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Hi, great forum, first post here.

I'll weigh in first by saying .380, with a modern HP loading, is a viable defensive round. Certainly there are more effective options out there, but to consider a larger caliber brings into play what most of this thread is really about: handgun choice for concealed carry.

Previous posters have brought up some of the main considerations: size, weight, magazine capacity and of course "stopping power". When I recommend a pistol for CCW, there are three additional criteria I consider:

Sight radius. More is better, makes a big difference vis a vis accuracy and speed of sighted fire.

Recoil. Just because your two big hands can manage a .500 Nitro revolver when you set your mind to it doesn't mean it's a good CCW option. In a gunfight one can find oneself shooting from all kinds of "improper" stances, grips, one-handed, and even the "weak side" hand. Truth be told, in these situations even .45 ACP is too much for most. And of course the lighter and shorter a pistol is the greater the effect of recoil. This criteria supports the .380 caliber, but goes against the sub-compact designs of most .380 pistols carried as a CCW.

Balance. A pistol that is all grip and no barrel suffers from recoil issues as described above, but also is more difficult to hold steady during sighted fire due to little forward weight.

These criteria weigh heavily against getting the shortest-smallest pistol possible, as many are inclined to do. Further, because most .380s selected for CCW are sub-compact types, these criteria make most .380 pistols quite sub-optimal as a defensive pistol choice. No doubt body geometry and concealment requirements may dictate the smallest pistol possible, but carrying a sub-compact .380 has to be considered a last option, not a primary CCW choice.

That said, I agree the best pistol to CCW is the one you have with you when the fight starts. If someone just isn't comfortable with a larger pistol and subsequently doesn't carry it, that larger pistol does them little good. For these people, I advise thinking of a subcompact pistol as a "starter", and seek to move up to a larger pistol as soon as possible.