Is the .380 enough?

[Whitwabit]

Was the Archduke and Duchess killed by the lowly 22 round or could you blame their death not only with being shot .. but medical care for both was severely lacking for a positive outcome ..

In todays medical world it would be likely that they would have survived .. Though the death count for a 22 is high but can some be attributed to the medical attention the person received .. I would think many of those would survive today ..

 

[Walkingwolf]

Enough for what? Looking to go bear hunting just stay at home. Enough to stop a threat? Probably

 

[Florida J Frame]

I've also looked at the compact 9MM but all are much heavier than an airweight/titanium J frame and thus difficult to pocket carry w/o a bulge or tell tale sag. For me the small, lightweight J frames are easier to conceal while offering adequate protection against most things a retiree might encounter. I'm not a cop anymore, and have slowed down considerably in my 7th decade.

How do you carry your J Frame?

 

[Old cop]

How do you carry your J Frame?

I pocket carry in a well worn Galco leather holster 100%, left front pocket (leftie).

 

[Florida J Frame]

I pocket carry in a well worn Galco leather holster 100%, left front pocket (leftie).

How do you deal with drawing from a sitting position, especially behind the wheel?

 

[vigil617]

Third, the first shot hit Ferdinand in the jugular, yet he remained alive until they reached the governor's house. In fact, when he was asked about the extent of his injuries, he replied, "It's nothing."

He was widely misquoted. What he actually said is, "It's nothing I will survive."

.380ACP in the right hands is plenty. Are others better? Sure. But I pocket carry a Kimber Micro Carry .380 regularly, alternating it with a Kimber 9mm in the same configuration, and there isn't a nickel's worth of difference in them, size-wise. I do go with Underwood ammo loaded hot with a Lehigh Defense round, for both calibers, and I feel completely confident that I can handle any CC situation I am likely to encounter.

Here's a pic of the .380 and ammo. The 9mm is exactly like it, just a smidge bigger. Great pocket pistols.

 

[oink]

Pretty gun. I assume you took the pics when new. My carry guns get "not new" fairly quickly. If they are the same size why carry the 380? Of course I do have a Springfield Micro 45 that's too pretty to carry. Actually it's too expensive to carry too. One of the few handguns I have that aren't beat to heck from carrying in one capacity or another.

P.S.: My parents were both from the Fayetteville area. Dad was a City fireman there pre WWII. Uncle was a City cop Pre WWII.

 

[Echo40]

I carried a PPKS as my backup for a short while during the same period. I carried it in my inside jacket pocket in the winter, safety off, until it fell out when I took my jacket off in the squad room. The room had that ultra cheap thin worn carpet not much more than thin felt. The gun didn't go off but the dent in the primer was substantial. I traded it for my first Dillon and other reloading supplies. I also bought a 669 shortly thereafter but still kept a back pocket AMT 380.

PPKS is a nice well built gun with not the best 1st shot trigger and (unless they changed) a safety that needs to be used, and more than the weight of many quality 9s. I actually like the PPKS but there's just better options now for carry. True, the weight of it does tame some of the blow-back recoil so there's that I guess.

Because 380s are still notoriously finnicky and hard ball can resolve a good bit of that.

And of course I'm always right!

The Walther PP Series is best carried with the safety on as it isn't drop safe. Some would say that it takes too long to disengage, but if you practice flipping up the safety lever while drawing the pistol, it makes no notable difference and quickly becomes second nature.

Personally, I don't find the weight of the DA trigger to be detrimental. It requires enough of a pull to be 100% intentional, yet not so heavy that I feel it would slow me down if I needed it.
I'm aware that it's heavier than most .380s and nearly equal to most lighter 9mm pistols, but it makes no difference to me. If I felt that .380 ACP were inadequate, then I would sooner bypass 9mm altogether in favor of a .40 or .45.

Mine has so far been 100% reliable with Hornady American Gunner XTPs. I even tried firing it sideways (to simulate firing from a downed position) in my off hand with an intentionally loose grip while dirty and it still fed two magazines of my carry ammo without a hitch.
Frankly, I wouldn't feel comfortable carrying a firearm which couldn't reliably feed JHPs.

 

[Cal44]

Was the Archduke and Duchess killed by the lowly 22 round or could you blame their death not only with being shot .. but medical care for both was severely lacking for a positive outcome ..

From WIKI, the Archduke was killed by a 380 ACP:

"The latter stepped forward and fired two shots from a distance of about one and a half metres (4.9 feet) using a Belgian-made 9×17mm (.380 ACP) Fabrique Nationale model 1910 semi-automatic pistol.[citation needed] Pistol serial numbers 19074, 19075, 19120 and 19126 were supplied to the assassins; Princip used #19074."

I believe the Browning 1910 as also available in 32 acp -- but not in 22.

So one could argue that the 380 ACP has been responsible for more shooting deaths than any other caliber -- given that this one shooting started WWI.

 

[Jim_Sl]

For me it is not so much about the caliber as it is about concealability. All the calibers I use are deadly when used within their specific ranges. The S&W Bodyguard 380 is my go to pocket pistol. I normally wear cargo pants and the Bodyguard fits well in those pants pockets. When I am wearing a heavier shirt or a jacket. I usually carry a Glock 27 in 40 caliber. I also have a Rock Island Armory M1911 CS FDE in 45 caliber. I interchange all of them depending on what I am doing and wearing that day. All good guns, all have their limitations as well as their positives. As long as you are comfortable with the gun and accurate when shooting it. It all should be good.

Jim

 

[webfarmer]

I have pistols in most everything except .40. What I carry almost 100% of the time is a .380 now. I'm old, totally aware of my surroundings at all times (at least I think so ha-ha) and can conceivably carry .22LR, .380, 9mm, .38/357 & .45 ACP. But it's so easy to just throw that little 10 oz. LCP in my pants pocket and not worry about being defenseless. My goal is concealability and it's hard to beat. Ammo for that and the S&W EZ (lighter than my 9mm Shield and really accurate) on my belt all the time at home is proven Hornady American Gunner ammo. .380 ACP ammo has come a long way in recent years and that is likely the reason more people than ever carry .380 pistols making the caliber quite popular.

 

[Guevera]

I have every confidence with the Beretta .380s that I own to put the shots on target in a dependable manner, and practice quite a bit with this Model 84 and its companion single-stack, the 85. Today's improved ammunition design only increases my faith in this caliber and this platform.

Below is a comparison photo of the Model 84 and a J Frame.

 

[dsk]

Originally Posted by dsk
There isn't a pocket 9 made that's as small or light as my Kahr P380. Some are pretty close, but my pocket can sure tell especially when it bulges out or droops noticeably with anything larger than the Kahr inside.

True, but you can find a 32 that's even lighter.

I happen to have a Kel-Tec P-32 as well, which is probably the lightest semi-auto pistol in existence. I can count the number of days of the year when it's actually more practical with the fingers of one hand, such as when I'm wearing a pair of really thin, lightweight shorts during one of our rare summer heat waves. Most of the time though the difference is so inconsequential that the Kahr gets carried instead.

 

[GoodSam]

If .380acp were "enough" then our military and LEO's would be using it. As I understand some agencies won't even allow their LEO's to carry .380's. There must be a reason for that.

Don't get me wrong, I do like the .380 as well as most of the guns they are chambered for and I have carried them both past and present. However, I realize their limitations and I have respect for all research and testing by our military & law enforcement who've came to the conclusion that the .380acp was not "enough" for them.

 

[charlie sherrill]

How do you deal with drawing from a sitting position, especially behind the wheel?

I use a cross draw holster when I'm on the road. Seat belt is not in the way.

 

[rwsmith]

.380 isn't that soft.....

With the pocket 9s that are available, I don't see a reason to carry a 380 unless you're recoil sensitive.

.380 isn't much, if any, more soft shooting than a 9mm. I have Lllama steel .380 with a narrow back strap and it hurts to shoot. I have several small nines that are more comfortable to shoot.

 

[petepeterson]

Exactly. NO WAY that ANY pocket 9mm is nearly as small and light as a Kel-Tec P32 or Ruger LCP. People that repeat this drivel are kidding themselves. Short of the expensive and fragile Rohrbaughs all "pocket" 9mms I ever seen are significantly larger and heavier than pocket .380s.

I bought a Kahr CM9 with the same "pocket" thought...The difference between it and my Kel-Tec is night and day. The Kahr is a holster gun in my book.

 

[petepeterson]

I have every confidence with the Beretta .380s that I own to put the shots on target in a dependable manner, and practice quite a bit with this Model 84 and its companion single-stack, the 85. Today's improved ammunition design only increases my faith in this caliber and this platform.

Below is a comparison photo of the Model 84 and a J Frame.

Great pic. I always admired those Berettas, but never held one. I assumed they were much larger.

 

[CH4]

I've found the recoil of all my .380 autos to be snappier than my nines, perhaps it's the lower mass and direct blowback recoil system of my P232 and PPK, but they buck pretty good.

I am with the shot placement crowd. Generally speaking, where you put the bullet is farcmore important than the size.

 

[Florida J Frame]

I use a cross draw holster when I'm on the road. Seat belt is not in the way.

I'm shopping for a cross draw now for just that reason. Any suggestions?