Type ammo in your carry weapon

[dontshakepandas]

Wait... you guys carry ammo in your guns?

[fickman]

Wait... you guys carry ammo in your guns?

Nope - I'm like Barney Fife. . . one round in my shirt pocket and the rest in the desk drawer.

Seriously, I use Federal Hydra-Shock rounds in all of my handguns.

[wrinkles]

Ranger Ts 180 gr in my .40, Gold Dots 147gr in my 9mm.

[E10]

I carry FMJ in the .380 so I can penetrate the BG's T-shirt.

LOL....T-shirt??? That's funny. I have heard the same opinion from others on the 380. I would love to see some side by side ballistics on this issue.

Next time I go to the range, y'all wanna hold my target for me while I shoot at it with my Beretta Model 84 .380 loaded with 102-grain Golden Sabers? To be safe, you can even wear TWO t-shirts. Naw, I didn't think so.

It ain't a 9mm or .40 S&W, but it'll do its job if I do mine. I like the 147-grain Golden Sabers for my Beretta 9000S 9mm, too. However, I did see some info on Speer Gold Dots for short-barrelled pistols that looks interesting: a 124-grain +P hollow point that'll hit 1220 fps outa my 3½" barrel. There'll be smoke trailin' behind that one, for sure.

http://www.speer-ammo.com, then click the 'Gold Dot' and 'Short Barrel' links.

[03Lightningrocks]

I carry FMJ in the .380 so I can penetrate the BG's T-shirt.

LOL....T-shirt??? That's funny. I have heard the same opinion from others on the 380. I would love to see some side by side ballistics on this issue.

Next time I go to the range, y'all wanna hold my target for me while I shoot at it with my Beretta Model 84 .380 loaded with 102-grain Golden Sabers? To be safe, you can even wear TWO t-shirts. Naw, I didn't think so.

It ain't a 9mm or .40 S&W, but it'll do its job if I do mine. I like the 147-grain Golden Sabers for my Beretta 9000S 9mm, too. However, I did see some info on Speer Gold Dots for short-barrelled pistols that looks interesting: a 124-grain +P hollow point that'll hit 1220 fps outa my 3½" barrel. There'll be smoke trailin' behind that one, for sure.

http://www.speer-ammo.com, then click the 'Gold Dot' and 'Short Barrel' links.

I wouldn't hold a target so you could fire a BB gun at it either but this doesn't make the BB a proper self defense round. Maybe you should do a bit more research on your magic caliber.

[wrinkles]

No .380 HP round meets the FBI minimum 12" of penetration. Unless the bad guys are going to always resent a perfect silhouette with arms at the side, you will need fmj in your .380 or a bigger cartridge.

[E10]

1. There is no 'magic' caliber, not .40, .45, or even .44 magnum. Not even (gasp!) 10mm. No round is a sure stopper. I saw a report recently of a man who took nearly 30 rounds of .40 S&W and managed to shoot the police officer several times before expiring. Luckily, the officer was wearing a vest.
2. I ain't FBI.
3. Shooting until the threat is neutralized means not stopping after one or two hits. Several shots in quick succession have a good chance of at least one hitting a vital area, unimpeded by interposing limbs.

Carrying concealed is always a compromise between firepower, concealablity, weight, ammo capacity, accuracy, and probably a dozen other factors, shot placement being the most important in extreme social situations. We all draw the line for our own selves, and carry what we think is right, or sufficient, or maybe even affordable. Ya' pays yo' money and ya' takes yo' chances.

[03Lightningrocks]

1. There is no 'magic' caliber, not .40, .45, or even .44 magnum. Not even (gasp!) 10mm. No round is a sure stopper. I saw a report recently of a man who took nearly 30 rounds of .40 S&W and managed to shoot the police officer several times before expiring. Luckily, the officer was wearing a vest.
2. I ain't FBI.
3. Shooting until the threat is neutralized means not stopping after one or two hits. Several shots in quick succession have a good chance of at least one hitting a vital area, unimpeded by interposing limbs.

Carrying concealed is always a compromise between firepower, concealablity, weight, ammo capacity, accuracy, and probably a dozen other factors, shot placement being the most important in extreme social situations. We all draw the line for our own selves, and carry what we think is right, or sufficient, or maybe even affordable. Ya' pays yo' money and ya' takes yo' chances.

Shot placement is vital. My comments concerning FMJ has to do with reports of the 380 lacking penetration. A thick coat and muscular chest could very well prove to be a problem with HP ammo. The theory being that a FMJ won't be slowed as much as it penetrates thick clothing and muscle tissue.

My son carries a 380 because he wants to be able to front pocket carry and he can't find a handgun small enough for this in any larger caliber. His theory is similar to yours in that he plans to shoot till empty. I would love to change his decision to carry a 380 but he doesn't want to change his manner of dress for concealed carry. I'll keep working him on it...sooner or later i will wear him out and get my way.

[wrinkles]

1. There is no 'magic' caliber, not .40, .45, or even .44 magnum. Not even (gasp!) 10mm. No round is a sure stopper. I saw a report recently of a man who took nearly 30 rounds of .40 S&W and managed to shoot the police officer several times before expiring. Luckily, the officer was wearing a vest.
2. I ain't FBI.
3. Shooting until the threat is neutralized means not stopping after one or two hits. Several shots in quick succession have a good chance of at least one hitting a vital area, unimpeded by interposing limbs.

Carrying concealed is always a compromise between firepower, concealablity, weight, ammo capacity, accuracy, and probably a dozen other factors, shot placement being the most important in extreme social situations. We all draw the line for our own selves, and carry what we think is right, or sufficient, or maybe even affordable. Ya' pays yo' money and ya' takes yo' chances.

Agreed, you shoot until the threat stops. I carry a .380 with FMJs sometimes.

The FBI protocol mentioned has nothing to do with being in the FBI. It is a bullet performance test created to qualify self defense ammo. What they say is that a bullet must penetrate a minimum of 12" through calibrated ballistics gel even after going through heavy clothing or light barriers. The 12" minimum is because the bullet must penetrate deep enough to reach vital organs, even at less than optimal angles. The majority of the times, a threat is not going to present a perfect silhouette. Good shot placement means nothing if the bullet is going to stop short of reaching the vitals. The FBI Miami shootout proved this, the 115gr silvertips used by them stopped just short of the heart allowing Platt to return fire and kill two FBI agents.

[frazzled]

1. There is no 'magic' caliber, not .40, .45, or even .44 magnum. Not even (gasp!) 10mm. No round is a sure stopper. I saw a report recently of a man who took nearly 30 rounds of .40 S&W and managed to shoot the police officer several times before expiring. Luckily, the officer was wearing a vest.
2. I ain't FBI.
3. Shooting until the threat is neutralized means not stopping after one or two hits. Several shots in quick succession have a good chance of at least one hitting a vital area, unimpeded by interposing limbs.

Carrying concealed is always a compromise between firepower, concealablity, weight, ammo capacity, accuracy, and probably a dozen other factors, shot placement being the most important in extreme social situations. We all draw the line for our own selves, and carry what we think is right, or sufficient, or maybe even affordable. Ya' pays yo' money and ya' takes yo' chances.