I’ve carried 9mm semiautos for years. Prefer them to .380, mostly due to the magazine capacity. Don’t see too many 15 round magazines for .380,
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@Kent3, Good words all. I’ve considered these points and they are excellent.
My personal situation leads a little different. This is still great points for the majority of people, but I have large hands…like small sledge hammers and about as tough, so my .380s though good weapons don’t fit my grip as well as a larger frame. The sights are not as easily located for me either. I like the better sights on my larger frames. They just seem to instinctively come up close on target for me, sort of like cheek position on a well paired rifle stock. Your point is even still applicable to me, I’m wondering if for defensive use I should choose a non-uploaded 45ACP. I believe though the .45 has great energy the 9mm may penetrate farther than the .45.
This should make the .45 the superior round and safer (380 not considered).
What say you? I have a 2011 so capacity is not a consideration.
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I understand your points, especially with the large hands. Being average size at 5’9" with average hands the ultra concealable .380 with the best ammo I can find makes sense to maintain peace of mind about daily carry with the best possibility of stopping the bad guy I pray I never meet. I realize capacity could be a challenge with 6 or 7 rd. clips though. I occasionally enjoy my Ruger .480 and have enjoyed shooting a Smith .500 without any problem.(But sparingly). Although the owner’s hands were the size of a steering wheel. The .45 is awesome and could fill probably any larger hands, except maybe the late Andre the Giant. I also am gripped by the concept of hi cap where the 9 offers many models. I have a Taurus Millennium that I got a 30 rd. clip for the other day. With various firearms I occasionally find myself picking up a value whenever so moved, like the Taurus. I have a Kahr PM9, an old Smith and Wesson 5904 and even a P38 in 9mm. However, I have a few .45’s. One is a small AMT back up, Ruger P97 DC and a Colt 1911 NRA model. There is much I can do with what can be improved with accuracy and CCW choice. The more consider the great responsibility of concealed carry, the more committed I become to prime my self-talk with trying to be more ready to avoid injuring innocent bystanders, or worse at almost all cost. So far, nothing close to making such a call has presented itself so far in life even after a recent 60th birthday has now come and gone. However, situational awareness and/or code yellow state of mind often occupies.
So to make a long story short, yes, the idea of the great stopping power of the .45 with probably little over penetration chance makes a whole lot of sense to me.
Thanks for sharing!
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9mm is the caliber for me. It’s cheap and I can get good shot placement with it. My experience with .380 is limited to the Ruger LCP, Taurus Spectrum, & the Bersa Thunder. I don’t have anything bad to say about the .380 round… I’m good with the 9mm. It’s like the old Coke vs Pepsi thing. Dying of thirst, I’d take a Coke but I will always prefer Pepsi. 
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@Kent3 try a Kimber Micro 9. It feels good in large and small hands, and it’s a 9mm.
It’s still a single stack though.
I have the magazines with the end cap giving longer grip area.
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I dont really care about the cost of the ammo since I reload all the rounds for all my weapons. and basically the 380 and 9mm are the same diameter,only the case on the 9mm is a little longer in length. as for my carry weapon it is a 45,have seen what a 45 does to the body,so will go with thbe stopping,but do carry a 380 or 9mm in ankle holster, it depends on my mood or gut feeling as tpo whaty backup i will carry
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While price per round is important, that was not how I took the question.
I took it to be for defensive purposes.
Both are viable and good self defense rounds.
If it is only ammunition price, or availability, 9mm is cheaper, but both are commonly available.
Can not remember if I replied to this, so if I did, sorry for the double tap.
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@Kevin29 I agree both are viable and that is why I own both. But, between the 2, 9mm wins in my book because it outperforms .380, even if just a little, and is more cost effective. When you can compare apples to apples, the one that tastes better and is less expensive wins. 
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I would agree.
I have not stated the .380 is equal to the 9mm. I agree the 9mm is superior to the .380. I have simply stated the .380 is a viable and capable self defense rd. The ammo costs and other factors were not considered in the .380 vs 9mm. To me, that is two different discussions, cost versus viability.
I have had others attack the statement the .380 is viable and capable and said it is foolish to consider the .380 when a 9mm is available… and my entire line of discussion has said, it all depends on the situation. If you are at a neighborhood gathering, and you are in shorts and a tank top, a .380 such as the Taurus 738 at 10 oz, beats the Glock 26 at 25 oz even if it is a 9mm.
I prefer a 9mm, or better yet a .45 or .357, but I would not hesitate to carry a .380.
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mmmhmmm… p i e…
@Kevin29
Kevin thanks for the reply. I can take the story down another level and think we’ll agree; if I have a .22 mini revolver and I happen to be sitting next to a bad guy in my car as he’s carjacking me… and I have to play chauffeur - the moment He is distracted and looks away - the mini revolver held to his temple can be more than enough weapon to save the day. Again, not a comparison of price, but the application of sufficient force and violence of action. It is the gun we are willing to carry that can make the difference when compared with the gun sitting in our dresser lock vault at home.
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I tried to ignore the apples due to thoughts of pie, and there you went and made me gain a pound…
It is always the gun we carry, or have available, depending on the situation we are in or event we are participating in.
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It is the Holiday Season my friend!
Cheers!
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.380 outperforms 9mm in concealment, and .32 outperforms .380. What are the chances that you will require superior performance of a 9mm? Almost nil (I hope!). What are the chances that the bigger frame of a 9mm weapon will be detected by a nosy neighbor/guest/co-worker? Much more. Who wants to deal with this conversation, or be socially shunned, or even fired?
Consider the totality of circumstances.
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The beauty of this discussion on this forum is that there is no wrong answer. “You Decide”
We all have our preferences and reasons for choosing what we choose. My wife likes Cool Whip and I like RediWhip, not hydrogenated soybean oil 
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If you have heard of Underwood LeighHigh ammo for the .380, stopping power is amazing w/ minimal over penetration. So the .380 with the right ammo is so concealable and a real contender. With 6 plus one your liability lessons when the DA gets involved, as he surely will with any rd that leaves your barrel. So, less is better, but maximize that less with your ammo choice.
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My .380 is a Kimber Micro .380 that shoots almost as well as a 9mm as far as distance goes.
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Good afternoon, I’m 61 my wife is 29 with 21 years of experience. We are both new to fire arms as owners. I have shot different fire arms over the years with some training when I was in the US Air Force. She has shot very little. At present our calibers are 243, 30-30, and 380. She has as her very first handgun the M&P Shield 380 EZ. She likes everything about it… Great first gun. I have a Russian IMEZ Makarov, satin nickel finish with black grips. My Mak is a real 380 9x17. 8+1 capacity. I bought it from a friend along with all his 380 ammo for a great price. I really do enjoy shooting it and just yesterday successfully completed my CPL training course with it.
That being said I do want us both to move to a 9mm. Now that S&W have come out with the new 9mm EZ I want to introduce her to that. I think it would be an EZ transition. Not sure where I want to go. I like the Sig P365 and shoot it well. I want to try the P365 XL. The SA Hellcat looks very interesting! I also like the M&P 2.0 with the 3.6"barrel. The Bersa Thunder Plus which is a 380, has a 15 + 1 capacity, intrests me for a summer carry or as a backup weapon. Your opinions and/or advice is welcome
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Economical,easy to shoot and my handguns carry more rounds
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IMO, you really need to spend some time renting and shooting different firearms at your local range. What capacity you are comfortable with (or without), what size and weight you want to conceal on your person, and what holster options will allow you to do that and are available for your chosen firearm brand/make can play a significant role. Although I decided on a brand for carry, the holster options usually mean I have to wait months for something to be made on a waiting list… although the Kydex holsters are usually pretty quick to ship.
My opinions are usually a small minority. Most of my carry is one Kahr or another… supplemented by a revolver in the winter. Right now I’m carrying a K9 in a leather IWB and I’m really liking it (the plastic Kahr variants just feel too skinny in my hands except the 45). However, the holster availability for them is a little taxing on my patience. Additionally many people don’t like the long reset or the limited capacity.
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