This is the article I wrote for The Truth About Guns a while back. Much of it got left on the cutting room floor (as I instructed Robert to do as he saw fit), so here it is in its entirety for your reading pleasure.
Caleb also has an opinion on the subject... and then clarifies things a bit after a firestorm of comments erupts.
Enjoy:
Why you DON'T need one of those new Mini 9s
Without a doubt, the biggest craze in the gun industry these days is the flood of new mini 9s that are hitting the marketplace. Kel-Tec brought us the first mainstream affordable mini 9mm back in the fall of 2006 with the PF9. Now we are awash with similar offerings from Ruger, Kahr, Diamondback Arms, Kimber, Taurus, Sig,.... UGGGH! My head hurts!
These guns are definitely cool, they have their virtues (Light weight, easy to conceal, single stack, inexpensive, the punch of 9mm), and without a doubt these companies are gonna make a lot of money from selling these guns to the public... but let me take a few minutes here and tell you why you dont need to run out and plop down your hard earned money to get the latest and greatest whiz-bang that the marketeers are now offering.
First and foremost, these guns are tough to shoot. Most of these new mini 9s weigh in at anywhere from 12 to 20 ounces and are barely big enough to get a reasonable enough grip on. As a result, recoil management with the 9mm Luger is difficult at best. Make no mistake... these are not range guns. You are not gonna want to take these new 9s to the range for the extended training necessary to become proficient, and they are not something that a novice is going to really want to shoot at all.
The other glaring problem with these new guns is that the manufacturers - in my opinion - are trying to fill a market niche that is already well served with the pocket .380s. These new 9s are being billed as deep concealment/pocket guns but with the punch of a 9mm. They're not. Yes, they are super light weight and easy to carry.... easy to carry on your hip. For pocket carry, however, they all seem to be just too big, too thick, and too heavy to realistically pass for pocket guns.
An industry insider (who shall remain nameless because I dont do name drops) has said that these new mini 9s are a result of an effort to market to the new breed of gun owners and concealed carry permit holders that were brought into the fold by the Great Obama Gun Glut. Essentially, these are people who went out and bought a .380 for concealed carry or bought a big heavy steel gun for their night stand and now the gun manufacturers are making an attempt to sell them their second gun.
While I get what he is saying, I have to say that I think those people will be drawn to 9mm guns that already exist, and not to this new breed of PF9 remakes. I personally don't believe that this new breed (which he says are mostly a younger and female demographic) will be wanting a "pocket gun" that is slightly heavier and larger then their already light and easy to carry pocket rocket. I also personally don't believe that many women shooters/new shooters are going to like the stout recoil that comes with those light weight 9s. I think that they may definitely want to step up to a larger gun (for either CCW or home defense), but they would be much better served with a full size or compact (maybe even sub-compact) guns. Yes, it will probably be in 9mm because thats the least intimidating cartridge to new shooters, but these new mini 9s are not what this new breed really needs.
Yes, there is a lot to be said for having a 9mm instead of a lesser caliber that is essentially half as potent. I do, however, think that .380 ACP is enough gun for civilian concealed carry... Heck, I carry a .32 ACP Kel-Tec in my pocket everywhere I go (but thats a story for another time). I think that .380 fills the role of pocket gun nicely. You also have to remember that concealed carry holders have very different needs when it comes to firearms then LEO and military. No, I would not carry a mousegun as my primary weapon if I was a beat cop nor would I just carry a pistol (of any caliber) if I were heading off to Afghanistan... But, I do think that just about any Average Joe who is at least 25 miles outside of either Detroit or D.C. will be very well served with a .380 in his pocket. With the new juiced up .380 ammo that is now out on the market you can get the FBI recommended 12 inches of penetration (if that's your thing) as well as expansion of upwards of .645 inches.
Look, I dont want to get into a caliber flame war here and I dont want to make this about .380 vs 9mm. Yes, in my opinion .380 ACP is indeed enough gun. If you dont think it is or if you are one of those "new breed" of gun owners that are looking to step up in caliber then just carry something larger. I think that you are going to find that a standard subcompact with a good quality holster is gonna be just as comfortable and easy to carry as one of these new uber light 9s. It will also be easier to shoot and more conducive to high volume practice sessions. This in turn will go an awful long way in helping you put multiple rounds on target in a high stress life or death moment.
So, dont listen to those marketeers who are just trying to create the next big thing. In my opinion all these new mini 9s are just a solution in search of a problem. I think when we look back in about 5 years we are gonna see this not as the new hotness that they are hoping it will be, but rather nothing more then a flash in the pan. Like I said, they're gonna sell a bunch of these guns and many of them are already back ordered... so from a business standpoint this is a good financial move. However, the bottom line here is that these are not what 95% of concealed carry permit holders should be carrying. They just have too much caliber-to-weight ratio to allow them to be shot effectively by the Average Joe. Most everyone would be better served with a traditional concealed carry pistol that is already on the market and with the best holster that they can afford to buy.
Oh, and as everyone on The Internet already knows... These guns should never be carried simply because they're not .45s!
Caleb also has an opinion on the subject... and then clarifies things a bit after a firestorm of comments erupts.
Enjoy:
Why you DON'T need one of those new Mini 9s
Without a doubt, the biggest craze in the gun industry these days is the flood of new mini 9s that are hitting the marketplace. Kel-Tec brought us the first mainstream affordable mini 9mm back in the fall of 2006 with the PF9. Now we are awash with similar offerings from Ruger, Kahr, Diamondback Arms, Kimber, Taurus, Sig,.... UGGGH! My head hurts!
These guns are definitely cool, they have their virtues (Light weight, easy to conceal, single stack, inexpensive, the punch of 9mm), and without a doubt these companies are gonna make a lot of money from selling these guns to the public... but let me take a few minutes here and tell you why you dont need to run out and plop down your hard earned money to get the latest and greatest whiz-bang that the marketeers are now offering.
First and foremost, these guns are tough to shoot. Most of these new mini 9s weigh in at anywhere from 12 to 20 ounces and are barely big enough to get a reasonable enough grip on. As a result, recoil management with the 9mm Luger is difficult at best. Make no mistake... these are not range guns. You are not gonna want to take these new 9s to the range for the extended training necessary to become proficient, and they are not something that a novice is going to really want to shoot at all.
The other glaring problem with these new guns is that the manufacturers - in my opinion - are trying to fill a market niche that is already well served with the pocket .380s. These new 9s are being billed as deep concealment/pocket guns but with the punch of a 9mm. They're not. Yes, they are super light weight and easy to carry.... easy to carry on your hip. For pocket carry, however, they all seem to be just too big, too thick, and too heavy to realistically pass for pocket guns.
An industry insider (who shall remain nameless because I dont do name drops) has said that these new mini 9s are a result of an effort to market to the new breed of gun owners and concealed carry permit holders that were brought into the fold by the Great Obama Gun Glut. Essentially, these are people who went out and bought a .380 for concealed carry or bought a big heavy steel gun for their night stand and now the gun manufacturers are making an attempt to sell them their second gun.
While I get what he is saying, I have to say that I think those people will be drawn to 9mm guns that already exist, and not to this new breed of PF9 remakes. I personally don't believe that this new breed (which he says are mostly a younger and female demographic) will be wanting a "pocket gun" that is slightly heavier and larger then their already light and easy to carry pocket rocket. I also personally don't believe that many women shooters/new shooters are going to like the stout recoil that comes with those light weight 9s. I think that they may definitely want to step up to a larger gun (for either CCW or home defense), but they would be much better served with a full size or compact (maybe even sub-compact) guns. Yes, it will probably be in 9mm because thats the least intimidating cartridge to new shooters, but these new mini 9s are not what this new breed really needs.
Yes, there is a lot to be said for having a 9mm instead of a lesser caliber that is essentially half as potent. I do, however, think that .380 ACP is enough gun for civilian concealed carry... Heck, I carry a .32 ACP Kel-Tec in my pocket everywhere I go (but thats a story for another time). I think that .380 fills the role of pocket gun nicely. You also have to remember that concealed carry holders have very different needs when it comes to firearms then LEO and military. No, I would not carry a mousegun as my primary weapon if I was a beat cop nor would I just carry a pistol (of any caliber) if I were heading off to Afghanistan... But, I do think that just about any Average Joe who is at least 25 miles outside of either Detroit or D.C. will be very well served with a .380 in his pocket. With the new juiced up .380 ammo that is now out on the market you can get the FBI recommended 12 inches of penetration (if that's your thing) as well as expansion of upwards of .645 inches.
Look, I dont want to get into a caliber flame war here and I dont want to make this about .380 vs 9mm. Yes, in my opinion .380 ACP is indeed enough gun. If you dont think it is or if you are one of those "new breed" of gun owners that are looking to step up in caliber then just carry something larger. I think that you are going to find that a standard subcompact with a good quality holster is gonna be just as comfortable and easy to carry as one of these new uber light 9s. It will also be easier to shoot and more conducive to high volume practice sessions. This in turn will go an awful long way in helping you put multiple rounds on target in a high stress life or death moment.
So, dont listen to those marketeers who are just trying to create the next big thing. In my opinion all these new mini 9s are just a solution in search of a problem. I think when we look back in about 5 years we are gonna see this not as the new hotness that they are hoping it will be, but rather nothing more then a flash in the pan. Like I said, they're gonna sell a bunch of these guns and many of them are already back ordered... so from a business standpoint this is a good financial move. However, the bottom line here is that these are not what 95% of concealed carry permit holders should be carrying. They just have too much caliber-to-weight ratio to allow them to be shot effectively by the Average Joe. Most everyone would be better served with a traditional concealed carry pistol that is already on the market and with the best holster that they can afford to buy.
Oh, and as everyone on The Internet already knows... These guns should never be carried simply because they're not .45s!
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