Taurus pt111 9mm or bersa thunder .380?

[Curtiseliff]

I'm trying to decide which would be better to open carry daily and thought maybe some "advice" is needed. I own a Taurus 9mm and also a bersa .380 (hence the title).. and I've read that the bersa thunder is mostly used as a CC gun and seeing as how I dont have a CC licence yet, my only option is to open carry for now. I've read that some people think .380 is a "weak" round but I'm more accurate with the .380 than the 9mm. Despite the so called lacking of stopping power behind the .380; wouldn't it be wise to carry the one I'm more accurate with instead of just worrying about the power behind the caliber? Maybe thats an obvious yes.. but still I figured I'd see what you guys think..

 

[solus]

I'm trying to decide which would be better to open carry daily and thought maybe some "advice" is needed. I own a Taurus 9mm and also a bersa .380 (hence the title).. and I've read that the bersa thunder is mostly used as a CC gun and seeing as how I dont have a CC licence yet, my only option is to open carry for now. I've read that some people think .380 is a "weak" round but I'm more accurate with the .380 than the 9mm. Despite the so called lacking of stopping power behind the .380; wouldn't it be wise to carry the one I'm more accurate with instead of just worrying about the power behind the caliber? Maybe thats an obvious yes.. but still I figured I'd see what you guys think..

Curtiseliff, have you met the requirement of DE Title 11, Chapter 5, Subsection VII, 1441 License to carry concealed deadly weapons, specifically (3) which states, quote

Prior to the issuance of an initial license the person shall also file with the Prothonotary a notarized certificate signed by an instructor or authorized representative of a sponsoring agency, school, organization or institution certifying that the applicant: (i) has completed a firearms training course which contains at least the below-described minimum elements.... unquote http://delcode.delaware.gov/title11/c005/sc07/index.shtml#1441

Further, what is your perceived perspective of distance from a BG where you will pull your open or concealed firearm, e.g. close quarters - arms length away; somewhere <> 20 feet away? This is but one facet to discern which SD firearm would be best suited for your needs.

Reading the complete cite i referenced above, it seems DE mandates just a basic type NRA pistol style training class for your permit this coupled with readinging your limited postings on this forum leads me to leap of faith comment your experience with firearms might be limited. As such, might i highly recommend you seek out and take the NRA’s Personal Protection Inside the Home AND their PP Outside the Home courses, or something with similar curriculum. [ https://nra.yourlearningportal.com/nra/user_login.aspx ] and you want instructor led subsection on this NRA training site.

 

[OC Freedom]

If open carry is legal in your state and you understand the do's and do not's of your state, then carry what you want. Any caliber is better than no firearm at all. Don't worry what others think, for you will get a different answer almost every time from one person to another. The only thing I would say that most will agree upon, is that you carry your pistol in a secure holster. Don't go gangsta style and just place the pistol in your waistband, but it still up to you.

 

[WalkingWolf]

Don't worry about stopping power, worry about accuracy. A 22 short to the noggin is more effective than a 500 S&W that completely misses the threat. As far as the 380 many officers carried that round during WW2 on both sides. Soviet police carried the 9X18 for decades which is basically a 380 on steroids.

380 is what my wife mostly carries as she shoots that round with more confidence than a higher powered round such as the 40 S&W even though it was in a full size firearm. Her current carry is a Witness Pavona about the size of a Glock 19, she shoots the gun with confidence, and can easily hit paper plate targets(head shots) at 10 yards. She has also on occasion carried a NAA Black Widow 22lr in a neck holster while driving to Florida. Again she can put the rounds on a paper plate at 5 to 7 yards. The neck holster is one of the quickest ways to deploy a handgun in a car if needed. A 22 to the face is going to make a very bad day for a threat.

So it is not about power, though if you can handle, and shoot well a more powerful cartridge and deploy it effectively then that is probably the way to go. I would suggest see what guns you can borrow, or rent, then shoot them on small targets, the smaller the target the better. Or if using silhouette target train also for head shots. Consider, test holsters, and how you will carry as to which firearm you pick. You will find that eventually you will probably end up with more than one firearm.

There are some very good open carry poly firearm options that are affordable Witness, and SAR as well as a Smith SD9. The Smith, and SAR usually sell new for less than 300, a compact Witness is in the 350 range. If you just want to OC until you get your permit to CC then you can save a lot by buying a Hi Point, many scoff but they work, and are under 200. One of the first guns my wife bought was a CF380, that gun has over 1000 rounds without a single failure. Due to it's weight it is just like shooting 22 even though it is a 380. A HP C9, Fobus holster, 500 rounds of ammo would probably be less than 300 bucks.

If you go with the last option come back, and I will tell you how to break in the HP to have as good luck as my wife has had with hers. The same routine though should be followed with any new semi auto.