Are .380's a Ripoff?

[mistergus75]

Was at WallyWorld tonight. Saw Winchester ammo in both 9mm and .380, same FMJ type. Was easy to compare apples to apples, they were side by side.

A box of 100 9mm FMJ target ammo was $19.99, box of 100 .380 (same type, FMJ) was $31.99. Twelve dollars more than the 9mm, for the same type ammo!

Now...380 guns are a lot cheaper than 9mm guns, obviously that appeals to people (first time gun buyers?), but shooting them is much more expensive. So unless you just carry a .380 and never practice with it, over the long term, a 9mm is a lot cheaper to own.

Question...since the effectiveness of a .380 is so questionable, and the ammo costs so much more, why do people carry them instead of, say, a sub-compact 9mm?

mistergus75

 

[Purple]

I carry a .380 because I haven't found a sub compact 9 that is truly light weight and as compact as the Ruger LCP or S&W Bodyguard I carry. As far as ammo goes, the cost of the ammo can be a bit more than the 9, but not so much that I consider it too much to practice with on a regular basis.

The other reason I like my .380 is because I often have pain and stiffness from arthritis, and the .380 doesn't compound it by its weight or recoil.

 

[Jay]

Most, not all 9mm's generate much more recoil than .380's.... especially in the polymer guns. Caliber only comes into play AFTER the shooter hits his/her target.

 

[captsam54]

Supply and Demand......

 

[Sheldon]

you want pricey try some .357 sig......

 

[lukem]

I carry my Ruger LCP when I can't fully concealed my Glock 26. And living in Florida where my dress code is usually shorts, t-shirt, and flop flops I tend to grab the Ruger LCP when I head out the door more latelty.

 

[-06]

Reload them and cost fades into insignificence. The reason I carry a 380 instead of a 9mm is because I like the slower moving round. I call them "mini 45s". Lots of countries still use the 380s as their side arms. Lots more use 9mms. I like the idea of "dumping" most of a rounds energy into the target instead of shooting through them.

 

[RJT CCW]

For several reasons.

1. Because the manufacturers can

2. Due to the lower manufacturing quantities

3. Due to the increased popularity of the .380 for pocket / discreet carry

Add it all up and the price of .380 ammo has always been higher then comparible 9mm ammo. Just think how hard it was to find .380 a year of so ago. That came about due to increased demand for the .380 and a lack of production... IMHO

 

[Oldgrunt]

For several reasons.

1. Because the manufacturers can

2. Due to the lower manufacturing quantities

3. Due to the increased popularity of the .380 for pocket / discreet carry

Add it all up and the price of .380 ammo has always been higher then comparible 9mm ammo. Just think how hard it was to find .380 a year of so ago. That came about due to increased demand for the .380 and a lack of production... IMHO

A year ago, the local gun shop was charging $50 for a box of .380 ammo. I later found the same ammo at $20 a box. Needless to say, I loaded up on it. I hate paying high prices but I knew when I started with guns nothing would be cheap. Gotta pay to play!:laugh:

 

[santa]

I have wondered the same thing only the question is why are 410 shotgun shells twice as expensive as 12 gauge. Anybody have the answer to that? But in the case of $50 vs $20 I guess it pays to shop around. And it is true, 'you play you pay'.

 

[SGB]

Supply and Demand......

This ............ people that carry .380's tend to shoot them a lot less then folks that carry 9mm.

 

[father-of-three]

I believe it has been a fairly recent accomplishment that the .380 caliber "technology" has been able to be put to the size a gun that used to be only found in the .25 caliber or smaller. I paid $25 for a box of 50 aluminum blazer CCIs in 2009, because that's all I could find, without excessive travel or postage. The walmarts near me had no ,380 in 2009, and I stopped there often! Happily, things are better now!

Several calibers, including .45 and .32 cost about the same as .380 cartridge. Like mentioned above, the 357 sig will cost you even more! I assume the the .45 GAP is up there too in price. I like the economics of the 9mm cartridge (with a little help from NATO), but I like even better the concealability of .380 pocket guns.

It's no rip-off in my book!

 

[mistergus75]

This ............ people that carry .380's tend to shoot them a lot less then folks that carry 9mm.

Seriously, why do you think this is? Are more .380 owners casual carriers who just like something easy to carry "just in case", rather than "head to the range" types who enjoy shooting?

 

[mistergus75]

That and 9mm is a military caliber that is made in bulk for some big orders. This drives the unit cost for making 9mm ammo down quite a bit. 380 is not used as a military caliber and does not get the same type of bulk treatment.

I appreciate this answer. Makes alot of sense.

 

[Sheldon]

For several reasons.

1. Because the manufacturers can

2. Due to the lower manufacturing quantities

3. Due to the increased popularity of the .380 for pocket / discreet carry

Add it all up and the price of .380 ammo has always been higher then comparible 9mm ammo. Just think how hard it was to find .380 a year of so ago. That came about due to increased demand for the .380 and a lack of production... IMHO

You forgot that the .380 is very popular (because it is legal) in Mexico and they are grabbing up all they can.....

 

[father-of-three]

You forgot that the .380 is very popular (because it is legal) in Mexico and they are grabbing up all they can.....

Yes. In countries like Mexico, the citizenry are prohibited from having anything larger that a .380, as they reportedly want their military to have larger calibers and larger guns than their citizens.

You will notice this line of thinking trying to take hold in the United States...

 

[Peacefulpatton]

Supply and demand

 

[Manta6]

Blame the Judge for 410 prices.

 

[SC Tiger]

Seriously, why do you think this is? Are more .380 owners casual carriers who just like something easy to carry "just in case", rather than "head to the range" types who enjoy shooting?

I would suggest that most .380s now are so small that they are not very fun to shoot, and honestly some of the smaller ones can't stand as many rounds as a full-size 9mm. You can take a Glock 9mm to the range with 200 rounds and have a fun day. If you take a Ruger LCP to the range with 200 rounds you're going to have a sore hand and 100 left-over rounds.

 

[Switch]

I believe it all boils down to convenience in carrying. Both weight and bulk are the main reasons for the smaller semi-autos. As long as you match the right ammo to the reason for carrying a person should be on good ground, ie, if you carry for personal protection, carry ammo that will expand on contact for maximum stopping power.