Should the 380 be discouraged as a CCW ?

[heeler]

I have been carrying my Diamondback .380 for almost a year now.
Fully loaded it weighs a whole 12 ounces and has pretty good sights.
It disappears once put in my RKBA pocket holster dropped in my pocket.
I recently bought a Kahr PM9 and am currently researching various holsters for it.
As small and light as it is it still does not conceal the way my micro .380 does.
Would I want to get into some blazing gun fight type of jack pot with it...NO!!!
But I would not want to with ANY gun.
Better to have it than nothing.
And for those wanting to know something a little more postive on a .380 then read Chris Bird's book "The Concealed Handgun Manual".
There's a very interesting story of how a guy in San Antonio not once but twice took down some bad hombres with his .380 and he was dealing with guys using a 45 ACP,12 gauge shotgun,and a .357.
He came out on top,they didn't.
A very interesting read.

[Excaliber]

For example, given the same velocity, a lighter bullet will have less momentum and will thus lose velocity more quickly than a heavier bullet when it encounters resistance, thus delivering less penetration despite the same initial velocity and diameter.

Given the same velocity, a lighter bullet has less kinetic energy. Thus, it appears energy is one factor, but not the only factor.

That is exactly correct. Kinetic energy affects penetration and, given identical projectiles and targets, more initial energy will produce more terminal penetration. However, the stopping effect is achieved through physical damage to the target, not through "energy dump".

[The Annoyed Man]

Here is a test scenario:
You were at home sitting in front of the TV with a 45 ACP, a 9mm and a .380 ACP on the coffee table. You are thoroughly familiar with each of the three pistols, they are equally reliable in terms of function, and you shoot well with each one.

• Question 1: If a kick burglar comes through your front door, which pistol would you choose to fight with and why?
  Question 2: Absent compelling circumstances, why would your daily carry gun be different?

This. That is why even my "BUG" is a .357. If I had no other gun of greater power, I would rather carry a .380 than not carry a gun at all. But that is not my dilemma, so I don't carry a .380.

[Sheepdawg]

Man, I hope it's not to be discouraged. I just got one as a backup or to have when carrying my "real gun" is difficult, e.g., jogging, etc.

[tacticool]

Here is a test scenario:
You were at home sitting in front of the TV with a 45 ACP, a 9mm and a .380 ACP on the coffee table. You are thoroughly familiar with each of the three pistols, they are equally reliable in terms of function, and you shoot well with each one.

• Question 1: If a kick burglar comes through your front door, which pistol would you choose to fight with and why?

None of the above. I'm grabbing the AR in that situation. If the AR is not in reach, I'll grab whatever pistol is closest and use it to fight my way to the AR.

[03Lightningrocks]

I look at the pocket 380(Kahr,LCP,Keltec...what ever) as a better than nothing solution. I dress in a manner that is real easy to conceal most of the time. My son wears clothing a bit tighter and fitting. He likes the pocket pistol.

[03Lightningrocks]

Here is a test scenario:
You were at home sitting in front of the TV with a 45 ACP, a 9mm and a .380 ACP on the coffee table. You are thoroughly familiar with each of the three pistols, they are equally reliable in terms of function, and you shoot well with each one.

• Question 1: If a kick burglar comes through your front door, which pistol would you choose to fight with and why?

None of the above. I'm grabbing the AR in that situation. If the AR is not in reach, I'll grab whatever pistol is closest and use it to fight my way to the AR.

My AR is not readily available. My .40 Glock is. So is my shotgun if I am in my bedroom. Even if my AR or shotgun were readily available, a situation where you are being rushed by the badguy may not allow for utilization of a long gun. A handgun can be brought to play much quicker in most cases than a long gun.

[G.A. Heath]

If I am attacked and all I have is a .380 then I will wish I had a 9. If I have a 9 then I will wish I had a .40. If I have a .40 then I will wish I had a .45. If I have a .45 then I will wish I had a rifle. If I have a rifle then I will wish I had a rifle with the word magnum somewhere on the barrel. With it continuing onwards. No matter what I have on hand, when I need it I will want something bigger/badder/better. For me the .380 is a BUG, and my primary carry will always by 9x19 or larger but I will not discourage anyone from carrying a gun, even a .22, but I will encourage them to consider something with a bit more mass/energy.

[Texas_Tactical]

Man, I hope it's not to be discouraged. I just got one as a backup or to have when carrying my "real gun" is difficult, e.g., jogging, etc.

First off, Welcome to the forums hope you like it here.

Second, Don't be discouraged at all. It's a purpose specific gun. Just as I mentioned in my post I carry a .380 in certain situations where a large gun just won't do or I feel it's not worth carrying a larger gun or just can't. Again don't be discouraged because I think anyone would rather pull a .380 and point it at the bad guy than yell and give him mean looks.

[Sheepdawg]

^Thanks for the welcome!

[zero4o3]

Man, I hope it's not to be discouraged. I just got one as a backup or to have when carrying my "real gun" is difficult, e.g., jogging, etc.

First off, Welcome to the forums hope you like it here.

Second, Don't be discouraged at all. It's a purpose specific gun. Just as I mentioned in my post I carry a .380 in certain situations where a large gun just won't do or I feel it's not worth carrying a larger gun or just can't. Again don't be discouraged because I think anyone would rather pull a .380 and point it at the bad guy than yell and give him mean looks.

+1, I carry my 380 as my main weapon every now and then. I make a point to not be lazy and carry it when I could carry my 40 though.

[Excaliber]

If I am attacked and all I have is a .380 then I will wish I had a 9. If I have a 9 then I will wish I had a .40. If I have a .40 then I will wish I had a .45. If I have a .45 then I will wish I had a rifle. If I have a rifle then I will wish I had a rifle with the word magnum somewhere on the barrel. With it continuing onwards. No matter what I have on hand, when I need it I will want something bigger/badder/better. For me the .380 is a BUG, and my primary carry will always by 9x19 or larger but I will not discourage anyone from carrying a gun, even a .22, but I will encourage them to consider something with a bit more mass/energy.

G.A. Heath has put this very well, and I agree.

The only thing I would add is to adjust one's tactics to what one is carrying.

You don't have the same options with a .22 as you do with a .357 Magnum or a .45.

[The Annoyed Man]

Here is a test scenario:
You were at home sitting in front of the TV with a 45 ACP, a 9mm and a .380 ACP on the coffee table. You are thoroughly familiar with each of the three pistols, they are equally reliable in terms of function, and you shoot well with each one.

• Question 1: If a kick burglar comes through your front door, which pistol would you choose to fight with and why?

None of the above. I'm grabbing the AR in that situation. If the AR is not in reach, I'll grab whatever pistol is closest and use it to fight my way to the AR.

Well yes, me too. But a lot of people do have pistols, and they don't have AR15s, and this thread is about the advisability of .380 ACP - a pistol caliber - as a carry weapon caliber. I know that it's perfectly legal to carry my loaded AR15 around, but in downtown Grapevine, that's likely to get me arrested even so.

[03Lightningrocks]

Well yes, me too. But a lot of people do have pistols, and they don't have AR15s, and this thread is about the advisability of .380 ACP - a pistol caliber - as a carry weapon caliber. I know that it's perfectly legal to carry my loaded AR15 around, but in downtown Grapevine, that's likely to get me arrested even so.

If you scare the wrong cop, it might even get you shot.

[Katygunnut]

I personally would not recommend a 380 as a primary CCW. I would recommend it as a back-up, and I own one that fills that role for me. Since a new CHL holder is probably asking about a primary weapon, I answered that I would discourage a 380.

Regarding forum rules, I have been active on a number of forums covering various topics over the years. Most forums have rules and some ban certain topics for whatever reason. There generally are alot of egos involved on forums and people naturally gravitate to like minded folk. This means that most forums will not be a one size fits all scenario. If it concerns me too much, I just find another forum.

I actually started out on the forum you mentioned, and I also thought it was kind of a weird restriction, although it didn't bother me too much. I just assumed that they had some bad experiences with caliber flame wars in the past. Ultimately, I moved here because I wanted to get more info that was local to Texas CHL laws, experiences, etc.