Carry gun calibre comparison

Runcible — Wed, 25 Mar 2009 15:51:57 +0000

I already own a .45 ACP; while it's great for home defense I can't imagine lugging it around on my belt all day. So I've been trying to decide for myself whether to purchase a .380 or 9mm caliber handgun for carrying purposes.

I found this terrific article by Dick Metcalf, who's the Technical Editor at Shooting Times:

When it comes to personal-defense carry, most people buy little guns. The single largest category of handguns bought in the US during the last 10 years has been small, short-barrel, pocket-size defense models-autoloaders and revolvers alike. Overall, compact concealment-size handguns account for more than 70 percent of all current civilian handgun sales, and autoloaders account for approximately 75 percent of that number (according to the most current BATF statistics). In terms of caliber selection (not counting the sub-effective .22 and .25 chamberings), the two most popular choices within this dominant portion of the overall handgun pie are the .380 ACP and the 9mm.

My research has helped me settle on a 9mm.

[9mm Versus .380 ACP For Self-Defense]

P-3AT magazines at Kel-Tec

Runcible — Tue, 26 May 2009 18:36:35 +0000

I noticed yesterday that Kel-Tec P-3AT magazines are available again at the manufacturer's site. They're hard to come by and if you want one or several, this is a good time to place your order.

For those of you unfamiliar with the P-3AT, along with the very similar Ruger LCP it's probably the most concealable self-defense handgun made. Many people choose to carry the P-3AT during summer months because it's extremely light and thin, reliable and reasonably powerful.

[P-3AT 6-round standard magazine]