MICHAEL T
Member
Well if Massad said it then it's written in stone right next to the 10 commandments 
Why buy a 380?
- Thread starter Redcoat3340
- Start date
- Status
shooter1
Member
Pocket carry is the only reason for a 380. When a .380 is a large as a 9mm pistol, I'll carry the 9mm. (More likely a .40) I've got two P3ATs I've been carrying for 15yrs. I carried one or the other as an on duty backup. Qualified with it annually. It's the gun I carry when I don't need to carry a gun. If I have pants on, I have one AIWB using the belt clip. Easy to forget it's even there. That's the .380's niche. I'll always have a place for the .380 in my carry system.
str1
str1
kBob
Member
Because of rule two in gun fighting.
Rule 1. Stay out of gunfights.
Rule 2. HAVE A GUN.
Having a gun in any caliber is about what gun you can shoot and will carry. I used to get ragged on by gun bunnies when after a class was over and done with I would let little old ladies shoot a small .22 LR or one type or another. After all the .22LR is no where near the capability of a (fill in the blank) and More mechanically unreliable than a (fill in this one , too). But the little old ladies WOULD carry the .22 and not whatever else.
Some people WILL carry a .380 and not something else.
Personally I can not understand why anyone would drive a GM product or a MoPar Mess when Ford trucks are available.....and there you have it.
Personal choice.
-kBob
Rule 1. Stay out of gunfights.
Rule 2. HAVE A GUN.
Having a gun in any caliber is about what gun you can shoot and will carry. I used to get ragged on by gun bunnies when after a class was over and done with I would let little old ladies shoot a small .22 LR or one type or another. After all the .22LR is no where near the capability of a (fill in the blank) and More mechanically unreliable than a (fill in this one , too). But the little old ladies WOULD carry the .22 and not whatever else.
Some people WILL carry a .380 and not something else.
Personally I can not understand why anyone would drive a GM product or a MoPar Mess when Ford trucks are available.....and there you have it.
Personal choice.
-kBob
420Stainless
Member
I wouldn't for myself in this day. Back when I bought one, there weren't any pocketable semiautos in more powerful cartridges. Now I have a .45 that fits in most of my pockets and can still go to the PPKs if needed. Who knows what I'll be able to handle as age continues to overtake me? A .380 may once again be the best fit for me someday.
george burns
Member
Having carried a 380 in the 70's, I find that the average 9mm, has less recoil than the average 380. Everyone is different, but those over pressure loads, like 380, and 40, always felt worse to shoot for me, than a 9mm or 45cal. Even a 38 in a revolver has a smoother more predictable straight back recoil than say a 40 cal . Of course everyone is different, and how you grip the gun has a lot to do with it.
Are you referencing straight blowback pistols?
380 ACP out of a short-recoil design usually has fairly manageable recoil.
When I purchased my R9, there wasn't a whole lot of test data available for 380 ACP. Most tests showed FMJ zipping right through 18" blocks of ballistic gelatin, and most hollow points didn't seem to go much deeper than 10"
But ShootingTheBull410 did extensive testing of the 380 ACP out of short-barreled pistols and he identifies several rounds that penetrate 12" -14" of gel through 4 layers of denim.
That works for me.
I'll eventually pick up one of those Remington RM380 pistols.
- Status
