Who likes 380 ACP? Anyone like it as a primary?

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southriseagain

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i've been looking into sub-compact 9mm's lately with the intention of doing cheap plinking, and to fulfill my need for a compact/subcompact/pocket.

Looking at the little guns i found the 9's to be a bit clunky, off-balance and ugly compared to the similar 380 acp's. So at the moment i find myself unintentionally considering a 380. (still open to the right 9 but i have another thread about that.)

i'm not a cop so quite frankly i will never carry 2 guns simultaneously.. i've never even needed the first one so 2 would definitely be overkill.

  1. Do any of you use a 380 as your primary/only gun?
  2. Do people laugh at you if you point it at them? (joke)
  3. what will a 9mm do that a 380 wont? (i guess about a couple hundred ftlbs and fps but... practically?)
  4. Where did all the 380 ammo go? is it coming back?

anyhting else interesting?

thanks
 
I am looking at getting a .380 as a primary for summer carry because I just cannot conceal anything else well on my body. I would rather have a smaller caliber in a super compact carry gun then carry a larger caliber that I will not be able to control while shooting because of the small grip and recoil. IMHO it is more about shot placement then the size of the hole.

A well placed .22 will ruin someone's day as well as a poorly placed .44 magnum.

It's a comfort thing.
 
I own 25+ handguns, and carry a Kel-Tec P3AT more then any other gun I own.
It will do any job I envision getting myself into.

Witness all the new .380 Micro-guns coming out lately.

Of course there was the first, the Kel-Tec P3AT.
Then the Ruger copy of it, the LCP.

Also the NAA Guardian and Seacamp have been around for awhile.

And Walther PPK's and Bersa's, while not Micro-guns, have been very popular for many years.

But now, we are seeing Taurus, SIG, Kahr, and others also bring out Micro size .380's as well.

I think the scarcity of .380 ammo is because a whole bunch of other people feel the same as me and bought, or are buying a .380.
And they ain't buying them for plinking at beer cans I betcha.

Ammo will come back eventually, after all the Obama scare ammo hoarders and first time gun buyers get stocked up and the factories catch back up.

rc
 
First of all you are going to get the people who dont like the 380 and say it is too weak. Then you are going to get the crowd that says "I wouldnt volunteer to get shot by one" Then you are going to get the ones who say "Yeah but I am not volunteering to get hit by a baseball bat either but I am not carrying one for self protection I am carrying a gun" And on and on and on.

I like the 380 but I hate this new fad of pocket gun all being chambered in 380 and everyone jumping on the bandwagon to make one (who can blame them they sell, right). If it says 380 and it will barely fit in your hand because it is so small, all the gun magazine readers want it. I would be happy to make the 380 my primary in a Beretta 84. That would be a good controllable gun that you could get rapid multiple shots off in short order. Add that to the fact that it would be a pleasure to shoot every week at the range.

Since the 380 is mainly a pocket gun for most I am going to quote from another post here by another member in another thread:

Originally posted by mljdeckard: I USED to say that a .380 is the bare minimum to carry, particularly for people who absolutely must have a deep-carry piece. (NOT for regular guys who are just too lazy to adjust their wardrobe and lifestyle to carrying the weapon they shoot the best.) But then in about 1995 I think, I was blown away by the sub-compact Glock. Suddenly, it was possible to carry a tiny gun in 9mm, .40, .45, or .357 SIG. WOW. concealability AND power. These were followed by a lot of other sub-compacts in bigger cartridges. Now there are Kel-tecs, Ruger, Rohrbaugh, etc. in 9mm that are quite reliable. I've never heard anyone give a convincing reason to carry a .380 INSTEAD OF one of these options.

This is sound advice especially the part about the lazy people. Obvioulsy this doesnt apply to everybody but still I know many will take offense and if this is what happens then I humbly dont care.

If I need deep concealment I am reaching for a 38 Snubby in steel construction. A Smith Model 60 or Colt Detective Special.

Ammo situation: See rcmodel's post above. That is the long and short of it. It has maybe a little to do with Obamanation or whatever but conspiracy theories aside it has to do with everybody and their brother buying 380s because that is what is fashionable these days. There are 5 times as many 380s out there than there were 2 years ago and ammo manufacturers have not stepped up production and probably still wont since 9mm is still more popular.

You will probably be able to wait a year and then you will be able to buy all the 380 pocket guns you want because all the first time buyers will have gotten bored with them and the used market will be flooded.

For more reading on the subject: http://www.thehighroad.org/showthread.php?p=5779864#post5779864
 
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Do any of you use a 380 as your primary/only gun?
Click to expand...

I did for years, a Beretta 84, primarily because it was a great gun that I shot very well and it was approved as a duty weapon.

Do people laugh at you if you point it at them? (joke)
Click to expand...
:uhoh:

what will a 9mm do that a 380 wont? (i guess about a couple hundred ftlbs and fps but... practically?)
Click to expand...

Go through a windshield. Some 9mm won't either.

Where did all the 380 ammo go? is it coming back?
Click to expand...
Hoarders. If any event demonstrated that a huge number of people carry the .380, it is this. Yes it will be back.
 
An ammo opinion first: .380 has not been made in the same length production runs as 9mm in my memory. Therefore, .380 has always tended towards more expensive, especially now. That said, if there is one thing we can bank on it is the profit motive. With all the .380s that have been bought, back ordered, and featured on the covers of industry journals and rags recently, I'd look to see .380 ammo production increasing. It ain't happening this year, but we'll see some reasonably priced plinking .380 down the road. I'd bet a dollar on it. ;)

We should all do our parts though. Buy a .380.

(I'll get a sig p232 if you'll get whatever floats your boat the most...)
:D

That said, I'm following your 9mm advice thread with real interest. I've already got a couple of .380s. Like you, if I can find a single stack 9 that meets my needs, I'll get it.
 
There was a very nice Beretta .380 at the gun show today. Model 84 I think? Anyway, $375, and me cash poor right now. :(

It's all good though, I spent it on a 29-3. :D


Anyway, .380's area all the rage right now. I still toss my .32 Seecamp in my pocket a lot. (I am so under gunned :rolleyes:)

.380 in a .32 size makes tons of sense. It is no wonder folks are buying Kel-Tecs and Rugers like there is no tomorrow.
 
I have a Beretta 85 (Cheetah), and I LOVE it.

It is a breeze to shoot with good triggers, outstanding ergonomics, and is big enough to shoot comfortably but small enough to carry.

100 percent reliable, and has fired thousands of rounds with no problems.

While I would never choose a .380 as a primary, I would feel well armed if it was all I had on me.
 
I used to carry a Walther PPK in 380 because it was compact and being a big fella, I figured that was all I would need if some criminal tried to hold me up at a late night gas station. I think it all depends on where you are, myself, I had not been around dangerous areas in many years. Now I do not carry unless I am taking a trip then I take my only pistol, a Sig P220.
 
[QUOTEI own 25+ handguns, and carry a Kel-Tec P3AT more then any other gun I own.
][/QUOTE]

+1 The old Keltec goes everywhere it legally can on my person. When clothing permits I may carry a 1911 variant or a J frame Smith. The KelTec is just so easy to conceal and light enough you barely notice it.

I prefer situational awareness as my primary defense and consider the gun to be last/worst case defense. If I draw the .380 it's because there is NO other option.

I survived 5 years in a job that resulted in multiple death threats without any firearm at all (don't get me wrong I would have preferred to had a gun). I'm pretty good at de-escalating situations and know when to walk away/ run. The gun is for situations when all options are eliminated.
 
If you're considering a 380, you also need to consider ammo availability .... or in the current case, lack of availability.

The finest gun on the planet, chambered in the most effective caliber, with an empty magazine is as effective as a $5 hammer.
 
Repo Man??
Click to expand...

Consumer Lending and I had to collect on my own protfolio--including the task of repossession --from motorcycles to Houses -- people don't enjoy it.

You can give them every oppurtunity in the world to make a payment, give them extensions whatever. When you have to go into foreclosure the Banker is always guilty somehow. --Glad I'm out of it...I never enjoyed having to repo anything.
 
1. Do any of you use a 380 as your primary/only gun?
Click to expand...
Yes.
2. Do people laugh at you if you point it at them? (joke)
Click to expand...
Not when the shooting starts. (joke)
3. what will a 9mm do that a 380 wont? (i guess about a couple hundred ftlbs and fps but... practically?)
Click to expand...
Not too much, that's why .380 is a 9mm. short. A little less power.
4. Where did all the 380 ammo go? is it coming back?
Click to expand...
I don't know how people can be hoarding it if it's never for sale anywhere. Is it coming back? Sure, the demand is high and that's what capitalism does best.

You might consider a Kahr PM-9 if you're on the fence. Smaller than many .380's and it's a 9mm.
 
I have 15 380 pistols. I carry my sig P230sl or walther ppk/s and sometimes my P64 (although in 9x18).
380 ammo is getting very easy to find around here. For a short time it took some looking but it seems to be getting much more available now. Even some of the internet stores have it in stock.
Don't know about most people but I use my cc's for sd not as an aggressor. That being said I don't for see a reason to shoot a BG through a windshield. If he is behind a windshield either he is leaving or has not yet arrived. Most SD shootings come within 10ft and at that range there really is not a big enough difference. If you are one of the vid game players who thinks they are going to take a BG at 50yds with your pistol then in my book that would make you a BG and very easy to put behind bars in any court.
 
Got a Markarov 380 .I guess it's mid sized , it's my carry gun if I feel I must. Had to buff t
he ramp a little but it works well

The main difference between 9 and 380 seems to be penatration, kinda feeble compared to 9mm.

When the guns come out,no one's laughing.
 
Do people laugh at you if you point it at them?
Click to expand...

If the guy can tell from the muzzle end, a couple feet away, in a blink of a second what caliber you are pointing at them, then hand him your wallet. That kind of parlor trick deserves to be paid for.
 
Originally posted by mljdeckard: I USED to say that a .380 is the bare minimum to carry, particularly for people who absolutely must have a deep-carry piece. (NOT for regular guys who are just too lazy to adjust their wardrobe and lifestyle to carrying the weapon they shoot the best.) But then in about 1995 I think, I was blown away by the sub-compact Glock. Suddenly, it was possible to carry a tiny gun in 9mm, .40, .45, or .357 SIG. WOW. concealability AND power. These were followed by a lot of other sub-compacts in bigger cartridges. Now there are Kel-tecs, Ruger, Rohrbaugh, etc. in 9mm that are quite reliable. I've never heard anyone give a convincing reason to carry a .380 INSTEAD OF one of these options.
Click to expand...

My preferred method of carry is pocket carry. I'm comfortable carrying a LCP. I shoot it well enough that i trust my life with it. Why does this make me lazy? Why must I carry a bigger gun?
 
Me.....:)

100_0145_01.jpg

100_8023-1.jpg

100_6811_01.jpg

If you can't successfully cc a Seecamp you should never leave the nudist colony. :evil:



Jesse
 
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When ammo gets more readily available for my little .380, I will be pocket carrying it again soon. But for now, I am stuck lugging around a heavy .40 S&W which is difficult to conceal when you are walking around on 100 degree days in shorts and a T-Shirt.

Now I will have to shop for one of those SeeCamps, it looks so much easier than the PPK, how reliable and accurate is it?
 
my wife carrys a lcp 380 in a uncle mikes belt holster as primary, back-up is a .22 mag derringer.
 
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