Giving Up - .380 Is A Bust For Me

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Old cop

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I've carried a J frame for almost 50 years but when the little .380s came out I was intrigued. Started w/Ruger, then S&W, Glock and Ruger LCP again. Recently I posted that the mag had popped out of my LCP a couple of times but I changed pocket holsters and tried again. Mag popped out the other day and that was it. Every .380 has had some sort of reliability issue and that's a no go for anything carried for self defense. It's a shame b/c I shoot the little LCP very well and actually like practicing w/it. Same w/the Smith M&P Bodyguard but light strikes, after two years of solid performance, did that one in.

I pulled the no lock 340PD out of the safe and went to the range to reacquaint myself w/it. Still shoots great w/standard pressure as well as +P, so my LCP has a permanent place in the gun safe (until I decide what to do w/it) and the 340 is back in my pocket. It could be the little auto loader is not for me but either way I'm done for good.

Thanks for indulging me, rant over.
 
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About 15 years ago I had a .380 Sig P232 follow me home one day. I really liked it, carried it for over a year, and thought I had found the solution for all of my daily carry needs.

Excellent pistol in many ways. Very lightweight (about 16 oz. empty). Very good ergonomics. Easy to shoot well.

Range training sessions left me less and less enamored with the .380. The blowback-operated pistols produce unexpectedly sharp recoil, more than many might expect. I also found that I had to be very careful how I gripped the Sig, because a high grip places the fleshy part of the hand between the thumb and trigger finger in close proximity to (or in contact with) the lower edges of the slide as it cycles, and it wasn't unusual to have strips of skin ripped away during rapid-fire combat drills. Started carrying antiseptic wipes and band-aids in my range bag.

I had similar experiences years ago with the Walther PPK, and more recently with the Makarov. I decided that these compact pistols just weren't going to meet my needs, and I returned to the full-size 1911-style pistols and K-frame or larger revolvers for my daily use.

Perhaps some folks will benefit from these thoughts.
 
I sold my M&P bodyguard 380 because of the light strikes. I would get one maybe every 75-100 rounds with quality HP loads and more frequently using FMJ range ammo. I tried different brands. No dice.

But because my 380 was mostly used as my traveling companion while going for long 5-6 mile walks down the trail in a urban area I wanted a lightweight pocket pistol and my 642 was still a bit cumbersome in the hot Texas heat. Soooooooo I picked up a Kel Tec P32.

Some people might say that the 32acp is not up to self defense standards. I say I wouldn't want to get shot by it. It holds 7+1 vs the P3-AT 6+1 capacity in basically the same size/weight. So far I've ran 200 rounds thru this featherweight and it has been 100% flawless.

P.S. my EDC is a 642 ;)
 
LoboGunLeather said:
About 15 years ago I had a .380 Sig P232 follow me home one day. I really liked it, carried it for over a year, and thought I had found the solution for all of my daily carry needs.

Excellent pistol in many ways. Very lightweight (about 16 oz. empty). Very good ergonomics. Easy to shoot well.

Range training sessions left me less and less enamored with the .380. The blowback-operated pistols produce unexpectedly sharp recoil, more than many might expect. I also found that I had to be very careful how I gripped the Sig, because a high grip places the fleshy part of the hand between the thumb and trigger finger in close proximity to (or in contact with) the lower edges of the slide as it cycles, and it wasn't unusual to have strips of skin ripped away during rapid-fire combat drills. Started carrying antiseptic wipes and band-aids in my range bag.

I had similar experiences years ago with the Walther PPK, and more recently with the Makarov. I decided that these compact pistols just weren't going to meet my needs, and I returned to the full-size 1911-style pistols and K-frame or larger revolvers for my daily use.

Perhaps some folks will benefit from these thoughts.
Click to expand...

I've had similar experiences with the Sig P230/P232.

I really wanted to like that gun. Easy to shoot, lightweight and accurate. Plus, it just looked cool.

I just couldn't get over the railroad track like cuts it left on the meat of my hand every time I shot it.

I owned a P230 and then a P232. Wanted to like them...ended up selling them both.

I went back to the honest pain that comes with shooting lightweight J-frames.
 
I've owned blue and nickle Chief Specials, M49 Bodyguards, Centennials, and liked them all but they just aren't pocket guns to me. I wear cowboy cut blue jeans most every day and have muscular legs from decades of weight lifting so the j-frame feels like a baseball in my pocket. My LCP II fits in the front pocket and is barely noticeable so it is my main carry gun but it's very common for criminals to have a high capacity 9m/m so I do feel a bit under gunned but I would with a snub revolver also.
 
Old cop said:
I've carried a J frame for almost 50 years but when the little .380s came out I was intrigued. Started w/Ruger, then S&W, Glock and Ruger LCP again. Recently I posted that the mag had popped out of my LCP a couple of times but I changed pocket holsters and tried again. Mag popped out the other day and that was it. Every .380 has had some sort of reliability issue and that's a no go for anything carried for self defense. It's a shame b/c I shoot the little LCP very well and actually like practicing w/it. Same w/the Smith M&P Bodyguard but light strikes, after two years of solid performance, did that one in.

I pulled the no lock 340PD out of the safe and went to the range to reacquaint myself w/it. Still shoots great w/standard pressure as well as +P, so my LCP has a permanent place in the gun safe (until I decide what to do w/it) and the 340 is back in my pocket. It could be the little auto loader is not for me but either way I'm done for good.

Thanks for indulging me, rant over.
Click to expand...

I read a post by someone else on one the gun boards I frequent, where they were having this same problem.

The solution a couple of people recommended that had worked for them was to Dremel the mag release button down to where it was almost flush with the frame.

Haven't had to do that myself, but more than one person posted that it had worked for them if you'd like to give it at try. If it doesn't work for you, and you want to return it to original configuration, a replacement part shouldn't be too hard to find.
 
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I am still testing a Springfield Armory 911 380 acp. It's all medal, aluminum and stainless. It's been on the market a few months.
the grip appears just a tad longer, the mag has a pinky extension. The mag with the extension is seven round, the second mag is 6 rounds. It shots well manageable recoil, at 15 feet I was able to keep all my rounds within 4 in group.
 
I carry 2 Charter revolvers-an on duty that weighs 12 oz's unloaded and is rated for +P 38 spl, and a charter bull dog 44 which weighs 21 oz's without the 5 44 spl rounds. Charter revolvers are known for safety and reliability, with many LEO's using them as backups. Couple of speed loaders and I'm ready.
 
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I had the opposite trajectory. My first CCWs were .380s, then a 9mm, then I've cycled thru a few others until getting really, really sick of auto malfunctions. As soon as a gun malfunctions, I'm thinking, "ok, how much time and ammo will I have to invest before I trust it again? Will I ever trust it again?"

Finally, I broke out the Colt Police Positive Special I've had for 30 years but hadn't shot for 15 and couldn't believe how much I enjoyed shooting it, and also that I shoot it as well as almost any auto I have. During the next trip to my LGS, luck dropped a used-but-unfired 637 Performance Center in my lap, and it's been my primary CCW ever since. I still am in absolute lust with it. What a fantastic pistol - *beautiful trigger*.

These days I typically carry two revolvers, one AIWB and one in my pocket. The AIWB gun has changed a few times but is right now firmly stuck on my 3" M629, but 80% of the time my pocket gun has been that 637. I've flirted with a LCR327 I bought my wife (that I do love), and I just got a 2" M30 that will see some carry time for sure, but I have a feeling the 637 will continue to be my main gun for quite a long time.

And now I don't have to worry about malfunctions caused by the gun.
 
My current LCP, the one that keeps popping out the mag in my pocket, has been reliable w/over 200 rounds of FMJ & HP, and accurate out to 7 yards. It WAS the perfect package, and w/ a spare mag, gave me 14 just-in-case rounds (seven round b/u mag). During my LEO career I had to use my revolver to defend myself and know these scenearios develop without warning. Grabbing the LCP from my pocket in an emergency, and discovering it's a one shot wonder b/c the mag popped out, is not something I'm interested in experiencing. I'm going to call Ruger to see what they will do.
 
I have carried a Kel-Tec P32 for over 20 years. Not ONE problem,none...and thousands of rounds (Yes,thousands) I have added two Kel-Tec P3ATs to the lineup based on the dependability of my P32. No issues with either one of those. None. Considering the negative things I hear about the Kel-Tec line..I think I am living in an alternate reality...:)
 
I've carried S&W .357 magnums since the 70's. Both 4" and 2" models 66, 686, 2 640's and my last carry revolver was a 640-1 Pro Series. Never one auto in all that time Until February, 2018 when the .380 Shield EZ no safety came out. I held one at my LGS and fell in love. Finally an auto that acted like a revolver. Since I've put 800 rounds thru her and I love her. Fun shooter. Very accurate with Remington 95 grain UMC FMJ. No problems at all. I sold my 640 Pro and only carry my 380 S&W Shield EZ.
 
It's not helping your scenario, but when my husband and an LGS employee were determined that I should give semi-autos a chance, they sold me on a SIG P238, mainly because it was the only thing I could rack. That was in Oct. 2014. Since then, a half dozen novice shooters and myself have put about 2000 flawless rounds through it. It gets carried when it's small size is required.
 
malph said:
I agree in general. I've had good luck though with the Glock 42. It's been very reliable. Still...I keep coming back to the J Frames.
Click to expand...

Good luck w a G42 as well (the wife actually)
the 380 footprint just doesn't work for me , my level of confidence in accuracy is marginal.
 
Old cop said:
My current LCP, the one that keeps popping out the mag in my pocket, has been reliable w/over 200 rounds of FMJ & HP, and accurate out to 7 yards. It WAS the perfect package, and w/ a spare mag, gave me 14 just-in-case rounds (seven round b/u mag). During my LEO career I had to use my revolver to defend myself and know these scenearios develop without warning. Grabbing the LCP from my pocket in an emergency, and discovering it's a one shot wonder b/c the mag popped out, is not something I'm interested in experiencing. I'm going to call Ruger to see what they will do.
Click to expand...

LCP or LCP II?
 
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