.380 vs .38spl...

TomkinsSP said:
Not trying to be a jerk, but 2% failure rate, I wouldn't get on a plane, or do many other things that had a 2% failure rate.
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If I sold every gun I shot that had a malfunction I wouldn't own any guns :eek: They all malfunction eventually, even if it's because of user error or bad ammunition. Maybe I'm only a 98% shooter :D
 
I have taken a number of classes from Karl Rheems, KR Training. He stated the best you can expect to shoot in a SD situation is 70% of a "bad day" of training shooting. Tom Givens has taught a few of his classes and maybe this came from Givens-don't know. But not a good situation which gets much worse with multiple BGs. Trying to take on just two BGs shooting 70% of a "bad day" is the downside of having just 5 rds. The new Kimber and Colt increase the capacity by one rounds which is close to a 20% increase. I find myself carrying a Glock 26 more frequently-11 rds of 9mm.
 
I am the odd ball here~~I feel no need to justify, nor do I want validation for what I carry. That is it, if it puts some ammo fanboy into a tail spin it is not my fault.
 
bowzette said:
... The new Kimber and Colt increase the capacity by one rounds which is close to a 20% increase. ...
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That was actually something Colt used in their advertising back in the days of the DS .38 Spl snub, meaning that their 6-shot gun had 20% held ammunition than another maker's 5-shot snub.

Do you remember that, or just did the math? ;)
 
Walkingwolf said:
I am the odd ball here~~I feel no need to justify, nor do I want validation for what I carry. That is it, if it puts some ammo fanboy into a tail spin it is not my fault.
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I get your meaning. ;)

The older I get, the less interested I am in what anyone else may think about my preferences or practices. (And I had very little interest in the first place, even when I was a young man. ;) )

Even back before I retired, I was losing interest almost hourly regarding what different folks thought about guns/ammo they carried - and what they told me they thought about what I carried.

We all have to face the potential consequences of our choices and decisions, which is as it should be, right?

With the ability to decide and choose comes the responsibility of shouldering the burden of our choices and actions. :)

Nobody else has their feet in our shoes, after all.
 
I find that the micro compacts 380's are not as reliable as the 5 shot snub. Even though auto pistols in general are very reliable today, I just get a funny feeling of 'concern' when I go smaller than a Beretta 85 .380.

If I need a pocket sized gun, I'm going for my 649 all steel J frame loaded with magnums. Small enough for pocket, plenty of power, and ultra reliable. If I need to reload, then I should have carried my 1911 or Beretta 96a1.

The pocket gun is a real compromise, and has very real limitations. It's better than going unarmed, but it really is an arms length, 5-6 shots only deal.
 
CAJUNLAWYER said:
What I want to know is why this thread is going on for two pages and several days while my 9mm vs .45 thread got locked down after 4-5 posts :rolleyes: .380 vs .38 spl can't be any more beat to death than 9mm vs .45 :D
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Oh come on!

Everyone knows that there is no doubt about 9 v. 45. Totally obvious.

Why would you even think to bring it up?

Ken
 
I carry a .22 Short. I also practice regularly and have marksmanship skills. You can pretty much change that first sentence to any gun as long as the second one remains the same.
 
Walkingwolf said:
I am the odd ball here~~I feel no need to justify, nor do I want validation for what I carry. That is it, if it puts some ammo fanboy into a tail spin it is not my fault.
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No one sees my concealed carry weapon because it is concealed!
Dont ask..dont tell policy!
 
getoff said:
I will start by saying I know this has been hashed and re-hashed a thousand or so times. This is not so much about mfg. or caliber, as it is platform. Do you feel more comfy with a small semi-auto or a 5 shot revo, both from reliable reputable makers? I love my 5 shot small frame revo from the bestest, finest maker of revolvers ever, but seem to grab a .380 made by an Austrian company in a factory in the state where I live, more. I'm thinking it may be familiarity to the platform, as I carry a fuller size version mostly. Something about 7rnd + 2 9rnd reloads I like. that said, 5 .38 +p and 2 5rnd speed loaders are a tempting go to. The .380 is faster to reload, and the .38spl +p has more power... just wanting to see if I'm the only one doing this, or are others finding a flatter option on them? My 5 shot will never be replaced on a permanent basis, but is the flatty for a quick trip to the post office ok? Am I over thinking my choices after 25 years of carrying a gun? Maybe older age, and comfort are leading me astray... ready, set, GO!!!
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I'd use the .38 Special 125gr JHP +p in a snubbly. Hits far harder than a .380.
 
Ziggy2525 said:
My opinion on this is changing. Starting to see more gas station robberies, etc. with 3 BG's, not just one or two. 5 shots doesn't leave much margin to convince three they have somewhere better to be.
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But if you really watch those videos you'll see that if there is a armed citizen in there & he/she starts shooting, the bad guys start running. it's amazing how fast people can move when motivated by bullets flying in their direction. But most citizen involved shootings are settled with 5 shots or less. You Tube is full of home security/store security camera footage showing just that. Those videos also show many times that after the bad guy/s run, the armed citizen continues shooting. One video shows a home invasion where 3-4 rounds were fired, bad guys runs out the door and the home owner perusing the bad guys onto the front lawn continuing to pop off more rounds.... Is having a gun with 6+ rounds better? This is where shot placement/practice comes into play.. Remember guys, if you pop off more rounds than necessary, the thinner the line becomes between legal self defense and liability.

There is no one right gun out there, there is only what's right for you, for your situation, your pocketbook, only you can decide no one else.
 
My name is Mike and I'm a revolverholic. There i admitted it. Got it off my chest and feeling better already. Among the wheelies is a Ruger LCR .22lr that's a great training gun and a lot of fun to shoot. I shoot it pretty well. Not my first choice for serious gunning but I would not be uncomfortable having to use it if needed. The mere sight of a gun may be sufficient and if not once it starts barking folks are going to take it serious. No one is going to analysis the size of the chambers as being "small" or the amount of the "bang"-it's rather loud anyway. If Mr. BG can still run he may do so. Out to 10 yds maybe 15 I'm going to get 3-4 hits center mass using the 70% of "bad day" example. On a good day with Mr. Bad Paper not shooting back all eight rounds are center mass at 25 yds. These comments are not advocating .22 for SD. I know the arguments and small amount of energy it produces. But people aren't bears and most just don't want to get shot. And center mass with a 22lr 40gr HV with multiple hits I suspect will be sufficient. There-the final word on "Caliber War Debate" :-) Of course my model 65 is loaded with BB .38+P 158gr LSWCHP producint 460 ft lbs of energy from a 3" barrel and the LCR .357 is loaded with Speers GD 135gr .357 at 300 ft lbs out of a 2" barrel. Who needs a .22lr:-)
 
JMO fellow 'spinner': Aguila 60 grain SSS in .22LR, short barrels are not going to maximize high or hyper vel performance. No matter how you slice it 60 grains is 60 grains. They tumble upon entry, just make sure your gun stabilizes them through air (they work fine in my 8 and 9 shot .22s). And I would go for CNS hits.

Oh, and to really get a mouse caliber debate going, I have a 9 shot .17HM2 with a 1.75" barrel and a 7 shot .17HMR sporting a 1.875" tube. The question being using identical 17 grain FTX bullets, is the 200 fps advantage of HMR (ca. 1650 v 1450)worth giving up two shots?
 
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bowzette said:
My name is Mike and I'm a revolverholic. There i admitted it. Got it off my chest and feeling better already. Among the wheelies is a Ruger LCR .22lr that's a great training gun and a lot of fun to shoot. I shoot it pretty well. Not my first choice for serious gunning but I would not be uncomfortable having to use it if needed. The mere sight of a gun may be sufficient and if not once it starts barking folks are going to take it serious. No one is going to analysis the size of the chambers as being "small" or the amount of the "bang"-it's rather loud anyway. If Mr. BG can still run he may do so. Out to 10 yds maybe 15 I'm going to get 3-4 hits center mass using the 70% of "bad day" example. On a good day with Mr. Bad Paper not shooting back all eight rounds are center mass at 25 yds. These comments are not advocating .22 for SD. I know the arguments and small amount of energy it produces. But people aren't bears and most just don't want to get shot. And center mass with a 22lr 40gr HV with multiple hits I suspect will be sufficient. There-the final word on "Caliber War Debate" :-) Of course my model 65 is loaded with BB .38+P 158gr LSWCHP producint 460 ft lbs of energy from a 3" barrel and the LCR .357 is loaded with Speers GD 135gr .357 at 300 ft lbs out of a 2" barrel. Who needs a .22lr:-)
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There have been numerous cases of successful stops with 22lr. I am more than comfortable to carry a NAA for a backup. And at home it is always in my pocket, or around my neck.
 
I carry a .45, and usually carry a knife rather than a BUG. I have carried a PPK along with the issued 4506, at times. Depends on if I know what the next days assignment will be. I really favor the Gerber boot knife, over another firearm.
 
I've been intending to get several boxes of the Aguilla SSS 60gr. It will start tumbling as soon as it leaves the barrel. And as stated it is 60gr! Now don't turn me in to the Glocktalk forum or I'll be banned for "revolverism" :-)
 
bowzette said:
I've been intending to get several boxes of the Aguilla SSS 60gr. It will start tumbling as soon as it leaves the barrel. And as stated it is 60gr! Now don't turn me in to the Glocktalk forum or I'll be banned for "revolverism" :-)
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The SSS stabilizes fine to 50 feet or so in my M94 and Pathfinder, it also stabilizes in air out of a freind's LCR. (All three 2"bbls) It tumbles at less than 25 feet out of my kitgun (3" bbl) and a SA LR/mag convertable (5" bbl), I like the idea of tumbling AFTER it hits, not before.

Get a Nitride finish Pitbull, it will fit right in with the G****s (same diet, same look).
 
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