Pics of The Concealed Handgun You Carry "the Most".

[Mike in Virginia]

This ain't nice to say, but relying on a .380 is silly.  I used to do it, but no more.  I took some different test mediums to the range and compared different .380 loads to .45acp and .44spl.  I shot into pine firewood, wet phonebooks, dirt filled sacks, and water jugs.  I concluded that the best you can do with a .380 is the +P 100 grain hardcast rounds from Buffalo Bore. They don't expand, but they penetrate.  Hollowpoints are just useless. Even the hardcast bullets DO NOT penetrate anywhere close to what the big bores can do, and certainly not enough to adequatley go through clothing or muscle. 
A Sig 232 is a handsome piece, well made, and accurate, and probably the best .380 available, but it's still a .380.   

[Mikey]

Mike in Virginia - I have experienced 4 close quarters arguements resolved with the 380, all with ball ammo as it was all I could lay my hands on at the time, and all were from a couple of different Walther PPKs; in each case two quick shots were sufficient to stop the assault/fight.

The 380 is not a 'hardened target' ( armored, etc) caliber, it was originally designed for police work in Europe and worked well there.  It also works well here.  I do not understand the 'failures' you spoke of except that you chose a poor set of mediums to test the 380 with.  As a example, the 38 special is not a 'hardened target' caliber and I have had 158 gn rn slugs (from a snubbie) bounce off Locust fenceposts at fairly close range but these loads also shoot through people.  As previously mentioned, the 380 has worked for me in the past and whenever I carry a 380 it is loaded with ball ammo.  

Rather than to shoot a firewood, or wet phone books or dirt filled sacks, go get a couple of old frozen turkeys from the market, let them defrost and then try your 380s.  The chest on a average human male is about the same thickness as a good sized Tom Turkey (side to side through the legs).  Set the turkeys up on a board on sawhorses or something and hit them from about 10' and see what happens - I'll bet the round courses through and knocks the turkey off the board - I'm sure that if you try that with the Buffalo Bore loads you will see even better penetration.  The 380 is a 'soft' load, meant for people/police work - try it on 'soft' targets.  jmtcw.

[williamlayton]

I have a friend in Baton Rouge that worked for th PD there. Many years was spent undercover in narcotiocs. He carried a PPK because it was not a Police Gun. Most participants in this line of work expect to find their prospects armed.
He had several experiences where he walked away the winner.
Blessings

[Doublebass73]

Ruger LCR loaded with Buffalo Bore 158 grain LSWCHP .38 Special +P.

[markp]

Mike in Virginia..............................

Thanks for pointing out what I have believed all along. That is that the 380  uses to light of a bullet for caliber
to have much penetration with a solid much less a hollowpoint.

On the subject of the 45acp and 44spl I would have to say great cartridges. The down side is the platforms
that launch them are pretty heavy.

[Mikey]

markp:  unless you try and hot load the 380 to a 9mm capability, which is about as futile as trying to teach ahog to sing, the average 380 bullet weight (95 gns) is about perfect for the bore and velocity.  If you use heavier slugs it slows down, if you use lighter slugs it speeds up but lacks penetration. 

All of this talk about having to use max expanders or deep diving 380 mini-balls or going to a heavier caliber is like saying you need a 7mm magnum to drop a whitetail at 100 yds because your 308 can't do the job.  It has never really mattered what caliber you use as more often than not most any caliber is sufficient for penetrating the human body and bringing about a demise although during a assault or attack you would want the demise to happen as soon as possible, but I have not yet seen anyone take 3 solid well placed shots to the chest with a 380 and live to laugh about it.

When you hear reports that the 'perp' took three or 4 slugs before he dropped you really have to look at where they hit.  Bullet placement is everything.  A first shot that hits the chest (lower lung let's say) a second that hits the abdomen and two more that go into the hip/leg areas won't stop a determined attacker - hell, guys lung shot with a AK fought back and still managed to get back to friendly lines without dying or being stopped so a spread of 4 or 5 380s across a human body most likely won't do it either but if you put them all center of chest they will have the desired effect. 

Hey, if you can't hit with a 380 you probably won't hit with a 45 either.

[ironglow]

  nice looking carry arms guys..starting right off with Dee's little S&W..beautiful. I carry very rarely, haven't had any shootouts or such type killings within 15 miles of my home in years although a recently widowed lady whom everyone local knew kept many thousand$ stashed at home was robbed in a "home invasion".
  Although I conmsider that incident an anomaly, observing the uptick of home invasions and even attacks on church services, I am leaning toward carrying more often.
  Having gotten rid of my Ruger hunting handguns (.357 & .44 mag), I have just some .22s and a .380 cheapie right now, most likely candidate being my Taurus 8-shot .22 mag. Problem is, it has a 4" barrel. Is changing this barrel to a 2" a difficult job?
   Other than that, since I need concealibility I'm looking at Keltec or North American....
BTW: The home invader miscreants have been apprehended in Florida and our DA says she will seek the utmost she can for punishment !
  
  Below see stock photo of 941 , 4" Taurus. Mine has wood grips which would be switched to Hogue or Pachmayr..

[rawhidekid]

In an atempt to make a perfect CCW hand gun, I bobbed the hamer of a Taurus five shot 44 spl.  With silvertips this this was abouy right.  My best friends dad was about to have a birthday and he bought it off me to give his dad.  Now his father was a retired Highway Patrolman so I was curious of what he thought of it.  When I finely got to ask him he replied," I never would have gotten something like that for myself, but since getting it it has become my favorite carry piece".  Must have come pritty close to ideal.  I would really like to see Ruger come out with a three inch GP100 in five shot 45 Colt, in bobbed hammer of course.

[Brett]

I doubt that changing out the barrel on your 941 is feasible due to the costs. (i.e.; buying a barrel or downer gun, the machine work required, etc.)  Besides that the .22 mag is far from an ideal self defense round.

A used Charter Arms or Taurus snubnosed revolver in .38spl or a used 9mm Kel-Tec p-11 or PF9 can be had for under $300 and would provide you with a much greater level of protection.    

[markp]

Mikey thanks for the input.

I would have to say the 95 grain bullet might  be the best compromise weight in the small 380 case.
But the best weight for the bore diamiter ?  Every handgun caliber of virtualy the same  diamater with a larger case uses a heaveir bullet. the 9x19, the 38 spl, the 357 , the 9mm largo, the 9x23 winchester,the 38 super,
38 smith and weson. So if you are saying its the best bullet weight   for the case capacity .
Perhaps So. My belief is the bore diamater needs a heavier bullet to have much penetration espically if a hollow point is to be used.I m not dispargeing the 380. I like it but as a  man stopper I beleive it is marginal.
Having shot nothing larger than a jack rabbit with the 380 I probally couldn t prove my theroy in a court of
law.

[ironglow]

I doubt that changing out the barrel on your 941 is feasible due to the costs. (i.e.; buying a barrel or downer gun, the machine work required, etc.)  Besides that the .22 mag is far from an ideal self defense round.

A used Charter Arms or Taurus snubnosed revolver in .38spl or a used 9mm Kel-Tec p-11 or PF9 can be had for under $300 and would provide you with a much greater level of protection.    

  Brett;
  Thanks, somehow I thought changing a barrel would be somewhat like changing a barrel on a rifle..guess I have to look at another angle.

[williamlayton]

IG
Kinda knowing you I would suggest a .327or 9mm.
Lots of choices can be had in the $400 or less range.
.327 ammo is not that unplentiful--just from looking on-line---from .32 thru .32 mag--all shootable out of the revolver and even some Semi's in .32, .380, 9mm.
I am learning too love the little .327 Smiths I have for my daughter and wife.
Blessings

[coyotejoe]

since Dee asked about the gun you carry the most as opposed to the gun you like the most I guess that has to be my Kel Tec .380. I carry it in my homemade pocket holster mostly but I did add a belt clip, also homemade. I did the "fluf & buff" before I fired the first round and it has been 100% reliable with every type of ammo I could find. I mostly carry it with Winchester SilverTips.

[Dee]

Nice carry piece joe, and finally you put us back on topic.

[williamlayton]

I will put up a pic of one of my new carries as soon as I get it---dang it all---I am getting too itchy.
Blessings

[ButlerFord45]

Just a gun, extra mag, gerber and phone.

[dbriannelson]

One only, right?  This one then.

-Don