Should the 380 be discouraged as a CCW ?

[bugsbunny45]

I was just on another site and they state they would delete any discussions that promote a Mouse gun or 380 as a CCW choice. I actually had to read that twice.
I am new to CCW but have owned and shot guns all my life and actually had a FFL for a number of years. I look at a person CCW choice as something they must decide.
Is the 380 the perfect choice no is it better than nothing yes. I personally carry the Bersa 380cc . Its not as scary looking as the .45 I carry at times but the380 will get the job done.

I am so glad we have Texaschlforum where we can talk about all CCW choices.

I think of it this way. I does you no good if you leave it in the house or car.

[PostShooter]

I would have no prob carrying .380 with the right ammo (I would prefer Hornady Critical Defense) and shot placement.

[Beiruty]

caiber is a persnal choice. 90% there is no pressing reason to go with anything smaller than 9mm. Any mouse gun can kill at blank point ranges however mostly are used in assinations and killing up and closse and not in self-defense scenarios. subcompact 9mm is plenty powerful big capacity small enough to carry it in a smart carry.

[hirundo82]

I think that .380 definitely has a place in one's CCW armamentarium, especially with the proliferation of small .380 pistols designed for concealment and the improvements in .380 defensive ammo that has come along with the cartridge's rise in popularity for self-defense. I don't have a .380 yet (I have a .38 that fills a similar role), but I will be getting one if campus carry passes.

I don't see a role for centerfire handgun cartridges smaller than .380 for concealed carry. While cartridges such as .32ACP and .25ACP had a role in the mouseguns of the past, the guns they are chambered in aren't any smaller than .380's we can get now.

[Ameer]

I don't see a role for centerfire handgun cartridges smaller than .380 for concealed carry. While cartridges such as .32ACP and .25ACP had a role in the mouseguns of the past, the guns they are chambered in aren't any smaller than .380's we can get now.

What 380 isn't bigger than a LWS 32? Maybe it's a small difference but the same with comparing 380s with the micro-nines.

[USA1]

First of all, I would never discourage anyone from carrying a. 380. I did for a long time.

However, I struggled with the thought that it just didn't have the stopping power that I felt a self defense gun should have.

For personal reasons I have since chosen my minimum caliber to be .38special +P with .45 being my first choice.

[The Annoyed Man]

First of all, I would never discourage anyone from carrying a. 380. I did for a long time.

However, I struggled with the thought that it just didn't have the stopping power that I felt a self defense gun should have.

For personal reasons I have since chosen my minimum caliber to be .38special +P with .45 being my first choice.

This...

I voted for the third item, but even though I own two .380s and on extremely rare occasion carry one of them, it is not my caliber recommendation to anybody who asks. I recommend .38 Special +P as a minimum standard for revolvers and 9mm as a minimum standard for semi-autos.

[philip964]

Which rule is it that in a gun fight you must have a gun. For many a 380 is all they can comfortably carry. What bothers me the most about my 380 is not the size of the bullet (which is 9mm in dia. by the way) but it is the fact that it only has six shots and I don't shoot such a small gun that accurately.

[bugsbunny45]

The more I read on the other site the more I go Oh MY. I did a search on 380 and was reading some of the post here is one I came across.

"Welcome to the forum. You may want to reconsider the carry of the P238, as .380 is generally considered "not enough gun". Should you decide to continue its carry, most would appreciate that it not be mentioned on this forum per the TOS.
Once again, welcome"..

Very anti 380 carry

[The Annoyed Man]

Which rule is it that in a gun fight you must have a gun. For many a 380 is all they can comfortably carry. What bothers me the most about my 380 is not the size of the bullet (which is 9mm in dia. by the way) but it is the fact that it only has six shots and I don't shoot such a small gun that accurately.

Your answer, btw, is exactly why I chose #3. But while a 9mm and a .380 may share the same diameter, they do not share the same power. The .380 is certainly better than no gun at all, and it is certainly better than a .25 or a .32. And a P3AT (which is what one of my .380s is) is very flat and easy to conceal; and they are very inexpensive as far as guns go.

Still, .380 is not the caliber I recommend to those who have the means to carry more than that, and who are new to the CCW world. The way I see it, if you're going to be restricted in capacity, which a lot of the little .380s are, then you might as well go for something that conceals almost as easily, has similar capacity, and packs a lot more punch - like an alloy framed 5 shot revolver rated for .38 Special +P. Make mine a scandium framed .357. Still only 5 rounds, but 5 rounds that almost certainly will take the fight out of a man if you hit him. A .380 may not. It might, but the margin seems a lot narrower to me. I'd rather have more certainty by being able to hit a lot harder if I do hit.

[hirundo82]

I don't see a role for centerfire handgun cartridges smaller than .380 for concealed carry. While cartridges such as .32ACP and .25ACP had a role in the mouseguns of the past, the guns they are chambered in aren't any smaller than .380's we can get now.

What 380 isn't bigger than a LWS 32? Maybe it's a small difference but the same with comparing 380s with the micro-nines.

The LWS .380 is the same size, which was kind of my point--if you can chamber a gun in .25 or .35 Auto, you can probably chamber it in .380 so why not get it in the more powerful caliber. Granted the LWS38 costs $300 more than the LWS32, but if you're looking for a mousegun on a budget you aren't looking at Seecamp, you're looking at Kel-Tec and Ruger.

[G.A. Heath]

For me anything that makes a 9mm hole is the minimum for carry. 19mm is the absolute minimum case length I will carry as a primary gun with 17mm being the shortest case length I will tolerate for a Back Up Gun (bug). So, in my case, a .380 is relegated to the role of a BUG. I typically carry a .45 as a primary, but on occasion I will carry a .40 or a 9mm as a primary. Now the role of a primary handgun is to give you a chance to fight your way to a rifle or safety. The purpose of a bug is to give you options if you need to get out by the skin of your teeth. Any carry weapon needs good ammo, but that doesn't mean that an even smaller caliber handgun will not work if its the only thing you have. Remember the .380 is not ideal for self defense, just like the 9mm, the .38 special, the .40, and even the .45. The reason they are not ideal is because they are handgun calibers which are unsuited for serious self defense use. Since we are already carrying handguns instead of rifles we are already willing to compromise, the only question is how much are we willing to compromise.

[cbr600]

The LWS .380 is the same size, which was kind of my point--if you can chamber a gun in .25 or .35 Auto, you can probably chamber it in .380 so why not get it in the more powerful caliber. Granted the LWS38 costs $300 more than the LWS32, but if you're looking for a mousegun on a budget you aren't looking at Seecamp, you're looking at Kel-Tec and Ruger.

Hold on a second, pardner. From what I can find, the LWS 32 is 0.86" wide but the LWS .380 is 0.91" wide. That's the same width as the Rohrbaugh 9mm, based on the specs I saw. I know width isn't everything, but the point is that the same arguments for preferring .380 over .32 can be used to argue for 9x19 over 9x17. (e.g. nearly double the muzzle energy for a small increase in gun size)

While it's good to encourage people to carry enough gun, handguns are marginal fight stoppers. Granted, some are less weak than others, but where to draw the line is a personal decision. Providing information to allow people to make an educated decision is commendable. However, let's avoid second guessing someone else's choices, especially if we haven't run a marathon in their shoes.

[5thGenTexan]

Is a 380 adequate for self defense? It depends on the situation.

One or two assailants with a bat, knife, or other close quarter contact weapon, yeah most likely with six rounds of 380.

Multiples armed with handguns no, at that point I want more rounds, bigger holes and a clear path out of the area with some very solid cover.

[surprise_i'm_armed]

IMHO, I think part of what this caliber debate boils down to is
related to some people's perceptions that a gun in a larger
caliber is "too big to carry," hence they look to the .380 as being
the answer since it's "more concealable".

Heck, the difference between a smaller gun in smaller caliber
and a larger gun in a larger caliber is in the eye of the beholder.
1911's are "too big" for some, yet many 1911's are carried everyday
without issue, breaking concealment, or being uncomfortable.

I happened to choose my first carry gun in 9mm because I knew
it was a "big enough" caliber, with high fps, and for which it was
easy to find ammo. The pocket carry ability was necessary in
my work world.

As I have carried more and read more on the forum, I see a .45 in
my future. I want to go bigger (at least when I'm off work) and
am not enamored with the .380 cartridge. If someone needs shooting,
they might as well meet a .45.

Sure, a .380 could kill your attacker and I find many .380 pistols
ergonomically appealing, but I think if you are going to go "small gun",
go with a single stack .40 or .45. You will go up minimally in gun
thickness, but have a much stronger round.

By the way, I think that other forum is pretty close-minded to say
"Welcome, but we don't need no stinkin' .380's".

SIA