ProArms News & Views

I have been doing some thinking of late, given the new “craze” for small carry guns.  One can readily see the public wants something deeply concealable, which weighs a scant few ounces, and is of a reasonable self-defense caliber.

In the February 2010 edition of the American Rifleman, an article lists nine .380ACP (9-mm Short, 9-mm Kurz) offerings from several manufacturers.

I was always skeptical of the little 380.  Back in my days on-the-job, the 9-millimeter wasn’t doing all that well, absolutely more the fault of the FMJ ammo available at the time than the cartridge itself.   So how, I pondered, would the lesser powered 380 be?

I once bought a Mauser HsC from a retiring officer.  It looked so cool, made in Germany!  I took it to my dad’s home to try it out, he then lived in rural Staten Island.  I can’t remember which ammo I bought, but it was of FMJ design, 90-something grain bullet.  I tried it out on an old junker Ford Falcon which we had in the yard.  I was sadly dismayed at the total lack of penetration on the car door, or ability to puncture the old bias-ply tires the Falcon had.  My “lowly” service revolver in 38-Special did better.

Later, I bought a Manhurin 380, a French copy of the Walther PP.  Had more-or-less the same lackluster results from it.  Eventually both these steel-frame semi-auto were traded for something else.

Now, I’d owned a couple really small “hide-out” guns along the way.  I had a beautiful Baby Browning, a Colt, and an LWS Seacamp in 25 ACP. Thought I was going around armed I did!  Heck, most cops I’d worked with, myself included, carried a snub-nose 38 “off-duty”, and that was IT!  No speed-strips or loose ammo for a reload.  Thank goodness for the new training and awareness courses that show the need for these.

It was an odd belief, truly a conundrum.  Most all uniformed cops bemoaned the lack of stopping power and capacity of our 38 Spl. revolvers even with our twelve to eighteen available rounds to reload, yet were completely at ease with a 2-inch snubby.  Go figure.

I began in this fashion in retropect of what I used to carry versus what I now carry.

Now, I have several handguns which can firmly be said to be in the “major” caliber corner.  I’ve competed with and carried the big bores;  the 45’s, 10-mm’s & 40 S&W’s, 44-specials, and the 41-Magnum.  Certainly in regard to brute power I’d give the nod to the 10-mm.  But, in the case of the Glock models 20 and 21, they are large pistols.

But, it seems to me, even with all the available calibers and handgun sizes and configurations available today, (indeed there is something for everyone), my default or “go-to” combination is a Glock model 19, backed-up with an S&W model 442 in 38Spl.

I rely very much on Dr. James Williams’ excellent study, “Tactical Anatomy“, which clearly demonstrates the wound channels of the “major” players in self-defense handguns.  While I can see there is some small differences in the 9-millimeter projectiles (the 38-Spl/357-Mag/357-SIG, 9-mm Luger) to the 10-millimeter ones (the 40 S&W and 10-mm) to the 11-millimeter (well actually 11.45mm, the venerable 45-ACP and the newer 45-GAP), and there just isn’t that much to speak of.  The key of course, and it is no secret, is proper placement.  And, it’s just that friggin’ simple.

So, to me, and understand this has been a long and well travelled road for me, I’ve come to a point in my life where I feel comfortable and confident carrying the “nine” (thanks to the  ammunition available today, specifically the Winchester Ranger 127-grain +P+ load or similar) and my ol’ reliable, trusty 38 (loaded with the tried-n-true 158-grain lead, semi-wadcutter, +P hollowpoints.)

These two handguns are light enough to carry comfortably 12 to 14 hours a day if need be.  I prefer an IWB for the Glock (a Ted Blocker LFI-rig) and one of the pocket-holsters for the 442.

Are there better choices? more powerful choices?  Sure, and they’re fine-n-dandy.  But, consider carrying a big Glock model 20 or a Colt Government model – concealed.   Can it be done?  Yes, I’ve done it.  Was it as comfortable?  I’d have to answer no, not really.  Go further and consider recoil management.  Even loaded with the +P ammo, the nine is very gentle in the recoil department.  Actually, I feel more of a recoil impulse with the Airweight Smith.  The 10-mm and the 45’s recoil more.  The 40 S&W in a Glock model 27 has noticible recoil to me.

I like to practice.  I enjoy it.  I’m fortunate to be able to shoot locally; paper targets, steel plates and Pepper-poppers.  I reload most all of my target and practice ammo.  Store-bought ammo is expensive and self-defense ammo is becoming exhorbitant.  Nine mil and 38 special are less expensive to purchase and an absolute bargain if you handload.

In a very real sense, coming up on 38-years of “packin’ iron”,  I’m putting my trust in my choices for concealled carry options.  With my combination I feel I’ve done my homework, (I’ve used and carried many others), and looked at some good information and believe these will do-to-ride-the-river-with.  But, that being said, I will not use anything less than a true 9-mm Luger or 38-Special.

I know this is my own subjective opinion, but I cringe at much of the stuff being touted in the self-defense media.  Three-eighty’s and thiry-two’s are pretty lacking.  And, I can’t quite swallow how a load of 410 bird or buck shot, fired out of a very brief  pistol barrel, is somehow superior to a decent 38?

Human beings are tough and very resiliant.  In the worst case scenario, please give yourself a fighting chance of survival.  To paraphrase a popular commercial, “What’s in your holster?”

Thanks for the oportunity to offer my experiences and opinions.

Stay safe, & let’s look out for each other,

Mike