is .380 enough gun?
- Thread starter AvidshooterTX
- Start date
Rocketgeezer
New member
I guess I have yo agree with you, but still, i just can't trust a 380 on its own, like you I do carry one, but only as a back to the Sig 40 or Glock......the only other ***** I have with most 380s is that most people, not all, but the majority will buy the little gun, fire off a mag full or two, then it go's in the pocket and all but forgoten about, and these people feel safe, probably never even cleaning it, you may get away wit a Glock that way, but some of those little pistols, are just not nothing I would trust
David Manley:241438 said:
No. And 1 gun fight proves nothing. How about the thousands who've died from something as small as 22lr? Just a fluke? Sorry cowboy but you live in a fantasy world and I pray you don't miss with that first shot, lining up the second might just be the end of it!
Firefighterchen
OC for Tactical Advantage
Rocketgeezer:241781 said:
You dont need to guess..there is nothing wrong with agreeing with me muahaha
I have not met anyone who pocket carries and doesn't clean it on a regular basis, but i can see where that happens. I don't understand the "it's so comfortable I forget about" it mentality when it comes to any aspect of firearms. Especially with pocket carry, cleaning is crucial!!! I practice with both my firearms I carry, 60/40 primary/secondary. I absolutely love shooting my p238.Recently I have been around a couple 300+ lb 6'2" giants (who were being very abusive verbally to their wives, it was pretty sad to see) and I had a bad thought run through my mind. That thought was, "my .380 probably would stop him, I know my .40 would stop him." In the end there are some places I can't go with my .40, and I will rely on my .380, training, and aggression if I am ever on the recieving end of a giant. The lack of confidence I had in my backup against someone that size was a bit disturbing, luckily I don't see giants like that around very much.
David Manley:241438 said:
Ruins you're credibility....that is a completely false statement, I hope no one reads that and believes it.
B2Tall
Stirrer of the Pot
Is a .380 enough gun??
No. You need at least a 9mm.
No. You need at least a .40.
No. you need at least a .357.
No. You need at least a .45.........a .44mag........a .500 mag......
There's always going to be somebody who's gonna tell you to carry a bigger gun. Carry what you feel comfortable shooting. I'm pretty sure no threat has ever said "That's only a .380. They don't hurt".
No. You need at least a 9mm.
No. You need at least a .40.
No. you need at least a .357.
No. You need at least a .45.........a .44mag........a .500 mag......
There's always going to be somebody who's gonna tell you to carry a bigger gun. Carry what you feel comfortable shooting. I'm pretty sure no threat has ever said "That's only a .380. They don't hurt".
HunterLee
HunterLee
Even though I usually carry a Kimber/Colt/Para/Springfield/FN in 45ACP, and yes sometimes an M&P 40, or even my SIG 229 (a 9mm); the statement that 1 (one) round from either a 45 or 357 Mag (with Hornady "TAP" ammo) and "it's over" is so far fetched and delusional, I question the true intent/meaning that the author was trying to convey with his statement. We know that if someone (anyone) is coming after you, they are obviously not in their right mind (or they would not be attacking). Maybe they are doped out on drugs, skitso, or whatever, they are not in their "right minds". That being said, their have been many accounts given by American servicemen (in Iraq & Afghanistan) where they fired into and hit; not 5, 10, or even 20 rounds into an enemy, but 100's of rounds, so much, that "chunks" of meat were flying off, and they kept coming at them. They were so doped up and hyped up that they continued the assult/attack. Yes, of course they were dead. They knew they were dead (or going to die), and continued attacking (killing American Servicemen as they did). My post is not to argue the 5.56 mmm round and its lack of kinetic energy; but only to point out that a fanatically determined Bad Guy (and ANY Bad Guy should be considered a fanatic) is probably not going to stop from 1 (one) gunshot wound (unless it is an incapacitating/killing wound), then you would either be extremely lucky, or a sniper. Their are also many store vidios that show gunfights where the BG's run out of the store and get away (after being shot up), only to have the police find their bodies 2 or 3 blocks down the road. You shoot a BG with a .380 or even a 9mm, prepare to be in a gunfight; because if they can shoot also, what makes you think they wont?
Rocketgeezer
New member
At present I'm carrying a 40 cal Glock and a 1911 Colt, but I sure as hell would never want to be shot by a 380 at any range, and in case nobody thinks about it, ANY gun your carrying is better than none at all..........except maybe a 25...IMHO you would do more damage to a BG if you hit him with the gun instead of shooting him with it
wizard
New member
I would think, and have done a lot of research, that the lowly .380 is a contender in the CC arena due to the type of bullts that are made today. The bullets of yester year were poor man stoppers, these new hollow points give the .380 some bite. I would not think that a .380 is a poor choice, unless you are in bear country, Then something larger would be appropriate!
I carry a Bersa Thunder .380 loaded with 7 + 1 of Hornady Critical Defense and I feel fine with it. I believe if I hit someone center mass once or twice they will stop. Sure a .40 or .45 in center mass most likely puts them in the morgue, but if my .380 drops them in pain so they are not a threat, that's fine with me, if they live maybe they will think twice before bothering people.
And a .380 will penetrate a person's skull, two women near Seattle were both killed with 1 round from a .22 pistol to the head at close range. So I believe a .380 will work also.
:dirol:
And a .380 will penetrate a person's skull, two women near Seattle were both killed with 1 round from a .22 pistol to the head at close range. So I believe a .380 will work also.
:dirol:
SGB
New member
That's the kind of (Too much Hollywood) thinking that can get you killed.
It is logical thinking. Most people with one or two rounds of .380 in center mass are gonna lose their desire for a fight.
If not you keep shooting. But usually one or two in center mass and they are running or on the floor. When many bad guys realize they are shot they get very worried. There may be one once in awhile who still wants to fight, but as I said, if so keep shooting. Actually you have it wrong, in Hollywood movies bad guys get shot too many times and keep fighting. In real life they would be on the ground bleeding. Sure there is the tough, maybe drugged up guy who once in awhile fights like a Marine taking a beach-head, but he's not the majority. Most want to commit their crime and be gone.
:victory:
If not you keep shooting. But usually one or two in center mass and they are running or on the floor. When many bad guys realize they are shot they get very worried. There may be one once in awhile who still wants to fight, but as I said, if so keep shooting. Actually you have it wrong, in Hollywood movies bad guys get shot too many times and keep fighting. In real life they would be on the ground bleeding. Sure there is the tough, maybe drugged up guy who once in awhile fights like a Marine taking a beach-head, but he's not the majority. Most want to commit their crime and be gone.
:victory:
maine04619
New member
I would give you this little wisdom. The 22lr has killed many folks over the years. The .380 is larger. Do not worry so much about the round your using and spend more time practicing. Anybody who tells you the ,380 is to small and will not stop a bg ask them if you you can shoot them with it I woudl bet you get ZERO volunteer. Do not forget to take into account modern defensive loads the .380 across the sea is known as the 9mm short. So if a 9mm is good the a slightly shorter 9mm should be as well. Of course If your shots fly true and hit there mark bigger is going to do mare damage. Carry what you feel comfortable with and as long as you TRAIN and learn to use it well your fine.
gunnerbob
PEW Professional
It's not really a fad... the .45acp is only four years older than the .380acp... but I get what you're saying, lol.
surviiivor1
New member
I just purchased an LCP and Hornady Critical Defense ammo after a lengthy discussion with my local gun store owner/Vietnam vet. I have had issues with a stalker in the past and refused to end up a victim. After discussing several options we decided the .380 was a good size for me to conceal and packed enough punch for what I hope to never need. I did consider the LC9 and may make it my next purchase but for now the LCP just seemed like it fit my hand better and the lighter weight was less obvious if I carried it in my coat pocket. In the long run I think you have to be comfortable with your choice and practice to the point where you don't have to think about what you're doing. I'll never forget the owner's last words as I left the store, "I hope you never have to use it but if you do kill him."
Argyraspide
US Army, Retired
Lowly, hell! I carry everyday a Beretta M1934 .380 ACP service pistol from WW2 I inherited from my father, who brought it home from the war. He carried it in a pocket for years when he tended bar in a rough neighborhood in Ohio in the late '40s. I've shot hundreds of rounds of FMJ without any problems at all, and at fifty feet can easily put all seven rounds in the head of a human silhouette target. Just producing a gun at all is sufficient as protection in a great many cases of self-defense. The pistol is a beautiful reminder of the care and sense of artistry given to weapons-making back then. It is made of the highest grade steel, blued, rugged and wholey reliable.
