.380 Not Good Defensive Caliber??
- Thread starter rlight
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Protected One
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Or you could carry Hornady Critical Duty, which is designed to penetrate (amongst other things) windshields!
ChattanoogaPhil
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I find the LCP both comforting and comfortable. Although my LCP is carried more often, my 642 and newly acquired XDs 45 also serve as comforting and comfortable carry guns to my satisfaction.
For me, there's more to selecting a carry gun(s) than reciting slogans.
For me, there's more to selecting a carry gun(s) than reciting slogans.
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And, about a billion deer and thousands of elk have been killed with 30-30's.....
Shorty 45 MK2
Member
I sure won't argue that point, but hunting deer is a little different than a SD situation.
The best cartridge for SD is the one that you have when it is needed. Sure I'd rather have a full size 1911 or a Glock 23, but a .380 in the pocket is better than a 1911 in the safe when its needed. I carried a PPK/S for years, and I would still carry a .380 today.
If it fits it works!
Fastbolt
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Or you could carry Hornady Critical Duty, which is designed to penetrate (amongst other things) windshields!
Unless they've introduced something new, I think they only offer the .380 in the Critical Defense line, not the Duty line.
Erich
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I'm curious to see how the just-announced Federal HSTs do in gelatin.
Shorty 45 MK2
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Same here.
Protected One
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No. You're right. For a moment there I forgot we are talking about .380. The Critical Duty round is available for 9mm and up.
walkin' trails
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I can't say I've been a 380 fan, but that was mostly based on the types of pistols that were chambered for the round. I never could shoot very accurately with most of them, and reliability was suspect in most regardless of the brand name stamped on the slide. My opinion is starting to change after shooting a Glock 42. I understand that the Hornaday Critical Defense round seems to appear as one of the best 380 loads based on what I've read. I have also read that American Hangunner article and what stuck me was that there was little difference between 9mm-40-45 anymore, but I seem to recall the 357 mag still stood out. That article didn't necessary endorse the 380 or smaller calibers regardless of the stats. I would say that there are times and places for a reliable 380, but don't get rid of your 9-38-357-40-45.
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rock_castle
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Worthless? No. Less than ideal? Probably. Who really cares? Don't worry what others say. Carry what you want to carry.
RMC1
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I shot some 380's that I loaded Saturday and I was pretty impressed at the accuracy and the fps the chrony was showing. I used 90 gr XTP bullets with 3.2 grs of TiteGroup and CCI 500 primers. The pistol was a Sig P238 with a 2.7-inch barrel.
The chrony showed the fps between 950 and 980. The powder load was .2 grs under the max of Hornady's 8th Edition of 3.4 grs but I will most likey load to 3.4 grs next time to get the fps closer to 1100. The recoil was, well, I didn't notice any recoil and neither did my wife.
On YouTube there is a video of someone comparing numerous factory loads using numerous bullets and the XTP performed the best in consistent penetration and expansion. I would be confident in using the 380 for self defense. If I wasn't I wouldn't have bought it for my wife. You won't find anything that can be concealed so easily and still have stopping power.
The chrony showed the fps between 950 and 980. The powder load was .2 grs under the max of Hornady's 8th Edition of 3.4 grs but I will most likey load to 3.4 grs next time to get the fps closer to 1100. The recoil was, well, I didn't notice any recoil and neither did my wife.
On YouTube there is a video of someone comparing numerous factory loads using numerous bullets and the XTP performed the best in consistent penetration and expansion. I would be confident in using the 380 for self defense. If I wasn't I wouldn't have bought it for my wife. You won't find anything that can be concealed so easily and still have stopping power.
vito
US Veteran
I prefer 9mm or 38 Special, but when concealment is a challenge I truly appreciate having my little Ruger LCP with Crimson Trace laser. Seven rounds of 380 are nothing to feel bad about. I have no doubt that it will be adequate in a life and death self defense situation.
Fastbolt
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RedPointGS
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Forrestinmathews, I love your quote and the film it comes from
Tom Selleck films are often underrated, but Quigley Down Under seems to have been the most durable one. I have to say I enjoyed High Road to China and Lassiter too.
Now on to the .380 question. I carry a Smith & Wesson M&P Bodyguard everywhere I go. Recently I had it on me and had to dispatch a rabid fox. It took no time at all for the gun to come out of the holster and 2 shots to hit the fox in the spine. Don't shoot them in the head if they're rabid, that's where rabies lives and it makes the bio-hazard much more difficult to cope with afterward for you or your health department. After I shot the fox twice in the spinal cord, it managed a step or 2 then expired. We have horses, dogs and a cat that live on the farm with my wife and me, without the Bodyguard 380 I have no idea how I would have dealt with the rabid fox that had just attacked our backdoor. Naturally, about 5 minutes before the fox attacked the door at 6:30 am I was lucky enough to have closed that very door, or the fox would have been in the house. A very different kettle of fish then, a rabid fox in our house!
The gun performed flawlessly for me and I am very accurate with it in a very short time period. I'll take speed and accuracy in a gunfight every time. I doubt I would have been able to pull my Ruger 9mm as quickly nor would I have been as accurate with the second shot. The lack of recoil with the Bodyguard really allows me to get on target for the second, third or fourth shot much more quickly than I do with my Ruger 9mm. It's extremely discreet and is hardly noticeable to me when carrying it. If I could carry a larger caliber handgun I would, but I certainly couldn't do it as discreetly since I'm 6'3" and weigh a whopping 165 pounds. So, I'll stick with my Bodyguard 380, it's always there where I need it to be and I always carry an extra magazine with me as well. I carry a round chambered, sometimes with the safety on, (I carried a Colt Combat Commander for years and the safety is in the same place. It's nothing for me to flick it off) and sometimes I don't have the safety on, it depends on where I'm going to be frankly. Regardless, due to the double action only trigger I feel quite safe because you must be absolutely committed when you pull the trigger on this gun, as anyone who has shot them will affirm.
What can I say, the Bodyguard 380 just works for me.
Yes, well put forrestinmathews, any "secret agent" who is so well known by sight to his enemies would be quite dead in real life. Then again that's not what Bond is about, LOL. Though I understand that somewhere in the middle east the books were studied as though they weren't fiction. I can't recall if that was in Turkey or Egypt, but I'm fairly certain it was in one of those two countries, LOL. Can you imagine that? Too funny!
Shoot safely, friends-
Tom Selleck films are often underrated, but Quigley Down Under seems to have been the most durable one. I have to say I enjoyed High Road to China and Lassiter too.
Now on to the .380 question. I carry a Smith & Wesson M&P Bodyguard everywhere I go. Recently I had it on me and had to dispatch a rabid fox. It took no time at all for the gun to come out of the holster and 2 shots to hit the fox in the spine. Don't shoot them in the head if they're rabid, that's where rabies lives and it makes the bio-hazard much more difficult to cope with afterward for you or your health department. After I shot the fox twice in the spinal cord, it managed a step or 2 then expired. We have horses, dogs and a cat that live on the farm with my wife and me, without the Bodyguard 380 I have no idea how I would have dealt with the rabid fox that had just attacked our backdoor. Naturally, about 5 minutes before the fox attacked the door at 6:30 am I was lucky enough to have closed that very door, or the fox would have been in the house. A very different kettle of fish then, a rabid fox in our house!
The gun performed flawlessly for me and I am very accurate with it in a very short time period. I'll take speed and accuracy in a gunfight every time. I doubt I would have been able to pull my Ruger 9mm as quickly nor would I have been as accurate with the second shot. The lack of recoil with the Bodyguard really allows me to get on target for the second, third or fourth shot much more quickly than I do with my Ruger 9mm. It's extremely discreet and is hardly noticeable to me when carrying it. If I could carry a larger caliber handgun I would, but I certainly couldn't do it as discreetly since I'm 6'3" and weigh a whopping 165 pounds. So, I'll stick with my Bodyguard 380, it's always there where I need it to be and I always carry an extra magazine with me as well. I carry a round chambered, sometimes with the safety on, (I carried a Colt Combat Commander for years and the safety is in the same place. It's nothing for me to flick it off) and sometimes I don't have the safety on, it depends on where I'm going to be frankly. Regardless, due to the double action only trigger I feel quite safe because you must be absolutely committed when you pull the trigger on this gun, as anyone who has shot them will affirm.
What can I say, the Bodyguard 380 just works for me.
Yes, well put forrestinmathews, any "secret agent" who is so well known by sight to his enemies would be quite dead in real life. Then again that's not what Bond is about, LOL. Though I understand that somewhere in the middle east the books were studied as though they weren't fiction. I can't recall if that was in Turkey or Egypt, but I'm fairly certain it was in one of those two countries, LOL. Can you imagine that? Too funny!
Shoot safely, friends-
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