do you own and shoot a .380?

I have a Colt Mustang Plus II and an Astra A-60. I rarely shoot the Mustang and have yet to shoot the A-60.
 
I agree. I carry 124g HST JHP in 9 mm. However, in my LCP I carry Underwood Extreme Defenser since the odds of JHP expanding out of such a short barrel are low.

Just started loading xtp 90gr...I fired 12 rounds into gel using lcp, lcp2, and SA 911...recovered 11 (1 round exited out the side)...all 11 penetrated 12-13 inches and all had full expansion. I too was skeptical of jhp in a 380...our options are getting better.
 
I currently own four .380’s, an AMT Backup, FEG SMK-380, an original LCP and an LCP II. Of these guns the LCP II is the one that fits my needs the best and gets shot/carried the most…but the FEG is the best shooter. (It shoots so well I kept it and sent a Manhurin Walther PPK/s .380 packing.)

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I currently use the Winchester SXT .380 load. It shoots reliably in my carry LCP. The Hydra-shock, HST and Golden Saber loads do, too, so I’d feel well armed with either of those loads in the Ruger as well. (I’ve never shot the V-Crown or Gold Dot loads in .380.) Here with a 124 9mm + P:

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I thought about getting one of the .22 caliber Browning 1911’s because they do look so cool, but my needle shifted once I filled a .22 auto niche and bought a Mk IV and a Glock 44.

I still may buy one anyway ;).

Good luck with your search. Stay safe.
 
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I have Black Label Browning 1911-380. I carried it daily for about a year in a Black Arch IWB.
It's light and in that IWB it is very, very easy to carry. Accurate and supper soft and smooth to shoot.
The longer barrel is going to give the 380 a little more fps and lb/ft . If you can find a defense loading with the xtp bullet I think that would be better. The usual self defense loads that work well in short barrels might expand too much and fail to penetrate deep enough or expand so well that overall expanded diameter actually gets smaller as the petals fold all the way back. Just spitballing there as I've not seen a test with with a longer barreled 380.
Negatives, it might be too small for a lot of people. I tended to hold down the slide lock and of course it won't lock back on the last round when you do that. Plus all the other issues that go with being smaller, safeties are smaller magazines are smaller etc...
 
I thought about getting one of the .22 caliber Browning 1911’s because they do look so cool, but my needle shifted once I filled a .22 auto niche and bought a Mk IV and a Glock 44.

I still may buy one anyway ;).

Good luck with your search. Stay safe.

One of the things I really like about the browning is that I was able to purchase a .22lr upper assembly. With it I can use the same gun to practice in 22, then put the 380 parts back on it for carrying.

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My wife occasionally carries her S&W Bodyguard 380. It's been a very reliable pistol for us both and small enough to slip into most any pocket. To be honest, we seldom carry it as most times our wardrobe choices allow for a more substantial gun and better defensive caliber.

As a cartridge, I find it lacking for most any use other than severe concealed carry where no other choice is viable. For outdoor use, it's underpowered and the guns that are chambered for it, lack the size and sight quality to give it accuracy.

Best Regards, Rod
 
.380 ACP is capable of breaking a human femur, as documented in real-life shooting incidents, so, it has potential to be a sufficiently-potent defensive cartridge, in my opinion. I have acquired a Glock G42, which, sooner or later, I plan to test-fire for reliability, and to see if, and if so, how badly it vexes my aging hands. (I have read numerous anecdotes that indicate the G42 is kind to arthritic hands.) I hope to postpone carrying a .380 pistol, as my usual daily carry, for as long as possible, but want to have the weapon vetted, and ready, before that day comes.

I reckon that the .380 is “enough” for frontal shots, but like the capability to fire into an attacker’s flanks, especially when defending a third party, or fire through intervening cover, when defending myself or others, so, I want to keep using duty-level cartridges.

I have no opinion, at this time, on the Browning 1911-380. I would have to handle one, to make sure that its thumb safety is positioned to be in the “natural” arc of my thumb’s movement. I do not like miniaturized pistols, that have safety levers that require me to crook my thumb “just so,” in order to work the safety lever. I am familiar with the 1911 manual-of-arms, and have carried 1911 pistols, for police duty, as well as during personal time. I am quite comfortable with working the 1911 thumb safety.
 
I’ll add that I really like a nice, German-made Walther PP or PPK/s, but have yet to find a truly reliable PPK/s, made in Germany or the USA. My wife’s Walther PP has been superbly reliable. I have probably bought my final PPK/s, as my income will diminish, next year, due to retirement. (I retired in 2018, but have been getting half-pay, bi-weekly, in addition to my pension, as the city pays-down my unused sick time and personal-time-off. That unused leave will be paid-off early next year.) I do love the superb point-ability of the PP and PPK/s, but reliability is essential, for a carry gun. My one remaining PPK/s will probably stay with me, as a range toy, as it was water-damaged during Hurricane Harvey, which ruined the blueing, so it looks like a war relic, ruining its resale value. If it manages to run for several hundred more rounds, reliably, I might even carry it, on occasion. (It had one FTF, during its first 100 rounds.)

I only owned one Walther PPK. It was unreliable, but additionally, its small size was well past the point of diminishing returns, making it an unpleasant beast to shoot, so, I was never tempted to buy another PPK.
 
I have read numerous anecdotes that indicate the G42 is kind to arthritic hands.
As far as shooting it, yes. As far as racking the slide, not quite so much, but not too bad. And depending on the severity of your arthritis and loss of hand strength, holding the slide slightly back while pulling down the slide lock to disassemble the pistol can be somewhat problematic.
 
Then my wife got a Smith EZ which led to larger guns and we got a Sig P250 Compact (15-round magazines) as a shared bedroom gun.
Dang, that's nice. Getting more and more difficult to find though.
 
I've got one of the original LCP's, got a deal at the old Ganger Mountain, of all places, on a Black Friday thing, and I couldn't pass it up. I do carry it occasionally, but my other one, a Sig 238 in the Scorpion finish, gets jacket pocket/hoodie pocket duty more often for me. The Scorpion offered an ambi safety, which for me as a lefty was a bonus. Either seem to feed, fire and eject Hornady Critical Defense ammo very reliably.
 
As far as shooting it, yes. As far as racking the slide, not quite so much, but not too bad. And depending on the severity of your arthritis and loss of hand strength, holding the slide slightly back while pulling down the slide lock to disassemble the pistol can be somewhat problematic.

Thanks. I can still run a slide normally, with my much-healthier left hand. I have to pay attention, to use the “Israeli” technique, if running the slide with my right hand, while shooting lefty. (Sling-shot and fingers-over-top methods can fail, if my ulnar nerve is having a bad day.) Ideally, I hope that I can shoot the G42 right-handed, without causing damage. I have aged-out of much right-handed shooting of “Compact Nines.”
 
when I first bought my PPK (1967) I couldn't believe how unreliable it was. All stovepipes. Mostly with Remington FMJ. Once I found hot loads it ran perfectly. I loaded 4.2 gr Unique under a 90 gr Sierra JHC and never had any problems. Later I found CorBons and they run perfectly. So do modern ARX's. I carry larger guns, but for almost 30 years that PPK was my main carry gun.
 
My Colt Gov't Model .380 and I have gone some places.
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It's sitting on top of my SIG 365XL in the photo above.
For griggles, that 380 is what I used to qualify for the TX CHL Instructor's course (which may suggest how long ago that was).
It gets win STHP as I know exactly where those go, and I have a few boxes stashed away (along with some S&B fmj)
 
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