.380 vs 38

[jordanvraptor]

No matter how much I tell my wife about the reliability of modern autopistols, she likes her S&W 642 because its pull trigger and bang every time. If the guy is closer than 15 yards away, he's probably going to get 2 or 3 torso hits. 5 if he stands still...

.38 vs .380 comes down to simple physics. .38 wins. Can a .380 be effective? Of course. This is almost like a 9mm vs .45 debate only smaller...

 

[CHLChris]

But it isn't just a discussion about caliber. Of course 38spl wins over .380acp. But it is really hard to fit my wife's 642 in my pocket and my LCP slides right in with room to spare.

I carry a 1911 whenever I can, but my LCP goes in my pocket if ever I don't feel unsafe and am just popping out to get something done.

Better than nothing.

 

[orygun]

We went thru all of this at my house....twice.
My wife has a very nice 1908 Colt 380. But since she's not really a "gun gal" the training to make sure a single action auto is ready to go, how to clear it to make it safe and how to clear stoppages is almost overwhelming (for someone who is not used to things like that). It does take practice to be proficient. However she knows that her Smith 642 is safe unless she pulls the trigger and it will go "boom" every time she does, plus it has the CT grips. She loves and is very proud of that gun.
Now, when the daughter wanted a gun, she wanted an auto. A revolver was not an option for her, even though it was my first choice due to simplicity. The Taurus TCP was the ticket. (plus it's pink) But it is very tough for her to rack the slide to chamber the first round.
Don't discount the amount of training needed and the strength to rack the slide when making this kind of choice. Get her to run at least one of each type before making a purchase.
I personally would prefer to carry a 38 Special over the 380, but would rather a 380 than nothing!

 

[hariph creek]

For me if going small, .38+p hands down. And as stated earlier if a snub sized gun is under consideration why not go single stack 9mm? At which point if you can handle a marginal increase in recoil get a .40 in the same platform. .380 just might be better than a pointy stick but is expensive to feed, finnicky and limited in loadings. 9mm is my min. for an auto, but I still like 5 rounds of .38+p that will go bang every time, no matter what.

 

[sheepman]

It doesn't matter if you go with a 38 snub or the 380, if the wife won't shoot or carry it. I have gone through the gun for wife exercise several times and it has to be her decision. A lot of things come into play, hand strength, recoil, weight, size, muzzle blast and just the feel of the gun in her hand. My wife has a 22 target pistol that she likes for HD, she does not like recoil or muzzle blast and has poor hand strength, she has a 32 now for carry but is still looking for some thing else (has tried 38 snub and Beretta 21). Good luck

 

[mortre]

FYI,

My experience with a snubby is that it is a poor choice for a non-shooters carry gun. Lightweight 38 snubs are viscous in the recoil department. Mine kicked worse with LRN range ammo than my aluminum framed 3" 45 ACP did with 230 gold dots.

I know two friends that ended up getting their wifes the little walther p22's because they will at least carry and practice with them. On down the road they hope to get them something a little bigger, but a .22 (or .380 as you suggested) in the purse is better than a .38 at home.

 

[mjbskwim]

It all comes down to shot placement.

A 44mag is a great crack/meth/coke/angel dust head stopper. Plenty of energy to drop the perp in his tracks and take all the fight out of him.......

If you can hit the target or even lift the gun up


* I do not condone the use of a 22lr for defence,may piss the bad guy off*

A 22lr is also perfect at very close range if it's all your (her) little hands can hold....if she can load all 10 rounds in the heart or head.

So which gun does she like best and shoot best?

That is more important than what caliber.

I don't always buy into the "wheel gun is simpler" BS
It is much easier to load a semi-auto as long as she can rack the slide.Much easier to reload also.Smaller and lighter than a snubbie.And there is police forces around the world that do use the 380.
Double or triple to the skull will slow any druggie down enough to run away.

Then the 38 has some nasty +Ps that are a little slower than a 357 too.

I like the 38 over the 380,but it depends on what she shoots best and can place the bullets in the 10 ring the most.

 

[mjz52]

I went through this same debate with myself. That's why I ended up with the Kel Tec PF-9. It only weighs 12.7 oz empty, is only .88" thick & with 7+1 rounds of Hornaday Critical Defense I feel that it is a very effective self defense weapon.

 

[hariph creek]

I agree that first and foremost is what you can shoot well and is small enough to actually carry trumps all but reliability of the weapon itself.
I don't buy the "autos reload quicker" arguement. Oh, it's true but let's be realistic real life shootings are not shootouts. You should have reloads, you should train using them. But you are not going to have a prolonged exchange of fire with a hoard of well armed zombies. Look at actual shootings, they are fast, close and short.
As for .380 it's bullet weight to diameter to velocity ratio is not great. I would choose .32 over .380, it's at least smaller but...meh.
In the end if you need to protect yourself with a handgun, you need to be willing to commit to learning to use what works. Not what's easy. You are not looking for a more convenient cheese grater. You want a deadly weapon that will stop a percieved threat. If you are looking for the least that is "comfy" to use and at least qualifies as a firearm, then you need to access whether you really should have one.
Again, I don't say snubs are better than autos. I prefer them for small, but when proper attire makes it possible I would take a mid-to-full size auto in .40 or .45 anyday.

 

[mjbskwim]

I agree that first and foremost is what you can shoot well and is small enough to actually carry trumps all but reliability of the weapon itself.
I don't buy the "autos reload quicker" arguement. Oh, it's true but let's be realistic real life shootings are not shootouts. You should have reloads, you should train using them. But you are not going to have a prolonged exchange of fire with a hoard of well armed zombies. Look at actual shootings, they are fast, close and short.
As for .380 it's bullet weight to diameter to velocity ratio is not great. I would choose .32 over .380, it's at least smaller but...meh.
In the end if you need to protect yourself with a handgun, you need to be willing to commit to learning to use what works. Not what's easy. You are not looking for a more convenient cheese grater. You want a deadly weapon that will stop a perceived threat. If you are looking for the least that is "comfy" to use and at least qualifies as a firearm, then you need to access whether you really should have one.
Again, I don't say snubs are better than autos. I prefer them for small, but when proper attire makes it possible I would take a mid-to-full size auto in .40 or .45 anyday.

Good points
I don't do it her cause y'all know it,but you really need to ask her if she can actually take a life.
I know I know "stop a perceived threat".But in reality that means stopping a beating heart,killing someone.
If she even hesitates on this,maybe she should reconsider carrying.If she can't kill someone,they will kill her with her own gun.

And as hariph creek said,if you do carry a small caliber,you sure as **** better be very proficient with the gun.
Like quarter size groups at say 10 yards.

Otherwise it goes back to the bad guy using the gun on you

 

[revjen45]

Post #11: "I don't think the caliber of a weapon is near as important as how comfortable the shooter is with that weapon. Take her to a range, have her shoot various weapons of various calibers & let her decide!!!"

Yes!! The lady should choose her own SD piece. If she doesn't find it comfortable to shoot she won't practice with it and if it doesn't fit her well she won't be able to hit with it.

As a friend put it - Somebody who attacks a cop is pumped/scared/willing to do anything to avoid return to incarceration. A scumbag who attacks a woman expects to rob/rape/kill her and escape. As soon as he starts taking bullets in the chest Plan 'A' goes in the toilet, and Plan 'B' is to get to medical aid for all of those blood-spewing holes in his chest. I'm not saying women should carry poodle guns, but that any gun beats none when she is threatened by some vicious sub-human.

 

[PinkhamR]

Post #11: "I don't think the caliber of a weapon is near as important as how comfortable the shooter is with that weapon. Take her to a range, have her shoot various weapons of various calibers & let her decide!!!"

Yes!! The lady should choose her own SD piece. If she doesn't find it comfortable to shoot she won't practice with it and if it doesn't fit her well she won't be able to hit with it.

As a friend put it - Somebody who attacks a cop is pumped/scared/willing to do anything to avoid return to incarceration. A scumbag who attacks a woman expects to rob/rape/kill her and escape. As soon as he starts taking bullets in the chest Plan 'A' goes in the toilet, and Plan 'B' is to get to medical aid for all of those blood-spewing holes in his chest. I'm not saying women should carry poodle guns, but that any gun beats none when she is threatened by some vicious sub-human.

Agreed, and that is why my wife carries a P11 .... A Red-Headed Retired Master Sergeant too ..... Ya don't wanna' mess with her ....

 

[browntown]

Even though I carry a .32 (even smaller than a 38) in the summer, I think a 38 is a better gun for someone newer to firearms. In my experience, bug guns are the hardest to handle, often slapping the shooting finger hard with the trigger-guard to the uninitiated. The amount of small (usually female) shooters struggle with the LCP reinforces that. A 38 j frame will fit in her purse just fine, and anyone can shoot them.

 

[Gunfan]

I'll tell you quite plainly that I prefer the .32 ACP (which I can shoot quickly and accurately under stress) to the .380. If I want to shoot anything "heavier" it's either my Kel-Tec P-11 (in 9mm, of course) or my GP100 in .357 Magnum, in which I'm shooting .38 S&W Special loads. Occasionally, I'll stuff my Yugo M70 (.32 ACP) in my back pocket when I take out the garbage.

My little single action "pocket .32" comes in mighty handy when it comes to stopping someone from becoming too "aggressive."

Believe me, i can dump a hand full of Fiocchi 73 grain FMJ ammunition in someone's face/throat/chest as quickly as you can say "oh $#it!" These will usually "leave a mark."

Scott

 

[Gunfan]

You guys can keep your mouse guns.

BUG's: .380 ACP vs. .38 Sp - M4Carbine.net Forums

Nice, but the smallest ".38 Special" I have is a 4" barreled Ruger GP100.

My S&W Concealed Hammer "Airweight" in .32 H&R Magnum works remarkably well!

Scott

 

[RBid]

Two things;

1. People who are hopped up on drugs or alcohol or adrenaline quite frequently dont even know that they have been shot. They will often continue on with their criminal behavior until they bleed out which can take several minutes, even with good shot placement.

2. The current crop of subcompact 380's are all DAO with no manual safety. The trigger pulls are typically long and heavy, and being DAO they do not change after the first shot.

This.

.38 +P > .380 in a vacuum, meaning strictly round vs round. Heavier slug = better penetration. In the PNW, we have a lot of heavy people in heavy clothing, and penetration is kind of a big deal. While it's absolutely true that most defensive handgun deployments end with zero shots fired, I like to ask people this:

"If you present a firearm, and that bad guy shows that he's willing to get shot, which do you want to be holding?"

I'll take that .38.

Better yet, I'll take a Glock 19 with 15+1+15 of Speer Gold Dot 147gr.

 

[revjen45]

Makarov belongs in the possible choices. Nice balance of size, "feel", power in the same range.

 

[Gunfan]

I still think that she'll likely be best served by the .38 Special. If she's recoil sensitive, have her load it with 148 grain "wadcutters." They may not be driven too fast from the barrel, but properly placed can, and will, kill quickly.

"Shot placement is king, penetration is Queen, everything else is angels dancing on the heads of pins."

Scott

 

[glockman99]

Is there any reason why she can't have a Glock 26...A compact 9mm?

 

[Nick Burkhardt]

From Defensive Carry