is .380 enough gun?

[AvidshooterTX]

There was another thread where people were talking about maybe buying .380s but the ammo might be scarce. Started me wondering if a .380 is enough gun. Found this article.

Carry Enough Gun: Just Say ‘No’ to Mouseguns for Off-Duty and Back-Up :: Blue Sheepdog

If seems to indicate that it is not but one of the commenters at the bottom of the article has a different opinion and backs it up with test results on a pork shoulder.

I figure any handgun will do the trick under certain conditions if fired accurately but is a .380 really a good choice?

Thoughts?

[Bighouse Doc]

These were common police calibers in Europe for a long time.

I read of a guy stupidly carrying one in his waistband. He tried to pull it from his pants and caused in to discharge.

The bullet went clean through his thigh, glanced from his femur exited his leg and went through the floor of the car.

None of those deriding smaller calibers would ever want to be shot with them!

-Doc

[bojeffnc]

A 380 can be good enough, but shot placement is critical, type of ammo, type of firearm, all of these need to be though out carefully.

[HootmonSccy]

I think the writer's opinion is valid, but is also from a law enforcement officers view point.
I would never want my local policeperson carrying a .380 as their service weapon.
However, their job, and why I carry is possibly different. They are likely to have to shoot at a suspect at a greater distance and they may be behind a barrier of some type (Car door, wall, etc).
MY job carrying concealed is to stop a threat that is directly in front of me, in most cases..

It is hard to believe that a .380 did not enter a skull at point blank range.. Could it happen, sure.. but unlikely in most cases.. There have been people hit with a .45 multiple times, and still live.

His point about the sights, etc again are not that important to me as a concealed carry person.. YES, I need to be able to hit what I'm shooting at when I shoot. Again, I'm shooting at a body size object 10-15 feet away from me.. IF I can't hit that without using my sights, I probably shouldn't be carrying.. I'm not shooting long distances and I'm aiming at center mass, not someone's foot.

I personally carry a 9mm, but I would carry a .380 and my wife does carry a .380.. Again, it is to STOP A THREAT, if the BG lives, so be it, so long as the threat is stopped..

I'm sure others will disagree, but most people I've talked (typed) with that disagree have a "Combat" mentality.. That's fine for them.. I don't live in Iraq, or Afghanistan and I'm not a paid mercenary.. I am a concealed carrying citizen out to protect myself and my family, If it has "good" stopping power (this is where the opinion comes in), works reliably, can be concealed well.. Then it's good to go.. a .380 is my minimum..

[AvidshooterTX]

Originally Posted by HootmonSccy

I think the writer's opinion is valid, but is also from a law enforcement officers view point.
I would never want my local policeperson carrying a .380 as their service weapon.
However, their job, and why I carry is possibly different. They are likely to have to shoot at a suspect at a greater distance and they may be behind a barrier of some type (Car door, wall, etc).
MY job carrying concealed is to stop a threat that is directly in front of me, in most cases..

It is hard to believe that a .380 did not enter a skull at point blank range.. Could it happen, sure.. but unlikely in most cases.. There have been people hit with a .45 multiple times, and still live.

His point about the sights, etc again are not that important to me as a concealed carry person.. YES, I need to be able to hit what I'm shooting at when I shoot. Again, I'm shooting at a body size object 10-15 feet away from me.. IF I can't hit that without using my sights, I probably shouldn't be carrying.. I'm not shooting long distances and I'm aiming at center mass, not someone's foot.

I personally carry a 9mm, but I would carry a .380 and my wife does carry a .380.. Again, it is to STOP A THREAT, if the BG lives, so be it, so long as the threat is stopped..

I'm sure others will disagree, but most people I've talked (typed) with that disagree have a "Combat" mentality.. That's fine for them.. I don't live in Iraq, or Afghanistan and I'm not a paid mercenary.. I am a concealed carrying citizen out to protect myself and my family, If it has "good" stopping power (this is where the opinion comes in), works reliably, can be concealed well.. Then it's good to go.. a .380 is my minimum..

Thanks. Very sound logic and very well thought out. One of my wife's carry guns is a .380 Beretta Cougar with the pop-up barrel. A very nice firearm with checkered walnut grips. I always wondered if it was enough. Both of us mostly carry our Taurus titanium 5-shot .38 +P revolvers although I often carry my 9mm 92FS because of the number of rounds. But it always seemed to me that the .380 was adequate for close encounters of the ccw kind.

[HootmonSccy]

Originally Posted by AvidshooterTX

Thanks. Very sound logic and very well thought out. One of my wife's carry guns is a .380 Beretta Cougar with the pop-up barrel. A very nice firearm with checkered walnut grips. I always wondered if it was enough. Both of us mostly carry our Taurus titanium 5-shot .38 +P revolvers although I often carry my 9mm 92FS because of the number of rounds. But it always seemed to me that the .380 was adequate for close encounters of the ccw kind.

Just remember the .380 is the same bullet diameter as the 9mm, it just has a slightly shorter cartridge(less powder), and the bullet is usually a few grains lighter..
Again, at 10 feet, nobody will probably know the difference.. at 50 yards, I would think there is a big difference..

.38 +P = generates 240.6 ft-lbs of energy
.380 = generates ~200 foot-pounds ft-lbs of energy

17% less power than the .38 +p

[theicemanmpls]

Adolf Hiter shot himself with a walther PPK. Could of been the .32 or the 9mm kurtz aka .380.

[6shootercarry]

I go every other Monday night to a plate shoot for 22LR only for fun and some small prize money. I've found that I will need a gun better suited for this than the Sig Mosquito w/ open sights.I have my eye on a S&W 22A-1 that I will add a red dot to.

A few of the people attending bring different carry guns along and allow me to do a try it before buy it. I fired the Ruger LCP this Monday and was not all that excited by it. A little too small for me. Kinda felt like it was gonna jump out of my hand. One of the other guys had a Kel-Tec P3AT. Still feels too small for me. I guess for a BUG it's a good choice. A sh!t has hit the fan gun...

For me I love the 45 auto and I love the .357 Mag. They hit hard and have been proven as great defense rounds. My guns are just too large to hide in light summer attire. So I was looking at the Walther PPK. Good size, not too tiny. My friend had one so I know how they feel to shoot. The issue I see now is the price and supply for the .380 ammo. I noted the 9mm stuff is coming back and it's cheap. Better ballistic performance with the 9mmm vs the .380, but still not as good as the 45 or 38+P or 357...

I was also looking at a J frame 5 shooter 38+P. Then the issue is the ammo limit. I could just get the Smith and Wesson M&P 9mm compact and have 10+1 in 9mm. or the .40S&W compact and get 10+1 in a slightly bigger round... Same size for both, small enough to hide in a Supertuck, I have the M&P 45 full size so I know and like the platform...

I have done the real world shooting test with the .380 vs the 9mm and the .357 and the .45 so I see the .380 as being a compromise in real performance for conceal size...Eh...

I think I've talked myself into the 9mm compact. Will see what the money tree has in store in the spring...

Peace...

[kevin mosley]

I prefer to carry a 40 cal (usually a Glock 27 or a Kahr PM40). Sometimes I carry a 45 (Colt Gov 1911 or Kahr CW45).
However, I often a little Diamondback 380 loaded with Gold Dots, because it is logistically possible when the bigger stuff isn't.
This gun weighs less than my beretta 21A 22LR (12.5 OZ. LOADED W/ 6+1), and it's thinner.
Do I prefer a larger caliber? Yep, but I'm not a priority/high profile target.

[AvidshooterTX]

Originally Posted by theicemanmpls

Adolf Hiter shot himself with a walther PPK. Could of been the .32 or the 9mm kurtz aka .380.

Adolph Hitler's endorsement of any firearm would not impress me. He took away 4 years of my dad's life as he piloted B-17s over Germany. But every time we fire it now I will think fondly of the big hole it would make in der fuhrer's head.