I purchased another gun yesterday. Small 380 for when I can’t take my 9mm. While I was there, there was about 5 seperate people come in and ask about the purchasing process and the concealed carry license process. It was actually cool to see.
I have a Walther PPK/S that I use for just back-and-forth quick stops and to/from work. When I go out shopping, to the mall, dinner, etc., I carry my Springfield XD40.
.380 is a great round if you have the ability to flee quickly. In a crowded area or somewhere that the exits are not easily accessible, I want the firepower to protect myself if I’m cornered.
Yep, that's why I got my Makarov, 9x18mm (or 9mm Makarov). There was nothing wrong with my trusty Colt Det Spl. I used to carry when I lived in Chicago (before they went nuts) just that with the Mak I have 8 rounds and an extra mag when needed.
I have a C&R License (I ♥ the ATF) so I was able to my hands on the East German Mak (used by the Stasi), one of the best made Maks and most desired by collectors. It was much cheaper than going commercial and getting a new .380 for carry, like a Walther PPK (the Mak was 1/2 the price of a PPK).
That's where I started on the decision tree, back in 1993 when Ruby Ridge and the Klintonx' assault on the Davidians (masterminded by Poppy Bush and his cookie-pushing internationalist pals) got me to thinking that a Big Grab was in the works somewhere.
So I went with a) concealability and b) controllability. The .380/9mm Luger complex was about where the curves all met. The nines are just a weee bit too pudgy and hard-to-hide (and recoil-rich, in the small frame format), and the .32 ACP hideaways just a little bit too lean and light-hitting.
The warmer .380 loads and 9mm Makarov would seem to be the optimal compromise -- it seemed to me. And still does. Need one-shot stopping, absolutely, every time? Get a shotgun and forget about concealed carry!