Small .380 semi-auto VS small .38 Special revolver

I teach conceal and carry classes and what I am about to say will **** some people off. For that I am sorry.

First. A .380 is not a get off me gun. It is just as deadly, especially at close range, as any other caliber. I carry a .380 all the time.

Second. Friends don't let friends buy Bersas. Real friends don't let friends buy hi points. Instead of buying a new Bersa, buy a used Walther or a new LCP or Bodyguard if you want a .380.

Third. There is no such thing as intimidation in self defense. The moment your pistol leaves your holster your life will change. It may change forever. Intimidation is good for TV, but if your gun clears for self defense is should be used. Intimidation works for the police...they have authority and are recognized as being trained for combat situations. If you are in a defensive situation you are there because your assailant conceived you as non-threatening. Your weapon is a last ditch effort to preserve your safety.
If you have the option to run away, I would advise you do that first unless you are a witness to a violent crime, then it is your duty (choice actually) to step in and assist. Again, if you step in and assist you need to determine if the risks and act appropriately.

Fourth. Consider a laser, but don't make it the determining factor. I like a Crimson Trace laser because they come on when you grab the grip. They are second nature. However, in a home protection scenario, the laser will give you a good indication of where your bullet will hit in the dark so then any laser will do. I like lasers better than night sights simply because they are easier to use. People will tell you that you have to worry about batteries, and that is true, but if you are properly maintaining and training with your weapon you will constantly check your batteries.

Fifth. Where you carry on your person and the type of holster is as important as the weapon itself. You should practice with all of it. Shooting well in practice but fumbling with a holster is a deadly combination for you. Learn to use the holster as well as you use your weapon.

I can go on and on, but this isn't a classroom. Sorry for the long post.
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Iron man,

With all due respect, I have to disagree on several points. I also teach concealed carry classes, after having spent 12 years in LE.

A .380 IS a get off me gun. While any gun of any caliber can kill with the correct shot placement, the .380 is known for being a marginal attack terminator. Its the gun that you use to pump 2 into the bad guys chest, so that you can stand up, get on your feet, and find a brick to whack him with. If someone is a larger build, or wearing a heavy coat, or is all cracked out on the "drug of the week", the .380 is more than likely just going to **** him off unless you unload your magazine into his eye socket.

Now, I have had students who have their hearts set on a .380, for various reasons. When they ask me for a good brand name, the Bersa is one of the first that I suggest. Bersa's are the hidden gems in the firearms world. Well made, decent price, etc. Those who I have suggested the Bersa to have fallen in love with the gun.

I must also respectfully disagree with your laser suggestion. Lasers were designed for training and absolutely do not belong on a defensive handgun. While its all tacticool to see that red light on the bad guys chest, there are too many negatives associated with the use of lasers for them to be tactically advantageous. Front sight point of focus is all one needs, and in most gun fights at close range, you won't even use your sights. The only red flashing lights I want to see are the ones on the ambulance taking the bad guy away.
 
We are allowed to disagree. While you consider the .380 to not be a defensive handgun I need to point out that it was an effective caliber for the military around the world for many years. But then so was the .25 and the .32. Heck, I've been reading a lot lately about the FN Five-seveN and several people don't consider it powerful enough for defense, yet I am getting one. These differences in opinions are the same reason we may differ on chocolate or vanilla ice cream as our favorite flavors.

Bersa's shoot. They are large for a .380 (I really don't like anything larger they make), somewhat heavy, and I don't care for the finishing of the internal parts. Every gun dealer I know, and I know a lot, only refers a customer to a Bersa as a low budget gun. I have broken them down and don't care for them. At least we agree on the Hi-Point!

My wife and I go to dinner often. One of our favorite restaurants is in a dark, and somewhat rough, neighborhood. At night I carry my hammerless J frame with Crimson Trace grips because I know I will not be able to see the front sight in the dark and I practice religiously with this weapon just for night defense. My point is a tool is only as good as the practice that goes with it.
 
I don't have a clip on the side of my Ruger LCP for in the waistband use, but I do have another J Frame airweight that has plastic grips made for that. A retired police officer gave the grips to me, so I don't know where to buy them, but the right grip has a plastic tab that slides over the outside of the waist band. You still have the choice of either a .380 or .38 for inside the waistband carry. I would recommend hammerless if a revolver. In a high stress situation you won't notice the extra effort needed for the trigger pull and it prevents snagging on your pants.
 
We are allowed to disagree. While you consider the .380 to not be a defensive handgun I need to point out that it was an effective caliber for the military around the world for many years. But then so was the .25 and the .32. Heck, I've been reading a lot lately about the FN Five-seveN and several people don't consider it powerful enough for defense, yet I am getting one. These differences in opinions are the same reason we may differ on chocolate or vanilla ice cream as our favorite flavors.

Bersa's shoot. They are large for a .380 (I really don't like anything larger they make), somewhat heavy, and I don't care for the finishing of the internal parts. Every gun dealer I know, and I know a lot, only refers a customer to a Bersa as a low budget gun. I have broken them down and don't care for them. At least we agree on the Hi-Point!

My wife and I go to dinner often. One of our favorite restaurants is in a dark, and somewhat rough, neighborhood. At night I carry my hammerless J frame with Crimson Trace grips because I know I will not be able to see the front sight in the dark and I practice religiously with this weapon just for night defense. My point is a tool is only as good as the practice that goes with it.
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Good response. I guess we'll just have to agree to disagree! :)

and as for Hi-points....I'd only use one to hit the guy in the head, if the aforementioned brick was not available! haha!
 
Want to stop saying *****, say 'annoyed'.

BTW, we know the crazed meth biker mantra. So who has a real tale of one of those ignoring 380 rounds as compared to 38s, 45s, etc. with good hits.

I'm very empirical.

Thank you.

GEM
 
doesn't a .38 special have more stopping power? that and the fact that it's a revolver round, to me, the snubby is a no-brainer.

reliability+stopping power+ concealability = I'll take the snubby
 
A bunch of people in this thread must clearly be in states with draconian laws against brandishing or something.

For all you people who are so sure that when your gun comes out of the holster it will get used, I have a question.

So what if you pull your gun out of the holster, and your assailant, upon seeing it, immediately turns around and/or drops his weapon and flees? Gary Kleck's research indicates that 93% of defensive gun uses involve no shots fired at all. Many of those involve only verbal references to a gun, but many more involve an assailant seeing their intended victim armed... and leaving.

So you just drew your gun, and your attacker has chosen discretion as the better part of valor.

Are you going to shoot him in the back at this point? After all, your weapon came out of the holster! And we all know that if you ever have to draw your gun, you WILL use it.

On the escalation of force continuum, the THREAT of deadly force is NOT the same as the USE of deadly force.
 
We've been down the must shoot road before. Standard view is that you don't draw unless you have the justification to use deadly force. But you don't have to shoot as a law of physics. You can challenge if it is appropriate or the BG alters behavior.

Certainly, as pointed out, most pointing of firearms by police or civilians do not lead to mandatory firing.

Except on cop shows, when these idiots never shoot when they should. I was just watching an episode of some trash called Criminal Minds and the BG had knife to a kid's throat. The FBI was about 3 feet away and shot him in the shoulder on purpose. Bah! Saw the same thing on Law and Order, SVU. :barf:
 
ProShooter
A .380 IS a get off me gun. While any gun of any caliber can kill with the correct shot placement, the .380 is known for being a marginal attack terminator. Its the gun that you use to pump 2 into the bad guys chest, so that you can stand up, get on your feet, and find a brick to whack him with. If someone is a larger build, or wearing a heavy coat, or is all cracked out on the "drug of the week", the .380 is more than likely just going to **** him off unless you unload your magazine into his eye socket.
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After this quote it makes me highly doubt you are a firearms instructor
 
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