.380 Underpowered for self defense?

[handog]

I feel secure with my mouse gun. It certainly doesn't replace my G36 but sometimes it is more practical to carry like when I go to the gym, church or riding my Harley . I know some think the .380 is inadequate but after two in the chest and one in the head I can't see the bad guy saying that's only a .380. Is it a false sense of security?

[shortysboy09]

I feel secure with my mouse gun. It certainly doesn't replace my G36 but sometimes it is more practical to carry like when I go to the gym or church. I know some think the .380 is inadequate but after two in the chest and one in the head I can't see the bad guy saying that's only a .380. Is it a false sense of security?

I find myself carrying my Bersa a lot more since it's just so much easier and lighter. It all will come down to shot placement I suppose. I am confident that mine can protect me though.

[Medic218]

I'm very confident with my Mustang. Only at short distances though. I'm not sure I'd throw one down range more than 15 or 20 feet. But anything under that distance I feel I could hit if needed. I actually want a new carry .380 so I can retire the Mustang.

[A-R]

.380 is the smallest I will carry, and I don't carry it often. But when I do need to carry my pocket gun, I am secure that I can fend off a violent threat long enough to escape/retreat. Is it going to drop a bad guy dead right there? No, but then again neither is a .45 out of a 5-inch 1911 (at least not EVERY time) - heck even two to the chest from a 5.56mm carbine doesn't drop every bad guy every time.

My own personal ammo testing has showed that with the right load even the lil Ruger LCP size pistols can pack a respectable wallop - penetrating clothing and 14+ inches of water in plastic jugs and expanding respectably. Doesn't rival the results of a .40 or a 9mm+P load, but gives me some piece of mind that it will at least make a bad guy think twice about continuing to advance forward.

If the choice is .380 or nothing. I'll carry .380 every time.

[glbedd53]

I have a Sig P-230 but church or gym is about the only place I carry it. Lately I've been keeping it in my wife's console in her car anyway. I used to keep Magsafes in it all the time because they were suppossed to be so awesome but then I started reading negative things about them. Since then it's mostly Hydra-shoks. Short barrels make a borderline caliber even worse.

[cougartex]

If the choice is .380 or nothing. I'll carry .380 every time.

[foo.c]

I call it marginal.

If you do carry a .380, look at all the ballistic tests you can. IMO, FMJ is superior to JHP in the .380 because it has better penetration.

[Embalmo]

I call it marginal.

If you do carry a .380, look at all the ballistic tests you can. IMO, FMJ is superior to JHP in the .380 because it has better penetration.

.380 is an effective SD round only if you use a good JHP. Do your homework some JHP aren't JHPs like the Monarch brand. I'm a Speer Gold Dot JHP myself.

Embalmo

[handog]

Thanks for the info. Gold Dot JHP is what I have in my gun. I still wonder if it doesn't deserve a better than nothing rating I get from other posts, especially after shooting it.

I tried to sneak the .380 past the warden but she spotted it on the bank statement. Looks like I should have went with the Cahr pm9

[karder]

The vast majority of self-defense situations are going to be at close distances. The .380 certainly adequate for this duty so I think you can carry with confidence. If you pulled a .380 on me I wouldn't keep advancing on you, but maybe that is just me. Most street thugs are not big in the bravery department so I think you will be okay with anything you can shoot accurately.

[Dusty Harry]

My Kahr P380 is my constant companion. In a perfect world, it would by my Kimber CDP II, but we don't live in perfect, and that's why we have .380's. Realistically, carrying a larger gun isn't always practical, but with the .380, there is nothing short of my birthday suit that I can't conceal it under, with comfort to the point of actually forgetting about it. Let's face it, concealing larger guns is 'a process' that not everyone is willing to undertake each time we step out the door. I can stick the .380 in the waistband of my jeans or in the pocket of a pair of shorts or khakis and it will stay there all day if I need it to. It's the only gun I have that actually works well in an ankle rig.

As with any tool, you just have to adjust your techniques and mindset appropriately. For example, the idea of a double-tap has been replaced with "empty a mag full of CorBon JHPs" (assuming I am faced with a single assailant). At 200 ft-lbs per round X 7, it's approaching the equivalent of a round of 12 guage 00 buck. In terms of shot placement, the gun is accurate enough and the sights are good enough that I can confidently place precise shots at 7-10 yards, and center of mass at realistic immediate threat distances. Life with a .380 is good (and infinitely more comfortable and practical).

[CC Italian]

Well I carry a .380 Bersa and I don't feel underpowered but shot placement really really matters. My father's friend was robbed at gun point a few months ago and shot in the stomach with a 9mm once. He said at no time was he unable to move. The most crippling thing was the pain. He said it is indescribable!!! Granted if he was shot in the chest it would have been a different story but the only time he lost conciseness was when the ER put him under for surgery. I know there are many so called tests on stopping power. What I can tell you is that from personal experience a 10mm, .357 mag to a deer or large boars chest area is in my experience a one shot stop and quickly at that. A 45 will usually drop them fast to but sometimes they move a few feet and then drop. All of these bullets didn't just stop the animals but killed them within a few seconds. Shot placement is still the most important thing but if a 10mm, .357 or .45 is enough for a thick muscle wild boar or deer with a thicker hide then a human then its enough for me to carry with the idea that I put the bullets in the chest or head. Just my 2 cents.

[Venus Pax]

I usually carry a .380.

[MechAg94]

I have a Kel-Tec P32 I carry sometimes. If the choice is a 380 or nothing, then the 380 is a good self defense tool.

[joe817]

I usually carry a .380.

Me too.