Five rounds of .38 Special VS Fourteen rounds of .380ACP?

<BLOCKQUOTE><font size="1" face="Verdana, Arial">quote:</font><HR>Originally posted by BarrySDCA:
Besides the accuracy varriable, why is a longer barrel better than a shorter one?[/quote]

Longer barrel= higher velocity provided all else is equal.

Higher velocity means greater chance for hollow point bullet expansion & that of course gives a greater chance of incapacitating the bad Guy.
 
<BLOCKQUOTE><font size="1" face="Verdana, Arial">quote:</font><HR>Originally posted by Quantum Singularity:
If you compare a snubby revolver to a typical semi-auto, the .380 and .38 spl are nearly identical. For example, in the 2" barrels the .38 spl is not any more effective than a semi-auto with a 3" barrel (most semi-autos have AT LEAST a 3" barrel). Thus, you are better off with 14 rounds of .380 than only 5 of .38 spl since the 2" snubs are not any more effective than .380's anyway. From a 3" revolver, the .38 spl does gain more power than the .380 ACP, but IMO I would rather have a few more rounds than the increase in power (in the case of multiple perps)...[/quote]


If I were FORCED to stop carrying my .357 J-frame and instead carry a .38 snub I would load it with the "FBI Load". That's a Winchester, Federal, Remington or CCI Lead Hollow Point 158 grains +p round. The lead is VERY soft and WILL reliably expand from a 2 inch barrel.

Even if such a load were made for a semi-auto it of course would not reliably function with such a soft unjacketed point. No 380 loads can compare to the FBI Load.

And of course the .357 Magnum outclasses them all in a gun not a hair larger.

:D
 
I would have her carry whatever is comfortable carrying, she can hit her target with, and she can operate comfortably.
 
<BLOCKQUOTE><font size="1" face="Verdana, Arial">quote:</font><HR>Originally posted by WebHobbit:

If I were FORCED to stop carrying my .357 J-frame and instead carry a .38 snub I would load it with the "FBI Load". That's a Winchester, Federal, Remington or CCI Lead Hollow Point 158 grains +p round. The lead is VERY soft and WILL reliably expand from a 2 inch barrel.

Even if such a load were made for a semi-auto it of course would not reliably function with such a soft unjacketed point. No 380 loads can compare to the FBI Load.

And of course the .357 Magnum outclasses them all in a gun not a hair larger.

:D[/quote]

The only round I have found that will expand reliably from a two inch barrel is the 125 grain Nyclad (Chiefs Special load), and penetration is a problem with it. When shooting two inch revolvers, you best plan for .357 calibre holes going in and .357 calibre holes going out--of course you can hope for more, but don't bet your life on it.

While you certainly gain more power with the lightweight .357s out of two inch barrel muzzle blast and recoil (particularly out of lightweight platform) can become a real problem for some shooters. The same holds true with the 158 grain +P (FBI) load. With these marginal weapons, your best bet is multiple hits or CNS hits--for most shooters, both the .357 magnum and the FBI load will make either difficult.
 
If you say that she is a better shot with the .380 then that's the gun you should let her carry. What good is a bigger caliber if she isn't as proficient with it. Shot placement is more important than caliber. If she can drill the BG between the eyes with a single shot in .380 that's better than if she grazes the BG with a .45 and maybe winds up in a scuffle for the gun. Now what ya need to do is to get her to practice more and make sure that she carries the gun with her at all times. That's my perspective on the subject.

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***Torpedo***
It's a good life if you can survive it!
 
<BLOCKQUOTE><font size="1" face="Verdana, Arial">quote:</font><HR>Originally posted by WebHobbit:
Longer barrel= higher velocity provided all else is equal.
[/quote]

Why would a longer barrel provider higher velocity? Isn't velocity determinted by how much powder is in the cartridge?

And what does "grains" mean anyway? What does it measure and how is it measured?

Thank you!

[This message has been edited by BarrySDCA (edited September 12, 2000).]

[This message has been edited by BarrySDCA (edited September 12, 2000).]
 
Barrel length and velocity or penetration. Let's compare short barrels of handguns with the exact same cartridge from a rifle. Again I like to use steel drums. 22 ( I forget now whether it was a short or LR - gonna have to go experiment again) from revolver can't even make it through one side (just a lead filled depression). But from the rifle it easily punched through. Now if you want numbers, let's compare Federal's 44 magnum, specifically #44A - a 240 grain H-shok JHP. From a 6 1/2" vented handgun barrel the muzzle velocity is 1180fps. But from a 20" rifle barrel the velocity is 1760fps. Those are Federal's numbers.

[This message has been edited by Solitar (edited September 12, 2000).]
 
<BLOCKQUOTE><font size="1" face="Verdana, Arial">quote:</font><HR>Originally posted by BarrySDCA:
Why would a longer barrel provider higher velocity? Isn't velocity determinted by how much powder is in the cartridge?

And what does "grains" mean anyway? What does it measure and how is it measured?

Thank you!

[/quote]


The bullet engages the rifling in the barrel and this causes it to spin. Generally speaking the longer it travels through the barrel/rifling the faster it spins and the faster it flys. Provided it does NOT run out of powder to burn. In hand gun length barrels more than likely it will NOT run out of powder, unless the round was misloaded with too little charge of powder.

As for grains....this is the literal weight of the bullet. It's measured with a scale....as to how this compares to other forms of measurement like ounces...I'm not sure. Anyone care to jump in here and bail me out?


[This message has been edited by WebHobbit (edited September 12, 2000).]
 
In Massad Ayoob's book about the semi-auto as a police and self-defense weapon, he discusses the question of accuracy of revolver vs. semi's. The book was written about the time that law enforcement agencies were beginning to switch from revolvers, so semi-auto data was limited.

It was well documented at the time that LEOs in actual gun fights hit their target with 1/4 to 1/3 of their shots from service revolvers. Preliminary evidence indicated that LEOs using autoloaders were hitting their targets with 2/3 to 3/4 of their shots.

Further analysis of the data revealed that if only the first shot out of the autoloader mag was examined, that shot was hitting the target 1/4 to 1/3 of the time, same as for wheel guns. Conclusion? LEOs under stress were hitting with their DA shots, revolver or autoloader, at about the same rate. Under stress, SA shots (autoloader shots number 2, 3, etc) were much more accurate. This was in the olden times, before Glocks or DAO autoloaders.
 
<BLOCKQUOTE><font size="1" face="Verdana, Arial">quote:</font><HR>Originally posted by FUD:
Exactly what are you talking about? I'm a little slow sometimes -- lack of sleep, you know.[/quote]

Oh -- sorry for the delay here..

You're always tryin' to reason with calibers and rounds and etc. Just pick something, learn how to use it effectively and stick with it! :D Not too much to ask is it? ;)

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God, Guns and Guts made this country a great country!

oberkommando sez:
"We lost the first and third and now they are after the Second!(no pun intended)"
 
Suggest the 380 using Remington's 102g Golden Saber load is correct for your wife.

Carry what you like; confidence in your gun is more important than its caliber.

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"All my ammo is factory ammo"
 
<BLOCKQUOTE><font size="1" face="Verdana, Arial">quote:</font><HR>Originally posted by BarrySDCA:
Why would a longer barrel provider higher velocity? Isn't velocity determinted by how much powder is in the cartridge?

And what does "grains" mean anyway? What does it measure and how is it measured?

Thank you!

[This message has been edited by BarrySDCA (edited September 12, 2000).]

[This message has been edited by BarrySDCA (edited September 12, 2000).][/quote]

Barry:
There are 7000 grains in a pound. Part of the barrel length issue is the duration of the push from the powder. The bullet begins to accelerate when the powder is ignited and will continue to accelerate as long as the expanding gases are trapped behind the bullet but the acceleration stops and the bullet begins to slow on exiting the barrel.
Therefore the longer the barrel the longer the acceleration time and the greater the velocity.
All the best,
Bill Daniel

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Prosecute criminals to the fullest extent of the law and their weapons will become harmless.
 
FUD,
You are right on with your first thought. Let your wife shoot whatever she wants to shoot. If she likes the .380, and is accurate with it, by God let her carry it!!!! The first rule of a gun fight is: BRING A GUN!!!

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Yeah, I got a permit to carry,it's called the friggin Constitution.---Ted Nugent

"Glock 26: 17 rounds of concealed carry DEATH comming your way from out of nowhere!!! THAT'S FIREPOWER, BABY!!!"
 
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