Rethinking my Primary Carry Weapon

[sensor5]

I normally carry my Glock 30 either in a good IWB kydex holster or OWB kydex or leather holster. I have about 5 different holsters I wear, depending on what I am wearing. However, I have found myslf carrying my Sig 238 .380 more often than my G30. It is just too comfortable to carry compared to my Glock 30 which bites into my love-handles at times.

Everyone can agree that a majority of gun carriers will never have to shoot their weapon in self-defense. I have always been a firm supporter of .45ACP due to the fact I have carried and seen individuals shot with a 9mm pistol (ball ammo), thanks to 20-years in the U.S. Army and 6 combat deployments, and the 9mm round seemed to be ineffective. It does, however, normally deter further aggression by the bad guys.

New advances in .380 ACP ammo has greatly improved the effectiveness of the small round. I shoot Underwood lead FMJ +P flat nose. It is a hot round and I can comfortably fire a magazine worth (7 rounds) accurately and in quick succession. As a carrying citizen, my only course-of-action is to defend myself, my property, or those around me. I am not pursue and engage an individual in a gunfight, which is best done with a rifle and not a handgun. What is wrong with carrying a .380 as my primary carry that can meet the FBI's minumun penetration of 12"?

I conducted research and those who say the .380 is an ineffective round against an intruder have no real-world experience - they (like me before) assume bigger is better. What are your thoughts?

 

[Miles42]

I have to agree with you. I think with modern ammo available the 380 can be effective. Also The P238 is a great EDC and is much better than something left at home or in the glove compartment. My EDC is a P938 with 124 gr HST.

 

[xdmdude]

Not to say you don't know what your talking about but I don't understand how 9mm is weaker than .380. Did I miss some major progress with that caliber. I would just think no way any .380 would be more powerful than 9mm+p? Please let me know the details of what led you to believe this.

 

[GodFearinGunTotin]

They say the first rule, if you're in a gun fight is to have a gun. I can't speak authoritatively but common sense-wise if you're more comfortable carrying one gun over another, you're more likely to be carrying that comfortable gun when/if (God forbid) you should need it.

 

[Bfish]

I don't see anything wrong with you choosing to carry this, but if you do ever have to use it you may find yourself wishing you had a bigger gun... All I have to say is carry a spare mag

 

[sensor5]

9mm is definitely more powerful than a .380, but my point is I am not fighting an individual toe-to-toe, but trying to deter this individual while trying to get to safety. If a perp has a rifle or shotgun, any one with a handgun is out-gunned, regardless of the caliber.

While I was deployed, I always told my wife to chamber a round into my 12 gauge shotgun if she suspected anyone is in the house. If anyone is there, they will leave after hearing the universal sound of racking a shotgun . Plus, she would probably freeze up before shooting someone. People would like to think they would be a bad*ss in a situation requiring them to fight, but most will freeze for a second followed by indecisiveness.

My point is, I found myself leaving my house without carrying my Glock 30, but since buying my Sig 238, I have never left home without it. I am finding more pros to carrying the .380 than the 2x4 thick Glock 30.

I have shot a Sig 938, and I was not as accurate as with a 238, and it had much more recoil. I can fire more 95 grain rounds quicker and more accurately out of my 238 than a 938.

 

[Harley46982]

I carry my p238 all the time and love it, I do not feel under gunned and I load mine with the same type of Non Expanding rounds as I'm going more for penetration with the little guy

 

[Railroadguy79]

9mm is definitely more powerful than a .380, but my point is I am not fighting an individual toe-to-toe, but trying to deter this individual while trying to get to safety. If a perp has a rifle or shotgun, any one with a handgun is out-gunned, regardless of the caliber.

While I was deployed, I always told my wife to chamber a round into my 12 gauge shotgun if she suspected anyone is in the house. If anyone is there, they will leave after hearing the universal sound of racking a shotgun . Plus, she would probably freeze up before shooting someone. People would like to think they would be a bad*ss in a situation requiring them to fight, but most will freeze for a second followed by indecisiveness.

My point is, I found myself leaving my house without carrying my Glock 30, but since buying my Sig 238, I have never left home without it. I am finding more pros to carrying the .380 than the 2x4 thick Glock 30.

I have shot a Sig 938, and I was not as accurate as with a 238, and it had much more recoil. I can fire more 95 grain rounds quicker and more accurately out of my 238 than a 938.

I have been through a lot of different guns to try and find the right one to carry. One of the best is the Sig P232! I now go between M&P Shield 9mm and the P232, both of witch I would trust my life with. Most gun fight don't last longer than 15 to 30 sec, and usually no more than 5 to 8 rounds are fired. You more than likely never need more than what your gun holds.

 

[Giddaltti]

I love my TCP .380 and have faith it will work as my CC most of the time. It is true to personal protection and not an all out gun fight weapon. After looking, holding and finding a Shield I just had to have one and is now my new CC. The size and fit are remarkable as is the price. I went with a .40, and the recoil compared is managable. The advancement in ammunition makes it equally important. I'm of the opinion its why folks are accepting the .380 more and more. The Glock 42 seems to have peak folks interest as well. Finding the right weight also has to be taken into account. For example using the 165 gn gives my Shield a very comfortable light weight feel but the round produces a bit more snap. On the other hand the 180gn give the Shield a more beefy feel and the recoil is noticeably reduced. My next visit to the range will be to try out the new Win. Train and defence ammo. However, with the right ammo a .380 is a charm to have.

 

[shades171]

Ruger Sr9c

 

[throttletony]

I think modern ammo, esp +p really ups the limits on something like the 380, 9mm or 38 spl.
I'm not sure if I follow the jump all the way from .45 to .380, while skipping over the 9mm, .40, or others (357 Sig, 357 Mag, etc.)

 

[snapping turtle]

Always a trade off.

Either rounds or size. Penetration or expansion. Comfortable carry or comforting carry. Under gunned or under the gun.

James Bond carried a PPK in 32 ACP as a special agent. The PPK is heavy and the 32 is smaller than the 380. He is a fictional character but based on real agents.

The largest carry gun I use constantly since 1989 is a model 66 copy 2 inch 357. I have larger and smaller but that one I have faith in. It is big for 6 rounds, I have to use 38 +p for night use since it will blind you at night with full load 357's, it has what lots of people would call negatives but I like it. Lots of people used to praise the 357/38 +p for effective single shot stopping power.

Carry it. Shoot it. Get comfortable with it. Get a couple good holsters. Shoot it some more. Carry it. Get some backup mags. Shoot it in the dark. Shoot it at dusk and dawn. Carry it more. Once you get used to it you will be fine.

 

[45fan]

My favored EDC is either my 1911 or Hi-power. Realistically I typically have a J-frame that goes IWB with me most of the time. I would rather have on of the larger pistols with me all of the time, but realistically it can be impractical in some situations.

 

[blue2golf]

I don't care what you carry, as long as you carry something.

Nice thing about Red State America. Lots of options!

 

[WebSnyper]

9mm is definitely more powerful than a .380, but my point is I am not fighting an individual toe-to-toe, but trying to deter this individual while trying to get to safety. If a perp has a rifle or shotgun, any one with a handgun is out-gunned, regardless of the caliber.

While I was deployed, I always told my wife to chamber a round into my 12 gauge shotgun if she suspected anyone is in the house. If anyone is there, they will leave after hearing the universal sound of racking a shotgun . Plus, she would probably freeze up before shooting someone. People would like to think they would be a bad*ss in a situation requiring them to fight, but most will freeze for a second followed by indecisiveness.

My point is, I found myself leaving my house without carrying my Glock 30, but since buying my Sig 238, I have never left home without it. I am finding more pros to carrying the .380 than the 2x4 thick Glock 30.

I have shot a Sig 938, and I was not as accurate as with a 238, and it had much more recoil. I can fire more 95 grain rounds quicker and more accurately out of my 238 than a 938.

I'm with you on whatever gun you choose to carry... now that part about the "universal sound of a shotgun" ... not so much. Somebody brings a gun into a situation, better be prepared to use it, or have it used on them. The notion of showing/hearing a gun being enough to scare away a predator is at best wishful thinking, at worst arming your attacker.

Carry what you have confidence in and shoot well. Always carry the best ammo you can get your hands on and extra megs, and "carry on".

 

[Indynic]

Don't get so caught up in caliber......it's all about shot placement, shot placement, shot placement. IMHO, ballistically speaking, 380 is not that far from 9mm, which is not that far 45.

If you are really concerned about powering up your caliber, get a .44 Magnum, 460 or .500 S&W Magnum...

 

[BehindBlueI's]

Threads on the .380 I've already weighed in on:

https://www.indianagunowners.com/forums/handguns/288074-380-mouse-gun-powerful-stopper.html

https://www.indianagunowners.com/forums/handguns/329650-personal-defense-when-does-380-beat-9mm.html

https://www.indianagunowners.com/forums/ammunition-reloading/245097-380-acp-sd.html

https://www.indianagunowners.com/forums/handguns/304670-380-powerful-enough-defensive-carry.html

https://www.indianagunowners.com/forums/handguns/336849-380-vs-9mm-carry-gun.html

In short, its the smallest caliber I would recommend.

 

[cop car]

my carry gun is considerably larger than most peoples. but i prefer it actually. i prefer to carry a 9mm, but a good .38 round is way more capabable than the rounds of 20 years ago, and just a basic 38 load imo is probably the same as 1950s 9mm.

its all about preference. i like 9mm for a lot of reasons, common, decent size, decent power, 14 rounds in a compact frame. still good stopping power and penetration. everything is always a compromise. otherwise if you wanted to outgun everyone in a pistol fight, just get the pds ar15 pistol lol

 

[IndyGlockMan]

Pull up your panties and carry the Glock 30. It's made for concealed carry.
I carry a Glock 23 (with love handles) and while it's not totally 100% comfortable, it's not a problem.
Carrying a gun isn't like carrying a cell phone. We have to endure some level of discomfort to be good citizens.
Man up and leave the .380 at home.

 

[sliptap]

I normally carry my Glock 30 either in a good IWB kydex holster or OWB kydex or leather holster. I have about 5 different holsters I wear, depending on what I am wearing. However, I have found myslf carrying my Sig 238 .380 more often than my G30. It is just too comfortable to carry compared to my Glock 30 which bites into my love-handles at times.

Everyone can agree that a majority of gun carriers will never have to shoot their weapon in self-defense. I have always been a firm supporter of .45ACP due to the fact I have carried and seen individuals shot with a 9mm pistol (ball ammo), thanks to 20-years in the U.S. Army and 6 combat deployments, and the 9mm round seemed to be ineffective. It does, however, normally deter further aggression by the bad guys.

New advances in .380 ACP ammo has greatly improved the effectiveness of the small round. I shoot Underwood lead FMJ +P flat nose. It is a hot round and I can comfortably fire a magazine worth (7 rounds) accurately and in quick succession. As a carrying citizen, my only course-of-action is to defend myself, my property, or those around me. I am not pursue and engage an individual in a gunfight, which is best done with a rifle and not a handgun. What is wrong with carrying a .380 as my primary carry that can meet the FBI's minumun penetration of 12"?

I conducted research and those who say the .380 is an ineffective round against an intruder have no real-world experience - they (like me before) assume bigger is better. What are your thoughts?

You need to checkout ShootingTheBull's 380 ballistics results: Final Results of the .380 ACP Ammo Quest | Shooting The Bull

I carry Precision One's XTP's in my LCP. I did a wet phonebook test and my results are fairly consistent with his. I'm confident they will expand and penetrate 12+" out of a small barrel...4 layers of denim or not.

Caliber wars have always been more hype then anything. Shot placement is more important than anything. You need to make sure you can comfortably shoot what you have; the .45 acp is a great cartridge, but it does you no good if you: a) don't carry that pistol all the time or b) can't shoot it well.

My advice: spend a majority of your time practicing your 380, since it is what you carry the most. Don't get caught up in the caliber-war BS; your opinion is what matters most, so carry what makes you feel comfortable.