380 or .38 special

[DNS]

Another vote .38 Special.

I've seen several used Rossi revolvers in that price range. A new 2" or 3" one at Academy runs around $270. Christmas time they've sold for $200.

 

[481]

I'd also recommend the .38 Special over the .380 if for nothing more that the increased variety of available loads for it.

 

[kBob]

Of the two calibers asked about I would go with the .38 Special.

For one thing the ammunition is easier to find.

For another I believe ammo for the .38 SPL is cheaper than .380 when you do find it.

For a third the lightest factory loads in .38 SPL are more powerful than the typical .380 in my opinion.

.38 Spl is very easy to load for and does not care if you load a bit too short or with a bit too light ( and there fore short) bullet as the .380 does.

My wife used to freak out local college kids at the range by shooting plastic gallon milk jugs at 110 meters with such guns as the Rossi, Taurus, and Charter two inch revolvers.

I have a good bit of experience with .380 guns by Astra, Star, Beretta, Walther etc and I do like them and have carried .380 pistols for self defense. Still if I was to have only one gun I would opt for a .38 Special, even a fixed sighted two inch barreled steel one from Brazil or a good old American Charter arms revolver over most quality .380s. I do not think the Hi-point comes up to the level of any of the .380s I mentioned......

-kBob

 

[marcodo]

If the question is 380 or 38 specials for protection and plinking then my answer is neither...not a great choice choices for either

Save up and get a reliable used 9mm which will take care of both of your requests at a much cheaper ammo level

 

[ZVP]

.38 special only! SMall Autos are prone to jams rendering them unusable. Even a Misfire in a revolver, all you need do is advance to the next chamber. Believe me in the heat of the moment you will NOT want to be clearing a jam! Most small 380s are blow-back actions and failures to eject happen.
The avaulable ammo for the .38 and the ability to use varius types within the same cylinder oad is abother point for the revolver,
Your buget is too low. a decent .38 revolver will cost $250, Sorry ro burwt your bubble! Saving is HARD and waiting even HARDER! However you will get a better gun that'll lilely nrver fail you! Please wait and go with the .38 Special revolver.
I carry a M-36 Chief's Special or a 4 5/8" Ruger Vaquero stoked with various .38 losds snd still hsvr the option of the powerfull .357 Magnum for small Bear

ZVP

 

[Teachu2]

Given the budget, I'd go .22lr. If money is that tight, 40 cents a shot is very limiting. You can buy at least 5 times as much .22 for the same money.

 

[Arkansas Paul]

I only bring up the hi-point because there is one in my area for $100. I know a $100 more would boost my range

About the only thing I can think of in that price range would be a Taurus 82 police trade in. Sometimes you can find them for around the $200 mark.

If the question is 380 or 38 specials for protection and plinking then my answer is neither...not a great choice choices for either

On what planet is .38 Special not a good round for plinking and SD? It's ideal for plinking and more than adequate for SD.

 

[1911Tuner]

There are no $100 dollar firearms that work.

A couple years back, I bought a heavy-barrel Model 10 that was in mechanically perfect condition for 150 bucks out the door. It looked like it had been stored in a wet leather holster for a year because the finish was trashed...but the little gun was tight, accurate, and the action was smooth as glass.

 

[medalguy]

Definitely go for the .38 Special. It's much more powerful than the .380 and ammo is easier to find and cheaper. I hike quite a bit in the mountains and I carry a S&W Model 65 in stainless so I don't have to worry about bluing damage from carrying it. Mine is pretty heavily worn, and I believe it might have been a police trade-in, but it functions just fine. I bought this one about three years ago for $225 so deals are out there. The advantage of the Model 65 is that it can shoot either .38 Special ammo or the more powerful .357 magnum which is what I carry when out in the woods. There are bears and mountain lions around here and I think the .357 is entirely adequate for most anything I might encounter.

As for a suggestion to you, look around for a decent Rossi revolver or maybe a Taurus. Deals can be found within your $200 budget but you won't get a like-new gun for that amount.

 

[lobo9er]

22 MAG

Definitely enough for coyotes or a rabid raccoon. Little more expensive to shoot than 22lr but worth the extra dime. $15-$16 dollars for a 50 rounds of quality ammo. Pair it up with a used bolt action down the road.

There are no $100 dollar firearms that work./QUOTE]
Mosin nagant.

 

[cluttonfred]

FWIW, Impact Guns has the compact 9mm Hi Point on sale at $180. That might actually be a cheaper option in the long run as it easier to find cheap milsurp 9mm ball ammo than almost any other caliber.

http://www.impactguns.com/hi-point-model-c-9-compact-pistol-00916-752334091604.aspx

 

[wnycollector]

About the only thing I can think of in that price range would be a Taurus 82 police trade in. Sometimes you can find them for around the $200 mark.

+1 on that.

Here is a excellent condition Taurus 82 for $195 shipped to your FFL.

 

[ApacheCoTodd]

.38 special

Greater versatility in projectiles and loads
No inherent possible cycling issues of the semis
No magazines to; loose, rust, bend or fall out of the firearm

 

[tomg303]

Thanks guys I'm going with a 38. I already have a 22lr so I'm just looking for something new to shoot. I will have to hold off buying in order to find one in a good price range but that's alright cause my pop's Beretta M9 will be my companion until then. Thanks.

 

[ArchAngelCD]

Thanks guys I'm going with a 38. I already have a 22lr so I'm just looking for something new to shoot. I will have to hold off buying in order to find one in a good price range but that's alright cause my pop's Beretta M9 will be my companion until then. Thanks.

Sounds like a solid plan. Save up a little more and buy yourself a good quality used revolver that will last a good long while and be reliable.

Good luck with the hunt, actually that's half the fun...

 

[Hunter2011]

Well if concealability is not the issue, then my choice would be a .380 Auto. I just want to ask why do you compare a 380 auto against a .38 Special. The 9mmP can be just as small as a 380 auto, but with a much better round.

Why I choose the 380 auto? Firstly it does shoot more accurate than a .38 Special. I've got a Vector CP1 in 380 auto, my father has a .38 Special. No matter how hard I try with the .38, in single action mode, it can't even start to shoot as good groups as my 380 auto. I do believe with the right loads a 380 auto is at least as effective as a .38 Special, but this is debateble
I only shoot with one round in mine, Winchester Ranger law enforcement ammo. They have quite a bit of kick more than my other 380 rounds. I feel well armed with them.
And then there is the shotcount... 13 shots against just 5 or 6 of the .38.
I'm not saying the snubby is bad, I actually am still thinking of getting one as they are so much easier to conceal or carry in your jeans pocket. But I think for you, 380 auto.
Ps. Mine has never jammed once. And the CP1 is not the best brand out there. I paid $140 for mine if you convert my currency to dollars, secondhand that is.

 

[straightShot]

Good choice on the .38! Adding to this thread...

I would stay away from the .380, save my money, and get a good .38 spl revolver. When ammo was easy to find, .380 was often absent from the shelves in my area the last couple of years.

There are many choices for .38 spl revolvers, although you need to shop around since some can be priced pretty high. Once in awhile, you can come across a 1970's Model 10 or similar gun that is reasonably priced and is a good shooter.

Good luck!

 

[kBob]

I am not sure the CP1 in .380 was imported into the US. I thought all that were imported were 9x19mm.

Wasn't there also some sort of safety recall?

I generally find the .380s I have used to be more concealable than the .38 SPL revolvers as they are thinner and more comfortable to carry...... Even guns like the Star S, Colt 1908, or FN 1922 that are longer and taller seem to carry better on the waist or under the arm to me because of the flat ness. Now the later FN and Beretta double stacks are a different matter as the added bulk of the grip and the weight of those extra round being out in the butt make them for me less comfortable to carry. Naturally that little Davis 380 "brick" is not as carriable as some of the older designs either. I did find the old Beretta 1934 to carry in a shoulder holster better for me than a 2 inch snubbie .38 Special.

Still if I was going to have one gun and it had to be .38 Special or .380 and fill "all" my needs I would go with the .38 SPL for all the reasons I posted earlier.

As a .38 Special can hurl a heavier bullet at a higher velocity than a .380 I can not see how one might think the .380 might be even as powerful as a .38 Special.

I find the larger case of the .38 SPL to be easier to work with when hand loading as well and again so many options. My first handloading set up in .38 SPL was just an old Lee hand kit and a plastic mallet and it kept me in plinking ammo for ages. I used the drippings from an STP oil treatment bottle as case lube on a clean ink pad. Even then the Lee cost about the same as two boxes of ammo and quickly paid for itself. The included scoop used to gather powder from a tea cup proved useful for plinking loads.

-kBob

 

[Hunter2011]

Yes there was a recall. When I applied for my license it was send back, till it could be confirmed it was fixed. Apparently it could go off if dropped..
I feel energy has a lot to do with stopping an attacker. Just look how good a light 55grain .223 fares compared to almost any handgun cartridge, no matter the weight of the bullet.

.38 Special is just 200 fpe or lower, normal 158 grain ammo. My CP1 shoots a 95 grain bullet at 1035 fps min. for 224 fpe. Like I said, I would not feel undergunned with it as compared to a .38 Special. The .38 Special bullet does dwarf the 380 auto, but not in balistics.

 

[bigdaa]

I don't want to sound unkind, or smart in anyway, but $200 budget for a revolver isn't going to put much of a firearm in your hands! Most revolvers in my area start @ $300 - $350, don't get something that isn't going to be worth carrying. Just IMHO.

Why say it again if it's already been said.

I agree.

 

[MedWheeler]

I didn't know you already had one in .22LR. What is it, and have you already been packing it on the trail?

Keep poking around for those Taurus 82s; my local Gander Mountain (35 miles away) usually has a handful of them, all priced right at $200. A little more than online, but no transfer/shipping costs.) The few I've handled felt pretty tight, but I already have two service-sized .357 revolvers (one of which is a Taurus), so I really don't need another. However, I did check out a $300 S&W M37 3-incher the other day that I'm kind of kicking myself for not leaving with (it was in a different store.)

 

[Furncliff]

HiPoint for $100, what you get ... a $100 gun with A+ cs from the maker. I have a HP carbine.

CZ 82 for $225, what you get.... a $400+ gun proven by police and military (this is the new price of the same gun CZ made until a year or so ago, the CZ83) with A+ cs from CZUSA. Mine is 100% reliable. The gunsmiths at CZ are first class.

Smith & Wesson model 10 for $250, what you get... a gun that would sell for much more new. An almost unbreakable design that been around a long, long time, and proven itself with police and military. Customer service? you'll probably never need it if you buy a decent one to start with. Mine has been 100% reliable. The later models will shoot +P loads, if you want.

I wouldn't pay any attention to the caliber differences. JM.02

 

[ArchAngelCD]

Why I choose the 380 auto? Firstly it does shoot more accurate than a .38 Special. I've got a Vector CP1 in 380 auto, my father has a .38 Special. No matter how hard I try with the .38, in single action mode, it can't even start to shoot as good groups as my 380 auto. I do believe with the right loads a 380 auto is at least as effective as a .38 Special, but this is debateble

Not to sound like I'm getting on you but if you can't shoot a .38 Special as well as a .380 Auto that's your failing, not the handgun. I can shoot a J frame revolver double action as well as most shooters can fire a full size handgun of any type. I can shoot a J frame accurately to 50 yards, not bad for a belly gun, ya think? I'm not even saying I'm a good shot, I'm just willing to practice and put the time in and learn to shoot well with any handgun.

I'm not even sure how you can make such a blanket statement with all the different revolvers and semi-auto pistols out there.

 

[toivo]

Up until a few years ago you could get a police or security guard trade-in Smith & Wesson Model 10 or 64 for $200 or a little over. Now they're up around $250 -- when you can find them -- but still a good deal. A nice vintage S&W is an excellent gun, and the trade-ins tend to be in great mechanical condition. Cosmetically they tend to be a it beat-up, but that just means that you don't have to baby it.

The problem is that nobody has anything in stock right now. The market is crazy!

 

[Hunter2011]

Not to sound like I'm getting on you but if you can't shoot a .38 Special as well as a .380 Auto that's your failing, not the handgun. I can shoot a J frame revolver double action as well as most shooters can fire a full size handgun of any type. I can shoot a J frame accurately to 50 yards, not bad for a belly gun, ya think? I'm not even saying I'm a good shot, I'm just willing to practice and put the time in and learn to shoot well with any handgun.

I'm not even sure how you can make such a blanket statement with all the different revolvers and semi-auto pistols out there.

If you can shoot a snubby as good as a fullsize handgun, then you can shoot good. I have been told that a snubby is just as accurate as anything else. It is just darn difficult to shoot it well so easy as it might be the case with a pistol. Point is, I can't shoot it as well as I can with either my CP1 or my S&W 422. That is something I have experienced first hand. I do believe that with a lot of practice, my groups will shrink, but so they will do with my pistols as well.
I just feel 13 shots is better than 6. .38 Snubby will get my vote for concealability and reliability. But other than that, a pistol with twice the capacity, and better accuracy for the average or novice shooter, will get my vote everytime.