c both are old designs, done by geniuses - not that John Browning didn't design "other guns" (!) but the 9 mm Browning is like a 911 Prosche precisely b/c it doesn't have the big (slow) rounds (like a big low reving engine in a 'vette); instead they are both like a well made rapier, not a broad sword

[nostatic]

My question would be whether or not you can put a round from a "micro .45ACP" on target. The round ain't worth squat if you can't hit anything with it.

OP didn't specify use, so not sure why carry is a point of contention. As for 9mm vs .380, I'd go 9mm just because of ammo availability. The stuff is everywhere. For brand, I like Sigs, but that is more of an individual preference for fit and style. I hate the way Glocks feel in my hand and like the manual of arms for a Sig. Ymmv. There are still p225/P6 can still be found used for a good price (there was a flood of polic turn-ins) and I find it to be a nice relatively svelte handgun. Single stack 7 or 8-round mag. Easy to shoot, easy to clean. ymmv.

[targa911S]

it's a .380, it's a Colt, it don't look like a squirt gun, it's slim and comfortable, it's reliable, it's costs around $5-6 hundred, it won't depreciate.

[jyl]

Pretty. How do you decock - what is the manual of arms?

[BlueSkyJaunte]

Originally Posted by jyl

Pretty. How do you decock - what is the manual of arms?

Pull the trigger.

My favorite concealable 9mm is the Kahr MK9. Almost pocket-sized, BLOCK-inspired but much more refined.

For a 9mm to carry on your hip, though, the Browning Hi-Power has yet to be surpassed, IMHO--once you remove the goofy magazine disconnect.

OJU - Good to hear of your excellent support from S&W. All too often you hear BAD stories about gun manufacturers.

[Danimal16]

Originally Posted by RWebb

nobody mentioned Browning

See post 23 and read a little closer.

The 9mm Parabellem 124 grain round has the same energy as the 45 ACP 220 grain. The deal is that it is the way that the 45 ACP deposits that muzzle energy into the target. I had to carry a 9mm in Iraq I have qualified with it and there is no substitute IMHO for the 45 ACP. The 9mm may be light but the 45 ACP delivers the goods.

Brownings are extremely nice pistols but again I don't like the feel of the 9mm. I have a Sig 228 and a 225 but for the lighter frame higher capacity I like my 229 in 40 SW. Fantastic pistol.