What to say to a friend considering a .380?

[woody d]

tell em to buy a 9mm. there is some tiny ones that are suprisingly easy to shoot (G26), and ammo selection/availablity should also be a factor. 9mm is everywhere

[gtmtnbiker98]

It's kinda like the burger king add with the guy with small hands...
.380's are better than a .22 back up.. but then do you want a tiny pistol lost in your boot? man up carry a sig .45... great gun!

= zero value to the thread.

I am also considering an LCP for those times when I can't carry a pistol. If it weren't for the cost of .380 ammo.

[woody d]

i guess my point i failed to make is i would trust a G26 far more than any other tiny 9mm, let alone a .380...ive shot 26s that have outshot full size pistols, with hot ammo to boot.

[vaspence]

Hello my name is Spence and I too am an anemic round carrier.

Tell the guy he made a great decision. Having gun is plan A.

I have and carry various Glocks (26,19) and on occasion a 642. But that P3AT is always with me.

[John_Wayne777]

I know the light weight, thinness and low price are attractive, but I don't think I can keep my mouth shut about the anemic nature of the round.

It's true that the .380 is anemic. It's also true that mouseguns are notoriously hard to shoot well under stress.

BUT, as much as it pains me to agree with Todd:

If it's a choice between having nothing or having my LCP (which I rarely carry) I will gladly take my LCP. Why? Because while the .380's terminal ballistics may not set the world ablaze, it is still capable of turning an opponent into a corpse. It's a lot better than a sharp stick and harsh language.

I have a friend who was carrying a Ruger .380 as his primary because people convinced him he couldn't carry anything bigger. He, being new to the use of firearms for daily carry, listened to the "experts". Then he showed up at my house and I handed him an RCS phantom IWB holster for the Glock and put a G17 in it and took him to a mirror. Even on his little frame (about 5'7", 140 pounds...IF THAT) the G17 almost disappeared. Then I showed him the G19 and the G26.

He now owns my G26 and my RCS phantom holster.

The moral of this story is this: If the LCP is really the best he can do, so be it. It's better than nothing. If you think he can upgrade, don't tell him...show him. Show up with some guy food and some guns and some holsters and let him try different options to figure out what might work for him. Once the guy figures out he can pack something more substantial than the LCP most of the time he might be willing to do it and keep the LCP as a backup or as a primary of last resort.

[four]

does it make a difference if it's a primary or a back up?

If you're putting it in your sock as a hold out peice it's one thing. if it's gonna be your bedroom gun, it's a different kind of thing.

[skyugo]

it really IS better than nothing.

kahr PM9 or a G26 is obviously a better and bulkier choice...

what i'd tell him? make sure he learns to make a lot of hits fast with it.

[Biggy]

What to say to a friend considering a .380?

I would tell him to consider carrying a large tactical folder or some pepper spray as a backup just in case his mouse didn't get the job done. Its better than nothing.

[RAM Engineer]

Tell him to seek training, and to practice, practice, practice. Software trumps hardware and shot placement is supreme.

[Vandal]

.380 is better than nothing but with all of the small 9mm out there I still see very little reason for .380 other than as an absolutely last ditch noise maker.