For many decades American cops carried weak 38 Special RN rounds in nice quality revolvers - good guns and usually effective.
Hot 380 ball probably penetrates better than those old 38s.
Uh, NO! There's a little thing called SD (Sectional Density). It's a really simple calculation that compares a bullet's weight to its diameter and is a huge determinate of penetration. Here, the .380 fails miserably. A 90 grain .355" bullet has a SD of .102, while a 95 grain bullet is only .108. By comparison, a 40 grain .22 bullet is .115 and the "lowly" 158 grain .357" bullet has a respectable SD of .177. You guys carry a .380 if you are so inclined, but just don't fool yourself into thinking it's more than a mediocre choice for self defense. Just MHO.
Don
