I carry a full size xd .45 cal tactical with a 5 inch barrel. I don't have any trouble with an inside the waist band holster to conceal it wearing shorts and a t shirt.
I just bought a Walther PPK/S .380. My plan is to use it for plinking and possibly as a Concealed/Carry to give my .38 a break now and then. This is the first .380 I have owned and have not shot it yet. How is the .380 as a defense weapon? Any comments on .380's or Walthers?
IMHO for Plinking it would be fine, as long as you don't mind forking out some $$$$$ for ammo. For CC a .25, .32 and a .380 are the last calibers for CC that I would chose or recommend. 9mm is the smallest caliber I would ever recommend for CC.
The PPK is a good weapon, but anything smaller than 9mm doesn't qualify as a "good choice" for CC IMHO.
Never disagreed with g-boy before. IMHO I think the .380 and 32 mag make excellent cc guns. used to carry an AMT in .380as a back up weapon. as a matter of fact, there was a backlog trying to get them. at the range it performed great, the bullet, killing watermelons and soda bottles. with the parameters of a true cc weapon, 15-20 feet and a self defense round it will perform very well. I used glaser rounds. IMHO :gangsta
9 mm's have gotten much smaller and a watermellon or pop btl isn't likely to be jacked up on drugs or wearing heavy clothes like leathers. even a bit of cloth from a T shirt can clog a hollow point. in a sd life or death situation it would be nice to have a cannon, but I'd go with the biggest caliber you can conceal and hit with. 9mm and 38 special on the bottom rung for me.
Never disagreed with g-boy before. IMHO I think the .380 and 32 mag make excellent cc guns. used to carry an AMT in .380as a back up weapon. as a matter of fact, there was a backlog trying to get them. at the range it performed great, the bullet, killing watermelons and soda bottles. with the parameters of a true cc weapon, 15-20 feet and a self defense round it will perform very well. I used glaser rounds. IMHO
IMHO the back log likely had more to do with AMT being a $200-300 back up gun instead of a $400-800 all steel S&W snubbie in .38 built prior to 1975. Which is smaller than an AMT and more "shootable/controlable".
I would say the more bullet/caliber you can get in a CC gun without sacraficing control and shootablity of the pistol, the better. IMHO the baby glocks (sub compacts in anything larger than 9MM) are uncontrollable in a rapid fire scenerio. I am only 165 lbs and 5'6" with small hands, so if shooting a sub compact glock in .45, 10MM or even .40 cal and I don't really hang onto it, it's gonna fly outa my hand by the third or fourth shot. Not something I want to worry about at an ATM in the dark at 11:00pm when two thugs try to get my wallet, ATM card and # and $$$$$$$$.
I'm sticking to nothing smaller than a 9MM or .38 Cal. but if it's a larger caliber the frame and pistol/revolver have to be comparable to make it controlable and shootable!
Ask Carlos about his snubbie .44 Mag revolver that is light weight. :rockon
If I could carry my 1911... I would .. BUT I am a smaller guy. The PPK is just right for me. Now if I am hunting... the 1911 is open carry. 🙂
