Will a .380 pocket pistol really solve all my problems?

[SwampWolf]

Depending on the circumstance(s)-climate, social setting, type of neighborhood in terms of the propensity for criminal activity, etc., I have different handguns I use for different ccw purposes. Imo, pocket carry requires the smallest, lightest .380 practicable (no 9mm is as small or as light weight as an equivalent .380-the same cannot be said for the .380 vs the .32). Anything bigger or heavier and I will resort to holster carry. And if I'm carrying a handgun in a belt-mounted holster, it will pack more punch than any .380. So it is my opinion that a .380 pistol will not "really solve all (your) problems" but is well-suited to reckon with some of your problems, contingent on what the problem is.

 

[rscalzo]

ain't ya'll yankees got no machetes up there ??

Nah. All we got is a bimbo named "Snookie".

 

[TexasBill]

Ol' David E's wild hair is going to get a tickling. I carry a Beretta 84FS Cheetah or a Walther PK380. I don't like the LCP (just my personal opinion) and I won't buy a Kahr. I also don't like the SIG 238: a pocket pistol that must be carried cocked and locked doesn't make me feel warm and fuzzy, especially when SIG makes a much nicer .380.

I don't want a "mini" anything. I like a pistol big enough to handle the round and I like the 13+1 capacity of the Beretta and the 8+1 capacity of the Walther. The Beretta feels good in my hand and shoots like a dream.

It's not a matter that I am not capable of handling other weapons. I had a .44 Magnum before "Dirty Harry." I don't want to and I don't feel the need. Based on what I have found out about the .380 cartridge and the most likely SD scenarios, the pistols I have chosen have shown themselves to be good, reliable firearms for my purposes and, despite David E's comments, I am right. For me. It may not be right for you, and that's fine.

It's a funny thing: many years ago I carried a Walther PPK as a BUG. So did a number of other LEO's I knew. I don't recall anyone worrying about the efficacy of the .380 back then. I think we may have gone a little "caliber crazy" especially those of us who aren't in law enforcement, which places a whole different set of demands on a handgun and its ammunition.

If you want to carry a .45 the size of a matchbook or a .45 the size of a .45, go right ahead. We're all grownups and we are capable of deciding what's best for ourselves. However, don't come down on someone else's choice. I noticed that one poster in this thread mentioned carrying a NAA .22 long rifle. Good on him! I hope it serves him well if he ever needs it and I am sure he'll make a good account of himself. That's one mini-gun I find tempting myself.

BTW: Like SwampWolf, I have larger pistols I can carry when I can wear an OWB holster, including a Beretta PX4 Storm and a S&W Model 60 .357 Magnum revolver.

 

[Ben86]

I don't like the LCP (just my personal opinion) and I won't buy a Kahr.

I plan to either buy a pm9 or p380 in about a week so I'm curious why you wouldn't own one.

 

[PX15]

Ben86,

Don't worry about TexasBill not wanting a Ruger LCP.. My wife and I have him covered, we have three..

Best Wishes,

jesse

 

[Roswell_Kid]

"I like a pistol big enough to handle the round and I like the 13+1 capacity of the Beretta and the 8+1 capacity of the Walther."

Well said, TexasBill.

If the wonderful government weasels here have their way, we law-abiding types are going to be restricted to .380 or below in the not too distant future. If that happens, quite a few of us are going to be looking for something like that Cheetah or the elegant Browning BDA.

 

[akadave]

I have an LCP...and an LCR for that matter. I have all but stopped carrying my LCP because I really dont think the .380 round is enough.

 

[David E]

Ol' David E's wild hair is going to get a tickling. I carry a Beretta 84FS Cheetah or a Walther PK380.

I don't care what you carry. Choosing which gun is only part of the issue. Read my tag line for the rest.

 

[huntsman]

I have an LCP...and an LCR for that matter. I have all but stopped carrying my LCP because I really dont think the .380 round is enough.

and a .38spl is? or do you have the new .357mag?

 

[CHEVELLE427]

BOY THIS IS AN OLD THREAD.

i have a NAA 22MAG as a BUG gun but just picked up a keltec 380 2 days ago. easy in the pocket, still big enough to get the bad guy off you till you can get to your go to gun.

i use the small bug guns when i cant dress for the xd45.

off duty cop here just had to shoot someone with a NAA 22LR last year, ER DR said hat was the worst gunshot he had ever worked on, bullet bounced all around inside, took the bad gut 7 days to die

 

[TexasBill]

Ben86: I don't have any problems with the gun itself; it's well-made and is obviously just the ticket for a lot of people. In fact, I wanted an LCP right up to the time I fired one. Too much recoil and too little grip for my tastes. I like a longer grip. I also dumped the Uncle Mike's boot grips on my Smith & Wesson Model 637 and added the grips from a Model 60 Pro. Adds about a half-inch to the height but makes the gun a lot easier to control. I think a lot of people overlook the importance of the little finger in grip strength.

I won't buy a Kahr because I won't support Reverend Moon and his Unification Church. Kahr is a subsidiary of the Moon business empire. My choice has nothing to do with the quality of firearm and isn't intended to influence anyone else's choice. If you're looking at a Kahr and like what you see, by all means, buy it and may it serve you well.

akadave: As mentioned, I have a J-frame Smith (in fact, I have two and love 'em). I prefer handguns with hammers. And to really get the flames going, I think the LCR 357 and the Smith & Wesson M&P 360 are nuts. Just because materials technology allows you to make something doesn't automatically mean it's a good idea. I have a Model 60 and it's exciting enough with .357 Magnum loads, as is the Model 637 with +P loads. Firing .357 Magnums through a revolver that weighs less than my Smith Airweight isn't self-defense: it's self-abuse. Some say you turn into Superman in moments of stress, but physics is physics and follow-up shots are a big part of my SD game plan.

David E.: As I've mentioned in other threads, I do practice frequently with all my guns. And with my SD/HD guns, I practice with the loads I carry as well as cheap range fodder.

Roswell Kid: My wife has the elegant Browning BDA. She bought hers first and I was going to buy one, as well, but there wasn't another to be found. So I got the Cheetah. However, I must say I really like the Cheetah and prefer its ambidextrous M1911-style safety. Plus, I treated myself to a real Italian-made Beretta shoulder holster and am very happy with my rig. Now if Beretta would make one like it for the PX4 Storm, I'd be a happy camper.

 

[valorius]

Here's my .380 LCP. It is my 95% of the time carry piece (I also have a custom HK P7 for times when i want more gun on my person).



Typical 25foot accuracy with Federal Hydrashok. I shot this group off-hand (slow fire) my last trip to the range. Wanted to kick myself when i jerked the last shot in the group into the 9 ring. Grrr...



My preferred carry round is CorBon DPX.

Anyway, I love it.

 

[Ben86]

That's fantastic shooting Valorius, I'm lucky to keep them all on paper at 25 yards with my lcp.

 

[akadave]

and a .38spl is? or do you have the new .357mag?

38spl +p is considerably more round than a .380. Heavier bullet, more speed.

 

[valorius]

Out of a 2" barrel .38 spl there is no real difference between .38spl and .380 IMO, especially if your .380 is a decent sized PPK or P232 type pistol, as opposed to the tiny LCP type pistols.

I know one thing for sure, i do not want to get shot in the chest with a .380 DPX, Gold Dot, or other modern hollowpoint, let alone 7 or 8 of them.

Thanks Ben.

 

[Ledgehammer]

Lol he said 25 feet not yards. No sense in even practicing anything much further than 10 yds with a pocket pistol. It's a waste of ammo IMO.

 

[CHEVELLE427]

pocket guns are just to get someone off you till you can get to something bigger.

most of the time my xd45 is on my side but right now in my pocket it is a keltec 380

 

[Ben86]

Lol he said 25 feet not yards. No sense in even practicing anything much further than 10 yds with a pocket pistol. It's a waste of ammo IMO.

Whoops, he sure did didn't he, I guess I must have read that wrong. I'm so used to reading "I shot X amount of YARDS." Great shooting none the less. I practice a bit at 25 yards with my lcp just in case I inconceivably find myself having to shoot that far away, and its a fun challenge.

Out of a 2" barrel .38 spl there is no real difference between .38spl and .380 IMO, especially if your .380 is a decent sized PPK or P232 type pistol, as opposed to the tiny LCP type pistols.

My thoughts exactly. The only leg up .38sp might have over .380 is better penetration, but that is largely dependent on bullet design. I'm ok with the average 10" penetration of my gold dots out of my lcp.

 

[akadave]

Out of a 2" barrel .38 spl there is no real difference between .38spl and .380 IMO, especially if your .380 is a decent sized PPK or P232 type pistol, as opposed to the tiny LCP type pistols.

I know one thing for sure, i do not want to get shot in the chest with a .380 DPX, Gold Dot, or other modern hollowpoint, let alone 7 or 8 of them.

Thanks Ben.

158gr hard cast +p (Buffalo Bore) from the LCR vs a 70-90 gr bullet going about the same speed from an LCP? Easy math. Penetration aplenty.

Granted you can kill a person with a .22 but you want to get their attention too.

This doesnt have .38spcl data but it illustrates that heavy and slow beats fast and light for penetration (going through heavy clothes, breaking bones, maybe a windshield)
http://www.handloads.com/misc/linebaugh.penetration.tests.asp

 

[valorius]

Hard cast lead Buffalo Bore +P rounds are made for .380 too (100gr, IIRC), and they will penetrate just as deeply (from any practical standpoint). Buffalo Bore also makes them in .32acp...which is what i carried when i used to carry a Kel Tec P32 before i got my LCP.

.380 and .38spl have the same diameter bullet, so if both penetrate as deeply from a practical standpoint, there is no practical difference- agreed?