Yes those things happen. The likelihood of you being killed in one is very low. You are more likely to be killed by lightning. I can't remember where I saw that statistic but the methodology made sense.
Off topic for a moment... I was nearly struck by lightning once while hunting. I noticed a strange feeling like all the hair on my body was standing up, then snap!, then lightning struck a tree about 30 feet from me. I can still hear my ears ringing, and that was 15 years ago.
Back on topic...
If you truly want one-hit stopping power, go with a .454 Casull , a .50 AE, or a phased plasma rifle in the 40 watt range, but good luck concealing them. I think .380 is a compromise for most people between what we're able to carry regularly and what we'd like to carry regularly. It's big enough to do the job (
if you do your part), but small enough to conceal without too much hassle.
My rule of thumb is if you are unsure about your gun, maybe you need something else. Most of the time I'm pretty sure it's all I need. Best case scenario is if you try to avoid putting yourself in a position to have to use it. Sometimes things happen, though, and if I knew there was no way to avoid it, and I was going to be in a situation where there was a high likelihood I'd get shot at, I'd probably upgrade to a 9mm, .40, or .45. I know that if someone breaks in at night, I'm going for the .45 with hollow points or the M1 carbine with soft points.
