Would You Trust Your Life With A .380?

No.

When the situation calls for it, sure. So "yes".

Yes, kinda. I trust my life to my awareness and aim. The hunk of lead hitting the POA is of lesser importance. I trust 32acp, 32swl, 22mag etc...and certainly .380 is better than those options. I am not fond of lesser cartridges, but anything well aimed is better than a poorly aimed big bore. And no I'm not going into the thought of flat out missed, hits not to head or chest are not immediately effective.

Yes, I would.

Would prefer a fire team loaded with flat bellied killers fitted with M4s/240's to be around me at all times but I don't have that now.

Yes, as long as my skill with the weapon was where it needed to be and the ammunition used was a load known to perform consistently.

Handguns of any caliber are chosen for portability. Any handgun caliber can and often does fail to deliver fatal wounds. The gun you have in your hand is a better caliber than the one at home in the safe.

I'm with Dog Soldier. A .380 would be a hell of a lot better than my 80 year
old fists in a serious fight. It would also be better than the .44 magnum I left
at home.
Zeke

I have and would again.

Yes, I often do.

Yes.
I survived my first 50 yrs mostly unarmed.

I regularly carry a Bersa Thunder 380 loaded with Hydra-Shok or Critical Defense. Out of the 3.5 inch barrel, they both penetrate 10-12 inches in ballistic gel. I realize that you may not get a one-shot stop like with a .45, but two or three in the chest or CNS and the bad guy's definitely down. If you're worried that the 12 inches penetration isn't enough, FMJ will regularly penetrate 20+ inches. The lack of expansion isn't optimal, but that's enough to pass completely through someone and well into another. If neither of those is your bag of chips, Polycase ARX 380 fires a tumbling 56 grain bullet at 1400 fps.

Shot placement is key regardless of caliber. If you hit a critical area with .22 lr, you're more likely to take down a bad guy than hitting them with .45 acp in a non-critical area. Add to that, the fact that a hit with any caliber in nearly any location is likely to psychologically dissuade any but the most committed attacker. On the other hand, if you are going to be in a gangland shootout with multiple attackers, then you might want something a bit more.

All that being said, that's just my opinion. It may be right; it may be wrong. Use your own judgement.

Armored farmer said:

Yes.
I survived my first 50 yrs mostly unarmed.

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Yes Kieth so true. But our Nation was a safer place 50 years ago.

Absolutely
I carry a .380 as my edc. I have carried 9s and 45s in the past and occasionally still do. The fact of the matter is this. The probability of having to use a firearm in self defense is really very low. However, the consequences of needing to use deadly force to defend myself and not having that ability readily available is monumentally grave. Therefore, I carry something that is unobtrusive enough to always carry. A 380 round at close range is certainly enough to take the fight out of an would be attacker, and has proven to be deadly.
The argument that a larger caliber is more effective is true. Although, it often misses the point. The first rule of carrying a gun for self defense is...carry a gun. That means one that is small enough to consistently carry, large enough to fit your hand, and one that you can train with often and fire well.
The argument that a 380 will not stop a 300lb crackhead charging you, which may be true, raises several red flags. If, in my daily life, I feel running into a 300lb crackhead hellbent on doing me harm is a real possibility, I may need to rethink my daily activities. Plus, I have no idea how one would get up to 300lbs while on crack
So, yes...carry the largest caliber you can consistently carry, if that is 380, then practice often and be proficient.
And remember that carrying a firearm does not give us licence to behave more brash or brazen that we otherwise would do, it simply gives us a means to hopefully avoid tragedy should the worst present itself.
Be smart, be safe

Is the topic would you trust your life to a .380 or is a .380 better than being unarmed? Can't tell based on responses. My answer would certainly change if that is the case.

Dog Soldier said:

Yes Kieth so true. But our Nation was a safer place 50 years ago.

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You have a very good point there!

Yes

There is 380 ammo out there now that penetrates to ~14 inches, partially expands and IMO, makes a significant enough wound channel, and penetrates deeply enough to reach vital organs.

its is better then nothing , but it is not my choice !
on the other hand a 380 in your pocket is better then the full sized gun left at home

Hanzo581 said:

Is the topic would you trust your life to a .380 or is a .380 better than being unarmed? Can't tell based on responses. My answer would certainly change if that is the case.

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That's because it's kind of a hard question to answer. Under normal circumstances (my normal day to day activities) I'd definitely say yes. There are times, though, when no handgun (or perhaps even a rifle) would be adequate. We can't divine the future and gear up accordingly. The best we can go on is to use our experience, judge the normal situations we're likely to be in, not knowingly put ourselves into a position where we'll have a good chance of losing our lives, train with what we have, and most importantly, be willing to pull the trigger if it has to be done. No gun is going to help if you aren't willing to use it or able to hit your target.

Hanzo581 said:

Is the topic would you trust your life to a .380 or is a .380 better than being unarmed? Can't tell based on responses. My answer would certainly change if that is the case.

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every day

Gees Kieth, You are more deadly than a Mojave Green Sidewinder.

No, I don't feel confident with a .380 (or 38 special or 9mm).

And you can't count on Mojave's to run just because you're making noise and letting your presence be known. Many times they don't skeedaddle like other snakes.

Yes I would. I prefer to carry heavier but I would hardly feel unarmed.

Dog Soldier said:

Gees Kieth, You are more deadly than a Mojave Green Sidewinder.

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I just emptied my pockets, this is what fell out.