What about the .380?

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huey148 said:
Most of the world had Been satisfied with round in The .32 - 9mm range...in some countries, it is the largest round civilians can own
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If other countries have the .380 as the "maximum caliber" that is allowed, then how do we know they're satisfied with it? Its the biggest they can get!. If 9x19mm/.40/.45 were allowed, I'm sure the .380 would drop in popularity.

In the Bond books, his PPK was indeed a .32 acp. But in Skyfall, Bond's PPK was chambered in "9mm Short," which is .380.
 
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I have only seen two Bond films. The first and the last. Early in the first movie he is forcibly given a .380 as an upgrade from his .32, which he was comfortable with but deemed not lethal enough by his superior. Skyfall had a scene clearly stating his pistol was a 9mm short.

Is .380 more commonly known as the 9mm short outside of the USA?
 
giggitygiggity said:
Actually, James Bond used a .32 PPK. I know shot placement is more important than the round, but no real spy would use such a weak round.
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It might be interesting to note that some of the assassinations carried out by the Massad were supposedly done with Berretta 22cal pistols
 
I have only seen two Bond films. The first and the last. Early in the first movie he is forcibly given a .380 as an upgrade from his .32, which he was comfortable with but deemed not lethal enough by his superior. Skyfall had a scene clearly stating his pistol was a 9mm short.

Is .380 more commonly known as the 9mm short outside of the USA?
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You are almost correct. In the first movie (and book if I recall correctly) Bond is given a PPK in .32 (7.65mm as they call it) as an upgrade to his Beretta .25. The .25 either misfired or failed to take down his target on a previous mission and M and Q deem it unfeasible. It's in this scene that Q utters the famous quote, "It has a delivery like a brick through a plate glass window" as he talks about the .32.

Second, in Skyfall Bond again starts the movie his .32 PPK, runs out of bullets (first time ever in a Bond movie and why I love the new iterations so much!!) and tosses it. Later in the movie the new Q gives him a Walther PPK/s. Listen closely as he does say PPK/s in 9mm short. And yes in Europe the .380 is known as 9mm short or 9mm kurz as it's called in German. My European Walther in .380 had "9mm kurz" on the slide and NOT .380. Incidentally my PPK and PP in .32 both say 7.65mm on the slide as the round is also known as in Europe.
 
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I carry either a 9mm Walther P99 or a Beretta PX4 .45acp.

My back up gun is either a LCR in .38 special or a Sig P232 .380acp.

I know full well that the Sig P232 is much below other choices in ballistics. I'm sure it is the most likely to malfunction of all my guns.

I just really like the gun. It feels SO GOOD to shoot it. Thus, I carry it as a back up.
 
I'm old.

Never been a fan.

38 Special +P, 9mm, 40 S&W, 45ACP, 357, 44 Special all OK in handguns.

I will say this; Better to have the 380 than nothing @ all.

I wouldn't want to be shot with it.
 
There's not a whole lot of difference in terminal ballistics between .32 and .380. Throughout history, lots and lots of people have been killed by .32 caliber.
 
Phantom Captain said:
You are almost correct. In the first movie (and book if I recall correctly) Bond is given a PPK in .32 (7.65mm as they call it) as an upgrade to his Beretta .25. The .25 either misfired or failed to take down his target on a previous mission and M and Q deem it unfeasible. It's in this scene that Q utters the famous quote, "It has a delivery like a brick through a plate glass window" as he talks about the .32.
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Exactly.
 
Thank you for the correction, I knew I was stepping outside of my bounds!

Everyone is an expert on the internet but I did think I had remembered that properly :)
 
The 'shot placement is key' argument really shines with the .380; in an all steel double stack you can still have a fairly small package that shoots smooth and recoils like a kitten. I prefer 9mm but I never felt undergunned with my LCP
 
Actually, giggi, the Mossad has used the .22 as an assassination weapon very effectively and the Mossad is I think the premier intelligence agency in the world.
As far as spies, weapon carry is really not their thing unless they are involved in a branch involving tactical missions.
 
The Military Arms Channel did some ballistics testing on the .380.

http://youtu.be/soNdX36P-3E

I find my Walther PPK/S to be exceptionally accurate and I credit that to the trigger pull and the sights which are "fine".

Here is a range report from the first time out shooting the PPK/S.

ppks.png
 
Ask some one who has been shot and see what they say. Most SD situations will end when the weapon is drawn and the perp turns and runs. They prey on the weak. If in the case the trigger must be used I would feel my bersa .380 with SD loads would stop all but the most insane lunatic.
 
IMHO (for HD)... and with "proper ammo"...

.380 ACP is "often" enough.
9mm Luger is "nearly always" enough.
12ga is "always" enough.

Of course, the latter is moot for personal carry.
 
The .380 is for when something bigger is to impractical or cumbersome to carry. Many fine small handguns are chambered in .380 and easy to shoot, and any reasonably effective gun with you is better than none. A pocket .380 means you have no more excuses to be unarmed.

Even Texas gov Perry was out for a walk and used an LCP against a coyote that was eyeing up his dog as dinner.
 
Carry ball ammo, I did for 20 years I carried a ppk's, at least you know it's going to penetrate 3 or 4 layers of clothing and still do some damage. If you live up north where people wear heavy leather jackets ,sweaters, shirts and undershirts, the hollow point may not work properly, "open too soon" or not at all. the ball ammo will get through.
Down south it's easier to penetrate a tee shirt or a light jacket. Unless you can hit head shots under pressure, or while being swung at with a bat,knife or pipe, while running, I wouldn't count on it,. It's not like shooting at something that is standing still.
 
I carry an LCP when I can't carry anything larger. Generally in the summer, my work attire requires the smallest pistol that prints the least. From May-July, I get by carrying nothing more than an LCP in my pocket and a Glock in my truck.

It's not my favorite, but I feel better carrying it rather than nothing at all. I also shoot it pretty well at altercation ranges.
 
fact of the matter is, no matter what you carry, no matter how good the ammo, one-shot-stops are rare. Jim Crillio was in quite a number of real life gun fights and the only 1-shot stops he saw were a 12ga and a 30-30 carbine. shot placement, good ammo, and follow-up shots are the way to go, no matter what you are packing.
 
Funny here how so many say the .380 is an adequate defense cartridge with no practical experience at all. Cirillo said, IHO, the 9mm was the bear minimum and describes in his books why he feels that way. Here was a man who not only attended many autopsyies, but studied the effects of each caliber on BG's and the shoot outs he and his men were actually involved in. For me, I'd rather listen to the voice of experience and not the voice of opinion.
It's why the .45acp is my chosen caliber to train with.
 
Well I carry a sig p238 and loaded with critical defense 95 grain jhp I feel it's adequate
 
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