Easy to cock?

I'd much rather have her using a 9mm than a 380. Of course, that is just because I personally wouldn't go smaller than a 9mm.
Ultimately she will be the one who chooses her gun. But when we went to the store and asked about something easy to cock we just got some guy who couldn't be bothered wave us off saying that all the 9mm were going to be the same because of the spring. So his poor attitude and unwillingness to work with us has put her off trying even though she still really wants one.

I used to think the exact same way about not carrying anything smaller than a 9mm, but even an old dog like me can change his mind.

The .380 -aka- (9mm Short) is a 'very effective' self defense round with the right ammo.

I'm also sorry to hear about your bad experience with the douchebag at the gun store who couldn't be bothered with you 'potential customers'.
May I suggest finding another reputable arms dealer?

Best of luck. :)
 
I am actually looking into getting my wife a charter arms 38 +p for her to have at home with her when I'm out on fire calls or at work all she needs to do is load cylinder and pull trigger
 
Care to cite some professional research that substantiates that claim.

SURE!
Here's a good comparison,
2 slow motion ballistics gel videos showing both the 9mm & the .380 acp.
The video's don't lie.

Here's the .380


Stupid thing won't allow me to put 2 videos on one post for some stupid reason.
I'll add the 9mm video on the very next post following this one.
 
Here's the 9mm video........


As you can see, both calibers are very similar upon impact of the ballistic gel.
 
Those videos do make me feel better about getting her a .380. She said it hurt, but she was able to cock my .40 with that alternate method. But she like the .380 because she wants something smaller so she can carry it in her purse.
 
My other half had trouble racking the slide.
She could do it but what if during a panic situation the second shot misfires or jams. Now she has to rack the slide under high stress.

She now carries a judge public defender poly.


Sent from my HTC Evo 4G using Tapatalk
 
Care to cite some professional research that substantiates that claim.

I asked for professional research and you post a couple of video's with no supporting documentation. This is hardly what I asked for.

How was the 20% gel calibrated? What was the depth of penetration? how far away from the media was the round fired from. What was the bullet expansion? What ammunition was tested? What was the test gun? How many times was this repeated? How did the same test with clothing in front of the gelatin fair in comparison? How was this information using 20% gelatin test media quantified as comparable to human tissue??????????????? Again, your videos are lacking in information necessary to make an educated evaluation of their worth and hardly qualify as answering my question.

You've made a pretty bold claim as to the effectiveness of the .380 for use as a self defense cartridge, nothing I've read or seen substantiates your claim. Dr. Roberts (one of the leading terminal ballistic experts in the world) has posted that the .380 is inadequate as it gives unreliable penetration and expansion. BUG's: .380 ACP vs. .38 Sp - M4Carbine.net Forums

Handguns chambered in .380 ACP are small, compact, and generally easy to carry. Unfortunately, testing has shown that they offer inadequate performance for self-defense and for law enforcement use whether on duty as a back-up weapon or for off duty carry. The terminal performance of .380 ACP JHP's is often erratic, with inadequate penetration and inconsistent expansion being common problems, while .380 ACP FMJ's offer adequate penetration, but no expansion. All of the .380 ACP JHP loads we have tested, including CorBon, Hornady, Federal, Remington, Speer, and Winchester exhibited inconsistent, unacceptable terminal performance for law enforcement back-up and off duty self-defense use due to inadequate penetration or inadequate expansion. Stick with FMJ for .380 ACP or better yet, don't use it at all. The use of .380 ACP and smaller caliber weapons is really not recommended for LE use and many savvy agencies prohibit them.



From Buffalo Bore Ammunition

380 Auto +P Pistol & Handgun Ammunition

380 Auto +P Ammo - 100 gr. Hardcast F.N. (1150fps/ M.E. 294 ft. lbs.) - 20 Round Box
The 380 auto inhabits a valuable and useful place in our society, mostly because of the easily concealable, tiny pistols chambered for it. HOWEVER, because of the very limited size of the cartridge, it is plagued with limited power and therefore most of the existing ammo in 380 auto suffers from not being reliable as a man-stopper. We've studied and played with nearly all of the existing available 380 ammo and find it wanting as a reliable means of self defense, especially against a large, insane, drugged up/pain free, determined attacker.
Here's the problem. The current 380 auto frangible ammo delivers a large amount of surface trauma, but lacks serious penetration. For example, if you shot me or another sane man in the face with modern frangible 380 ammo, it would blow off a big portion of my cheek and send a few teeth down my throat, I would undoubtedly fall to the ground in shock and pain, but I would be very much alive and functional if I could get past the shock and pain as that frangible bullet would have stopped some where inside my face, never making it to my brain. However, if you shot a drugged up maniac in the face with that same frangible 380 ammo and blew half his cheek off, he would keep right on coming because he is insane and is not thinking like you or I. Plus, he is likely pain free and fear free and wont know that half his cheek is missing and if he did know, he would not care. So whatever 380 ammo you shoot him in the face with, had better go through his face and blow his brain stem out the back of his head, because only a CNS (central nervous system) hit with a 380 is going to stop him. Likewise, a torso hit to the sternum needs to penetrate deep enough to blow all the way through his spine in order to shut him down spontaneously. If you fail to shut him down instantly, you and your loved ones are going to have to find a way to survive while you wait for him to bleed out and pass out. The best chance of survival for you and your family is to shut down the attacker instantly. So, we've designed a few 380 auto +P loads to keep you and your loved ones alive under the worst of scenarios.
This 380 Auto+P ammo will better all American made 380 Auto ammo by 150 fps to 200 fps in all bullet weights we make. This is a serious improvement in this typically anemic cartridge. This 380 auto+P ammo is more powerful than the typical 38SPL ammo made by most American ammo makers and you'll get 7 shots of it in a small/flat/light weight 380 versus 5 shots out of a bulkier 38 SPL J frame revolver. Additionally, with the 380 you'll get much faster reloads and the little magazines are flatter than a speed-loader used for a J frame.
Item 27A/20 is a 100gr. HARD cast bullet with a flat nose. It is traveling over 1,150 fps out of my 3.75 inch BDA (Browning Double Action). We've used a flash suppressed powder for all three of our 380 auto loads so that you wont be blinded by your own gunfire if you have to shoot in the dark and since around 95% of all civilian shootings in America occur in low light, the chances that your own gunfire will blind you while you are trying to save your life, are good - we've eliminated this variable by using flash suppressed powder. We've also chosen a flat nosed solid bullet. The flat on the nose ensures that the bullet will cut/smash its way through flesh and bone and do much more destruction than typical round nose FMJ bullets. Round nosed bullets tend to slip and slide through matter, doing little damage as opposed to a flat nosed bullet. The flat nose not only wounds much more than a round nosed bullet, but it actually keeps the penetration straight and thus deeper. Notice the below velocities recorded from my personal 380 auto pistols. These are real world guns and thus the speeds are realistic and not exaggerated speeds produced from laboratory test barrels. What you see with Buffalo Bore Ammo, is truly what you get in the "real world", where it matters. You can expect 20+ inches of straight-line penetration in flesh and bone with this load. If you are worried about over penetration with this load, DON'T! You chose to carry a tiny under-powered 380 auto pistol and the trade-off is that you are now going to have to stay alive with that pistol and over penetration will be the least of your worries if you end up needing this gun to save yourself or your family.
1. BDA-3.75 inch barrel--- 1160 fps
2. Walther PPK-3.5 inch barrel-----1149 fps
3. Colt Mustang Pocket Lite-2.75 inch barrel---1072 fps
4. Keltec---1061 fps


***************************************************************************************************************

So do I listen to them or do I listen to you sir? I eagerly await the opportunity to evaluate your information that substantiates an opposite point of view.
 
After further research it looks like there are two schools of thought. One saying you need more power to cause more damage, and one saying you need more speed. I personally think that the answer lies somewhere in the middle which is why I went for a .40. But I talked to an ccw instructor today, and he seemed pretty confident that the .380 would be fine for personal defense and stated that he prefers a smaller caliber.

But this is all opinion so I will state the two things I have learned to be fact: 1st, I probably won't know for sure if a .380 is adequate unless my wife is unfortunate enough to have to use it. And 2nd, my wife will be a lot safer with a .380 she can use well than with a 9mm she has a hard time handling. So she'll get the gun that she wants, and then we'll make sure she knows how to use it to the very best of her ability.

She is pretty set on a .380 at this point because she absolutely does not want a revolver. So we're going to the range on Tuesday so she can try some out.
 
Good on you for letting her decide. I enjoy my .380 a lot because of my small hands, but my G19 is equally easy to operate too without hitting on the nerves of my wrist like my G23 does at times. When I went to the NRA Convention here last month I went to the Glock area and that is what the expert guy told me, that the G19 will be much preferable for my hand. He further said that most people who want smaller calibers will always go for the smaller gun not realizing it has more kick than the normal sized one. He recommended a G19 for me because of the thinner grip. We went to Top Gun later and rented one. I find it really interesting and bought a brand new one of the G19. Love both of it, the Bersa and the 19.
 
My wife has expressed interest in carrying, so I'd like to get her a new gun. Trouble is she has tendinitis and so a lot of guns are too hard for her to cock. Does anyone have any ideas or suggestions that might help us out?

Thanks!
If it's a hammer fired auto she likes, like the 1911, just cock the hammer first taking tension off the mainspring, should make pulling the slide twice as easy.
 
Easy as this, get a revolver.

Or get her a Beretta Tomcat .32 you load the first round into the flip up barrel and the rest are from a mag.
 
There are companies that make products that attach to the slide and give the user more mass to grab allowing for easier action. Have you looked into something like this for her gun?
 
Ultimately she chose a little Bersa .380. It's really easy for her to cock and use. There was a Walther that didn't bother her wrists as much with the recoil. But she went with the Bersa because she was a much better shot with it. I had her try a few 9mm guns, but the recoil hurt too much. But being able to hit her target is far more important than the difference between a .380 and a 9mm, so I think she made a great choice.
 
Bersa Thunder .380 is an excellent choice, they are accurate and dependable, plus the recoil isn't bad.
Load it with Corbon Pwrball or Hornady Critical Defense ammo. I carry a Bersa .380 IWB and trust it
completely.
 
My wife has expressed interest in carrying, so I'd like to get her a new gun. Trouble is she has tendinitis and so a lot of guns are too hard for her to cock. Does anyone have any ideas or suggestions that might help us out?

Thanks!

Anytime you rack the slide, (woman, man, old fart, etc.) place your hand over top of the rack and grab a hold (gross motor skill) and then with the strong hand, push the gun forward while grabbing the slide backwards. This helps immensely. Also, you want to practice with gross motor skills, because in an ugly situation, your fine motor skills will be gone.

So with that in mind, go to the gun shop and have her practice racking the slide on a few semi-automatics and find out from her what feels comfortable. If she's looking for a smaller gun, the P238 from Sig Sauer is very easy to rack.
 
My wife has expressed interest in carrying, so I'd like to get her a new gun. Trouble is she has tendinitis and so a lot of guns are too hard for her to cock. Does anyone have any ideas or suggestions that might help us out?

Thanks!

Get her a Ruger LCR .38. Easy,smooth trigger press, light weight, no cocking.
 
My wife has expressed interest in carrying, so I'd like to get her a new gun. Trouble is she has tendinitis and so a lot of guns are too hard for her to cock. Does anyone have any ideas or suggestions that might help us out?

Thanks!

Get her a small DAO (double action only) pistol. Perhaps the Kel-Tec P-32 os similar handgun. No cocking and very reasonable trigger pull.
 

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