Beretta 84 is chambered in .380 and .32....kind of a smaller version of the 92I'm not comfortable with less than 10 rounds and I won't carry less than 10 rounds if I have any choice. So, regardless of performance, I wouldn't even consider .38 Special.
.380 really doesn't offer any viable (IMO) defensive ammunition choices AND again, I'm not aware (doesn't mean they don't exist) of any .380 handgun that has a greater than 10 round capacity (Maybe a CZ83?). So again, no .380.
There was a time when I had a run in with a street rat every time I went to work and it's been my experience that Tweakers hunt in packs. I'm not willing to face that with <10 rounds of .380 Really I'm not willing to face that with 15 rounds of .40 S&W but if I got to pick...
Now I'm retired there's really no where I've got to be. I get to dress any way I want. So I just don't see that .380 offers me anything.
FWIW I have a friend who worked in the criminal justice system his entire career. Based on what he's seen dealing with murders and autopsy reports and ballistic studies his opinion is that if you're going to carry .380 (he does periodically) you're better off with flat nosed ball ammunition.
Where did you hear that?Posts 8 and 25 pretty much answered this. The original question can be answered by an informed but outmoded bias.
(And, oh, do we in the gun culture hold on to those for decades sometimes. Don't get me started on Fackler.)
Traditionally, the .380 only came in ball ammo because it wasn't believed 90gr hollow points would have the velocity to achieve sufficient penetration. The problem is, conical ball ammo stinks for self-defense. That has changed quite a bit with newer loads, especially the Hornady ones.
The .38 Special always came in a variety of bullet types, weights, and velocities. It also had the advantage of widespread police and military deployment for decades, which means we have tons of data on its effectiveness. The .380 was an infrequently-used backup loading, so there was never really much data beyond the occasional anecdote.
Would I trust a .380 for defense? Hmmm. Yeah, maybe. There are great pistols out there for it, and there are decent loadings. If a good loading in a pistol that shoots well is the best thing I have at hand, I can make do.
Why? Because there's one thing that's all too often left out of these debates. Shot placement is (nearly) everything. A .380 that I have on me, and that I can shoot well, beats the Model 28 sitting at home in a safe.
Where did you hear that?
UnbelievableTo be honest, probably outmoded bias. I never really paid much attention to the loading until the 2000s, but there was data from before that concurred the .380 couldn't reliably break bone. That always stuck out for me.