.380 for self defense?

[Okuma]

I really like my LCP just because of how easily it carries, but lately I've been thinking about what I would do if anything ever happened and I had to actually use it.

Do you guys think .380 is a satisfactory self defense round? Especially if whoever you drew it on had a gun as well?

What is the smallest round you feel comfortable defending yourself with? I personally feel ok with a 9mm or maybe a .38. I've been carrying a .357 mag for a week or so now and I like it but I don't really like only having 5 rounds on me.

 

[amarsh89]

i asked my buddies at the local shop the other day ... and they made a good point .... i have almost always carried a small 38 and asked if i should step up to atleast a 357 or maybe even a 44 ...and the guys all said the same thing ...carry what is most comfortable for you ...because thats the gun your most likely to ACTUALLY carry ... a 45 or 357 will do no good if it gets left at home

 

[Sagan]

Oh boy... this one could get interesting. I have seen fights start over less Personally, I believe the smallest acceptable caliber is the largest one that you will actually carry with you. I know, it sounds like a BS answer, but... there is a lot of give and take here. If you don't have to consider CCW, then grab a .45 and be done with it. If you only have thin gym shorts, the 22 mag revolvers are better than a rock. Personally, I am in the process of re-evaluating my carry options and switching out a few of mine (hence the sig for trade).

 

[atlantaguns]

I carry a lcp with ball rounds. Its going to plug atleast a foot into the bad guy. Handgun rounds in general dont do a whole lot of damage. I should carry a service pistol but the lcp is just too damn easy to carry. Its like my amex card now.

 

[protective measures]

There was a really good article in last month's S.W.A.T. magazine about that very topic.
Historically not the most terminally effective round... 9mm or .38 +p is generally considered by most recognized experts as the least powerful round recommended for primary self-defense use.
Ammo options are better than they used to be but when we do drills with .380's, we usually empty about the whole mag. into the "threat' from close range and "escape".
But,"Better the .380 with you than the .45 you left at home"
Remember rule#1 of a gunfight... have one.
...it's better than a sharp stick.

 

[JWC]

King, I carry a LCP, not for a living mind you. I like the easy of carry. I find that I carry the LCP more often than I did my other carry options. Like Sagan said, "carry the largest one that you will actually carry with you". I found myself leaving the .45 and the .357 at home, or in the vehicle just because I could not conceal it easily. However, that was only part of your question. Do I feel a .380 is a satisfactory defense round? Yes. The critical defense rounds are effective.

 

[Rick Terscale]

I have no problem with the .380. My Kahr p380 is always with me and with an extra mag. Just from the internet research I've done, it's actually a fairly effective round. I carry FMJ for defense, I just feel more confident about penetration with a ball round. I may carry HPs in the summer, but it's normally ball all the time. Some people will cry about ball ammo and over penetration. The odds that you will shoot someone are fairly low. The odds that you will shoot someone in a crowded place, have over penetration and actually injure a bystander are remote at best. So I carry what has the best chance to penetrate. EDIT TO ADD: Yeah, I have heard great things about the critical defense ammo.

 

[furious]

I carry a .380 every day. I am also extensively trained. I doubt that Joe Crook could outgun me with his "gat fo-tay". If I put 4 rounds of .380 HP in a guy then he's hurt bad. If I put the whole mag in him then he's down for the count. If I reload and put the second mag in him as well then he stopped twitching 5 rounds ago.
Anyone who wants to argue that the .380 cant stop a perp then I invite you to be shot by one and see how well you function afterwards. Then imagine being shot by it 12 more times.

Training is key. If you're not trained to deal with the stress of a gun fight then it doesnt matter if you carry a .50 cal. If you cant place your shots under stress then your gun is useless no matter the size.

 

[NWSharpshooter]

I carry an LCP on me every waking minute of of the day. Yeah I trust my life to it. That said, I trust it as a backup. Also on me every waking minute is a glock 19 in either a crossbreed super tuck or a desantis intruder. To me the Glock is my oh crap gun, the lcp is my oh crap you got the drop on me, have a gun yourself and want my wallet. I figure I am more likely to be able to draw the lcp and fire if the bad guy thinks I am getting my wallet, then I would be able to draw the 19 from iwb.

That's just me though, I don't really feel complete the few times I venture out with nothing but the LCP.

 

[Wheeler]

I really like my LCP just because of how easily it carries, but lately I've been thinking about what I would do if anything ever happened and I had to actually use it.

Do you guys think .380 is a satisfactory self defense round? Especially if whoever you drew it on had a gun as well?

What is the smallest round you feel comfortable defending yourself with? I personally feel ok with a 9mm or maybe a .38. I've been carrying a .357 mag for a week or so now and I like it but I don't really like only having 5 rounds on me.

According to every serious firearms/tactics trainer that I know or have had the opportunity to train with, you should carry what you can hit with. Caliber is irrelevant, accuracy is all important. If all you can hit well with is a .22, then carry that and practice with it religously. Six rounds of .22 in the face is going to seriously impede the ability and desire to do you physical harm.

Mindset, tactics and situational awareness take precedence over firepower. If you allow yourself to get into a situation where you have to use your gun, you've already made a mistake, and have to use lethal force in order to live to regret making that mistake.

Regarding the ballistics of the .380, and I'm assuming you can shoot your LCP well under pressure, it's really not far behind a +P .38 and in most cases equal to a standard .38. Remember that you are carrying that pistol for self defense, not to engage in a firefight. (See above mention of mindset, tactics and situational awareness).

Wheeler