38 Snubbie or a 380 Auto

[Mtbkski]

I currently carry a S&W airweight in my front pants pocket ( I have carbon XP hollowpoints in it ). It is really hard to beat for concealment. I realize it isn't a cannon. But I can wear a pair of shorts and no shirt. And nobody I run with realizes that I have a pistol with me.

I was wondering if I may be better suited to carry a small 380 like the Bersa Thunder. It would give me more shots on target.

Which caliber is better suited for self defense? What is the cost of ammo for both? What are the pros and cons of these two choices.

When dress allows, I will wear a bigger pistol. But I don't want to have to dress to hide my pistol. I want to dress so I'm comfortable. If it is shorts and a pair of Tevas to cruise around in. That is how I want to dress. And that is why I lean towards the small pocket pistol for most of my carries.

[MarcS]

both are fairly poor performers in the terminal ballistics area, the snub 38 slightly better. The 38 does have the disadvantage of fewer shots. I'd put them on equal footing. Have you by any chance considered a compact 9? They do make them as small or smaller than the bersa.

[Mtbkski]

I would jump up to a nine in a heatbeat, if I could find one that would ride in my front pants pocket. I still want that convience of throwing on my shorts, no shirt, and no one knowing I'm packing.

Do they make 9 mm that fit this bill? If so, what make and modles should I be looking for? What do you guys recommend?

[MarcS]

Well, I'm an avid Glock guy, but I'll be the first to admit that even the 26 is a bit chunky for pocket carry.

You're looking for something like a Khar PM9 to fit the bill for pocket carry. You won't believe how tiny they are. they're a good deal smaller than the bersa and thinner than your smith. The only drawback is you'll have to pay for quality.

[IceFire]

As a small female with concealment issues, I find that for regular concealed carry, I like the Kel-Tec P3AT. It is a .380, and so far it is the easiest thing that I've found for concealed carry. I got mine in the hard chrome finish, because I carry IWB, and the hard chrome is more rust-resistant than the blued or parkerized finishes. I also have a Kahr PM9, but don't carry it as much, because while only marginally longer than the Kel-Tec, it is thicker (due to the larger round) and so presents more of a concealment issue for me. It may not be an issue for you though, because men's clothing has a MUCH losser fit than women's clothing, AND you pockets are larger (women's pockets tend to be more decorative than functional), so you should be able to hide it better.

On another note, though, if you are carrying while running, the Kel-Tec is MUCH lighter to carry than the Kahr, especially when you've got a full magazine. Even fully loaded, I barely notice the weight of the Kel-Tec, whereas I DEFINITELY notice the Kahr!

Hope this helps.

[jdlv4_0]

Ahh the world of pocket carry, I don't carry in the front pocket, but if I did I would go with one on the following.

Colt Pony in 9mm, Kahr PM9, Rohrbaugh R9 9mm

My previoius "pocket" guns have been a Colt Mustang .380 +II, but my wife stole it, so now I have a Smith 642 that I use as in my coat pocket, or hip pocket.

Here's the Rohrbaugh



Here's my Mustang .380


A note on the Bersa .380 while it's a great gun for the price, as far as size for pocket carry is concearned, it's not that small, and you'd almost be better off with a 3" 1911 or Glock 26. See pice below.

Bersa .380 over Kimber Ultra Carry



Colt Mustang +II same capacity as Bersa .380 over the Bersa


all 3



Over all the most bang for your buck is going to be the Kahr PM9.
The Rohrbaugh R9s are in the $900 range, the Colt Ponys and Mustangs are out of production and getting hard to find, mine was a steal at $500

**Also if going .380 the Walther PPKS is a pretty good gun to fit the bill and readily available.

My summer wardrobe is pretty the same as my winter wardrobe, so while I may be sweating lick a stuck pig, I still have fullsize firepower on hand, I may switch to just the 642 if it's over 90 degrees or I'll probably be picking up another Kahr to replace the PM40 that I traded away, Kahr is coming out with a PM45, but I think that will be too much punch in too small a package.

[Hokkmike]

I am deferential to the .380 auto. My Thunder has NEVER misfired. 100 rounds of hollowpoint, Remington - I believe, can be had at our local Wal-Mart (though they no longer sell guns) for $23.00.

[jdlv4_0]

Some things I don't like about the Bersa .380, the Sig 230/232, and the PPKS.

I don't like guns that the slide will drop when the mag is released, I don't care for the decocker/safety on the Bersa or the PPKS, and I don't like the mag release on the heel of the 232.

Before deciding on a gun, make sure it has the features that will suit you best.

Thanks for the props on the pics EmptyMag Those are my wife's 3 carry guns, that we recently photographed for a thread in Combat Carry. Figured they'd come into use here sooner or later, Photobucket rocks!

[BUCKMARK]

Colt never made a PONY in 9mm.

The Pony was a stainless .380

Pony Pocketlite was alloy frame .380

Colt Pocket Nine was the 9mm and it was bigger than the Pony. The Pocket Nine was dropped along with the other mouse guns, but Colt also had a legal run-around with Kahr Arms over the Pocket Nine.


The Pony is a decent pocket gun at best. The triggers are terrible and almost impossible to alter without giving up reliability.

The Mustang Pocketlite however, is a fine pocket gun. Hard to find and expensive, but very nice.

[Rule10b5]

The Pony is a decent pocket gun at best. The triggers are terrible and almost impossible to alter without giving up reliability.

Yup -- the only downside of the Pony was the godawful trigger. I sure wish they'd made it (and the Pocket Nine) with better triggers. But, as we all know, Colt is world famous for horrible DA auto triggers.