380 what is the draw

I’m totally OK with .380 and an LCP. If you’re interested in clandestine carry in legal, but NPE’s, hard to beat an LCP.

Like Muss Muggins was fond of saying, the goal for a civilian self defender is only to convince a BG attempting a deadly force attack he made a selection error and has someplace better to be. .380 works for that.
 
I carry for simple protection, not to fight a street gang or war. I carry my LCP in my pocket and it’s an easy grab and go gun.
The .380 round seems sufficient enough to get me out of a jamb. I do have other carry pieces in .38 and .40 and when I feel the need I will carry them.
But for me the LCP 380 works! ;)
 
I don’t like 380 either. But it has its place. When I am not wearing a gun, I have a LCPll in my pocket. That is when a J frame is not in my pocket.

Woe is me if that is all I have should the worst happen. But at least I will have that.
 
I own a .380, .32 acp and a .25 acp of which I don't carry any of them. I purchased them simply because I liked the guns. They happen to all be Colt 1903 and 1908's.

IMHO they are all sub self defense cartridges although with proper ammo there can be arguments for the .380. I wouldn't carry one but many do.
 
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federali said:
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.
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That's what I'm counting on. :)

Being as old and plump as I am, 97% of the time pocket carry is the only option. A Bodyguard .380 or LCP II in my pocket is better than any of my 9mm's (or larger) sitting back home. :cool:
 
General George S. Patton preferred a revolver, but if my memory serves me, he used a Remington Model 51 .380 during WWII when he shot at a Luftwaffe airplane as it was attempting to strafe his encampment.

Now, unlike the general, I may not want to use a .380 to shoot down a plane, but I will often grab my Ruger LCP to tuck in the back pocket of my Wranglers when something a little larger may be more difficult to conceal depending on the circumstances.:)
 
Mule Packer said:
General George S. Patton preferred a revolver, but if my memory serves me, he used a Remington Model 51 .380 during WWII when he shot at a Luftwaffe airplane as it was attempting to strafe his encampment.

Now, unlike the general, I may not want to use a .380 to shoot down a plane, but I will often grab my Ruger LCP to tuck in the back pocket of my Wranglers when something a little larger may be more difficult to conceal depending on the circumstances.:)
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GSP carried a Colt 1903 in .32 acp but that was only ONE of three he normally had on him. It was his hide out gun that he kept in his waistband and being that the other two revolvers were a .357 Magnum and a .45 Colt SAA I'd say he was pretty well armed. He was also known to carry a Dick Special and a 1911 as well.
 
In the early 20th century police officers carried .32NP revolvers. Not every officer obviously but people generally were not as tall or heavy as today. .380 was considered a pretty healthy round back then. There's some nostalgia for arms like the PPK, Beretta and wartime pistols that drives part of the .380 market. But the big deal is they can make a pocket/purse size .380 that captures the bulk of that caliber's appeal.
I like something with more bullet weight than a .380 because the criminals are pretty big now and maybe whacked on drugs.
 
I carry a Kimber micro 380 with a #2 blackhawk TecGrip holster in my front pants pocket. Gun and holster go in and if I need to draw only the gun comes out the sticky holster stays in place. Its very easy and comfortable to carry a "pocket pistol".
 
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You're kidding right?
As many times as this subject has been beaten to death in the 16 years you've been around here and you still "don't get it"?
Might as well just say "let's have yet another caliber wars discussion about the minimum acceptable SD caliber".
 
sigp220.45 said:
The appeal to me is the guns the .380 is made for. I’m sure I can find 9mm guns smaller than my Colt Pocket Hammerless, but so what? I don’t feel the need to have the absolute most power available in a particular sized gun. Same with my Beretta Model 85. I like it, I like to shoot it, and I like to carry it.

The only “size appropriate” .380 I have is an LCP. I hate to shoot it and I rarely carry it.
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Do you know the origin of that holster? Is it Dutch for East Indies forces? They used some Colt .32 or .380 guns.

I was pleased when former TX Gov. Rick Perry used a Ruger LCP to kill a coyote when he jogging. I'd rather rely on a bigger gun for them or any large canine.

My sole .380 was a Beretta M-34. It was reliable and printed hand-sized groups at 25 yards. I figured I'd use it in closer if I had to rely on it in earnest.

After reading Massad Ayoob's tests of snub .38's vs .380's in a pig slaughterhouse, I switched to a .38, preferably with three-inch barrel for a small gun.

Federal is coming out with a new .380 round that they say gives reliable expansion & deep penetration. I just got a press release on it. Should be in stores soon. I think they cited a 99 grain bullet, but don't recall they mentioned velocity.

Most .380's are nice and flat, so hide well. That's most of their appeal
 
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Ziggy2525 said:
I’m totally OK with .380 and an LCP. If you’re interested in clandestine carry in legal, but NPE’s, hard to beat an LCP.
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I don't have a pocket .380 yet, but my interest in getting one is to have a gun for those times when I can't have a gun.

This is aside from the fact that some people want them just because they want them.
 

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Bear in mind that for most of its existence the .380 was considered a normal self defense cartridge. These feelings that its inadequate are a fairly recent development. Many european police departments were still carrying not only .380s, but also .32s well into the 1990s. And I really feel that these attitudes of inadequacy are the result of dubious gun writers and internet commandos who want to be controversial or push their own favorites for personal reasons. :rolleyes:
I currently own 6 .380s. Granted, I have most of them because I like the classic pistols that are chambered in this caliber. Such as Colts and Walthers. However, I wouldn't feel under gunned with any of them.
In particular, I'm extremely fond of the Colt Mustang and carry one fairly regularly. With its locked breech design, recoil is easily manageable, its easy to rack and it shoots extremely well.
Personally, I don't think the 9mm is all its cracked up to be. While it is sufficient, it ain't the be all, do all that some people claim. That's why when I do step up from my .380s, its generally to a .45acp. ;)
 
ContinentalOp said:
I don't have a pocket .380 yet, but my interest in getting one is to have a gun for those times when I can't have a gun.

This is aside from the fact that some people want them just because they want them.
Click to expand...

I do my EDC backwards. I use an LCP-Plus approach.

From when I put my pants on in the morning until I take them off at bedtime, there's an LCP in my front pocket. That way I always have a pistol on me if I find myself in a legal place, but still a non-permissive environment. For me, my LCP is a 7-shot derringer.

Beyond the LCP, I layer up with an appendix carry pistol if I feel circumstances warrant it. The pistol varies depending on how I see the risk. First step is a 640 Pro. Super easy to carry with no printing. If I don't think the 640 Pro is enough, then it's a Shield instead. If I don't think the Shield is enough, then It's a Glock 19 instead of the Shield.
 
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BC38 said:
You're kidding right?
As many times as this subject has been beaten to death in the 16 years you've been around here and you still "don't get it"?
Might as well just say "let's have yet another caliber wars discussion about the minimum acceptable SD caliber".
Click to expand...

Yea, the bad guys are harder to stop now then 100 years ago!
Just like the deer, that 26-06 is no deer stopper, you need a Magnum of some kind.........:rolleyes:
 
I have only owned one .380 ACP- a Colt Mustang. I bought it for my wife, but I carried it on occasion. When I decided to go to a compact semi auto for my EDC, I bought a Ruger EC9s. It is a bit bigger than the LCP and weighs more as well. It is as small as I chose to go. I find it controllable and I shoot it fairly well.
 
Back in the late 70’s, from my perspective, the.380 (for law enforcement) was considered the optimum back up gun, vs. the snub revolver. Until the fairly recent development of the micro 9 mm platforms I think it was still a balance of size and caliber.

As the evolution of handguns continues I think we will see emphasis on larger calibers in smaller platforms.

The.380 ACP has a place for concealed carry but better options exist.
 
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