380 what is the draw

[tlawler]

I’ve owned a few in the past including a Colt Mustang, Sig P230, and an Astra Constable. Now I’m down to one, a Seecamp that is in my front right pocket as backup more often than not. I agree with Ziggy’s approach...when you can't carry, you’re still carrying.

 

[fireball78]

I am new to the group and have seen some good points by both sides. I'm a fan of any gun that will fire. All I want is to get myself/family out of harms way. Fortunately for me I can carry a large frame conceal without anyone noticing. I had an accident that left my right side with a large divit/hole that can take a full size 357. I have carried a Berreta 22lr more then any other cal or gun. cci stingers rated for 1640 fps always cycle it and are loud enough to scare anything off. I have 380 and 32 auto. love em both. would carry a 380 and smile, no over penetration of that cal. it's a comfort, size, recoil and personal preference. worst thing you can do is carry something uncomfortable due to pressure from others.

 

[Rustyt1953]

I am new to the group...

Welcome. We are glad to have you here with us.

 

[Texas Star]

What will a .380 do?

YouTube

Hmmm... Buck Model 105 Pathfinder knife! I have one and like it.

 

[zeke]

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.........

Taller, Fatter, Older: How Humans Have Changed in 100 Years | Live Science

It certainly appears that in alot of places, people have actually gotten taller over the past 100 years. And certainly heavier (fatter). If just considering physical size, one might reasonably believe humans are indeed harder to stop than 100 years ago in US.

Have several 380's, and appreciate the caliber for conceal-ability. Especially the small thin ones, historical older versions and the newer Glock 42. Locked breech 380s have minimal recoil, while maintaining some stopping power. Fixed barrel versions can have a lot of recoil for their size, but can be very accurate.

More than caliber, perhaps it still boils down to your willingness to use it, reliability and proficiency.

 

[chief38]

With the new sub-compact pistols like the Sig P365, Glock 43 and new offering from SA there isn't much of an excuse any more to say a 9mm is too bulky or large to carry.

 

[ContinentalOp]

With the new sub-compact pistols like the Sig P365, Glock 43 and new offering from SA there isn't much of an excuse any more to say a 9mm is too bulky or large to carry.

Except none of those can be pocketed as comfortably and discreetly as a small .380, like the LCP. Maybe some people can carry those in a pocket without issue, but some people can't. Larger guns/calibers work better for some, but not everyone. Everybody has different situations or circumstances.

 

[chief38]

Except none of those can be pocketed as comfortably and discreetly as a small .380, like the LCP. Maybe some people can carry those in a pocket without issue, but some people can't. Larger guns/calibers work better for some, but not everyone. Everybody has different situations or circumstances.

I carry a P365 in a DeSantis Nemesis Pocket Holster and find it easier to pocket carry than my M60-7. It's 17.8 ounces empty and is a very smooth profile. I don't own an LCP so I don't know the comparison, however I am aware that it is small and light. That said, we are also comparing 11 rounds of 124 grain +P 9mm to .380 with a 7 round capacity, lighter bullet and slower velocities.

Not looking to start an another .380 argument here and it all comes down to what you are comfortable with, how your shot placement is, and what person is the one getting shot.

If you have your .380 with you 100% of the time and you would leave a heavier gun home sometimes then that trumps everything else.

 

[Sgt911]

Interesting chart at the bottom
Handgun Caliber Doesn't Matter

 

[mk70ss]

I love my Browning BDA .380. Shoots great, well made, and 14 rounds of quality ammo is what I consider to decently armed.

 

[Echo40]

Adequate* "stopping power"** in a small, lightweight, ease-to-conceal in virtually any attire package.

Basically, you get the power of snubnose revolver loaded with standard pressure 158gr .38 Special in a package that is thinner, smaller, lighter, and with more ammo capacity.
That's a bit of an oversimplification, but that's the gist of it.

*I say that it's adequate, because for anything but fantasy combat in which one can overcome the massive disadvantage of fighting multiple armed assailants in the street all by their lonesome by simply bringing more gun, it is indeed adequate, but then again, James Bond handled similar fantasy combat situations with a .32 PPK, so...
**I use the term "stopping power" for lack of a better term, please refrain from writing an essay on how there's no such thing.

 

[BC38]

Interesting chart at the bottom
Handgun Caliber Doesn't Matter

All interesting stuff - especially the number of hits to incapacitate. From that number alone one would think that the 22LR is about as good as it gets.

Looking at the entry/exit holes chart/graphic is pretty interesting too.

The thing I find funny is that the statement below the graphic says
"Handgun bullets make holes. No more, no less. Some holes are slightly bigger than others, but when you really start comparing diameters of the popular handgun calibers, we’re not talking orders of magnitude of difference

However, when you compare the exit wounds of the 22 and the 45 you ARE talking at least one order of magnitude (10x) and almost two orders of magnitude (100x) since the 45 exit wound appears to be close to 100x bigger than the 22 exit wound. Even the hole made by the 357 looks to be at least 10x bigger (one order of magnitude) than the one made by the 22

 

[BAM-BAM]

Well it's 2020...... but I started carrying in 1978.

Available 9mm's were full size guns like the S&W39, Walther P-38, Browning HP...... .45s were almost all based on the 1911 either full size or Commanders.........

"Smaller" 9mm were guns like the Sig 225, Walther P-5 a short barreled P-38 and the HK P-7 ( a revolutionary and very expensive design)

.380s were the only true compact autos..... guns like the .... Walther PPK and PP..... Beretta 70S and 84s.

In the 80s cut down 39s became the first compact 9mm in the form of ASPs Trapper and Devel conversions...... Auston Buhlert (sp) even offered a cut down Compact Hi-Power.

My early (70s and 80s) "Suit guns" were a Beretta 70s which became a Walther PPK/s finally a .380 PPK.

It wasn't until the 1990s that Smith introduced the Compact 3913 in 9mm.

 

[BC38]

Well it's 2020...... but I started carrying in 1978.

Available 9mm's were full size guns like the S&W39, Walther P-38, Browning HP...... .45s were almost all based on the 1911 either full size or Commanders.........

"Smaller" 9mm were guns like the Sig 225, Walther P-5 a short barreled P-38 and the HK P-7 ( a revolutionary and very expensive design)

.380s were the compact autos like the .... Walther PPK and PP..... Beretta 70S and 84s.

In the 80s cut down 39s became the first compact 9mm in the form of ASPs Trapper and Devel conversions...... Auston Buhlert (sp) even offered a cut down Compact Hi-Power.

My early (70s and 80s) "Suit guns" were a Beretta 70s which became a Walther PPK/s finally a .380 PPK.

It wasn't until the 1990s that Smith introduced the Compact 3913 in 9mm.

All true, but FWIW, I believe that Star beat S&W to creating the compact 9 with their M43 Firestar - Guns & Ammo Handgun of the Year in 1991.

 

[BAM-BAM]

All true, but FWIW, I believe that Star beat S&W to creating the compact 9 with their M43 Firestar - Guns & Ammo Handgun of the Year in 1991.

SCS&W p.300 the 3913 was introduced in 1989......... the 469 a double stack cut down 59 was IIRC about 1983 or 84.

IIRC the Star was a small single action...... 1911ish looking ..... all steel..... heavy as heck 9mm

 

[Buford57]

I own a Remington RM380 which replaced a High Standard .22 Mag derringer as my "when I can't (or won't) carry anything bigger" gun or a backup to something bigger. Tripling the round count for a 25% increase in width was a good trade for me.

I pocket carry a 642 or a Shield 9mm under certain circumstances but don't consider them true pocket guns in all carry situations. The .380 is.

 

[BC38]

SCS&W p.300 the 3913 was introduced in 1989......... the 469 a double stack cut down 59 was IIRC about 1983 or 84.

IIRC the Star was a small single action...... 1911ish looking ..... all steel..... heavy as heck 9mm

That's more than I knew about the 3913 or 469. You said
"It wasn't until the 1990s that Smith introduced the Compact 3913 in 9mm"
in your previous post - which is where I got the idea that the Firestar may have come first since I know it came out in 1991.

I know what I do about the Firestar because I have one... and your description is spot on - all steel, heavy, very 1911-ish in form and function. The weight really soaks up recoil and makes them a great shooting little gun though...

 

[BAM-BAM]

That's more than I knew about the 3913 or 469. You said
"It wasn't until the 1990s that Smith introduced the Compact 3913 in 9mm"
in your previous post - which is where I got the idea that the Firestar may have come first since I know it came out in 1991.

I know what I do about the Firestar because I have one... and your description is spot on - all steel, heavy, very 1911-ish in form and function. The weight really soaks up recoil and makes them a great shooting little gun though...

Sorry didn't mean to imply a put down...... while the 3913 was introduced in 1989 they weren't very common until the 90s.....I'm pretty sure it took me until early to mid-1990 for me to get one in Harrisburg Pa.

Edit: IIRC the 6906 was more common at first (and I quickly traded my 469 for one) ...........everyone wanted a hi-cap 9mm ...... me I'd been wanting a chopped 39 for at least 6 or 7 years.

Remember reading about the Firestar..........and was kind of hot for one until I got the chance to hold one........ to me like the 4516 it was sized right but way to heavy (compared to the 3913 I had) for concealed carry.

 

[BC38]

Sorry didn't mean to imply a put down...... while the 3913 was introduced in 1989 they weren't very common until the 90s.....I'm pretty sure it took me until early to mid-1990 for me to get one in Harrisburg Pa.

Remember reading about the Firestar..........and was kind of hot for one until I got the chance to hold one........ to me like the 4516 it was sized right but way to heavy (compared to the 3913 I had) for concealed carry.

No problem, no need for apologies. I wasn't offended - just explaining my thinking.

The Firestar definitely requires the right holster to carry concealed, due to its weight. At 30 ounces it is 5 ounces heavier than the 3913, 5 ounces lighter than the larger Star BM9, and roughly 3/4 the weight of a full-sized 1911 (39 ounces).

 

[BAM-BAM]

Was looking up dates in the SCS&W 4th.................

The 6906 was introduced a year earlier than the 3913..... 6906/04 were first offered in 1988...... again IIRC a lot of the early guns went to Police Dept.s