About Minimal Round for Tactical use, IMHO
Back when I was a young NH State Trooper, many moons ago, I carried a .380 Mauser HSC DA as my off-duty (and occasional unauthorized back up) pistol.
I figured that the .380 was about on par with the .38 special out of a 2" snubby, and as such was about the minimum ballistic package that I'd want to bring to a conflict if I really wasn't expecting to get into one.
Anything smaller, I reckoned, could probably get the job done if one was a heck of a good shot with it and very lucky to boot - but the most value a smaller gun might have would be that it was "Better than nothing". I never in my life considered even the 9X19mm Para to be really adequate in combat, and the .357 magnum M66 S&W that I carried on duty was just enough to earn my confidence.
Isn't the 9mmMAK just a little hotter than the .380?
Given my choice of hardware for "packin' heat" I still have a strong affinity for "Old Slabsides" the M-1911A1 .45 or it's derivatives.
In the cooler seasons when I can stand wearing enough clothing to discretely conceal the big old Army iron when I'm out and about, there's usually a Systema 27 and a couple of spare racks of JHPs in there somewhere.
But when it's warm out, I sweat a lot and usually switch to a smaller gun that will tuck away out of sight when I'm in a T-shirt and shorts.
Some dudes can wear a loose Hawaiian shirt and get away with it.
I can't.
Might have something to do with having to wear suspenders to keep my trous from falling down - especially when I've got heavy things strapped to my belt.
Having sold, out of financial necessity, the HSC after I left the NHSP in 1976 (Which really I hated to do, as it was a handy-dandy little pistol) I now typically carry my late Father's little S&W M36 "Chief's Special" that's been bobbed, tuned, and converted to DAO by a Master Pistolsmith. Good little popper, with a lot of sentimental value - but again a "marginal" defensive round, and only 5 beans in the wheel.
For a while I carried my Polish Tokarev, as it is compact and with a lot of gremlins wearing body armor these days, the penetration of the hot little 7.62X25mm has it's utility.
But the controls on a TOK are awkward - especially that cobbled up "import" safety so I don't dare carry with one in the chamber, and the sharp rear sight blade wants to cut the hand and catch on everything if we're not careful in handling it.
That and since it's a really nice specimen, I really hate to wear it out or ding it up by lugging it around.
So if this CZ-82 (one of which I have on the way from SOG, BTW) turns out to be all that it's cracked up to be here, then it very well may end up replacing the wheel gun as my "Summer gun".
Although the 9mm MAK in my opinion might be a little "marginal" as a defensive round, there is something to be said for a dozen of the little boogers in the handle ready to roll on a moment's notice!