[Gen.Blather]

I’m not a gun expert, nor have I played on TV. However, my concealed weapon is a S&W .380 Bodyguard. Without looking them up again, here are the numbers off the top of my head. A .380 round travels at 1200 feet per second. That is VERY fast for a revolver round. A metal jacketed round will ricochet like crazy. Also, the 3.5 inch barrel means you will have a very hard time hitting a target at more than 10 feet. The kill number on the metal-jacketed .380 round is around 12, which is low. A .45 caliber, which travels at 850 fps has a number around 50.

I carry Glaser Safety Slugs, these are $2 each. They are a plastic bullet filled with tiny pellets with a thin metal shell to hold them together in flight. This design imparts all of the bullet’s force by completely deforming against the target. The “safety” part of the name comes from their lack of ricocheting. Their kill number is about 45, or really close to the .45APC round.

Here are my recommendations.
1. Carry the gun where you can easily pull it. A variety of hidden holsters are available and women have a plethora of choices on how to carry it.
2. Practice, practice, practice. Put 50 rounds a week through it until you can reliably hit a man-sized silhouette at progressively longer distances. A Glaser hit will put a huge man down regardless of where it hits him; guaranteed. (I’ve fired 1000 rounds through any gun I expect to carry.)
3. Learn when to pull it and NEVER pull it unless you are in fear for you life. Otherwise, somebody will take it away from you.
4. When in doubt, run the other way.
5. Do not fire at more than 10 feet unless it is your only option.

[justice14]

Very good post.

[Qwackertoo]

Thank you for the information, it is appreciated.

[jdsteel]

Excellent points about having the correct ammunition. There’s 2 kinds of ammo you should buy; range ammo and carry ammo....not that you shouldn’t practice with some carry ammo from time to time, but it can get pricey!

[Poser]

Also, the 3.5 inch barrel means you will have a very hard time hitting a target at more than 10 feet.

I disagree profoundly. I sometimes carry a Ruger LCP and practice with it regularly. I use 5" pie plates at 7-10 yards (not feet). I have no problem hitting them.

I suggest practicing in this way:

• Setup a target frame at 7 yards
• Place three paper plates vertically, one at head height, one at chest height and one at groin height
• Practice by drawing from your holster, putting two in the middle target, then one in the top target and then finally, one more in the bottom target

Be careful and practice unloaded several times at first. You need to get in the practice of drawing your pistol without touching the trigger until it is on target. I prefer to carry in condition 3 (loaded magazine, but empty chamber). I guess it is a leftover from carrying a Glock. I don't want to accidentally catch the trigger and get a surprise. I draw, rack the slide, and then shoot. It takes 3-7 seconds to complete the entire drill.