.380 or .38 special?

[ImDrRich]

Friends -

I've been pocket carrying a Ruger LCP Max in .380 now for about a year and have come to believe that I can do better.

I am aware of the differences in weight, size, etc., but I recently purchased a neat S&W Model 49 (from 1973 per Supica's book) and like it immensely.

I know I'll be going from 11 rounds to 5 rounds, but that doesn't bother me. This is strictly a concealed, self-defense gun and my 49 is in great shape after being stripped down internally, well-examined and cleaned, and the rounds go where I point my arm. I deliberately picked the 49 because of the shrouded hammer and the resulting lack of "hang up" if and when it comes out of the holster, either IWB or pocket holster.

Some of the guys at the range don't agree about the change in rounds and/or calibers, so I thought the hive mind here might weigh in on this subject. So, the question is, would you feel comfortable makin this swap?

Thanks to all who respond.

Rich

 

[petepeterson]

Not sure I would personally make that change, but your "cool" factory just went up in my book.
That's a pretty revolver.

 

[ImDrRich]

These discussions have been beat to death over and over. 9 mm v. .380 acp v. .38 S&W special...yada yada.[\QUOTE]

I should have added to my OP that while I respect your response(s), it's not helpful to me at all to have someone respond with the statement, ". . . these discussions have been beat to death over and over."

Please consider my question a serious one that is deserving of your own personal opinion - and thanks for putting up with my "here we go again post."

 

[BB57]

Recent research indicates 85 percent of armed citizen defensive handgun uses are successfully concluded without the handgun even being fired. Bad guys don’t like getting shot.

My sole defensive hand gun use ended exactly that way with the knife wielding assailant fleeing as soon as I bladed my body, slammed him in the chest to take him off balance and began to draw my pistol.

Past that in the other 15% where the gun is fired only about half of assailants are hit, and of those that are, half will surrender or flee after the first hit. Of the three percent or so that are left, 70 percent will go down or surrender in 3 shots or less ans 90% will stop in in 5 shots or less.

Assuming you use decent CA and good judgement to avoid going places where you’ll encounter multiple assailants the odds are extremely long that you’ll ever need more than 5 shots. And caliber really doesn’t matter.

Carry what ever you are comfortable carrying and proficient shooting.

Forget the caliber phonic opinions of catastrophizong mall ninjas and the misguided souls who think they need to be armed like the local SWAT team.

 

[Rammer Jammer]

I did the opposite. Carried an LCR for almost 10 years. Then the Max was released and I switched back to semi auto pocket carry. A 160% increase in capacity in the day and age of criminals attacking in packs calls for more ammo.

 

[jaguargolf]

I believe in "J" frames.

 

[petepeterson]

Recent research indicates 85 percent of armed citizen defensive handgun uses are successfully concluded without the handgun even being fired. Bad guys don’t like getting shot.



Past that in the other 15% where the gun is fired only about half of assailants are hit, and of those that are, half will surrender or flee after the first hit. Of the three percent or so that are left, 70 percent will go down or surrender in 3 shots or less ans 90% will stop in in 5 shots or less.

Multiply all of those statistics to the likelihood that you'll need a handgun at all.

 

[Bald1]

And on the second day God created the revolver !
Really, I’d just go with the one that’s easiest to carry and comfortable.

 

[45Smashemflat]

FWIW, I swap back and forth a good bit, mainly driven by dress and activities. I have a Kel Tec P3PAT which is super slim and super light. But, I don’t shoot it as well as my J Frame. That said, with its built in clip, it carries invisibly when in shorts or sweats. Also, it has shown to be reliable, even though it is perceived to be “cheap.”

However, if the dress allows for pocket carry of a J frame, i usually swap, because I hit better with it, and I know it’s reliable too.

I’ve recently added a Colt Agent to the stable, so it will work its way into the rotation, once I know how it shoots.

All in, my findings are that no one will volunteer to let me shoot them with either the 38 or the 380.

 

[Mule Packer]

There's been some great information posted, but when "push comes to shove," you carry what you decide is your best option.

I'm not going to argue if someone wants to carry a .22LR or a .454 Casull. The bottom line is..at least they're carrying.

Whether you choose the .380 or the .38 Special is strictly up to you. You get points for at least being armed.

 

[rockquarry]

Friends -

I've been pocket carrying a Ruger LCP Max in .380 now for about a year and have come to believe that I can do better.

I am aware of the differences in weight, size, etc., but I recently purchased a neat S&W Model 49 (from 1973 per Supica's book) and like it immensely.

I know I'll be going from 11 rounds to 5 rounds, but that doesn't bother me. This is strictly a concealed, self-defense gun and my 49 is in great shape after being stripped down internally, well-examined and cleaned, and the rounds go where I point my arm. I deliberately picked the 49 because of the shrouded hammer and the resulting lack of "hang up" if and when it comes out of the holster, either IWB or pocket holster.

Some of the guys at the range don't agree about the change in rounds and/or calibers, so I thought the hive mind here might weigh in on this subject. So, the question is, would you feel comfortable makin this swap?

Thanks to all who respond.

Rich

Makes good sense if you shoot it well. For a concealed carry gun, five rounds of .38 Special is plenty.

The textbook imaginary gunfighters who regularly dream of packs of bad guys attacking them would never be comfortable with five rounds but it appears they often take a quasi-law enforcement position without ever realizing it. Regardless, it's their business and they can carry all the ammo they wish.

 

[Doug M.]

I have my biases, but what really matters what you shoot well and carry every moment of every day. I'm of the age that my academy time came as the transition to auto pistols was in full swing and most of my training reflected that. I am thus more comfortable most of the time with a full size auto with lots of ammo. I did, however, start LE with a revolver, an S&W M58. I never felt undergunned.

 

[robertrwalsh]

In accordance with your request, MY PERSONAL OPINION is that it is a toss-up. (Really helpful, isn't it?) A lot of it would depend on how well you shoot each weapon. 11 rounds of .380 that you can hit with is better than 5 rounds of a more effective cartridge that you can't hit with. Assuming you can hit about the same with each, I would tend to favor the .380 over the .38 special. By the way, that is a REALLY great choice for a carry revolver.

 

[cd228]

Can't say if it's better or worse without your criteria.

You mentioned that you carried the LCP for a year and decided that you could do better. What issues did you identify with the LCP?

How well/fast do you shoot each pistol? Is there a clear difference between the two? Have you shot a timed course of fire with both guns?

Is it easier to carry the wheel gun over the semi-auto? Which is easier and faster to draw?

Do you carry a reload? Anticipate using it?

Both are in the acceptable range for terminal ballistics, DEPENDING on ROUND SELECTION, some rounds have a better track record then others.

What is your training and practice regime look like? How often/how much do you regularly shoot?

 

[Echo40]

In Standard Pressure loads, .380 ACP and .38 Special have similar performance, but once you get into heavy loads and +P, .38 Special completely outperforms .380 ACP.

Granted, a Revolver can only hold 6 rounds while modern double-stack .380 Micro Compacts hold twice that, but it's a trade-off of capacity for energy. Sure, 12 holes beats 6 in raw volume, but with good shot placement you aren't likely to need that many rounds.
Yes, yes, I know... "What if the Crackerjack Boys attack me?! Won't I need more ammo to fight 'em all off?!" Perhaps, but personally I don't plan for unrealistic scenarios, and frankly the odds of being able to successfully defend yourself and walk away from a gunfight in which you're facing multiple armed assailants at once isn't great.
Nevertheless, one is obviously better prepared to defend themselves if they're confident in their ability to do so, ergo if having a higher capacity firearm makes you feel more confident, then you're better off regardless of how likely you are to be able to make effective use of it.

 

[K Harris]

You have been carrying the 380 in your pocket for awhile now. How do you feel about that mode of carry with a firearm that has no manual safety and a light trigger? It makes me nervous just thinking about it. If I am carrying AIWB or pocket I always carry a J Frame. I believe the J Frame also has the advantage in handling qualities that are less prone to fumbling. As for the difference in the 38 Special and 380 ACP, I do not think it matters all that much in a close, self defense situation. What is the difference in loaded weight between the J Frame and LCP? That can be a factor as well.

 

[Spurdann]

I carry a P3AT most of the time now because it is thinner and I slip two spare mags in my pocket. I used to carry a 638 all the time but things have changed enough that I like having a couple of mags instead of a speed strip for extra ammo.

 

[alwslate]

I carried a S&W 37-2 for several years but no longer do. Got sick of the feel of the cyl against my leg in a jeans pocket. In a jacket pocket the 37 lays upside down and can be hard to draw without grabbing the jacket with my left hand. Switched to the .380 in the Glock 42 and Ruger LCP.
I'll keep the 37 but will never carry it again. The G42 is basically the same weight as the alloy 37 but much easier to fire accurately in a hurry. An extra mag is very easy to carry also.

 

[geeollie]

A number of years ago there was a credible article written by a gentleman whose church in South Africa was attacked by gunmen. He went after them with a j-frame he had in his pocket. Besides his comments about being alert, using cover and concealment he recommended to carry a reload. This is the only civilian use of a j-frame (that I can recall) where it did not have enough rounds. I can recall several law enforcement shootings where a Glock 22 or the like did not have enough rounds. But LEO run toward the shots and most civilians run from them.

 

[mikerjf]

I’d like to see stats on animal attacks. They don’t back off just because you’re armed. (Well, if you had a newspaper or a vacuum cleaner, maybe…)

My decision to put away the 22’s was because with animals, or with people at night, the scare factor of a gun may not work for you so I wanted enough power. 38+P or 9mm minimum since then.

While the J is a faithful companion, living in the burbs I do like the extra rounds of the CSX.