How many of you own a 380?

[viking499]

I hear a lot about people carrying 9, 40, 45 etc. Then I hear about the people carrying a small 380. Then some switch back and forth between both.

Why? Is it due to size of person or pistol, dress, climate, ammo availability or other.

If the 380 does not have the best ballistics or stopping power, why does so many people talk about carrying them?

 

[decoy562]

Convienence. If I'm dressed where I cannot conceal something bigger, or I'm just running down the street, the 380 fits the bill. I have a Ruger LCP.

 

[Wishoot]

An issue that's been discussed ad nauseam since the beginning of time. There's pros and con's to any caliber. No pistol caliber bullet is ideal.

 

[LAGS]

I have an AMT " Back Up " semi auto with the grip safety.
I bought it back in the 80's and it is reliable enough for consealment when I don't need a larger gun and 5 shots of .380 are better than a Harsh word.
I had a Walther PPK for years, but decided that I could get a compact 9 that isn't much bigger so I sold it.
But the .380 will get the job done up close, and the AMT isn't much bigger than my Jenning's J-22 and has a lot more Boot to the round.

 

[improperlyaged]

If the 380 does not have the best ballistics or stopping power, why does so many people talk about carrying them?

What I find funny is that people some how think that getting shot with a .380 is going to be something like getting hit with water. I carry a .380 due to work, a full size pistol doesn't work well with my uniform. A well placed .380 is far better than a poorly placed anything. If you use .380, get good at it, practice with it till you can't miss.

 

[SharpsDressedMan]

This gives me an opportunity to show off my only .380. I own it mostly for recreation, and to load and shoot cheaper ammo, as I get my .380 brass for free at my outdoor range. ...........................................

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[Schwing]

I have a Bersa Thunder .380 and a Ruger LCP. I like them both, carry them both from time to time and enjoy shooting them. I also own several other CC appropriate guns in .38, .357, 9MM, and .45. I rotate between them based on a lot of factors.

To me, I follow the philosophy that says the best gun to have when the shtf is the one you are carrying. It is much better to have almost any gun than it is to have the best gun in the world sitting at home in your safe.

 

[gunsablazin]

I have a P3AT, it pretty much stays in my left front pocket. It is a good back up to my 1911, but I take that off when I get to work, the .380 stays. It's always possible to carry a little gun, and it's way better than nothing, I think the .380 is adequate for self defense. I do much prefer my .45 though.

 

[usp9]

Some .380 pistols are among my all time favorites. I own several. I used to carry one but do not currently. There are a few that are classic, world class designs, and these are a joy to own and shoot.

IMHO, the best ever is the Beretta 84/85. Beautiful and reliable as they come.
Sig 9230/232, ditto.
Walther PP series.
Sphinx made the excellent AT-380
CZ used to make a nice CZ83
Bersa has made a gazillion nice .380s.
Daewoo DP380, a clone but among the best ever.

I'd feel safe carrying any of the above. I have carried both Beretta and Sig.

 

[Fleetman]

I have the AMT DAO Back-up, Davis, Ruger LCP, Keltec P3AT, and Sig 238......the Keltec is what gets carried all of the time.

 

[Robert101]

I see nothing wrong with carrying the .380. It does have sufficient penetration capability and light to carry. It is a compromise as most things in life are not perfect. Just like I have more than one hammer, screw driver and automobile; I have more than one gun.

 

[5-SHOTS]

I own a Colt Government 380 stainless and I owned a Beretta 84F. I love my little pretty Colt. My father carried it cocked and locked (mexican style ) for many years in the nineties without feeling undergunned one a bit.

 

[GarySTL]

I carried my Ruger LCP when It was inconvenient to carry my Kahr PM40. Now I switch between my Sig P928 and P238 most often. I love the Sigs and shoot them a lot.

 

[jmr40]

My P-3AT can be carried many places where it would be impossible to take a bigger gun. Better than nothing.

 

[2wheels]

They're tiny. Especially guns like the Ruger LCP or KelTec P3AT... They're just ridiculously small yet offer a decent amount of firepower for their size.

Is it the equal of a 9mm or .40 out of a service sized handgun? Nope. But not everybody can or wants to carry one of those all the time, thus you see lots of people with pocket .380s.

 

[mesinge2]

Never had a reason to buy one.

 

[C0untZer0]

The problem that I see with 380 AUTO is the FMJs - even flat nosed, seem to zip right on through 18" blocks of ballistic gelatin, and the most hollow points don't seem to go much deeper than 10"

But this guy on YouTube - ShootingTheBull410 tested a lot of 380 rounds and found a loading of the Hornady XTP by Precision One that did OK:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wOwCXXpEP50

If you look at many of the other tests, there were many many rounds that failed to reach 12" through 4 layers of denim.

 

[rockhopper46038]

Sometimes it is just impractical (or impossible) to carry a full size pistol. I have a .380 for those occasions. But quite often I carry both, so perhaps many of the people you are talking about didn't pick a .380 instead of a more powerful caliber, but in addition to a more powerful caliber.

 

[C0untZer0]

The round may also suffer from the fact that it's shot almost exclusively now from small guns with short barrels.

I think it has better terminal ballistics with a longer barrel - like the Tanfoglio FT9 !!!

 

[kerreckt]

I carry a KelTec P3AT at all times. It is always in my pocket. There are few other guns you can carry all the time. It is for self defense which I can't imagine would be a running gunfight where I would need more firepower than it offers. It also offers the element of surprise which cannot be overrated. That is why I carry a .380.

 

[GBExpat]

How many of you own a 380?

I have 2, a S/S Walther PPK that I purchased new in the later '80s and a KelTec P-3AT that I bought a year after they came out (~2006?).

Although I usually, now, carry a .45, I often replace it in the right rear pocket of my 501s with the KelTec when I am going somewhere that should be relatively safe, like a friend's house.



It rides very comfortably there, fits all the way into the pocket (so it is much less noticeable) and I can sit on it for extended periods without discomfort. Considering the additional weight of my other back-pocket carry pieces, it is easy to forget that this P-3AT rig is even there.

 

[HexHead]

Cant remember the last time I carried it, but I've got an original steel framed Colt Mustang in the safe.

 

[gamestalker]

I have a couple .380's, and I also carried one pretty regularly for a few years. But it had more to do with comfort, due to the region of the state I lived in at the time. Now days I'm back to carrying a wheel gun most of the time.

GS

 

[Paul7]

Easy to carry, I have a Colt PocketLite Mustang, much better gun that the plastic .380s. Ask me how I know this.

 

[WRGADog]

Kahr P380 when I need exceptionally light weight reliable concealed carry and one of my small 9mm will not work.