Is it enough for self-defense: .380 ACP?

[haywood]

My thought is have a gun you can shoot accurately. Use ammunition that has a good reputation for doing what is needed. Carry it always. Practice a few times a year.

 

[Biggfoot44]

In a spirit of generosity, I marked maybe . I'm not voluntarily getting shot with one, better than nothing, better than .22lr, etc .

But I am outspokenly .380 hater , even for it's supposed purpose , spoken by a former user . Too many better choices even for its intended role .

Micro 9mm way more potent.
For a smaller than 9x19 semi, I affirmatively prefer .32acp . Better control , better accuracy, better penetration , and bullet type for bullet type nearly identical real world results .

And of course , a .38spl J frame , for all the obvious reasons .

 

[Muss Muggins]

I think it's plenty of gun, but this comes from a fella' who occasionally carries just a NAA .22 WMR . . .

(Of course, your self defense goals may vary . . . )

 

[joeintexas]

Sure wouldn't be my first choice but for a "get off me" caliber I feel it would get someone's attention. I just feel more comfortable with something that makes bigger holes.

 

[Rastoff]

Is the .380Auto cartridge powerful enough for self-defense? Yes.

Is there a gun chambered in that cartridge that is reliable? Not that I've found.

Personally, I think a snub nosed revolver would fit that bill much better.

 

[7shooter]

A man was killed by a .25 in a trailer park about a mile from my home. It was a dispute over a card game. It was a contact shot to the chest. The week before one of the players was stabbed in a similar dispute. No one would tell the police who had done the stabbing.

 

[Bill Bates]

Would a .380 be my first choice as a personal defense handgun, no. Then again there have been times in the past where I have carried a .380. I guess you could say I was willing to bet my life that if I did my job a .380 would do its job.

Of course a .380 that you will carry is always better than carrying nothing. A handgun you won't carry is pretty much useless, no matter the caliber.

I work on the other side of the counter selling firearms. Over the years I have sold hundreds os .380 pistols. In the majority of case it was to a person that wasn't that much of a gun person. That person tends to see that little pistol and go grab I can toss it my purse or pocket and nobody will no I have a handgun. I try to educate them as to why that little .380, all be it a choice, may not be the best choice. (that goes for purse carry too which I really oppose). I usually recommend they find a place to try a number of handguns before making their choice. Sometimes the buyer takes the advice and often they don't. One of the reasons I tend to not recommend .380 pistols is they seem to be more sensitive to limp wristing than some other calibers. That might be due to the shooters that buy them, often female or just maybe there is some physics involved with holding on to a little pistols, the caliber and the energy it creates or the speed of the round.

Okay that was a bit of a ramble. Most of the time, except on the mountain, I carry a .45 acp Shield. I'm very confident in the caliber. That isn't why I carry that particular pistol. I carry it because its ergonomics fit my hand, I shoot it very well and it conceals well. If Smith & Wesson made a 9mm Shield that was the exact same sizes as the .45 Shield I would likely carry it because it would hold more rounds. If I had no other choice but that same pistol in .380 would I be willing to carry it, yeah sure. (yes I had a 9mm Shield and it was okay but the .45 fits my paw so much better I parted ways with the 9mm)

And on the mountain, after years of carrying a transition .S&W 1926 3rd. Model, these days I carry a 4 inch Model 19. I shoot both very well and I confidence the calibers will do the job. I stopped carrying the .44 because I would feel horrible if the .44 ended up collecting dust on an evidence room shelf.

Okay forgive typos, left out words and the thought wandering.

and of course a photo

 

[6518John]

A man was killed by a .25 in a trailer park about a mile from my home. It was a dispute over a card game. It was a contact shot to the chest. The week before one of the players was stabbed in a similar dispute. No one would tell the police who had done the stabbing.

This sounds like one heck of a card game—for some reason I doubt they are playing Old Maid or Rook.

 

[Gundalow]

Zack Robinson was a notorious Harlem drug dealer. At the time of his arrest he allegedly pulled a long barrelled revolver. As a result, he was shot several times, I believe 7 of the hits were from an agent shooting a .380. Robinson looked at the Agent with the .380 and allegedly said, “mister, please stop shooting me with that little gun of yours.”

While not present, I believe the story is completely accurate as I knew one of the agents involved. Another agent present was shot and killed in the line of duty before I got to know him.

One of the .380 bullets allegedly castrated Zack.However, most agents in NYC stopped carrying .380s after this incident.

 

[double-dipper]

I had a 380 with me today when I went to town. Put it in my pocket and didn't think twice about if it was enough gun or not. I would rather have any gun than no gun!

 

[Arman4461]

.380ACP-Is it enough

During shorts and a t-shirt weather, I carry and practice with a Ruger LCP loaded with Gold Dots. Maybe they will penetrate and expand, maybe they will act like hardball. I use a Sticky holster in my strong hand front pocket. Can I draw and shoot in 1.5 seconds? Only if I have my hand in my pocket, which is where it will be if I maintain a semblance of situational awareness. The LCP is completely reliable, with over 1500 rounds thru it and no failures. If I watch the front sight, it is headshot capable past 15 yards, but I am used to shooting a snub M19. You gotta hold hard and practice. Perfect? Nope. Capable? Enough so that I use it instead of just relying on my Pocket knife. In long pants weather I pack a Combat Commander .45ACP. GOOD ENOUGH FOR D-DAY.

 

[sw282]

l picked up a Glock 42 and a 3'' 629 in a trade recently. Both are quality

examples of their perspective calibers.. l have always felt penetration

was the most important for a handgun boolit. Am thinking about maybe

carrying the little 42 and give my old Chief Special a rest.. The Glock is

nice enough in my pocket without the bulge of the Chief Special and 12''

penetration should be adequate.. May get around to shooting it next week

 

[SuperMan]

I carry a .380 when I can not carry something bigger. For me it makes a lot handier pocket gun, when using a Kahr P380, than a Snubby... And I don't think there is any practical difference between a .38 Special and a .380.

My GF carries the same Kahr P380 as anything larger is just too bulky for on the body carry...better she always has that with her than the 9mm Compact that would stay at home too often...

Bob

 

[smithman 10]

The goal of self defense is to stop the threat.

I heard tell of a study that said 90% of attackers when shot with any caliber (including a .22) stopped their attack, not wanting to be shot a second time!

Anyone ever read such an article?

 

[Echo40]

The goal of self defense is to stop the threat.

I heard tell of a study that said 90% of attackers when shot with any caliber (including a .22) stopped their attack, not wanting to be shot a second time!

Anyone ever read such an article?

Yeah, it was actually widely publicized at the time, and has come up regularly ever since, so I'm honestly surprised you didn't at least hear about it until now.

Google; "An alternative look at handgun stopping power" for starters. There were a few others like it, but that's the first one that comes to mind.

That being said, like most conclusions based upon statistics, the results are hopelessly skewed due to the sheer numbers of popular cartridges, ergo it ranks .22LR & .32 ACP the highest in terms of successfully stopping a threat among handguns, and ranks .380 ACP as equal to .357 Magnum, but that's most likely because pretty much everyone owns a .22 pistol and .380 ACP has seen a huge resurgence in popularity since the release of the Kel-Tec P3AT.
It also concludes that a double tap from pretty much everything will stop a threat like 88% of the time.

However, it does go to show that the vast majority of people do not enjoy being shot by anything and that bullets in general are potentially lethal, so contrary to what some folks insist, being on drugs does not in fact make 100% of addicts into fearless killing machines who have absolutely no problem with being shot.

 

[Grayfox]

I'm quite fond of the .380. I've grown to love it because I'm a big fan of many of the pistols chambered for it.
Almost daily I carry a Colt Mustang XSP during my daily exercise walk. Small, light and with its poly frame and stainless slide, its about as sweat proof as a gun can get. I'm completely confident that if needed, it'll get the job done.

 

[Bozz10mm]

A 380 would not be my first choice, but I believe it would be adequate in a self defense situation. I voted yes, even though I don't own a 380.

 

[robertrwalsh]

Assuming you can hit with it, assuming you have a decent load and assuming the trolls are not wearing too much clothing it is, IMHO, marginally-minimally adequate. (For what my opinion may be worth to you.)

 

[Whitwabit]

My grand father never had any gun other then a 22 and
his freezer was always full of game .. From deer down to ground
hogs and squirrels ..

So yes a 38 is enough But it all comes down to accuracy ..

 

[Protected One]

Is the .380Auto cartridge powerful enough for self-defense? Yes.

Is there a gun chambered in that cartridge that is reliable? Not that I've found.

Personally, I think a snub nosed revolver would fit that bill much better.

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