For a most rounds it’s 50-100fps, so yeah no biggie. I have the 3.8 compact and a 4.5. The guns shoot much better than I do but there’s an appreciable difference at longer distances. With the 3.8 (50y) I’m getting groups around 3-4in with the 4.5 (it’s a 40cal) I’m getting 2-3in groups.
The only thing I’d kinda disagree with is the concealability. For my body and clothing, the extended mag for the Compact shows too much through my shirt. It’s also partially a holster issue as it doesn’t turn the grip into my body enough.The 4.5 may not offer that much more in terms of objective external or terminal ballistics, but it will offer better objective/subjective controllability.
Rent a 4.5 and a 3.8 Compact (it's unlikely that the range will have a 3.8 to rent, in my experience), and use the full-size magazine with the 3.8 Compact. Shoot a scored, timed metric, holding yourself to either scoring as high as possible in time-allowed or shoot for lowest time possible (if the range allows for rapid-fire). I am willing to bet -and I'm not a betting man- that there's going to be not only a measurable, but also significant, favor to the 4.5. As @OkiePewPew noted, when paired with its human variable, it's going to be a noticeable difference that's going to magnify at-distance, or, alternatively, at increased cadence.
If you're looking for concealed carry, the 4.5 won't be any harder -or easier- to conceal. The additional muzzle length, if anything, should actually offer for more "keel" stability below the waistline. Since above-the-waist conceivability is going to be a wash between these two guns which are the same in that respect, one might as well take advantage of the keel effect.
If all you're going for is that the 3.8 "looks cleaner," I would weigh this decision with arguments of not only ballistic performance, but also measurable shooting performance - those are truly viable points to debate. If on the other hand the piece will be solely a safe-queen or is destined only for hobbyist use, then by all means, go after it.
- - and I hope this helps clarify what I'd written!
Yes.
Gotcha. You’re always coming with good info. Appreciate you and the other SMEs in the group.I think I worded that badly
^ What I had meant was that the full grip-length frame that is shared between the 4.5 and the 3.8 makes conceability a wash. Thus, if an end-user decides to conceal-carry with the 3.8, there's really no reason not to also look at the 4.5, as typically, muzzle length (unless it exceeds that of the typical "full-size duty pistol") that hangs below the beltline matters less than the length of the grip frame - which, as you so rightfully noted, also shares implications with the holster (i.e. grip rotation as-effected by either asymmetric holster body/hardware or claw/wing type mechanism).
As with you, I use the flush/short 13 (for the Elite, this would be 14) round magazine for concealed carry - stepping to the full-capacity magazine for the reload.
Good catch there, @OkiePewPew
