.380 ACP isn’t so bad after all

[KUSA]

https://youtu.be/nycYxb-zNwc

[Stopsign32v]

Well there you go, 380acp is more deadly than 9mm or 44 magnum because this cute little graph says so.

[K_K]

I personally know someone that took one to the stomach it was a hollow that didnt open up. Well he didnt die but he was down for the count. I trust 380 for self defense also, but just cant decide what gun most days thats the problem.

Alittle quip i like to say too is 380 is the most deadly caliber. It started a world war!

[TomMcC]

One shot stops sounds like Sanow and Marshall from back in the day.

[TBAR_94]

I'm initially skeptical of some of this. I've killed a fair amount of animals with some of these calibers, and while deer and pigs are certainly not built like humans, I have a hard time believing any data set that shows a .22 to be more lethal than a .44 Magnum. Of course, there's all kinds of variables that could make data present that way.

[Ron3]

Its a good study if you read the whole thing.

Mr. Ellefritz is aware of all of it's shortcomings including small sample sizes. Shootings can be a bit like car crashes. Each one is unique but some patterns can be found sometimes. But there isn't really an "average" car crash or "average" shooting. Way too many variables.

My takeaway is similar to Mr. Ellefritz's. Most of the time any gun can do if your mindset and skill level are good. About 85% of the time the cartridge was "enough" in this study as long as it wasn't a .22 or .25, which dropped down to about 65%.

IIRC the .32 catagory included .32 acp and .32 S&W Long. .32 acp can vary from 750 fps from Blazer from a P32 to 1000 fps from S&B a nearly 4 inch barrel like a Colt or Beretta Cheetah. At the threshold of "enough" penetration that's going to make a difference. The sample size of .32 was really small, too, adding to it's odd results. He writes about this in the study.

He did not include the types of bullets used, either. He was going for more of a "macro" look at what was happening.

[HKGuns]

Whatever you're packing, you need to be able to hit the target. That is rule number the first one.

I purchased my first ever .380 on Sunday. It really doesn't bother me much that it is only .380. There are very rare times when I can only carry my tiny Keltec P32 and I am fine with that as well.

Having anything is better than being a victim.

[T2C]

One shot stops sounds like Sanow and Marshall from back in the day.

Years ago, I read an article published in Soldier of Fortune magazine on the Marshall and Sanow Stopping Power book. The author of the article contacted sources Marshall and Sanow listed in the book and interviewed them. Two of the sources were highly respected Pathologists Dr. Mary Case and Dr. Michael Graham.

Would anyone have a link to the old article?

[.45fan]

Well there you go, 380acp is more deadly than 9mm or 44 magnum because this cute little graph says so.

Exactly.

I know medics with the Detroit fire department and a few RN's in area ER's that would call the graph ridiculous.

But hey, there isn't any violence in Detroit so what do they know?

[Ron3]

Exactly.

I know medics with the Detroit fire department and a few RN's in area ER's that would call the graph ridiculous.

But hey, there isn't any violence in Detroit so what do they know?

Y'all should read the study / article and consider you can learn from statistics even if the data can produce some odd-looking graphs.

The study isnt meant to predict anything. The guy merely sought out some data and reported what he found best he could.