how lethal is the .380 acp round?

My 380 LCP is honestly the smallest gun I've ever owned, I can carry it in the pocket of my shorts... without having to wear a heavy belt to support my IWB holster for my P229 357 SIG and then make sure everything is concealed. It's also great for travel and essentially has become my regular CCW because it follows me everywhere, I can take it on long road bike trips without ever noticing it's there.

The gun is also relatively accurate at 5-10 yards.

If I ever move somewhere cold where I can easily conceal something larger, I'll go back to the Sig.

A gun is better than no gun.

Is it more powerful than a 10mm or more accurate than a 45 ACP full-size steel frame? Hell no.

Does it give me a gun in a situation I'd have to defend myself with my bare hands? Yes.
 
How many of you actually shot live things with your 380 ??? What animal ? What was the reaction ? How does that compare with similar shots with 9mm ? Forget the 'muzzle energy ' or other numbers.
 
reaganmarine84 said:
RE:Stressfire-interesting you consider Bersa as 'inexpensive'. To each his own I guess.
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Comparatively speaking, that is

Bersa 380 CC - roughly $300 new - on par with Ruger LCP and slightly more than Taurus 738, KelTec P3AT, or the IO Hellcat - but with features that none of those I listed have

Sig 238s, for example, tend to be more around the $600 range, Colt Pocketlites or Mustangs hover between $700-$800

So, yes, compared to other options I consider Bersa inexpensive

mySig229 - Yikes, what the heck are those? I want some:p
 
Funny you should ask. I just got home a little while ago from the shooting range where I shot my newly purchased Buffalo Bore 380 100gr +P FNHC. Wow. I've shot all kinds of ammo through my ol' Colt Mustang and nothing even vaguely caught my attention. My wife calls that gun "Baby" because it is so pleasant to shoot. You could definitely tell the difference between BB load and anything else I've shot through it. Much snappier. Not a problem whatsoever, but definitely snappier. I recently saw a 31" penetration test on youtube for this load. Me likes it aLOT!

A big plus, if the bullet doesn't hurt the bad guy enough, maybe the cloud of dusty smoke that pours from it will temporarily blind him enough for you to make a get away. :D
 
357 mag

how lethal is the .380 acp round?
Why does everyone down it so much is it really that bad?
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Whether a round is lethal is irrelevant to the analysis of choosing a defensive handgun cartridge and handgun from which to shoot it.

All cartridges are lethal.
The issue is incapacitation, not lethality.
Some handgun cartridges are better at incapacitation than others.
The main mechanism of incapacitation is loss of blood pressure due to crushed tissue which causes hemorrhaging. Generally, the more crushed vascular tissue the faster the blood loss. Incapacitation takes time.

Hypothetically, I submit that the best .380 ACP is not as good as the best 10mm auto or .45 ACP in incapacitating a deadly human threat by means of crushing vascular tissue. Assuming the same bullet placement and path, the latter two rounds would likely expand more, penetrate deeper, and crush more tissue leading to faster incapacitation than the .380 ACP.

I submit that all "defensive" handgun cartridges are under-powered. That is why we are trained to shoot at least twice, assess, and proceed as necessary.

What is a "defensive" handgun cartridge is a moving target. It differs which each individual's analysis. I have settled upon handgun cartridges starting at the level of the 9mm parabellum and .38 Special up to something less powerful than full .44 magnum loads. This is a personal preference.

Some people will say they feel safe carrying a .25 ACP. I would not. But I have seen the lethal results of a unarmed large young male being shot by a shooter who hit him 6 or 7 times with a .25 ACP. According to witnesses, the victim tried to run away, was able to run until the shooter ran out of bullets, walked around for a bit then laid down. He eventually expired . . . . eventually.

In choosing a handgun for self-defense, I submit that choosing the most powerful, largest caliber handgun cartridge that you can competently shoot is the best chance for incapacitating a deadly threat in the quickest manner. Do not expect it to stop a determined attacker in less than 5 seconds (maybe a lot longer) even if your shot placement is perfect. Be prepared to move, find cover and fight for your life.
 
I use the .380 ACP because there are times when it is impossible for me to carry anything else.

Period.

I'll take seven rounds of .380 in my pocket instead of anything else sitting at home in my gun safe.
 
Super Sneaky Steve said: Fact is John Browning never made a bad product.
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I'll disagree with your opinion on that.

Baby Browning (based on Browning design), Colt Model 1900, Colt 1908 Vest Pocket Pistol, M1895 Potato Digger, and 25 ACP. The Baby, 1900, and 1908 can and most likely will go off if dropped; I've seen it happen on more than one occasion. The 25 ACP is...well a 25 ACP. Although it can be lethal, shooting someone with one of these may tick them off enough for them to really hurt you bad.
 
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If you're the type to look at numbers when picking a self-defense round, it's pretty evident why the .380 doesn't always get much love. Whether you're looking at muzzle energy, momentum, or the FBI penetration tests, there's a pretty big gap in performance between .380 ACP and 9mm Luger. That doesn't mean that the .380 is worthless, it's just that if numbers are your thing, 9mm gives you a lot more in a slightly-larger package.

Even so, I still carry a .380 when I don't feel like carrying my .40.
 
Why does everyone down it so much is it really that bad?
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The 9mm is more effective, and there are small guns available for it. The low bore axis of the .380 produces as much recoil as the 9mm in many guns,and there is an abundance of good ammo available for the nine.
 
The low bore axis of the .380 produces as much recoil as the 9mm in many guns
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I thought that a low bore axis was usually desirable, since it produces less muzzle flip than a higher axis, all else being equal?

Could it be that the increased felt recoil in a .380 comes from the blowback mechanism most of them use, rather than the relative position of the bore to the grip?
 
380.....BUG only

How about the Mississippi woman who was shot thru the brain with a 380 (thru & thru), survived, and then made tea for the investigating officer.

If the same shot had been made with a 9mm para bullet, which is heavier and travels significantly faster, it is likely that the victim would be immediately (and permanently) stopped.

Have carried the Sig P238, ankle BUG, but prefer the PPK in 32 ACP for that role. Better cartridge.

Carry a 9mm, 40 cal, 44 spl or 45, and survival chances improve.
 
The woman in Mississippi took the bullet right in the middle of her forehead, and it passed between the lobes of her brain before exiting the back of her skull. Her survival was extremely unlikely, but not something that couldn't have also happened with a slightly larger bullet.

Also, what makes the .32 ACP a better cartridge than the .380 ACP?
 
how lethal is the .380 acp round?
Why does everyone down it so much is it really that bad?
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A 2.7mm Kobri is 'lethal' but it as virtually no stopping power.

The mission of a defensive handgun is to STOP an attack, if possible instantly.

The .380 is not real high in that category. Better than lessor rounds but there most certainly are much better rounds for defensive use.

I have a few .380s, one even used by my wife (as well as a .32 that is used by my wife) but I prefer rounds with a better record of 'stopping power'.

Deaf
 
Ahoy ScottRiqui,

"...but not something that couldn't have also happened with a slightly larger bullet."

The reason for my conjecture is due to increased velocity (300 fps) of a somewhat larger bullet (about 25%) which should cause greater turbulence and wound damage.

Of the crime scenes I am aware of where a victim used a 380 vs a larger caliber, the larger caliber always stopped the good guy. Not a scientific survey, just an interesting observation.

"Also, what makes the .32 ACP a better cartridge than the .380 ACP? "

For most shooters it means better accuracy due to less recoil, faster follow-up shots, and in my tests with various media, the 32 ACP cut slightly deeper.

In fact, fixed barrel 380 pistols are snappier than several of today's new 9mm para pistols...ie the Walther PPS.

The 380 is a marginal cartridge and takes great skill if used against a capable determined assailant.
 
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