is .380 enough gun?

You all DO realize that the FPE only applies to the circumference of the ACTUAL bullet with regards to penetration and damage?
400....500...or lowly 200fpe is not going to Blow someone off their feet right?
It only relates to the crush path and potential to damage bone in a very small diamiter.
I don't think you need 400+FPE to penetrate clothing, sorry.
 

Stan45 do you know what caliber the Berlin Police use? I know years ago they carried a .32 acp but I imagine now they have moved up to either a .380 or 9mm?

I was in Berlin 3 times in 2009 and they carry what appears to be at the very least 9mm. They were full size Sig Sauer models but I never actually asked what calibur they were. Many times however I witnesed a pair of police, one toting along a HK MP5 and the other only with his side arm.
 
They do now but from turn of the century the 32 acp was a popular euro round,about the most common caliber in the trenches of ww1.
WW2 ,not only was the 32 ACP (7.65 Browning) the second most issued pistol cartridge in the Whermacht after the 9x19, but it remained a major, if not the most popular police cartridge in post-war Western Europe. That changed after 1972 (Munich Olympics) and the switch to 9x19 as the police caliber.Think kevlar.
Europeans load it a tad hotter as most pistols of that era have tad longer barrels and not looked down upon over there.PP means police pistol ppk means police pistol detective.Fiocchi and or s and b obtain 160- 179 fmj -205 jhp fpe (13 in penetration)out of a 3.2 in ppk.Highly touted corbin 160 fpe and out of a short tomcat 132 fpe.We just dont load it as hot and tend to make or use 130 fpe guns,light plastic and short barrels.
Also most europeans could not own in private hands above a certain caliber 9mm being restricted to military use and now military and police.
Gun sales soared after reelection,but un sanctions would most likly not ban hand guns just restrict calibers,it would not in many judges eyes and that is what supreme court is made of be against the 2nd amendment to say what type or kind can be owned privately.
Meaning you can keep your lowly 32 acp or possibly 380 but your 9mm and above could be scrap.
Surely a large hole is or causes damage,but a small accurate one does as well,most 32 acp like the pp ppk size one can place all in a pie pan at 30 ft and empty the mag in about 3 seconds,and I dont know about the rest of those who carry smaller guns I shoot for only the head(on targets).
The 380 and below can be effective weapons.
All the 44 magnums and 45 acp in the world wont do you any good if it becomes a weapon you cannot own privately.Yet can bear arms just with lower calibers those higher being for police or military use.Think it cant happen,look at cali,new jersey,ny laws they restrict amount held like 10 rds and under and what an sks is considered an assault weapon or can be.
Due to that 2nd amendment we will always be able to bear arms as long as it is viable and we exist,yet some might want to restrict what is carried,or even owned.
The 380 being at the top of that ladder would be and is an effective caliber,and would also be a fairly safe bet on being able to keep it if it all turns sour.
 
I always recommend that new CCW people start with a .380 and I tell people who are recoil sensitive to try the .32 acp.
This allows them something they can control and if later they want a larger caliber they can move up. I think many people underestimate what a bullet does in thinking that people can throw off the effects of being shot easily and continue fighting. Most people when shot, even with a .32 or .380 are scared and will stop fighting or try and run. If the shot is placed well enough they may simply go down.

:triniti:
 
I always recommend that new CCW people start with a .380 and I tell people who are recoil sensitive to try the .32 acp.
This allows them something they can control and if later they want a larger caliber they can move up. I think many people underestimate what a bullet does in thinking that people can throw off the effects of being shot easily and continue fighting. Most people when shot, even with a .32 or .380 are scared and will stop fighting or try and run. If the shot is placed well enough they may simply go down.

:triniti:
Very good advice, still I hesitate at a recamendation of the very small guns as they are difficult to aim well, true most are up close guns that are not really ment to be sighted and aimed, just pointed and shot, but the larger 380, such as the Walther, Bersa are excellent starter gun choices, enough bang to get the job done, very light recoil, but big enough to have a good fell and do well with at the range, I say this because the small stuff, LCP, TCP, Smith Bodyguard, and some other are so small and light, they will bother new shooters to the point of ether the gun gets traded or left at home and never carryed
 
no, it's not. Start with a .22, and save 30c a shot over .32 ammo cost. Same poor level of stopping power, but lots more practice. Yiou don't want to be on the receiving end of a pellet rifle, either. Does that make the pellet rifle a manstopper? Believe me, if you want to BET some REAL money on the effects seen on say, some large feral dogs, 380 vs a REAL 9mm load, I'd be happy to take your money.
 
no, it's not. Start with a .22, and save 30c a shot over .32 ammo cost. Same poor level of stopping power, but lots more practice. Yiou don't want to be on the receiving end of a pellet rifle, either. Does that make the pellet rifle a manstopper? Believe me, if you want to BET some REAL money on the effects seen on say, some large feral dogs, 380 vs a REAL 9mm load, I'd be happy to take your money.
Will you be training to shoot feral dogs by tossing pop cans in the air and shooting them?
 
I Carry .380 all day. I keep special Hollow hydra shocks for the cc times in my life. MY FIXED BARREL WALTHER PPK FULLY STAINLESS WILL DELIVER WITH TIGHT GROUPING ANY TIME. So in my case .380 handles my worries unless there is 7 threats in this situation. :nono:
 
One thing I have found to be true while checking post on this forum is guys not so much women but the dudes will keep asking the same question till they get the answer they want to hear, as I don't have anything else to do at the moment, anybody can carry whatever cal weapon they wish, a 380 will kill, so will a 22, a 25 I doubt it as has been said any gun is better than no gun, anybody that thinks that has never shot anything but paper with a 25, and I honestly think you would better off with a 22 with stingers than a 32, and if anybodys interested I carry ether a 380 TCP or a NAA 22 mag in my pocket all day everyday, but that's only in addition to a compact 1911 on my left hip and a G-27 on my right, with extra mags in the cars consol
 
I could be wrong, but I've heard that more people have been killed by the .22 than any other caliber.
 
I carry either a .380 or a .32 and have confidence in them. Not sure why anyone would want a .22LR over a .32 pistol?
The .32 loaded with FMJ will go thru 4 layers of denim and penetrate 14 inches of ballistic gel. To me that is pretty good
efficiency. For many years the .32 was used in Europe, Police used it as did some Armies. The .32 acp has killed many people.

The .380 is an underrated gun also. A man shot a burglar once in the chest with a .380, burglar died. People have actually
brought down wild hogs with a .380 also. People need to understand shot placement. I guess some people don't have confidence in their shooting ability so they want a .40 or .45 that will do as much damage as possible. Just remember if you don't put that .40 or .45 in a good place the bad guy may still shoot at you. Argue all you want about calibers, but the real
deal is shot placement.

:victory:
 
Is .380 enough? Why wouldn't it be? There was a killing here in town last year with a Ruger LCP .380. Proof enough. I carry a .380 as my primary weapon, I like it.
 
Only thing I have against .22 is the inherent unreliability of rimfire cartridges. I read an article about the difficulties of producing rimfire ammunition, .22lr in particular that stuck with me. I know most shoot just fine but I will stick to centerfire for defense. I carry a .40sw, but am thinking of getting a .380 for summer carry/pocket carry.
 
I personally would prefer a 9mm or .45 ACP but if a .380 was the largest caliber that I could achieve multiple hits with that's what I would go with. Needless to say using high quality JHP ammo. In the last CCW class I taught for our gun club 4 of the 11 students had .380s as their EDC.
 
My wife has an LCP. It's fun to shoot. Easy to conceal. But I have my reservations as well. I wonder if I should try some hollow points and would like to see some penetration tests. It is so small that accuracy can be an issue. I can hold a three
inch group at 30 ft. but not easily. It takes a lot of work and time that I may not have. It is so small and short that it does not point well, but as a real self defense gun, that is, less than 10ft. I think it'll do fine.
 
My wife has an LCP. It's fun to shoot. Easy to conceal. But I have my reservations as well. I wonder if I should try some hollow points and would like to see some penetration tests. It is so small that accuracy can be an issue. I can hold a three
inch group at 30 ft. but not easily. It takes a lot of work and time that I may not have. It is so small and short that it does not point well, but as a real self defense gun, that is, less than 10ft. I think it'll do fine.
My wife and I also had LCPs, and a inch group at 30ft is very good, but I highly doubt you or I or just about anybody else is going to do that while being shot at by a BG, we traded ours for Taurus TCPs they just seemed to have a better feel than the Rugers, but as you said in any case they are both a up close and personal gun
 
First and most important, have a gun that you can handle.
Second shot placement.
In my opinion after you have met the first Two requirements it is strictly your choice.
 
My wife and I also had LCPs, and a inch group at 30ft is very good, but I highly doubt you or I or just about anybody else is going to do that while being shot at by a BG, we traded ours for Taurus TCPs they just seemed to have a better feel than the Rugers, but as you said in any case they are both a up close and personal gun

I LOVE my Taurus TCP! It's a bit of a handful but I could shoot that thing all day long!
Features for a pocket gun are outstanding as well.
Chamber loaded indicator on the extractor
Slide stays open after last shot and it has a built in locking mech! Fun fun fun!


Sent from behind enemy lines.
 

Members online

No members online now.

Forum statistics

Threads
49,519
Messages
610,639
Members
74,977
Latest member
ShooterSupply
Back
Top