.380 pistol or .38 special revolver

Can we agree that Federal Hydra-Shok is a pretty good "mainstream" .38 round? And that Underwood .380 is a well respected .380 +P round?
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No, because any boutique ammo maker that uses the false +P moniker as advertising hype is not worth anyone's respect. They are either loading their ammo to the upper limits of SAAMI standards, and as such could legitimately be called "high performance" ammo. Or are loading the ammo in excess of SAAMI standards, and should be clearly marked as "Loaded to pressures exceeding safety standards set by the Sporting Arms and Ammunition Manufacturers' Institute"
But they would rather prey on people who don't realize they may be harming their gun with hot loaded ammo.

38 Special, 380 acp? "38...... 39, what ever it took"
 
I don't have a carry permit yet (will shortly) but when I do my long-term intention is actually to have at least two, maybe 3 carry guns for different seasons and situations. One will be a Ruger LCP for sure (summer pocket carry and/or backup) and I am leaning towards the Ruger LCR in 9mm for winter carry and possibly a LC9 Pro or LC380 as well.

I like the idea of carrying a concealed hammer revolver for carry but in some situations a pocket auto can't be beat.

Different tools for different jobs.
 
One will be a Ruger LCP for sure (summer pocket carry and/or backup) and I am leaning towards the Ruger LCR in 9mm for winter carry and possibly a LC9 Pro or LC380 as well.
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Not sure of the redundancy of a LCR in a cartridge designed for a semi auto, and a semi auto in the same clambering. Why not a 357 LCR. A more powerful cartridge in the same exact gun? Plus, you can always carry 38 +P and use standard 38 spcl. for practice. You also wouldn't have the extra "parts" (moon clips) needed to use a rimless cartridge in a revolver.
Secondly, why a gun that is actually bigger than some 9MM autos, and the same size as most, chambered in a round you would already have a mouse gun chambered for?
But hey, any excuse to buy more guns is a good excuse! :D
 
Not sure of the redundancy of a LCR in a cartridge designed for a semi auto, and a semi auto in the same clambering. Why not a 357 LCR. A more powerful cartridge in the same exact gun?
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I already have 3 semi-auto's in 9mm and a large stockpile of that ammo so it makes no sense to me to add yet another caliber when I have confidence 9mm will do what I need it to do when I need it to do it - and be reasonably comfortable to fire from that size gun.

The LCR I would want primarily for carrying in say a coat pocket where I could fire it without drawing if I absolutely had to. Obviously a semi-auto wouldn't work so well for that.
 
i get the ammo consolidation. It's just too bad the 9mm LCR isn't on the aluminum frame, being on the same steel frame as the 357 it weighs almost as much as a LC9.
 
With so many small and reliable 9mm handguns in the market, I see no reason to own a .380acp handgun.
So, in this case, is 38spl for me in a Ruger LCR 357 or S&W 642/442.
 
The LCP I can comfortably carry in the front pocket of a pair of shorts in the summer time. Haven't found a 9 I can do that with.
 
This has been a long discussion so I'm sure most points have been coverd at least once. But I'll sum up my thinking.

1. The new generation of 380 autos are a little thinner than the cylinder on a snub 38. Overall compactness goes to the auto. I think they edge the 38s on weight, too.

2. Reloading is faster with the auto. Since 99% of defensive shootings don't require a reload this is generally not considered a high priority in defensive pistol...until you are in the 1% of gun fights requiring a reload.

3. The 380 will hold 6 or 7 rounds and the 38 with have 5 or 6. Again, statistics show most fights end after 1 or 2 shots. But what if you aren't average?

4. With factory ammo the 38 Special from a 2" barrel is just about equal to top loads in the 380. The 38 Special can be hand loaded to out perform the 380 but many folks can't or won't carry hand loaded ammo and such loads quickly become difficult to control in a lightweight revolver.

I have carried both snub 38s and small 380s. Either will do the job. I think the 380 is a slightly better choice for me. Each man must carry what fits his needs and criteria.
 
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I carry this little 9mm (Sig P290RS) in my pocket a lot.

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Next to my Glock 26 for a size comparison.

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Since I can't hit the ocean from a boat with a snubbie, I always carry semi ... Sig p238 with a spare mag ... very accurate, minimal recoil, quick reload if needed ...
 
One more vote for 380. Maximum concealment is a necessity for me and the width of the LCP and it's similarly sized brethren makes it the obvious choice for me for carry in most weather and locations.
 
I could care less whether the +P moniker on the 380 is approved or not. It is loaded as a much hotter round than your normal 380. Whooptedamndoo. Maybe we can have it changed to 380 HOT. I really like Underwoods offerings for some stout 380 rounds. I like the 100gr FNHC when thicker clothes may be the norm, and the 90gr XTP HP in the hot summer. XTP bullets generally have very good penetration for a hollow point, and the FNHC's really penetrate deeply.

That being said, even those hotter rounds do not get all that close to the 38 special and it's capabilities. The 38Special is just a more powerful round. Regardless, for the reason I choose one of these calibers, I carry 380. I have many 9mm and 45acp I can carry, but I carry a 380 when the smallest and lightest is in order.
 
I'm with Smokehouse on this one. +P and +P+ might be hype but when average loads are much less potent and the pluses are closer to maximum SAAMI it does have some meaning. I like Underwood particularly because ALL the tests I've seen show that their velocities and energy claims are met.
 
It doesn't make any sense to compare the offerings of one manufacturer in .380 to another manufacturer in .38 since each manufacturer has a certain level of comfort that they are wanting in their loadings and/or marketing hype. To give a valid comparison of the two calibers, you have to compare offerings of a single manufacturer and preferably the same class of loading. If you are going to compare Federal Hydroshok in one caliber, you should use that for the other caliber also. Sure, a .380 can be deadly, but it is not my first choice as a defensive caliber for carrying. I'm willing to carry the extra weight of a 10mm or .45ACP and an extra mag (or two). I live in Texas, so the handgun only has to be concealed to casual observation. I'm not concerned if someone knowledgeable in the concealed carry of firearms will know that I'm carrying. If I had the misfortune of living somewhere that was not 2nd Amendment friendly, and chose to carry anyway, maybe my choices would be different.
 
I prefer a .38spl. J-frame. Sometimes I just can't afford to be made and I'll carry Kel-tec P32 in those instances. YMMV. tom. :cool:
 
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