.380 Ball for Self-Defense round

[Badgersmilk]

What movie are people dreaming their in when they talk about needing 16" of penatration for "self defense"  And WHY, WHY, WHY THE F$#@ would you only fire a single shot?!?  My life is worth well more than a few extra rounds of ammo to be SURE the guy is down!  Due to being in, or very nearly in physical contact with the assailant the first few rounds will be body shots.  After that, yes, head shot!  Blame it on "pannick, and histaria", whatever.  If he was doing something bad enough to GET SHOT in the first place...  FINISH THE JOB.  I do NOT want to sit in a court room with this idiot who will SURELY be saying.  "He just came out of the blue and shot me for no reason at all!!!  He's crazy!  Put HIM away!"

[yankeefist]

FQ13 and Badgersmilk I applaud your optimism but it seems somewhat incongruous to me , You acknowledge that the worst may happen by carrying a gun in the first place, but once the flag drops and you have your pistol in hand every thing is going to go just right. Your antagonist will be human, will fit into the normal body mass index, will face you head on, will be within ten feet, and will give you enough time to put ass manyy rounds in him as it will take.

I am not so optimistic. I figure that the problem I may have to solve could in fact be a large dog, a 6 foot 8 inch 450 pound brute, trying to beat my wife to death and only present me with a shot from the side, be at distance behind cover shooting at me or someone else I don't want shot, or attack from very close range and I will only have enough time for one shot.

A round that give you 12 inches of penetration in gelatin may give you 4 inches in dense muscle, is it unreasonable to think that you may have to stop some thug who has spent the last 8 years in a prison gym and has in excess of 4 inches of muscle covering the front of his thoracic cavity?

I only carry a 380 when I can't conceal a more effective weapon.

fyi - I was only channeling Mr Walter Dalrymple Maitland “Karamojo” Bell in that I was butchering his quote that he had not soiled the bores of his Elephant rifles with an expanding bullet. I am under no delusions that I could duplicate his skill ( make perfect brain shots under stress)

[Badgersmilk]

"I only carry a 380 when I can't conceal a more effective weapon."

The whole reason the caliber exists today.  You work with the best you have in hand at the time.  If I could carry a 12 gauge on a sling everywhere, not only would I.  But, HELL YEAH WOULD I!  If all I have is a ball point pen, and an oportunity to push it through the guys eye socket to the back of his skull...  Then that's exactly what will be done.  We're all victims of circumstance.

I dont own a .380", but understand its ballistics, and understand many of the variables of bullets penetrating animal flesh (30 years of hunting)...  These two things give me personally confidence .380" is a "servicable" weapon in "self defense" situations. 

Just my opinion. 

If anyone doesnt have personal cofidence that a .380 will do the job.  I HIGHLY recommend that person not carry one!  Having confidence in yourself getting the job done is a big factor in weather you will or not.

[AmericanPatriot]

I mentioned this in a previous post but check out the new Hornady Critical Defense line of ammo.  In .380 you get 10-12 inches of penetration thru heavy clothing when shot from a short barrel gun such as a Ruger LCP.  That should be enough to get the job done if you do your part of course.