380 for carry?

My first carry gun was also a .380. But it is no longer, a compact .45, .40 or 9mm are all worlds ahead of the .380 in terms of performance. The other issue is finding ammo for it.

Given all the options out there, there are a lot of better choices.
 
Having shot a number of 4 legged things with a 380 I'm not impressed. Considering the number of small 9s such as the Kahr I'd go that route !
The nicest 380 I've ever had is the Remington 51 a very well designed pistol.
 
I think Ammo has a lot to do with outside temp. Shooting a fragmenting bullet in winter time, where heavy clothing is worn, will be useless. Summertime its fine. Winter may be better off with a round ball. That said, I dont think the 380 is the best but if its a round you can shoot accurately and repeat fire, carry out. Just adjust ammo to climate.
 
I carry an LCP and am quite comfortable with it. Sometimes I carry a .22 magnum and am comfortable with that, as well. The likelihood of using either in my case is remote, so I am not really that concerned that I am under gunned. I don't go to dangerous places and I don't take undue risks, so I think that my "mouse guns" are enough.
 
I have done the full-sized, compact sized carry thing before too. Nowadays the biggest gun that I carry is my G26 or one of my 5 shot snubbies carried IWB. However my Ruger LCP is ALWAYS in my pocket. At 5-7 yards I can draw it and empty the magazine into a sheet of notebook paper in a matter of seconds. Seems pretty formidable to me. ;)

There are better choices for a primary CCW than a micro .380 IMO but my world tends to be pretty laid back for the most part. There is no doubt in my mind that the Ruger will discourage anyone that had bad intentions. That 95gr bullet would be no laughing matter if it were coming at you.
 
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If it's true that the .380 is becoming popular again, I suppose it's true that this is because small pistols of good quality are now available for the caliber. I guess I'm out of step because I still like the .380 in a more "full sized" pistol, like the Sig P232 or the Beretta 85, neither of which can be honestly called a pocket pistol.

In the first place, I'm no longer young so I'm used to the larger .380s. Also I shoot my Sig p232 as well as I can shoot any pistol at close range. It's reliability is proven and I feel competent with the weapon. Also, the Sig gets better performance from the .380 round -- and the .380 needs all the help it can get. Many say the Sigs and Berettas are "large for a .380," but I disagree. I think the pocket .380's are small for a .380! :) Don't get me wrong, I think the Ruger .380 and others like it are fine weapons and I'll probably end up owning one. But the larger .380s are viable choices as well, IMHO.

Now, I'm aware that the 9mm can be chambered in pistols the size of larger .380s, which theoretically seems to make the Sig P232 (my favorite) obsolete. I can't refute that argument except to say that I like my Sig and thus sometimes carry it. I have also a Glock 36 in .45 ACP and a Kel-Tec p11 in my "for carry" selection so I'm not married to the .380. But the larger .380s ain't gettin' no respect these days so I thought I'd put in a few words for 'em.

As for the ammo shortage -- I simply have to believe this is temporary and that our ammo shelves will one fine day be full again! But if I were shopping right now for my first defensive handgun, I'd pass on the .380 because I can't know how long the shortage will last.
 
I suppose it's true that this is because small pistols of good quality are now available for the caliber.
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The same can be said for the .32 also,Hopefully the .25 caliber will follow as it does serve a purpose still.

I think the pocket .380's are small for a .380!
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I agree,even tho ive not shot an LCP or P3AT,but i do own a P238 which is the perfect size and weight for the .380 to shoot it comfortably and most likely last longer as those small guns are taking a beating.They have to be of decent quality to even survive such a robust round like the .380 in a .25 caliber sized gun.Yeh my .25 is about the same size as both of those guns,maybe even bigger.

When i first joined here i was under the impression the .380 was weak and useless round for SD.But i liked the Sig p238 so much and i needed a pocket gun so that was a natural choice for me.
Despite how well the gun shot and handled the .380 round really impressed me alot more than how i perceived it from comments online.

I do feel the .380 will do an effective job with good placement.I choose not to carry it as a main weapon tho.
Im a .45 guy if you cant tell,but one day i may need to wear just a Speedo and that day my .25 will act as a main gun as its all i can conceal.

They dont make good reliable quality .25's like they did from 1900-1960,the ring of fire guns almost put that caliber out of its misery.
 
The .380, in a compact designed gun, serves a purpose. I own a Ruger LCP and it has became my go to summer carry piece.

My winter piece is still my 1911, but a .380 is a good choice when the weather makes it difficult to carry larger guns.
 
I like reasonably small, thin and light for CC. For years, I carried the .380 in Remington 51, Colt 1908, Walther PPK and others. Small, thin, and about 20 oz or so. Because that was the better alternative to the smaller .25's or the much larger alloy frame autos in 9mm that were thicker and around 30 oz.

These days, you can get Kahr's and KelTechs in 9mm in the same small, thin and (even lighter in polymer) package as the older steel .380's. So that is what I carry now.

These days, you can also get .380's in barely larger than the old .25 small, thin, light package. I find .380 in that size/weight too difficult to shoot well, but that is me.
 
Undecided

The LCP is tempting me but I’m hoping Ruger will bring it out in a 9mm or a .40. I would like to try the .380 on my “pine-slice” targets because I had thought of the 9mm as a bit wimpy but recently saw it to have a decent punch on my pine-slices.
 
380

I carried a PPK/S as an off duty for awhile. Great little piece. Somewhat accurate also...........just somethinng to keep their heads down as I escape...........
 
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