Posted on 01/15/2020 6:42:22 PM PST by No.6
After too long of a delay, I've finally started grinding out the words behind the study I've done of .380 ACP rounds, and posted part one.
Yes, this is a bit of a blog pimping, but as I have no ads or monetization, one can hardly call it self-serving … it's just that there's too many words to make a good forum post.
A short excerpt: ----- Our ideal round is not necessarily the same as the officer’s – but there are many similarities. If we’re forced to shoot in self-defense (presuming our threat doesn’t quit, run away, or hide) we very much need our action to stop the threat – maybe more so, as we may not have an armed partner and government behind us. Accordingly, on ammunition sites and YouTube vloggers alike the barrier tests are usually not replicated, and you’ll find tests largely involving bare gel or denim/cloth/fleece “heavy clothing” (and the occasional bag of oranges). This set of articles uses the 12″-18″ FBI standard, not because the .380 ACP is a duty round, but because some objective standard is better than none. When making your own choice, keep in mind this is about personal defense, not duty.
...this study doesn’t “trust” or “distrust” Shooting the Bull 410, Lucky Gunner, or any other author. It pulls together 330+ rounds from 12 different authors, 12 different firearms, and 29 different types of ammunition, all in .380 ACP. -----
Full article at https://www.wereratgames.com along with a prior bit I'd posted, which has nothing at all to do with arms but is a data science item about simulation racing.
Anyway enjoy, and I'm looking forward to cranking the rest of it out in intervals of less than a week each so this wordy intro doesn't get stale.
Got some .380 haters on this thread: https://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-chat/3807959/posts
I’m looking for a pocket gun, but I just can’t warm up to a .380
Seriously thinking about a S&W MP Shield in 9mm or .40 cal
Decent little gun for $279
Linkee no workee.
The link won’t open for me - “can’t reach this page.”
Your link is not working for me.
That said, .380 is a round that I carry.
All others are too big/heavy for me to be consistent. I get lazy or uncomfortable or lose my ability to conceal and just leave it home.
So I carry a Sig P-232p.
Weighs less than a pound empty and I can shoot your eye out at 20 ft. The FBI also says 98% of gun deaths occur at 8ft or less.
I met a gun store/range manager in Tacoma WA that accidentally shot himself with one. It went in above the belt line, bounced off his pelvic bone and filleted his left leg darn near to the ankle. They medivac’d him on a helicopter because it nicked an artery. Just barely.
FMJ.
So I figure it has just enough if the shot is well placed. Especially if 4 or 5 are well placed.
Link doesn’t work.
The biggest advantage of the .380 is the guns it works in. It seems to me that it is adequate if not overpowering.
I was surprised to see in his biography that John M. Browning’s favorite gun was the little 32 auto.
I carry a Ruger LCP in 380 every day. I also carry other pistols, but that little LCP fits a shorts pocket perfectly. It also shoots great, is very reliable, and I can hit a forehead at 50 feet just fine.
.380? Give me .308
S&W MP Shield in 9mm rocks.
nope a 44 or 45, not really particular about which caliber or the specific cartridge, they all work. LOL
if you have large hands, the cases are hard to reload. A rock chucker becomes a finger crusher,
yep, been there and done that a few hundred times, which is why I prefer 44’s or 45’s easier for my fat fingers to hold onto and not get crushed. LOL
Im in boundary county Idaho.....grizz country. 44 super blackhawk is my carry.
Yep and surprisingly it points very well for me. I’ve spent years learning to point/instinct shoot and can clear that lcp from my iwb holster and hit an 8 inch circle 2+ times in just over a second at 15 ft. And haven’t actually practiced with it that much
“ Seriously thinking about a S&W MP Shield in 9mm or .40 cal”
I have a Shield .40. I wouldn’t call it a pocket gun. Close, but a bit large.
My normal carry is a single stack 9mm. I feel the 380 round is probably sufficient, even in the limited 6+1 configuration of the LCP. Though yes, I feel better with my 8+1 9mm S&W Shield and a spare mag or two.
My main beef is with the dynamics of the LCP. The sights are, at least for me, only usable if the fight is in an indoor room, a medium-small room. Racking the action is more difficult than on any other semi-auto handgun we have. While it has never jammed for me, it has stove-piped multiple times for my wife and son. It seems to need a *firm* grip, any slack and the action doesn't cycle properly. There are probably other 380s that I'd like more, or dislike less. But I really like the Shield and it is easy enough to conceal 99/100 times. I can put up with the LCP the other times - gives me an excuse to gripe. ;-)
Oh, and a final note on 380 stopping power. Yes, it is not as powerful as many other handgun rounds. Funny thing though, I've never met anyone who claims it isn't powerful enough who is willing to get shot by one. ;-/
IBHG
Grr, darn ‘s’! https:// is no good.
http://www.wereratgames.com works as does https://wereratgames.azurewebsites.net/ (as a learning experience with cloudy stuff, I put this up on Azure).
Sorry about that!
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