bigdawgwill44

Hey i was looking at the Walther PPK/S which comes in .380 as my first concealed carry. What do you know about the .380 round, decent knock down? Any info on the caliber is appreciated!

homers brother

The only real "advantage" of the .380 is the smaller packages it's available in. Having carried a 9mm (the .380's big brother) in Iraq, it's difficult to convey the sense of being "without apparel" that you feel with it - and it's more "powerful" than the .380.

The PPK is a nice little firearm, but I think I'd look into one of the newer, compact .40s or .45s and skip the .380. Or maybe check into a big can ofpepper spray instead?

Sorry - while I own two 9mms, I purchased both before my life depended on one. Thank God for the M16/M4.

Maine Shooter

Every forum has reports and opinions on the gun and cartridge in question. Try the forums and do some searches.

BigTiny

New developments in ammo have made the .380 more effective, but it has also done the same for every other cart out there. I personally carry a 9mm, and on occasion, a .41 magnum. I would stick with 9mm or bigger.

eldeguello

One thing to get straight right off the bat is that there is NO SUCH THING as "knockdown"!

When the Army was first experimenting with Kevlar as body armor, I personally witnessed a demonstration at Ft. Bragg, NC., in which a sergeant using a "catcher's mitt" made from Kevlar CAUGHT .45 ACP 230- grain hardball bullets that were fiired at his "mitt" from 10 feet away. His hand snapped back upon bullet impact about the same amount as the firer's hand did when the pistol was fired. The catcher then held out his hand to show us the bullet he had just caught. This pretty much disproves the old myth about a person being "knocked off his feet" by the impact of the .45, regardless of where the bullet hit! This is pure BS! And the .380 delivers about half that amount of energy!

In order for a bullet, any bullet that a human can fire from an idividual weapon of any sort, to stop an attacker (or game animal!!), it MUST disrupt some significant bodily function. This means one must place the bullet well in order for this to happen.

That said, the .380 is a pretty decent little round in a small, concealable handgun. About the only thing better is a .40 or the .45 ACP in a little gun like the discontinued Star PD or a .45 of similar size & weight.

Regardless of what you get, marksmanship is still needed!!

Pawildman

My favorite CCW is a S&W Sigma in .380. Small, lightweight, and I have shot it enough to know I sure wouldn't want to be on the receiving end......

MichaelT.

I own 4 Colt Govt. .380's. and had a 5th that was stolen. They are wonderful LITTLE guns, that are highly concealable. I think they are a super carry gun. I carry that or an HK USP Compact in .40 cal. There are times when carrying the HK is next to impossible, but that .380 Colt really hides up nice..... It has now gotten to where I carry one of the .380's more than any other carry gun I own.

I am not in a war zone, but I guess you could say I still am staking my life on it , just the same.

God bless,

Michael

Maine Shooter

9mm and .380 are the same caliber.

BigTiny

Try putting a 9 in your .380, and let me know how it works. Similar bullet, different cart.

Maine Shooter

No kiddin'! However, the statement was that the 9mm was bigger. I took that as pertaining to caliber as I'm sure most would not cartridge length. Very seldom is cartridge length a real selling point or topical discussion where energy and terminal performance is the topic. That said, I responded by simply stating that the common 9mmParabellm cartridge and the .380 ACP cartrdge which was the original topic are both the same size caliber. Both are .355 caliber, not one being bigger as was posted.
Cartridge length is not automatically a "bigger= more power" anymore than larger calibers automatically equaling more power.

Same bullet different cartridge. I didn't say the 9mmParabellum would chamber in a .380. I stated they were indeed the same caliber.