tonguengroover wrote: Sun Oct 31, 2021 1:05 pm
Is the 1908 vintage .380 ACP cartridge still a good choice for personal protection or has it reached its expiration date?
My answer NO!
Snip:
October 01, 2021
By Michelle Hamilton, Field Editor
The .380 Automatic Colt Pistol, more commonly known as: .380 Auto, 9x17mm, 9mm Kurz, 9mm Browning Short or simply "380" is a cartridge designed by John Moses Browning and introduced in 1908. It utilizes a .355-inch projectile, which is typically lighter in weight than used in the longer 9mm Parabellum. The .380 Auto is a cartridge with more than 100 years of service and lineage behind it and to this day proves to be not only a popular carry option for self-defense but also for recreational shooting. Hugely popular here in the United States, it also remains popular in Europe and around the globe.
With such a lineage, how does the .380 ACP really rank in terms of modern defensive carry? Is it still a cartridge to consider, especially with micro 9mm handguns like the SIG P365, Ruger MAX-9, Springfield Armory Hellcat and others in existence?
https://www.firearmsnews.com/editorial/ ... ete/452476
Many, including me(gooned up RH thumb, wrist and ring finger), are 'recoil sensitive'. I have owned or shot many small 9mm HGs(Sig 365, Glock 43, Ruger LC-9, etc) and they hurt my hand/wrist/thumb. AND if it's no fun to shoot, you don't shoot it, you don't get good with it, don't 'test' the HGs reliability, etc.
So, I carry and shoot my Glock 42, a lot..more than my Glock 48.
Plus, with 'modern' ammo, like Underwood/Lehigh Xtreme Defender..the 'tests'(Yes, I know but direct comparisons mean something), show great expension, decent penetration..particularly when compared to some 9mm JHP out of these smallish 9mm barrels. Poor/no expansion, clogging up the nose with fabric, type thing.
So, I'm a fan of .380 and .380 ammo is now easy to find, not painfully expensive..so no, NOT obsolete, IMHO..
The micro 9's are nice but recoil must be hard.
People always questioning the. 380.
AND some YouTube cowboys put it in the same category as 32 and 25s. Bozos.
Good enough for Mr Bond, good enough for me.