380 ACP vs 38+P

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ghostriderftl

New member
OK I have a question for you all. Here it is:

38+P out of a pistols barrel that is 1 1/7 inch long

or

380 out of a LCP, Kel-Tec, or whatever

Which will give you better results at sopping a BG?

Why????????????????????
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P

Peachy

New member
Great question..

I do not know the answer.

However, I have chosen the .380 DPX from a Bersa thunder over a .38 with a 2" barrel.

1. The .380 is easier to controll (for ME) than the lightweight .38 platforms.
I do not wish to carry an all steel snubby

2.Round Count

3. I am very impressed by what I've read and seen from the Cor-bon .380 DPX round.

At the end of the day, I'm not sure there is a huge difference.

I like dark haired women with blue eyes more than I like blondes with brown eyes but either will do in a pinch.

Peachy
 
K

Kreyzhorse

New member
What grain? What bullet type? What distance is the BG?

Regardless of those variables, which would certainly effect the outcome, my choice would be a .38.

Even though the .380 might be marginally faster, the .38 is throwing a heavier bullet (say 158gr) at roughly the same speed as the .380 (say 95gr). That heavier bullet has more energy and will likely penetrate deeper and leave a larger wound channel.
 
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SigP6Carry

New member
You want a gun that'll be a better stopper or more compact? I'd just my life to either, but I feel that a .38 spl +p HP will be a more consistent stopper than .380acp HP, cause of the heavier bullet. But, the platform is COMPLETELY different, so, you want a revolver or a semi? All up to you, but I prefer the .380, as I can handle it much better (platform and round) than I can the .38 spl +p.
 
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Deja vu

New member
Id say the 38+P.

I looked up the Buffalo bore to get a comparison of the more "hot" ammo for the 380 and the 38.

The normal 380 stuff has less power then the normal 38, then the 380 (+p) is more then the 38 but less than the 38+p

Generally speaking Revolvers can take more pressure than semiautomatics
 
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jmortimer

Moderator
Apples to Apples (sort of) Buffalo Bore 100 grain hard cast FP +P .380 ACP 1,150 fps and 294 ft lbs and 158 grain LSWC HP out of 2" S&W 60 1,000 fps and 351 ft lbs. Buffalo Bore taakes the .380 to a new level but it will never catch the .38 special. I like both rounds equally and use both. For me the "sleeper" is the .38 Special Buffalo Bore standard pressure 150 grain hard cast wadcutter at 868 fps and 251 ft lbs in a 2" S&W 60 will go two feet in ballistic gelatin and with the full profile meplat of the wadcutter will do an incredible amount of damage on the way in and way out of a "bad guy"
 
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michael t

New member
I can shoot my 380 Bersa or PPK/S with Corbon DPX faster and more accurate Than I can My S&W snub using 158 grLSWCHP. . I really don't believe at SD range that the BG going to be able to tell the difference .Penetration with either shouldn't be a issue . I not going to shot 1 or 2 shots I going to fire till threat down or Iam empty. In old days 380 ball like 9mm was known to shoot clean thru people. One of the reasons they both were considered not best for SD .
HP has brought both up to a better standing . I don't want to shoot thru my target I want bullet to stay in target.
 
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jmortimer

Moderator
"I don't want to shoot thru my target I want bullet to stay in target."
Two schools of thought. The expanding stay in the traget majority and us who want complete penetration either for self-defense or hunting who are in the (growing) minority and which is why the best ammunition manufacturers are going more and more to hard cast bullets with maxium meplats. Thank God for Veral Smith and Lead Bullets Technology as his LBT bullets are used by the best and work well on man and beast. Tim Sundles of Buffalo Bore says it as well as anyone:
"The flat on the nose ensures that the bullet will cut/smash its way through flesh and bone and do much more destruction than typical round nose FMJ bullets. Round nosed bullets tend to slip and slide through matter, doing little damage as opposed to a flat nosed bullet. The flat nose not only wounds much more than a round nosed bullet, but it actually keeps the penetration straight and thus deeper."
Deep straight line penetration with a big meplat is what I want.
 
S

SwampYankee

New member
Yawn. Here we go again....

The caliber that will reliably stop a BG is the one which you can reliably keep on target. Assuming you will be able to unload at least 3 shots in a SD situation, as long as they hit your target in center mass, the difference between a .38 Special +P and a .380 ACP doesn't really matter. I carry both, depending upon the season and the situation.
 
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2cooltoolz

New member
ghostriderftl said:
38+P out of a pistols barrel that is 1 1/7 inch long
Click to expand...

Which pistol would that be? The J-frames are 1 7/8", right?

I think the .38 +P would be a better stopper. I have both, but when my PM9 is too large (seldom!) I carry the .380.

Big ole J-Frame .38+P and LCP .380.
use1.jpg


But I'd rather carry a +P 9mm than either. PM9 and same J-frame.
kahrandsmith442.jpg
 
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B.N.Real

New member
Everything ever posted online says the 38 special +P round.

More power,with 50% heavier bullets in a stone reliable platform.

I read of a guy shot during a scuffle by a man carrying a 380 that chided the guy shooting him by saying,"Man,you gonna shoot me-use a real gun."

But the assailant broke off his attack and walked away.

Being arrested later with many rounds in his chest.

He survived.
 
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LockedBreech

New member
B.N. Real, I do not think that anecdotal failure of the .380 is an accurate representation of the effectiveness of the round. All major SD calibers have failed similarly in at least one circumstance.
 
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TacticalDefense1911

New member
The .38 special +p, given the right ammunition is used, will out penetrate the 380 acp with the same expansion. Most 380 acp hp self defense ammunition penetrates in the 8"-10" range (from a short barreled gun like the LCP or P3AT) while 38 special +p is generally in the 10"-14" (1 7/8" barrel). The most obvious trade off is that you only get 5 shots with a j-frame revolver vs. 6+1 with a P3AT, LCP, etc.
 
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SwampYankee

New member
Yes, a .38 Special +P is more powerful than .380 ACP. There is no doubt that this is the case. No one will argue that point. And a .357 magnum is more powerful than both. BUT, It's hard for me to conceal a 5 or 6 shot cylinder. And controlling a .357 in a small package is a lot of work. It's easy to conceal a .380 and shoot it.

The question was, which will give you better results at stopping a BG? While the raw power of a larger caliber is important, it is not the only consideration. If the gun is too impractical to carry or you can't hit the side of a barn with it, it is less effective at stopping a BG than a smaller weapon you have on your person and are proficient with.
 
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kinoons

New member
This one is easy: .38 +p for me every time. The 380 does not consistently penetrate the minimal 12" of gel, the .38 +p does. A large number of rounds on target that do not penetrate deep enough to incapacitate the target are useless. However, one or two that do penetrate deep enough to have the opportunity to incapacitate a threat are much more useful. I want my threat to stop their activity because my rounds forced them to, not because they choose not to.
 
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JohnKSa

Administrator
There's an easily definable difference between the two cartridges. The .38sp is generally capable of penetrating to the minimum FBI recommended depth with expanding ammunition while the .380ACP generally isn't.

It's always worthwhile to look at the entire picture. Clearly defined practical differences in terminal performance (like the one I mentioned above) are an important part of the picture, so are things like shootability and capacity to name just a couple. Each person has to decide how he wants to weight the various factors to come up with a solution that meets his personal needs.
 
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