.380 for self defense?

[olchevy]

My great grandfather and my grandfather had carried a S&W .32 everyday. They ran a convenience store/ gas station. My great grandfather had to use it twice and my grandfather had to use it once, it served both of them well and did the job, bad guy went home in a box. A .32 is even smaller than a .380.....

One of my friends is a Navy Seal. Guess what he carries?.........A little Beretta .22lr I believe a bobcat...He said he doesn't know of a single human that can take 3 shots to the throat.....Trust me I take his word for it he knows his stuff. The only problem I have with that is trusting rimfire ammo.

To me it comes down to two things.
1) what you will carry always.
2) What you can shoot well and very quickly under stress.

 

[protective measures]

Great posts but the last 3 starting from "furious" are dead on.
Anytime you carry a smaller gun, you really should train a lot more to be proficient with it.
The VAST majority of people who bring the double action .380's (LCP's,TCP's,etc.) to our training classes jerk the trigger at first till they get used to that long trigger press. It's not as easy as a good 1911 or even a Glock, S&W M&P, or similar guns. They have virtually no reset to shoot from & the ergonomics including the sights are challenging.
They are good quality guns but definitely require more practice to use effectively.
I have one as a back-up to my Glock and like it in that role.
A few times a year, it's all I can carry so I'm sure glad to have it.

 

[hbrad3]

I carry a TCP 380 as my carry gun now (thanks CCW). After reading some some info I found through Google, I feel quite comfortable with it. First off, I WILL CARRY IT. Second, according to the info I found, defensive shots from a caliber smaller than a 38 or 9mm should be placed in the nose/mustache area to be most effective. Now I'm a pretty big guy so I can conceal a 1911 pretty easily but that thing gets heavy. I almost forget the 380 is there. I only carry for self defense so I'm not one of those guys that thinks he's gonna 'save the day'. It would only be used to stop an attack, not deter one. Based on what I have researched, it should be sufficient to meet my needs.

 

[bearpugh]

carry what you can. my fave pocket gun is a keltec p32. not the most terminal but i'd rather have a 22 than nothing. as long as its reliable. i've also carried naa mini revolvers. not 1st choice but sometimes its all you have. eople get caught u in bigger and better with everything. but not long ago cops carried 32 long. then the ever powerful 3 spec. took over. and on it goes. just carry the best you can for the circumstance, practice, and be good with it. then hopefully, you never need it.

 

[Cruisers460]

I've heard that glaser safety slugs are a effective option in the 380.

 

[sovietak474u]

Nothing wrong with a 380. I carried one for a good year. Felt just as safe as I did with a 45.

 

[Petro_58]

I like my Colt .380acp, ball during the winter, or the Colt .45acp. and hollow points during the summer.

 

[atlantaguns]

No. 1. Buffalo bore 2. Golden sabers 3. Ball

 

[talkstosquirrels]

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.

Depends where you place the shot obviously. Shoot a bad guy in the right spot with a .22 and it's all over. The standard triple-tap (stomach, chest, head) with a .380 JHP is going to accomplish stopping any human threat. Even with a IIIA vest, the last of those 3 will accomplish this end. As you know, the majority of engagements of this nature occur at close proximity. For legal reasons as well, your not going to want to be shooting at a distance further than you could accomplish a clean triple- tap.

IMHO

 

[atljetmech]

I would gladly have a 380 caliber on me rather than a 0 caliber!
It will most certainly do the job.
Carry with confidence 'ol founder of the ODT!!!