Teach me about the .380 caliber

[model70hunter]

In 4000 GSW autopsies, I have never seen a .25 cal projectile fail to penetrate the abdominal musculature. It must have been some very old bad ammo!

medxam

The age of the ammo was discussed, it was old.....

 

[bluegrassarms]

Sure it's better to hit the bad guy with a bigger caliber if possible, but sometimes you can't conceal carry a bigger option or you simply aren't a good shot with it and don't have good control. A 45 shot on his pinky wont' stop him, it has to be accurate too. If you can put the 380 on target in the center mass your ability to deliver the rounds more effectively has trumped the ballistics.

IMO you carry the gun you WILL CARRY, b/c the worst possible option is to get one big and bad enough but leave in in the safe a lot b/c it won't fit your carry needs. If a 380 is the biggest that works for you IMO you by all means carry it with pride.

I usually carry a 60-9 or SP101 with 357 magnum so I like powerful calibers, but sometimes I cannot manage the j frame carry and when I don't I carry the Kel Tec P3AT. I have a PF9 but the 380 is definitely smaller and works in pockets where a j-frame won't. I carry more punch when I can, but sometimes you take what you can get.

It absolutely will stop someone if you hit them in the right spot, and a P3AT or LCP is plenty accurate to empty it into the center mass at 5 or 7 yards quickly.

If you ever need a carry gun the guy won't be 7 yards off in all probability, he'll be within a few feet, close enough to smell his breath. At that range control of the weapon is crucial. Put 380 in his chest and you've got as good a chance as you'll probably get in such a scenario. Sure 45 or 357 would be better but a 380 is capable enough to carry for that situation. It's infinitely better than carrying nothing.

I will say I haven't seen a reason to go below 380 b/c you can't get much smaller a form factor by going down but I shoot 357 in a j frame round butt so 380 is comfortable to me, but if you can't shoot 380 well and can shoot 22 magnum all day long, maybe that's the option for you.

 

[alwslate]

Thanks Erich. It looks like the old standby WWB flat nose FMJ is still the most logical choice.

I have chronographed many rounds of domestic 95 gr FMJ
380 ammo and the WWB flat nose consistantly runs about
50 fps slower than Remington and Federal RN in my guns and that's why it's not my favorite. Interestingly in my penetration
tests in wet newsprint the Win FN stays point forward while
the RN bullets tumble every time.

 

[mjpshoots]

This is a very interesting thread. Sitting here in the Peoples Republic of NY havng my coffee and reading all these perspectives on .380 verses Bigger Cals. I shoot for pleasure at a local range. I focus in on my target hitting abilities. I use .380, 9mm (just got a SW469 Semi), .38 spl and .357 Dan Wesson. They all put a hole in paper and usually where i point it.
I'm in sales , not LE, so my training is elementary with firearms. With that said, I have noticed more breakins in my area which has had me thinking: which gun would I use to face a burgular in the middle of the night after bing waken up from a sound sleep without my glasses and my heart beating out of my chest and my shorts getting stained? With all the cals available one would think that making a choice would be hard. (not to mention the legal fees one would incure for defending oneself).
the choice is not that difficult at all. Go to the range with what you have and practice. which ever cal and gun you feel most comfortable with and confident that you can hit intended target with is the one you choose for protection. Remember, lead traveling at 950 fps is going to hurt no matter in .380 or 9mm.

 

[Florida J Frame]

This is a very interesting thread. Sitting here in the Peoples Republic of NY havng my coffee and reading all these perspectives on .380 verses Bigger Cals. I shoot for pleasure at a local range. I focus in on my target hitting abilities. I use .380, 9mm (just got a SW469 Semi), .38 spl and .357 Dan Wesson. They all put a hole in paper and usually where i point it.
I'm in sales , not LE, so my training is elementary with firearms. With that said, I have noticed more breakins in my area which has had me thinking: which gun would I use to face a burgular in the middle of the night after bing waken up from a sound sleep without my glasses and my heart beating out of my chest and my shorts getting stained? With all the cals available one would think that making a choice would be hard. (not to mention the legal fees one would incure for defending oneself).
the choice is not that difficult at all. Go to the range with what you have and practice. which ever cal and gun you feel most comfortable with and confident that you can hit intended target with is the one you choose for protection. Remember, lead traveling at 950 fps is going to hurt no matter in .380 or 9mm.

My answer to your middle of the night question is a shotgun. A handgun is what you use to fight your way to a real gun. All handguns are questionable stoppers. A 12 ga normally ends the fight with one round. Just one man's opinion.

 

[mjpshoots]

Well, given that logic, i would not disagree. I thought we were talking about .380 verses larger cals and not rifle verses handgun.

Here, up it north, a shotgun might seem alittle excessive to some folks. you know, messy.

 

[KKECK5]

How many .380 FMJ overpenetration cases have you worked on?

I can tell you that I have worked on three shootings in which .380 JHP failed to penetrate adequately.

I AGREE, my pocket carry at times is a Sig P238 .380. Takes 6 in the magazine and one in the barrel. Because of the penetration issue of JHP ( i use Hornady Critical Defense ) i also alternate my rounds with Remington UMC 95 grain FMJ. Just my way of CYA.