.380 as a manstopper?

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.380 is same size in width as 9mm , only it moves little bit slower . normal 9mm round moves at 1150 fps and .380 at 1000 fps. not that much difference, its like i have $1000 and u have $1150. you don't have that much more than me , i could lift 1000lbs and u could 1150lbs , you are not that much stronger than me.
 
Anybody try that new Hornady Critical Defense .380 ammo? Just wondering if it's worth all the hoopla surrounding it?
 
.380 is same size in width as 9mm , only it moves little bit slower . normal 9mm round moves at 1150 fps and .380 at 1000 fps. not that much difference, its like i have $1000 and u have $1150. you don't have that much more than me , i could lift 1000lbs and u could 1150lbs , you are not that much stronger than me.
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You forgot about projectile weight.
 
krs wrote:
I don't believe this, not for one much less twenty.. what was your former vietnam vet's secondary sidearm?
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If the story had come from anyone other than this particular man, I wouldn't believe it either. If you knew him, you would know that he is telling the truth. I realize that you may still choose not to believe it, but I do. FWIW, all of the encounters were very close quarters. The .380 is not a distance round.
 
Wasn't the Colt Model M 1908 in .380acp still being issued to officers right up to the late 1960's or even early 1970's? And didn't SOG teams use suppressed PPKs at times? Just I thought I'd read that.
 
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I was referring to M&PVolks post about Vietnam use of .380, and was just saying that I have read that .380acp weapons were used by US forces during the Vietnam war. SOG teams were issued suppressed PPKs and even Ruger .22's, and officers were still issued .380acp sidearms up to (I think) the early 1970's. How much use they got I don't know?
 
Check out the Sig 238...nice gun...some say it reminds them of the old Colt Mustang...
under 16 oz. I believe...If you can shoot, a .380 will get it done...Some folks find it a little small for a primary weapon, but hey...you are the one who has to be happy...Good luck...
 
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"380 is same size in width as 9mm , only it moves little bit slower . normal 9mm round moves at 1150 fps and .380 at 1000 fps. not that much difference, its like i have $1000 and u have $1150. you don't have that much more than me , i could lift 1000lbs and u could 1150lbs , you are not that much stronger than me."


That's not really your formula and method of weapon selection, is it...? lol...Truth in what you said, though...Then there are the "other" diameter cousins.... .357, and .38....
 
I would trust my Bersa 380 as a "man stopper". It's about the same energy as a 38 special and the shots after the first shot are easy and aimable. My LCP, on the other hand, hurts my hand when I shoot it and the second and final shots are not going to be as easy. I think if you get yourself a large enough 380 pistol, you'll be pretty well defended with it. It's MUCH better than not having a weapon. I was reading statistics on first shot kills, and the 380 is right up there. Being able to aim your pistol is key. Put the bullet in a reasonable place and your attacker would have to be crazy or doped-up not to stop the attack. I've seen videos wherein a bad guy was shot 4 or 5 times with a 45 and didn't go down until he was head-shot. You'd have had the same outcome with a 380. As someone said, using too much force and/or using it incorrectly will get you a murder charge.
 
Wasn't the Colt Model M 1908 in .380acp still being issued to officers
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That would be Generals, not just officers.

Officers all the way up to generals were issued the plain old 1911.

rc
 
.380? 9mm short. If your looking for a .380 just get a compact 9mm Luger. Like a G19 or CZ compact.
 
For myself, I would not go with a .380 or even a 9 mm. Have people been killed with these rounds? Yes and even smaller rounds. I would look for used guns in either 40 or 45. I would also look for 357 magnums. Yes the 380 sure are small and handy and it's better than nothing. I think the best balance of size and power is a Glock 27 but there are many other options out there. How much are you looking to spend?
 
"manstopers" and "one shot stop" and "combat caliber" and "knock-down power" are all myths that are rooted in the same FALLACY.

What you need to do, regardless of caliber, is place accurate fire on the target until you have shot your aggressor to the ground. That is all. At that point the fight is over, and you have gained control of the situation. This reality is 100% Dependant on your own skill.
 
There is something to so called "Knock Down Power". While the laws of physics say that for there to be enough energy to KNOCK DOWN the person being shot, there'd be as much energy Blowing back to knock down the shooter. However, there is the psychological affect to being shot. And a person being shot with a 45acp or 357 magnum is definitely going to KNOW they've been shot much more than a person shot with a 32acp or 380acp. Thereby, the psychological affect will definitely be a stronger variable in making their brain react to the shot more with the larger and harder hitting rounds. Of course this is considering the person is aware/alert of the situation. I.e. a highly strung out person on drugs or total adrenaline person will react differently than a normal balanced person.
 
Tacbandit said:
Quote:
"380 is same size in width as 9mm , only it moves little bit slower . normal 9mm round moves at 1150 fps and .380 at 1000 fps. not that much difference, its like i have $1000 and u have $1150. you don't have that much more than me , i could lift 1000lbs and u could 1150lbs , you are not that much stronger than me."


That's not really your formula and method of weapon selection, is it...? lol...Truth in what you said, though...Then there are the "other" diameter cousins.... .357, and .38....
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.357 ,.38 , 9mm , .380 they are all the same , u couldn't tell a difference from a wound dr.tacbandit
 
There is something to so called "Knock Down Power". While the laws of physics say that for there to be enough energy to KNOCK DOWN the person being shot, there'd be as much energy Blowing back to knock down the shooter.
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TRUE! But we are not talking inertial knock down power, we are talking overload to the nervous system. Stick a pin in the arse of a seated person, and they will jump out of the chair, not from the impact of the pin throwing them into the air, but from the nervous system reaction to the pin entering the body.

It is also quite true that SD with a handgun requires you to continue to apply well aimed shots that impact the target until the target ceases to fight and goes down..., BUT remember that the longer it takes for the cumulative effect of those rounds to take effect..., the longer the opponent has to do the same to you. The more damage done to a nervous system in the shorter amount of time wins handgun fights. Hence the situations where the opponent was mortally wounded more than once, but continued to fire..., as the nervous system had not been damaged.

LD
 
Bottom line...

The .380 will kill. No doubt about it. So will a .22 Short if it's placed well. With the .380...like any handgun caliber...it's not killing that presents a problem, but in making the recipient understand that he has, in fact been killed. Other calibers fail to immediately end hostilities too...including the .45 ACP and the .44 Magnum. They just fail less often than the lesser calibers.

Bullet placement is the key. If your shot hits a vital area and penetrates well into that vital area...your man will go down sooner or later. If it's not immediate, you're faced with hitting him again and again until he does, and staying out of his way until he drops.
 
loyalist dave. If you were going to quote me, why didn't you include the VERY NEXT SENTENCE after where you stopped? I specifically mentioned the psychological affect of being shot. So, what are you disagreeing with me about???
 
Boys, boys...let's not let this devolved into an argument at this stage of the game.

About 25 or 30 years ago, the term "Knockdown Power" became a catch-phrase, much like "Tactical Knife" and "Combat Handgun." It sells...equipment and ideas and behavior...and movie tickets...much like Soldier of Fortune magazine had a half million Walter Mitty wannabes itchin' to run off to the one of the world's hot spots as a high-paid mercenary.

You know...

"Travel to exotic places...Meet interesting people...and kill them."

While the tyro may not understand that the notion of a hand-held weapon knocking a grown man completely off his feet is a violation of the laws of physics...most of us do. There's no sense in gettin' into a brawl over semantics.
 
.380 is same size in width as 9mm , only it moves little bit slower . normal 9mm round moves at 1150 fps and .380 at 1000 fps. not that much difference, its like i have $1000 and u have $1150. you don't have that much more than me , i could lift 1000lbs and u could 1150lbs , you are not that much stronger than me.
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ok you throw a rock at me at 0 fps and i'll throw one at you at 150 fps / 102.27273 Miles per hour. Lol

Thats Faster Than Nolan Ryan threw a Four seam fastball at 101 mph / 148.13333 Feet Per Second.

Having said that i like .380 does anyone know if Bersa is still doing good?
 
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Hacker said:
ok you throw a rock at me at 0 fps and i'll throw one at you at 150 fps / 102.27273 Miles per hour. Lol

Thats Faster Than Nolan Ryan threw a Four seam fastball at 101 mph / 148.13333 Feet Per Second.

Having said that i like .380 does anyone know if Bersa is still doing good?
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who said anything about going from zero? we are taking about their normal speed when they are fired , thats why i gave 2 examples for thick mind people like you. after you reach a certain point (in this case speed) anything over is just extra but not needed. by the way .45 moves at the same speed with heavier bullet .
 
for thick mind people like you.
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Throttle it back a notch, beretta. We don't do personal attacks here. You may consider this a gentle nudge with the ol' cluebat. Attack the argument, not the member.

For what it's worth, I read the post in question as a representative example...not as a statement of fact. Reading something other than that into it would be a little thickheaded. No?
 
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