Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Handguns Do you carry a .380?

Well-stated post...and spot on, IMHO.

I view the .380 as more of an up-close-and-personal defense piece. Yes, they're small capacity. Yes, they have small grip surfaces. Yes, they can be harder to control with +P ammo. But if you end up 1-6 feet away from some a-hole that you need to deal with, who cares about all the above? Just point to the center of mass and empty the magazine..

FWIW, I have the Sig P-238 coming soon. Had a chance to handle one a while ago and was very impressed with the features.. But I feel that 90% of the time I'll be carrying the Kahr around here..

I had a Browning .380 25 years ago that I mostly used to shoot fairly small sharks with when we got them to the boat or the beach. 100 pounds or so was the largest I tried it on, but it did the job. Shot a 125# alligator gar - in the head - with it, and it didn't do so much.

If someone needs more penetration, Buffalo Bore lists a .380 with a hard cast bullet at a MV of 1350 (I think I'm remembering right) fps. That would be pretty "sporty" in my straight blow-back action AMT!

This AMT is the one I reported on here awhile back that I found in an old RV I was wrecking. It is all stainless, has both manual and grip safeties, and a magazine disconnect. I replaced the trigger spring, got new magazines and grips, put a LaserMax laser sight meant for a Colt Mustang on it to alleviate the "no sights" problem - and I like it. Perfectly acceptable "belly gun", although I would not consider it as a primary self-defense weapon if I had a choice. Functions fine. I picked it up last night when investigating a strange noise, and it was rather comforting.

Redneck, yes sir, and it's a dam shame we even have to carry a gun today, but it's just a sad fact of life in what once was a great nation. And if you listen to some people, all we need to do is put up BIGGER SIGNS that read gun free zone because it is obvious the criminals can't see the ones that are there now. I would much rather carry some pocket change than a pistol, but I don't dare do that any more because these animals just won't rob you of your pocket change, they will then kill you so you can't identify them, or because the initiation into their gang requires they kill somebody.

I ALWAYS carry a Kahr P-380 loaded with Extreme Penetrator + P ammo here in the house and out on the property and everywhere else for that matter except the courthouse where they have metal detectors and guards. But I can understand why they would have that level of protection today. What I do not understand is why the politicians at the courthouse think they need armed guards, but the local school does not. They OBVIOUSLY think they are a lot more important than your school children or me. So if I leave this property, I also take something along in addition to the .380 that is serious protection and highly likely to kill what it hits.

You are going to love that little SIG. I still know a lot of law dogs who use them, mostly federal cops whose agencies have the resources to test various guns and determine which one best suits their needs. The fact that SIG guns often come out on top is a tribute to their attention to high quality building and materials.

I looked long and hard at the P-238 SIG, and I tried to rationalize how I could carry it concealed in my pocket every day, but I just can't get around that safety thing. I've found too many 1911's in my holster with the safety walked or brushed off to put that SIG in my pocket cocked with the safety on. Maybe it's just me, but even though I want that SIG, my old brain just won't let me do it.

I only personally know of one incident where a 1911 actually fired in a holster because of the safety being off, and other than a lot of excitement, it caused no real property damage and no one was hit although the bullet did pass through a restruant full of mostly truck drivers. You want to know how to empty a restruant full of truckers? Shoot a 45 slug down through the middle of it and that'll do it pert quick.

I am fine with the 380 for defense, SOME bullets are a little lacking in penetration. I'd be fine carrying 95 gr ball or another load I felt pen. better.

No sir. The Buffalo Bore 100 grain hard cast bullet is loaded to 1125 FPS in .380 + P. If you ever fired a 100 grain bullet at 1350 FPS in a blowback 380, the result would be a lot more than just "sporty."

I couldn't shoot the first generation LCP very well so I got rid of it. Then I picked up the LCP Custom with the red trigger and it shoots pretty good. Of coarse it helps that it has a decent trigger and usable sights.

Which .380 pocket pistol have extended mags available?

My mistake on the MV of the BB load. Still pretty potent for a .380, though!

Yes sir, it is, but it is just one of several really excellent loads for the .380 that are now available and they turn a .380 into a nasty little booger highly likely to cause considerable discomfort and possibly lethal to anything hit by it.

I do sometimes carry my Glock 42. When I do so, it is in a kydex IWB holster on my left hip. In my right front pants pocket I also carry my Smith Model 38.

If I go to town wearing a 380, it is likely hot and I am wearing shorts and a T shirt.

Truth told, however, I can carry my G43 anywhere the G42 will go.

These days, the 9mm is getting more travel time.

There are longer mags for the Lcp....I think ten rounds

Dat rain is gett'in in my shoes. Oh law, dat ole rain is in my shoes. I be get'in so tard of this dat it be giv'in me ah case of da blues.

Yes it is children. Now make that guitar bring tears. Bend those strings and pull off that note. Ahhhhh yes, yes, yes.

I gotta pistol in my pocket, Oh yeah there's a pistol in my pocket. I gotta razor in my shoe and ain't no tell'in what I moan do to you.

Put on yo red dress baby cause we go'in out tonight. Put on yo red dress momma, cause we go'in out tonight. I got my 32 gun in case some fool wanna start a fight.


Most all pistols have some kind of extended magazine available.

I don't use the P-230 a lot. It's small and light enough to slip into a coat/jacket pocket, but too big for regular pants pocket carry. Went thru a phase when I decided I needed a .380. Choices were a lot more limited in '88. The new manufacture Walthers had the worst triggers I'd ever tried, wish I had come across a colt govt .380 but didn't, found the SIG's and went with that. Yes, blow-back,fixed barrel. SIG's answer to the PP/PPK family, but much better trigger. Bigger grip than current trends, but much better to get ahold of and control. Has only accounted for a couple of woodchucks. I believe main difference from the P-232 is the newer model was tweaked to work with hollow points better, although mine handles ball and rounded-profile hollow points just fine. Don't use +P ammo. If I want more power I'll pick a bigger gun.

If you still want one don't wait to long, Sig is shutting of import and going with just US made stuff sometime soon, and the 232 is only made in Germany.

I have the Gen II, but not the Custom. The Gen II has an improved trigger pull, but not the new aluminum trigger, and it lacks the high sights of the Custom (so more of a snag-free profile). Fine gun for pocket carry (about the largest I'd consider for that purpose), and fine for taking a few quick shots with which to save your life, but no fun at all at the range. Downright painful, in fact, after about the third mag full.

I could shoot a thousand rounds through a Glock 17 in one range session without discomfort, but much more than three mags full in the diminutive Ruger LCP and I can hardly use my right hand for several hours thereafter. Don't exactly know why, but it's the case, so it's no range gun ... at least not for me. But then it's not designed to be, so no strikes against it on that account.

Sig's little 1911 style .380 is a luxury range pistol compared to the LCP, but not near as good as a pocket gun for self-defense. Much bulkier and heavier, and you have to worry about forgetting to switch off the thumb safety when your IQ drops by about half just at the moment you need it.

Well I just got around to finding some pics and up loading them. Here are my 2 .380's and the .45 commander.

I carry a Ruger LCP .380 loaded with the Buffalo Bore 100 gr Hard Cast load in my left front pocket as a BUG every day. It's small enough that you sometimes forget it's there.

Of course, though, it's only a back-up to either my Glock 32 or my 1911 Lightweight Commander that I carry as a primary CCW every day.

Nope, not after seeing folks shot with .380's. I'm into stopping the threat, not waiting around for the volunteer to bleed out.
9mm is bare minimum for stopping a fight, so I carry either a Mod 60 .357 or an Officer's Model .45 ACP.

Ed

S&W Bodyguard very thin and pocketable,once I got use to her very reliable and accurate.

I'm pretty sure that ship has sailed.