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To anyone who carries a .380 as their primary carry weapon, this is simply my rational for not doing so. If .380 works for you, that is fine, and I don't judge you one way or the other for it because, at the end of the day, each of us has to choose for ourselves what works, and what doesn't.

I own two .380s — one a Colt Government, and the other a Keltec P3AT. I am not volunteering to be shot with a .380. It can kill you. That said, I never carry the Colt, and I rarely ever carry the Keltec. Here are the reasons why:

1. I never carry the Colt because it is somewhat of a collector's item, and I want to keep it nice. It's a 150th Anniversary Edition in 'like new' condition, and carrying it will eventually scratch it up and reduce its value. But if it weren't for that, I still would never carry it because it has never been close to 100% reliable, even at the range. It is ammo finicky, and even with ball ammo, it isn't all that reliable. In fact, it seems to prefer hollowpoints, but they are prohibitively expensive to use as an exclusive practice ammo.
2. I rarely ever carry the Keltec because in most of the conditions under which that kind of concealment can be had, my 642 Airweight is very nearly as concealable. Even with more recent developments in .380 cartridge development, a +P .38 Special load is a better choice than a stout .380 load. And even the limit of 5 rounds in the revolver to the 6+1 in the Keltec isn't a handicap because there is that small chance that the Keltec may jam after the first shot, while the revolver definitely won't. As someone else pointed out, you are probably going to only fire a couple of shots anyway; but I would like to know that the second shot is definitely going to be available, and the revolver guarantees that.
3. I am left handed, and pocket carrying my Keltec (in a Desantis Nemesis holster) in my left side pocket — front or rear — has resulted in the magazine eject button being inadvertently pushed during the day, and I don't discover that the magazine has been partially ejected until the end of the day when I remove the pistol. If I have to draw the weapon and the magazine has been already partially ejected, when I deploy the gun the magazine is going to fall out, and the one round that is in the chamber is the only shot I'm going to have. In that case, a 2 shot derringer would have been a better choice.

Lastly, I also own and can carry a 9mm, a .40 cal., and a couple of .45s. I worked in the ER of a large hospital in California for almost 6 years, and I have seen people shot with pretty much every handgun caliber that anyone would likely carry, including with magnums beginning in "4." ALL of them, including the .380 and all the way down to .22 LR, can kill you; but it is an undeniable fact, backed up by my own experience in that ER, that the smaller and more anemic the caliber, the more shots are required to take the BG out of the fight. Conversely, the larger and more powerful the round, the fewer shots it takes to take the BG out of the fight. That's just a fact of life. With regard to this thread's topic, that makes 9mm a far superior carry choice to .380 (and hence the increasing popularity of small, single stack 9mm pistols like the Kahr and Walther PPS).

So the question for me becomes "what does it take to motivate you to shoot, and what is your thought process going into action, and why should I even carry a gun at all?" I am a (nearly) 57 year old gimp with a bad back, bum right knee, bum left ankle, and overweight (which I am working on). My mobility and ability to protect myself through other means is fairly limited, and it is one of the reasons I decided to pursue my CHL in the first place. Therefore, my tactic is to A) avoid any possibility of confrontation in the first place, and let that be the guiding principle in my decision making about where I choose to spend my time, and in what activities; and B) if I have no recourse but to shoot, then to put a stop to the threat immediately, quickly, and with such an overpowering response as to take the BG out of the fight as efficiently as possible. That is why .380 would be my last choice, and not my first, for a daily carry caliber (and in fact, why my primary carry weapon is a .45).

But that's just me.

EXCELLENT POST TAM

I use my MDE (.380) exclusively for travel to and from work on my daily commute. It remains secured in the vehicle during work-hours. At all other times I use my .40 S&W weapons (semi-compact) for carry.

The Annoyed Man wrote: [*]I am left handed, and pocket carrying my Keltec (in a Desantis Nemesis holster) in my left side pocket — front or rear — has resulted in the magazine eject button being inadvertently pushed during the day, and I don't discover that the magazine has been partially ejected until the end of the day when I remove the pistol. If I have to draw the weapon and the magazine has been already partially ejected, when I deploy the gun the magazine is going to fall out, and the one round that is in the chamber is the only shot I'm going to have. In that case, a 2 shot derringer would have been a better choice.[/list]Lastly, I also own and can carry a 9mm, a .40 cal., and a couple of .45s. I worked in the ER of a large hospital in California for almost 6 years, and I have seen people shot with pretty much every handgun caliber that anyone would likely carry, including with magnums beginning in "4." ALL of them, including the .380 and all the way down to .22 LR, can kill you; but it is an undeniable fact, backed up by my own experience in that ER, that the smaller and more anemic the caliber, the more shots are required to take the BG out of the fight. Conversely, the larger and more powerful the round, the fewer shots it takes to take the BG out of the fight. That's just a fact of life. With regard to this thread's topic, that makes 9mm a far superior carry choice to .380 (and hence the increasing popularity of small, single stack 9mm pistols like the Kahr and Walther PPS).

Great post, TAM. I too find myself pocket carrying my S&W J-frame much more often than my Ruger LCP .380 (in fact, because of it's lack of realistic sites and addition of a CT laser, the LCP has become my deep-concealment "night gun" - laser works great at night, not so much in bright day light).

But regarding your left-side pocket carrying issues, I carry my LCP in right front pocket if it's all I have on me (hopefully happening less and less as I start carrying my Walther PPS in a tuckable holster). But I also carry it regularly in my left front pocket as a backup to a larger gun on my right hip. I have never had the magazine eject while in my pocket all day on either side. Of course, LCP and Kel Tec are different pistols, right?

That being said, I'm wondering if the more pliable "fabric" on your Nemisis holster is the problem? I carry my LCP in a leather pocket holster (http://www.pocketholsters.com" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;) and I think the firmer leather protects against this mag release issue. I carry my S&W revolver in a Nemisis, and like the holster enough that I bought one for my PPS (just in case I ever need to pocket carry that gun). But for a semi-auto with a standard thumb-activated push button mag release, perhaps trying a leather holster could solve your issue? Otherwise, it could just be a weak mag release button spring in the Kel Tec?

austinrealtor wrote: I'm wondering if the more pliable "fabric" on your Nemisis holster is the problem?

i just looked at mine and it appears the nemisis holster does not cover the mag release on the LCP
i know you were talking about the Keltec , but aren't the dimensions the same ?

Great post TAM! Well worded and thought out. And a very compelling argument. I wish I could rebuff it, but I cant.

I recently re-aquired(long story) a Government Model .380 and hope it functions properly. And I don't blame you at all. You've got a real collectors gun there, and shooting it WOULD devalue it.

Anyway, I appreciate your comments and they are duly noted.

The Annoyed Man wrote:To anyone who carries a .380 as their primary carry weapon, this is simply my rational for not doing so. If .380 works for you, that is fine, and I don't judge you one way or the other for it because, at the end of the day, each of us has to choose for ourselves what works, and what doesn't.

Thanks for the well-considered post. Lots of good things to contemplate.