Why oh why do people continue to buy .380s?

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From what I read the Kimber Micro is actually recoil operated, which would be an exception to the general rule in .380's. But that would seem to allow it to fire +p rounds with no issue.
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All of the popular .380 mouse guns have locked-breech actions.
 
Although I answered half in jest initially, I'll answer again more seriously.

For a start some people buy guns because they like the guns. I love the Sig P232 and the Astra A-60/Constable. They are my all-time favourite looking guns. If I could justify one, I'd buy one in a flash. Speaking personally, if they were only available in .32acp, I might think twice but the fact they are .380 would not stop me.

There was a recent thread about ".22 for EDC" and in it there were excerpts from a study into the relative abilities to incapacite with one shot. While a little worse at stopping an attacker than 9mm, .380 was well within the band of defensive rounds and seemingly better than .38Spl.

Add to that the scope to carry comfortably concealed in the pocket of trousers/jackets/coats etc it makes a lot of sense. Your regular small 9mm is simply not as small as the .380s and by all accounts, it seems that a 9mm in the size of a regular .380 carry pistol becomes much harder to control.
 
I have the p232 and carried it for several months. Nice gun. Then decided to try a Kimber Solo 9mm when the owner of my LGS told me of its accuracy and all around handling. The Solo is smaller, more accurate and has less recoil. Doesn't make sense, but that's the way it works for me. The biggest problems with the Solo are initial cost and the price of ammo. It's very picky, only likes premium hollow-point ammo.

I like the p232, its looks and its performance. .380 doesn't bother me, it's a nice round to shoot even though it's more expensive than 9mm.

I'll probably consider a Browning 1911 .380 when there's enough info available to make an informed decision. I have grown to like the 1911 platform. The Beretta looks really attractive.
 
Reasons?
LCP drop in my pocket and even I forget is there.
P232 on wish list
Beretta Cheetah (coming home next week)
Browning BDA on wish list
 
I also have carried the solo, good gun. Lately I've taken a shine to the P938, I like it even better. With rubber Hogues it's pleasant enough to shoot a whole box of 50 and enjoy it.
 
What I don't understand is the numerous people who buy a 380 and then want to shoot the hottest +P+P+ C4 propellant rounds that have the same power as weak 115gr 9mm loads.
 
>>What I don't understand is the numerous people who buy a 380 and then want to shoot the hottest +P+P+ C4 propellant rounds that have the same power as weak 115gr 9mm loads.<<

It's something about cake, and wanting to eat it too! :p
 
Lately I've taken a shine to the P938, I like it even better. With rubber Hogues it's pleasant enough to shoot a whole box of 50 and enjoy it.
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The P938 is still significantly larger/heavier than the LCP, Taurus TCP, or Kel-Tec 3A.

And however many rounds people can comfortably shoot through the P938, they could likely shoot 4 or 5 times as many through the P238 without discomfort. That can mean more practice with the carry gun, and more practice may matter more than the specific caliber.
 
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Blow back firearms can be made smaller but fire lower pressure rounds. 9mm is high pressure round and only can be fired in a blow back with a massive slide like the Hi-Point. Only so small in a locked breach recoil operated.

From what I read the Kimber Micro is actually recoil operated, which would be an exception to the general rule in .380's. But that would seem to allow it to fire +p rounds with no issue.
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Was the rule. Until the Kel-Tec P3AT, Ruger LCP, S&W Bodyguard, and all the other modern mouse guns that followed. Which I believe are the target of the OP's question.
Only so small in a locked breach recoil operated.
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Like a Kel-Tec P3AT, Ruger LCP, S&W Bodyguard 380, Taurus TCP.
The reason they can make such a small 380 is the locked breach design over the straight blowback.

My answer, I don't want to spend $1400 for a 9MM Rohrbaugh that is about the same size, but almost a quarter pound heavier than my $300 LCP.
Other small 9MM "pocket pistols", like my Kahr CM9, are still a bit too large for comfortable pocket carry, and complete concealment in some situations.
 
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I really enjoy shooting my Colt Mustangs. Can't say the same for the Ruger LCP I owned for a couple years.
 
Well some people are more concerned with the size and ease and comfort of carry of a gun than the actual caliber. But I personally think the. 380 is a pretty pointless caliber these days. It has terrible ballistics and horrible accuracy. It is better than nothing, but I would definently not trust my life with it. And with the vast selection of these days subcompact pistols in much better calibers I don't see much point in the 380 either. I would never spend money on a 380
 
Because I like the looks of my BDA and Bersa Thunder. Because I believe shot placement trumps caliber. Because this is still America and I can.
 
I have an LC9s that is my favorite carry gun. It's far more comfortable to shoot than my LCP and much more accurate, not to mention firing a more powerful round.

But I prefer to carry my LCP most of the time for two reasons. One, the slight difference in size makes a big difference in how comfortable it is to carry and how easy it is to conceal. I never have to worry about the LCP being seen by house guests who may or may not feel positively about gun ownership.

More importantly, I live in a densely populated urban area, and so I do worry about the potential for collateral damage. I have neighbors with kids and I feel confident that a stray .380 JHP couldn't penetrate two exterior walls and still have enough energy to kill someone. There are obviously those gun owners who believe that stray bullets should be a secondary concern, or that no one should own a gun if they can't put 100% of bullets on the target, but I disagree. I'm confident in my shooting, but I'm not so confident that I don't want some insurance in case I happen to miss.

In a high stress situation anyone is capable of missing and that's why I try to think about how I can shoot in such a way as to mitigate the risk to bystanders if I do happen to miss or hit the target in such a way that the bullet continues past with almost no energy loss.
 
979Texas said:
Well some people are more concerned with the size and ease and comfort of carry of a gun than the actual caliber.
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On that note, some people are more concerned with caliber than actually training and becoming proficient with their weapon of choice. If you can make hits with your .380, it's an effective weapon.

979Texas said:
But I personally think the. 380 is a pretty pointless caliber these days. It has terrible ballistics and horrible accuracy.
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All handgun rounds have terrible ballistics, hence the old cliche "the only use for a handgun is to fight your way to a rifle". As far as horrible accuracy, don't blame your lack of skill on the round. I have shot just over 1" groups with my Sig 232 off hand at 30ft in paced rapid fire.

979Texas said:
It is better than nothing, but I would definently not trust my life with it. And with the vast selection of these days subcompact pistols in much better calibers I don't see much point in the 380 either. I would never spend money on a 380
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When you find a subcompact that fits in your pocket as well as a small .380 come talk to me.
 
.380 Question

The OP's question is as foolish as asking a deer hunter why he chooses a certain rifle! Pikie
 
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