Is the 380ACP "really" an adequate self defense gun?

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Deflected doesn’t equal ‘bounced off’...
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I think that's splitting hairs, to put it very charitably. 'Bounce' is listed as a common synonym for 'deflect'.
...assuming trajectory is perpendicular to target.
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Which, for any given shot, can happen only in a very small spot on the skull given that it's rounded. That means most bullets won't hit perfectly perpendicular to the skull.
 
It is interesting that someone mentioned a 300# biker on meth when talking about the effectiveness of a .380. If that is typical of your encounters you have way more problems than the caliber of your pistol. Is a .380 an effective caliber....of course it is.
Does anyone think they are more likely to hit someone charging at them with a .45 cal than a .380? They aren't, and that is the key to self-defense....your ability.
The most effective caliber for self defense has nothing to do with the caliber.
It's what you will do with it. If you never practice with it you may as well buy a heavy rock and carry that or a slingshot. It's up to you to make it effective. The gun as well as the caliber is just a tool. How you use it is what matters.
 
It is interesting that someone mentioned a 300# biker on meth when talking about the effectiveness of a .380. If that is typical of your encounters you have way more problems than the caliber of your pistol.
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That might have been me:D

I dont plan my firearms choice based on the best case scenarios. Like a badguy falling down from a graze on the arm. I plan for Murphy showing up and things not being perfect.

Just like i dont train in empty hand encounters as if i would only have to fight a 150 unskilled weakling. I train to fight larger, stronger opponents.

Just my crazy notions after 30+ years of a life in combatives training and use.
 
Sharkbite said:
That might have been me:D

I dont plan my firearms choice based on the best case scenarios. Like a badguy falling down from a graze on the arm. I plan for Murphy showing up and things not being perfect.

Just like i dont train in empty hand encounters as if i would only have to fight a 150 unskilled weakling. I train to fight larger, stronger opponents.

Just my crazy notions after 30+ years of a life in combatives training and use.
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Why do I keep hearing this song in my head when you post?

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zkTV2--PcDI
 
MoArk Willy said:
It is interesting that someone mentioned a 300# biker on meth when talking about the effectiveness of a .380. If that is typical of your encounters you have way more problems than the caliber of your pistol. Is a .380 an effective caliber....of course it is.
Does anyone think they are more likely to hit someone charging at them with a .45 cal than a .380? They aren't, and that is the key to self-defense....your ability.
The most effective caliber for self defense has nothing to do with the caliber.
It's what you will do with it. If you never practice with it you may as well buy a heavy rock and carry that or a slingshot. It's up to you to make it effective. The gun as well as the caliber is just a tool. How you use it is what matters.
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Ha! Yeah, in any debate, people will often appeal to the extreme edge cases as justification for why their argument should prevail for the 99.9999% of cases that aren't anything like the extreme.

300 lb. biker on meth? Carry a Howitzer. Or, better yet, don't be there.

Or shoot off his big toe with a .380 and run like hell. Maybe shoot the fender on his Harley, then run like hell when he runs back to check out the damage? Whatever you do, don't yell out anything about Honda motorcycles. THAT will get you killed.
 
Carl the Floor Walker said:
Interesting is the 32.cal Keltc. And to think a tiny bullet traveling at these speeds and penetration into a mans skull.

http://mousegunaddict.blogspot.com/2012/06/buffalo-bore-32-acp-75-grain-hcfn.html

And for those that think the 380 is inadequate, then watch this. And no not the velocities posted by the naysayers. Try 1100 fps. and watch out.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-PDQcE-1T40&t=901s
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Yup, the MAC guy does pretty good reviews. This one and another, through sheet metal, shows the ‘fluted’, ‘Defender’ Lehigh design really excellent, particularly for .380.

There’s also another one, just kinda keen, not really ‘definitive’, but 8 layers of denim and then a cantaloupe..really makes a mess of the melon.
 
Ed4032 said:
Somebody please close this. It has lost any sense at all relevant to the original post question.
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Steer it back on track.
Like
Is the 380 adequate? Why settle for "adequate"? ;)
Or
Is the 380 adequate? If / when you can do no better.

Summer attire:
286836d1546457059t-could-you-see-yourself-carrying-380-acp-full-time-civilian-yes-no-walk.jpg


I'm carrying all this:
286732d1546258541t-could-you-see-yourself-carrying-380-acp-full-time-civilian-yes-no-allthis.jpg


380 is not "adequate" even for my 2nd option pocket gun, I want better :D
 
Tell you what. I'll put $25,000,000 in small unmarked bills on my dining table. Then I'll stand in front of it with my .380. You come through the front door 30 feet away. If you can touch the money, you can have it. Deal?
 
USNRet93 said:
Yee gads, don’t fall in the water, you’ll sink like a stone!!:eek:
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LOL thats funny.

If I was carrying a Glock and just one spare mag rather than the 1911 and 2 mags, I probably still sink.
Mainly two mags helps offset the weight carried opposite side of "heavy" 1911
I'm just as likely to carry a Glock 32/22/21 with one spare magazine.
Still, this is far enough into the water, Bulldog definitely can't swim. :D

BulldogAtBeach_jpg-828176.JPG
 
CDW4ME said:
Steer it back on track.
Like
Is the 380 adequate? Why settle for "adequate"?
Or
Is the 380 adequate? If / when you can do no better.
{snip}
380 is not "adequate" even for my 2nd option pocket gun, I want better
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After that buildup, I didn't expect someone touting a slow, fat, century-old, low-intensity round.
 
If I chose to wander around with a 12 gauge and .500 S+W it does not immediately indicate the equipment above in not “adequate” for the situation the OP described. The picture of your “summer attire” is meaningless as the issue was recoil not concealabity.

So what argument are you actually making? Some people seem to use caliber selection and gear as some e-penis measuring contest.
 
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Lohman446 said:
If I chose to wander around with a 12 gauge and .500 S+W it does not immediately indicate the equipment above in not “adequate” for the situation the OP described. The picture of your “summer attire” is meaningless as the issue was recoil not concealabity.

So what argument are you actually making? Some people seem to use caliber selection and gear as some e-penis measuring contest.
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That is so true Lohman, I was thinking the same thing. Has to make you wonder what kind of psychological effect is going on in the minds of so of those that seem to take such offense at the smaller guns. I get the feeling that it makes them feel inferior for some reason. I really don't know. But it really is interesting to see how they get so upset. God forbid someone post that he is driving a Toyota Prius, (even though he may only use it to commute to work for example.)

When some were laughing at the small guns, they could not accept the fact that the lowly 380 could even kill them if shot in the head. Yet, I would bet that if one were to know about 20 secs in advance that they were going to take a 380 bullet to the head, that their attitude would change drastically. I am guessing they would truly be scared at of their wits. The fear of death would in fact would be over whelming. The macho attitude would melt faster than a snowflake watching Trump with a flame thrower in his hands.
 
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