380 ACP

[Arik]

I guess I can shoot a box of 50 without any real issues. Once reliability was established, I doubt if I have fired more than a couple magazines through it per range session.

It has never really bothered me much, other than being tiny to hold on to. At the same time, I don't shoot it for fun to be sure.

Andy

P.S. My philosophy of use means the LCP II kind of baffles me. Its a much better range pistol than the LCP without a doubt, but who wants a tiny .380 range pistol? My "2nd Gen" LCP has slightly bigger sights and slightly better trigger than the original, but it kept its pocket/belly gun heritage intact.

I use my LCP custom as a pocket carry on certain occasions ....very rare occasions..... but it has its place!

In fact, just today, I found a box of 32 that I have no idea where it came from. Now im thinking I may need a small 32 pistol for when I can't carry the LCP!

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[Ron3]

I guess I can shoot a box of 50 without any real issues. Once reliability was established, I doubt if I have fired more than a couple magazines through it per range session.

It has never really bothered me much, other than being tiny to hold on to. At the same time, I don't shoot it for fun to be sure.

Andy

P.S. My philosophy of use means the LCP II kind of baffles me. Its a much better range pistol than the LCP without a doubt, but who wants a tiny .380 range pistol? My "2nd Gen" LCP has slightly bigger sights and slightly better trigger than the original, but it kept its pocket/belly gun heritage intact.

I shoot the Beretta M21A .25 for fun. 🙂

The grip is fat and secure in hand. Very low slide / barrel / bore height. Probably the toughest gun to rip from the hand. Fixed barrel allows contact shots.

Range fun? Yea, it's fun getting A zone hits at 15 yds in a rapid manner with a little gun. Knocks plates over better than a .22 rifle with HV bullets, suprisingly.

Keltec P32 grip is about the width of a fat pencil...not much to hold on to.

[hextall]

I believe its all about shot placement. I was shot in the face and right shoulder from 2 feet away on a traffic stop with a .380. Shattered my jaw, took out 9 teeth and bone on the right side. The round splintered and a portion went into my sinus cavity which is still there. The second shot while I was on the ground entered my right bicep / shoulder and traveled up striking the end of the collarbone and stopping. I returned fire while on the ground and he fled. While it wasn't immediately incapacitating, blood loss was the main issue. Luckily I was transported to the hospital by my co-workers within 10 minutes. So if you need immediate incapacitation, it can still be accomplished with a .380 but WHERE you hit is going to be the biggest issue!!

[WillBrink]

I believe its all about shot placement. I was shot in the face and right shoulder from 2 feet away on a traffic stop with a .380. Shattered my jaw, took out 9 teeth and bone on the right side. The round splintered and a portion went into my sinus cavity which is still there. The second shot while I was on the ground entered my right bicep / shoulder and traveled up striking the end of the collarbone and stopping. I returned fire while on the ground and he fled. While it wasn't immediately incapacitating, blood loss was the main issue. Luckily I was transported to the hospital by my co-workers within 10 minutes. So if you need immediate incapacitation, it can still be accomplished with a .380 but WHERE you hit is going to be the biggest issue!!

That sounds like a terrible experience and also sounds like you're lucky to be alive and functional. I'd add to your comments however:

You were shot in the face and still able to return fire (wow!), so immediate incapacitation was not achieved. While shot placement always a factor, immediate incapacitation is more likely with calibers in typical duty loads, which is why they are recommended. Ergo, your chances of say being shot in the face and returning fire as you did with the 9mm/.40/.357 Sig/.45 ACP is reduced.

So, it comes down to the usual factors of the balance between terminal ballistics, recoil, capacity, etc knowing that all handgun loads are poor man stoppers, which all things considered, favors the 9mm.

If it was only the issue of shot placement, we would all carry .22. If it was only an issue of terminal ballistics, we would all carry S&W500.

People often used death as the endpoint, but if the person beats you to death with your own empty gun and bleeds out a mile down the road, that would not be viewed as a successful defense by most.

Considering the choices out there for highly compact reliable 9mm pistols, .380 makes little sense to me, but I don't claim expertise here, and it is better than throwing rocks to be sure.

[ABNAK]

I believe its all about shot placement. I was shot in the face and right shoulder from 2 feet away on a traffic stop with a .380. Shattered my jaw, took out 9 teeth and bone on the right side. The round splintered and a portion went into my sinus cavity which is still there. The second shot while I was on the ground entered my right bicep / shoulder and traveled up striking the end of the collarbone and stopping. I returned fire while on the ground and he fled. While it wasn't immediately incapacitating, blood loss was the main issue. Luckily I was transported to the hospital by my co-workers within 10 minutes. So if you need immediate incapacitation, it can still be accomplished with a .380 but WHERE you hit is going to be the biggest issue!!

Damn man, kudos to you. I'll wager my paycheck you've been told a gazillion times how lucky you are. Add my name to that list.

Shot placement is obviously very important.....a few inches higher on that jaw shot and you wouldn't be posting here. The other shot could have hit the subclavian with a little more penetration. Glad you made it! (hope your compadres greased that bastard)

Even in the 1986 Miami FBI shootout the one perp was hit with a 115gr Silvertip that (IIRC) penetrated the upper arm, entered the torso, and collapsed one lung before it came to a rest right before the heart/aorta. The bullet actually did pretty well ballistics-wise but maybe a 147gr would've penetrated further? Who knows.

In your case a .380 was involved, and there isn't a 23 grain weight difference between heaviest to lightest in caliber (like from 147gr to 124gr in 9mm) so not sure a change in weight would've been more threatening to your well-being. Shot placement in that case is no doubt the answer; glad that guy didn't have that down too well!

[Arik]

I believe its all about shot placement. I was shot in the face and right shoulder from 2 feet away on a traffic stop with a .380. Shattered my jaw, took out 9 teeth and bone on the right side. The round splintered and a portion went into my sinus cavity which is still there. The second shot while I was on the ground entered my right bicep / shoulder and traveled up striking the end of the collarbone and stopping. I returned fire while on the ground and he fled. While it wasn't immediately incapacitating, blood loss was the main issue. Luckily I was transported to the hospital by my co-workers within 10 minutes. So if you need immediate incapacitation, it can still be accomplished with a .380 but WHERE you hit is going to be the biggest issue!!

Damn.

Guy I used to know was a cabbie back in the mid 90s. Got a call, went to the pick up location, woke up in the hospital. Doctor said he was shot in the back of the head at almost point blank with a 380. The bullet went through the left rear window and into the back of his head.

They think that as one person acted as a distraction another person walked up from the left side behind the car and fired a shot through the left rear glass as he came right up behind the driver door

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[C-grunt]

I believe its all about shot placement. I was shot in the face and right shoulder from 2 feet away on a traffic stop with a .380. Shattered my jaw, took out 9 teeth and bone on the right side. The round splintered and a portion went into my sinus cavity which is still there. The second shot while I was on the ground entered my right bicep / shoulder and traveled up striking the end of the collarbone and stopping. I returned fire while on the ground and he fled. While it wasn't immediately incapacitating, blood loss was the main issue. Luckily I was transported to the hospital by my co-workers within 10 minutes. So if you need immediate incapacitation, it can still be accomplished with a .380 but WHERE you hit is going to be the biggest issue!!

Damn dude, way to stay in the fight!