380 what is the draw

[kbm6893]

Right up until you pull the trigger.

Seriously, anyone who asks for a 9mm of similar size/weight to a lightweight .380 Pocket Pistol hasn't ever shot one.

Lightweight .380 Pocket Pistols may be comfortable to carry, but they aren't comfortable to shoot.

Take it from me, I bought a Ruger LCP over an EC9s because I wanted something smaller, lighter, and easier to conceal, but my brother's LC9s is far more comfortable to shoot, eventhough it's not all that much bigger/heavier than the LCP overall.

I don't even want to think about what shooting 9mm out of a pistol the same size/weight as an LCP, but I imagine a lot of pain and terrible accuracy.

I have an LC9S and it’s comfortable to shoot. I’m not expecting a 9MM Exactly the same size as an LCP. Just something bigger than LCP but smaller than the LC9.

I can feel the LC9 in my pocket. The Bodyguard is unnoticed. And I shoot it fine at 7-10 yards.

 

[mikerjf]

.380 is the new .25.

 

[Grayfox]

.380 is the new .25.

Oh now, don't even go there. I happen to like .25s too and have been known to carry one now and then.

 

[LVSteve]

Glad some of you like shooting the LC9s. I bought one for its concealment properties but find something in the recoil impulse unpleasant.

 

[Gene L]

The scandium .357? A friend of mine had one and it was fun to carry but a monster to shoot. He's a seasoned shooter and after firing it a few times, sold it. My J-frames in .38 are unpleasant to shoot. I don't see a follow up shot as a do-able.

A head shot will stop a guy in most cases but they're hard to make.

 

[uncleted327]

I carry a scandium 360 with VZ grips, as with most things practice makes it manageable.

 

[Echo40]

Glad some of you like shooting the LC9s. I bought one for its concealment properties but find something in the recoil impulse unpleasant.

What load are you shooting out of it?

I shot my brother's LC9s at the range once loaded with Standard Pressure 115gr Hornady Critical Defense, and it was very pleasant to shoot, IMO.

 

[BC38]

The scandium .357? A friend of mine had one and it was fun to carry but a monster to shoot. He's a seasoned shooter and after firing it a few times, sold it. My J-frames in .38 are unpleasant to shoot. I don't see a follow up shot as a do-able.

A head shot will stop a guy in most cases but they're hard to make.

Yeah, for anything stronger than a 38 special in a J-frame I want the weight of an all steel gun. Even 38 +P is unpleasant in an alloy J-frame. They aren't unmanageable, but they are unpleasant enough to make good, quick follow up shots a lot more difficult.

I carry a scandium 360 with VZ grips, as with most things practice makes it manageable.

Practice is key - but when the experience is that negative, most people aren't going to practice enough, and get really good at it, and/or they will develop bad habits - like a flinch. If you've disciplined yourself to get good with it and haven't developed any bad habits in the process then you are above average IMO.

Of course the next question is why? Is 357 the minimum effective stopping caliber? 38 +P won't do? Is the absolute lightest possible revolver a requirement? Is the weight of steel prohibitive?

For me, 38 +P in an alloy J-frame or 357 in a steel J-frame are comparable, and either is a better choice for more consistent, accurate, repetitive shots. As with most things, YMMV.

 

[gregintenn]

I find the 380 ACP superior to the 25 ACP.

 

[hyena]

Count me in as well if S&W can make a 9mm the size of my Bodyguard. Even though as unpleasant as my BG is to shoot, a 9mm would be truly painful.

 

[uncleted327]

Why is a personal question I suppose. For me I wanted a 357 Magnum so I had the option of 357 and 38 ammo. I also wanted a pinned front sight and a shrouded ejector rod, two things most of the air weight aluminum Js don't offer. 38 +P can be a very effective round, given the right ammo is chosen, but having options is always a plus. As for weight that depends on your intended use. I wanted the lightest Magnum I could get for summer carry, camping, hiking, it's under 15oz and carrys like a dream. Is the weight of steel prohibitive...no, again depending on the role. A sub 15oz J can easily go into a pocket if needed, a 22oz steel J feels like a brick in a pocket. Which means I'll probably carry it on my hip, in which case I see no reason to not leapfrog the steel J all together and go right up to a K or L for that role. An extra 7 or 8 ounces in a pocket is a lot, and extra 8-10 ounces on the hip is barely noticeable IMO.

 

[wnderr]

One of my .380s is always with me. It's a great lil BUG, and serves it's purpose, when something bigger just can't be carried.

 

[hkcavalier]

Probably already been said 50 times in this thread (I didn't read past the OP's question, shame on me) but the .380 is about the mechanical limit of a lightweight blowback pistol. Pure blowback 9mm and now you have a Hi-Point with a chunky slide.

More recently, manufacturers and shooters have discovered it's a real *****cat from a recoil operated platform. They've also discovered that tiny 9mms kick hard which can cause people to anticipate the recoil, and only hits count, so just maybe the .380 gives them a better chance to, y'know, hit the bad guy. Same principle with the larger doublestack .380s like the Bersa. Glock, for now, isn't making their "big" .380s (G25, G28) in the US for American shooters...but they should.

 

[wingriderz]

Before retirement only way I could carry was pocket. I carried .380,.32, 38.(442) and 9mm (Original LC9) the 9 was max I could Pocket while working getting caught would be loosing a good job. Never caught

 

[Protected One]

I feel the .380 ACP is adequate for its intended purpose of one-on-one self defense. No one is going to absorb a .380 and laugh at you.

Where the distinction really exists between .380 and some 9mms is the former's lack of offensive capability. I feel that should I find myself in a situation of a sudden convenience store robbery, I would want reach and firepower and the 9mm platform in its many forms, such as the Glock 17/19/34 or the SIG 226/228 or Beretta M9 is far better suited should you have no choice but to engage.

For this reason, I don't think the .380 ACP is the correct cartridge for an off duty police officer or the store owner. Once again, the power is marginal but sufficient but the platform lacks the ability to seriously carry the fight to the adversaries and put them on the defensive.

From what I've seen, read and heard most often the adversaries tend to get lost once the shooting starts - even in convenience store robberies.

 

[LVSteve]

What load are you shooting out of it?

I shot my brother's LC9s at the range once loaded with Standard Pressure 115gr Hornady Critical Defense, and it was very pleasant to shoot, IMO.

I find 115 gr FMJ all I want in the LC9s. 124 gr starts to get ugly. I think the issue is my bony hands and the narrow grip. A Kahr CW9 is no problem with any ammo, and neither is a Walther PPS M2. That Ruger and my hands simply don't mesh.

 

[Echo40]

I find 115 gr FMJ all I want in the LC9s. 124 gr starts to get ugly. I think the issue is my bony hands and the narrow grip. A Kahr CW9 is no problem with any ammo, and neither is a Walther PPS M2. That Ruger and my hands simply don't mesh.

I've never shot anything more than 115gr JHPs.

My brother has actually since outfitted his LC9s with a Hogue Rubber Grip Sleeve because he didn't like the narrow grip either. I didn't mind it, but then again, I only shot it once at his request, and I only shot 3 mags worth of ammo through it.

All I know is that compared to my LCP and my straight blowback PPK/S, the LC9s was a soft-shooter.