Tough decision. Help me out.

Considering that you are looking at a barely, . . . and I mean barely, . . . adequate SD round in the .380, . . . VS an absolutely well known man stopper in the .357, . . . it should be no decision, . . . just buy the .357 and don't look back.

Get some moon clips OR speed loaders and take just a little time to become even barely proficient at reloading the .357, . . . and you will have a truly formidible SD profile.

Remember the three most important tactics in a gun fight:

IF you are not shooting, . . . move or reload.

IF you are not reloading, . . . move or shoot.

IF you are not moving, . . . shoot or reload.

Notice, . . . there are 2 of the three times that offer time to reload. Learn to do it, . . . and do it right.

May God bless,
Dwight
 
The only other thing to consider is ammo availablity. Right now, .380 is pretty damn hard to get in the states. If it is as tough there as it is here, a .357 might be your only option.
Click to expand...

That was my first thought, too. My neighbor came over to show me his brand
new Ruger LCP tonight. And he asked if I had any extra .380 ammo, and if I
did would I sell him a box. He bought the gun but can't find ammo anywhere,
so he can't shoot it. That stuff is almost nonexistent around here.

But I would go with the .357. You can always load it "down", but you can't
really load a .380 "up". Not much, anyway.

Walter
 
Isnt taurus in brazil? dont they specialize in 38 super for civilian markets? they have a lot of 1911 chambered in 38 super. id get one of those
 
I have to go against the flow here. If carrying is any part of this gun's job description, I'd get one that was 100% carry all-the-time-to-everywhere. My carry permit becomes a joke if I don't carry.

Note: Before anyone jumps at what I'm about to say, keep in mind that I love S&W revolvers. I reload and shoot a ton.

I'd go with a small semi-auto or light, light .38 revolver. I have a P3AT and I always have it with me. Ergonomically, it bites it (sine qua non!) but it's never jammed and I can hit reliably at reasonable distances. I did stick some light, light S&W in my pocket once to see how it felt and it was a bit too thick for my taste.

My suggestion: P3AT, LCP, S&W ultralite .38 or, depending upon your wallet depth, maybe a Kahr. They have what looks like a really nice .380. Fiocchi FMJ is rated at 215 ft lbs; 7 of them is good by me.
 
Hello from the USA friend from Brazil! The 380 with quality HPs or maybe FMJs would be minimal IMO. The 357 is a much better stopper hands down. Not that the 380 is worthless by any means. Seems a bit of a trade off. The 380 has 2 1/2 times the ammo, but would probably take more bullets to end your threat. But it is much more controllable and easier to keep on target. No doubt you could fire it faster and keep on target. Don't know what your winters are like there, but the 380 HPs tend to not work well against heavy clothing. The 357 will do much better. The 357 is one of the best manstoppers made short of the big bore magnums, which aren't good to use for SD since they will over penetrate. For me semi-autos work better for defense, but that's me and my lack of proper practice with my revolver. I'm curious as to why you chose Magtech only ammo. IMO, and I am no expert, I would probably choose the 380 and use quality HPs on the heavier side and as close to +P as I could get. I don't know how the Glock 380 is set up, but I hear that without a replacement barrel you can't use +P ammo. If that is your intention I'd check into it.
 
+1
On the 38 Super I have one and it is way more powerful than 9mm and with the right hand loads it can achieve .357 magnum ballistics.
 
+1 on the .686 for versatility, or the 619 or 620 a mentioned. I'd go 3" for the very best combination of/compromise between CC and ballistics. I have a pre-lock Lady Smith 65 (3"/ full lug/stainless) and it is a stellar piece. I'd think the 686 in the same length would be it's current-day equivalent - and then some, with the (better) ability to shoot hot .357 125s regularly and extra capacity on the + models. Were it not for my LS or a lack of frequent need to shoot the 125s, it's what I'd get..and I'm still tempted.
 
I really want to say go with the .357. I love revolvers and just trust them that much more than pistols (yeah I am old) but ...

After reading the F.B.I.’s report as to why they chose the 10mm, it’s become really clear to me how useless handguns are on body shots. Headshots are seemingly the only sure way of stopping a man. Therefore, I would go with the capacity and controllability of the .380, and practice headshots. A .380 to the head is plenty powerful enough, and in a self defense role, I don’t see my pistol needing to shoot through windows, doors or the like.

But that’s me – I can shoot follow-up shots in .380 much better than a .357. Moreover, I enjoy “carrying” a semi more than a revolver … but again, that’s me.

Now, having said that … if carrying a revolver is no problem for you, in America:
-most violent encounters where a handgun may be needed occur at night
-few shots will be fired
-the distance between the combatants will be close
-shot placement is key
-the vast majority of handgun owners will never fire their gun in anger

Then buy the revolver - if you need to use the gun – make that first shot count – if you miss … well you’ll both be blind and deaf anyway, so who cares lol.

ah who knows ...
 
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