.380 rumor true?

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Something not mentioned yet is that there are a number of countries where the average citizen cannot own a military or government-caliber firearm. Taurus being a foreign manufacturer may also be looking at a market that might not be popular here in the U.S., but could be popular elsewhere in the world.

You can't find a .380 Glock around here, but they do make them in Austria. Not too many .222 Ruger Ranch Rifles were sold on this side of the Atlantic, but a pile were sold overseas.
 
I think this 380 revolver may be an interesting idea. IF it's noticeably smaller, a 6 shot, and can handle hot +p loads (which still don't have much recoil) it may just find a very suitable niche, especially for folks who already have 380 semi autos.

I really can't imagine it will be much better size wise, it may be shorter, but it won't be any less thick because the 380 is pretty much the same diameter as the .38spl, and thickness IMO is what makes revolvers harder to carry.
 
If my memory serves, Taurus already has produced a shortened frame and cylinder mated to the 9 x 19 called the 905, all steel to handle 9mm pressure. Seems like the advantage to the same concept applied to .380 caliber would be the ability to use lightweight materials.
 
the 9mm revolver notion gets recycled (and dies) fairly often, mostly because the ammo is so plentiful and cheap, but the higher pressure typical of autoloader cartridges is harsher on the wheelgun hardware, no matter how you slice it or rotate it

380 acp revolver, no, not for me... they might as well just go back to the S&W 38 (pre-special), or 38 wadcutter only, or some of that magtech 38 'CBC' stuff if they just want to shorten it up

besides, I am determined to hold out for the Peachy Keen "25 acp magnum" revolver, preferably in plastic, and marketed for self defense with 25 acp #6 shot shells ... certain to be irresistible by merit of the cutesy marketing name alone, not to mention the impressive advertising videos shooting peaches
 
it is true that the 38 special (and for that matter the 357 magnum) is inefficient with regards to space.

But the matrix between pressure and velocity is more attractive than 9X19 for the similar velocity.

The added pressure in an auto loader is an advantage, for cycling. Not so much in a revolver.

Such is not as much as a 380...but the "risk/reward" formula is similar.

So while you guys discuss this...I have to load some 38 Special.
 
I think the .380 will suffer quite a bit from the cylinder gap.

Personally, I'd rather have seen a 5-shot .32 H&R mag. It could be made to the same weight due to the smaller cylinder and slightly shorter cylinder window, but would offer more power. Why not .327 mag, you say? It's extreme pressures dictate the need for more metal in the cylinder.

I have an Iver in .32 S&W I reconditioned and cut to 2"; The thing is TINY! I would probably be all over a slightly longer version in .32 H&R, even from Taurus

IverJohnson2inch.jpg
 
but the higher pressure typical of autoloader cartridges is harsher on the wheelgun hardware, no matter how you slice it or rotate it
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9mm max pressure = 34,000
.357mag max pressure =35,000

They make PLENTY of .357mag wheel guns, and they seem to do just fine.
 
I think the .380 revolver is an interesting idea. There are alot of people who bought .380 pocket pistols like the LCP and P3AT because of their super light weight and small size. If the can make it SMALL ENOUGH, people would probably buy a .380 revolver. It appears the gun is barely smaller than a j-frame or 85 series, which to me isn't enough difference. Furthermore, IMHO they would sell better if it was able to be done without moonclips because I don't see the "casual" gun buyer wanting to fool with those flimsy little little things on a regular basis.

On a sidenote: If somebody developed inexpensive disposable plastic moonclips, they may find themselves making some money in a niche market. I think if they were about as strong as a stiff guitar pick, it could actually work. (Feel free to use the idea. Just be "cool" and give me a few samples for coming up with the idea. Keep all the money because you did all the R&D and production.)
 
I think it WOULD be EXCELLENT for BEAR defense. (Perhaps not against Grizzlies but for small species like the Teddy Ruckspins.)
 
On a sidenote: If somebody developed inexpensive disposable plastic moonclips, they may find themselves making some money in a niche market. I think if they were about as strong as a stiff guitar pick, it could actually work. (Feel free to use the idea. Just be "cool" and give me a few samples for coming up with the idea. Keep all the money because you did all the R&D and production.)
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There was a company in California that did this, but would you believe they were hamstrung by the government because they couldn't get examples of some potential revolvers. :cuss: :banghead:

They did make them for .45 ACP chambered S&W revolvers, and they worked fine, but tooling costs and limited sales made them expensive.
 
Quote:

>I think the .380 will suffer quite a bit from the cylinder gap.<

*shrug. Probably. Enough to make a practical difference when the shooter presses the muzzle against an attacker's groin and empties it in him in 2 seconds? Probably not. The recipient will scarely notice that it was 900 fps that got him and not a thousand...nor will he care. He'll only be concerned with finding a ride to the hospital as quickly as possible.

It's a belly gun. A small, light personal defense tool that can be carried all the time and barely be noticed by the carrier.
 
Does anybody know if a .380 revolver would be a good bear defense?
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care-bears.jpg.gif
 
Quote:

>Because UL .38 snubbies are SO heavy... <

Or maybe because the recoil is painful for those with arthritic hands or wrists.

All kinds of reasons why such a gun would fill a specific niche perfectly. It's not always about the high-speed/low-drag market.
 
Quote:

>Because UL .38 snubbies are SO heavy... <

Or maybe because the recoil is painful for those with arthritic hands or wrists.

All kinds of reasons why such a gun would fill a specific niche perfectly. It's not always about the high-speed/low-drag market.
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Exactly what I was trying to say in post #17. Not all guns are designed for, or intended for, only the gun-fan market. There's a lot of people that feel the want/need to have a gun for protection, but have no interest in "going shooting" beyond figuring out how to make it work. And a lot of those people may barely be able to pull the trigger, they don't need to worry about cocking hammers, racking slides, operating safeties, loading magazines, inserting magazines, weight, recoil, etc. They just want/need a "gun" to at least try to protect themselves and their homes/families from evil.

I certainly don't want to discourage anybody that wants to try to defend themselves, and I applaud Taurus for trying to serve their need.
 
Wait a minute, the 380 is just a 9mm short right? So if you are loading from moonclips is it possible to build a small 9mm revolver which can also chamber 380, short of like the relationship between .357 magnum and .38 special? If so that could be the feature which sets this concept apart from the small 380 autopistol.
 
NoirFan said:
Wait a minute, the 380 is just a 9mm short right? So if you are loading from moonclips is it possible to build a small 9mm revolver which can also chamber 380, short of like the relationship between .357 magnum and .38 special? If so that could be the feature which sets this concept apart from the small 380 autopistol.
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While technically you could. Performance would suffer greatly.

.380 is not simply 9mm short. .380 is a straight walled cartridge compared to the tapered case of 9mm, the case is much thinner and the case head on 380 is smaller too. So a 380 fired in a 9mm chamber loses a bunch of pressure around the poorly fitting case as it tries to stretch far enough to seal the chamber


Tapatalk post via IPhone.
 
Yep, ron. Hard as it is for many to grasp, but people have successfully stopped personal, close range attacks with .22 caliber stack barrel derringers and .32 Short Owl's Head top break revolvers with knuckle-bustin' trigger pulls.
 
If you guys check out Taurus' website and look at the link to their "What's New" catalog, there is a picture of the 380 revolver. It is much reduced in length compared to one in .38 Special. Not quite sure I get it, but at least they went the extra mile to give it some sort of distinction from the .38.
 
the 9mm revolver notion gets recycled (and dies) fairly often, mostly because the ammo is so plentiful and cheap, but the higher pressure typical of autoloader cartridges is harsher on the wheelgun hardware, no matter how you slice it or rotate it
Click to expand...
They never made the right one. Make it a full size 6 shot K or L frame and give it an ejector system that works without moon clips and you'd have a winner in my book.

I'd buy one so I could bring one less kind of ammo to the range.

This whole shorter cylinder, lighter gun, 5-shot snub j-frame, and moon clips is what doesn't work for me. The main selling point of luger is that it's cheaper to shoot, and the current 9mm revolvers are a PITA to load and unpleasant to shoot. No one wants to save a dollar on one cylinder full of carry ammo per month. With a gun you would/could shoot hundreds of rounds a month, now that would be something.
 
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