380 self protection...?

[Cutter]

i have acquired a colt 380 and wondered what the CG tribe thought of this round for self-protection....I have always been proponent of a 9mm/.38 as the minimum caliber for self protection....

Thanks for your input,
Cutter

[DNA]

380 is fine. Just get quality ammo... Like some of the Winchester SXTs or some of the Hornaday critical defense ammo.

Plenty of folks have bought into the 380 as a modern day SD round. And police agencies in Europe have carried 380s as primary arms.

Dan

[Virus55]

Get some hollow points and call it good

[drifter2be]

.380, especially with modern ammunition, is more than adequate as a self-defense gun. I have two that I carry in rotation with a .38 special and 9mm, don't feel undergunned with any of them...if you are worried about penetration carry FMJ. I personally carry Winchester PDX-1 in my carry mag and 95gr FMJ in my backup mag. But I do that with all my semi-auto carry guns (backup mag of FMJ)

[JeremyS]

Buffalo Bore and Underwood make some excellent .380 ammo. I'd personally also have some FMJ rounds in mine just in case HP's aren't getting the job done due to their lower penetration. The .380 bullets aren't very heavy and aren't moving all that fast. Plenty of people will say I'm crazy and/or stupid, but in this caliber I'd run the first half of my mag JHP and the second half FMJ. Both ammo, of course, having been proven reliable in my gun.

[LexLuther]

Shot placement counts more than size.

[TANK1135]

Shot placement counts more than size.

+++1 Yup before the 9mm and 45 fans jump in.Those cals aren't death rays you still need shot placement.Stagger fmj and hp if you are worried about penetration.BB bore makes some hot ammo that compares to the 38 ballistics.

[MIAMIbaseballer]

There's been countless tests on ammo for the 380.... Buffalo Bore 100 gr HCFN +p is the way to go if your gun can handle +p loads....

[SDM44]

Shot placement counts more than size.

That's true. But on most .380 handguns (LCP, Kahr, S&W Bodyguard, Kel-Tech, Sig, etc), they are all very small handguns, some even called 'mouse' guns. And those mouse guns aren't the easiest or friendliest to shoot accurately, not without lots of practice.

To answer the OP's question, yes the .380 is a viable round for SD. However, the ammo costs a lot more than say 9mm, and most 9mm handguns are bigger so they're easier to grip and shoot more accurately.

I have a LCP with Winchester PDX bonded JHP (awesome stuff for the .380), and a Glock 26 with Federal HST JHP. The Glock is much easier to shoot accurately over the LCP, especially if you're new to both platforms.

Just something to consider.

[Horton Fenty]

If it's in a package that compliments the cartridge, small and easily concealed, then I think 380 is a fine self defense round.

[Mr310]

Glock 25 time!

[davbog44]

i have acquired a colt 380 and wondered what the CG tribe thought of this round for self-protection....I have always been proponent of a 9mm/.38 as the minimum caliber for self protection....

Thanks for your input,
Cutter

Based on your mention of being a "proponent" of 9MM / .38 as minimums, does this mean you have other handguns (already) in those calibers?

I own one .380 (Beretta 85) and while I'd use it if I needed too, I have other pistols I think are better, in my case my personal protection / home defense pistol is a .40S&W SIG P226. I guess I am saying, all other things being equal, I personally prefer a larger caliber. But I wouldn't be one of those who argues a .380 is too little gun.

I know folks on gun boards like to state the obvious; shot placement matters most. While true on its face, there are a lot of variables, and a lot of chaos in a deadly force encounter. Obviously, the better you shoot, the better for you (and the worse for who you're shooting at) but given the spit second timing, your elevated stress levels, and someone who probably isn't giving you the cleanest target, I think caliber could become a factor. Otherwise we'd all keep .22's and just shoot 'em between the eyes.

[FLIGHT762]

i have acquired a colt 380 and wondered what the CG tribe thought of this round for self-protection....I have always been proponent of a 9mm/.38 as the minimum caliber for self protection....

Thanks for your input,
Cutter

If given a choice, I will not use a .380 as a #1 self defense gun. 9MM minimum in an autoloader and .38 Special +P in a revolver.

Very early in my career, I witnessed a person who shot himself in the chest with a Walther PPK in .380 using FMJ ammo. I took him to the hospital. The E/R Doc put a bandaid on the entrance and told him to go see a surgeon in the next couple of days to remove the bullet. It didn't crack into the chest cavity.

Could be a few variables, but that's my opinion on the .380. With all of the new pistols out there that are very compact in 9MM, I don't understand why anyone would use a .380. Why not? Like I said, If given a choice, the .380 would not be my first choice.

For those that don't believe me or scoff at my opinion, Here is a snipet from a recent L/E terminal ballistics update I received from Dr. Gary Roberts regarding the use of a .380. He's a well respected expert on the subject.

The terminal performance of .380 ACP JHP's is often erratic, with inadequate penetration and inconsistent expansion being common
problems, while .380 ACP FMJ's offer adequate penetration, but no expansion. All of the .380 ACP JHP loads we have tested, including CorBon, Hornady, Federal, Remington, Speer, and Winchester exhibited inconsistent, unacceptable terminal performance for law enforcement back-up and off duty
self-defense use due to inadequate penetration or inadequate expansion.

Stick with FMJ for .380 ACP, or better yet, don't use it at all. The use of .380 ACP and smaller caliber weapons is really not acceptable for law enforcement use and most savvy agencies prohibit them.

[Cutter]

Thank you all for your input...verdict is still out. leaning toward larger cal small weapon...Flight762 made some good points regarding larger cals and others made good ones about modern ammo...i have the firearm and will try various ammo at the range to check control ability...the colt is small, light and very concealable.

Thanks again for the input. Very appreciated.

Cutter

[Saym14]

If u do then use high quality modern ammo, However if I had a choice to grab one for self defense I would grab a 9 before the 380