.38 cal vs .380 questions

[oldnewbe]

What is the difference between .38 and .380?
What are the advantages and disadvantages of each? Pluses and minuses?
Looking for a light, dependable, and manageable carry gun for my wife.
Thanks in advance for any help.

[pkuptruck]

simple answer....?

38 spl is a "revolver" cartridge.
380 is more of a "pistol" (semi-auto) cartridge.

semi-auto is a bit smaller, thinner and some like it better for carry.
Some dont.

neither is a handcannon, but both are about rock-bottom for persoanl protection.

[Ol` Joe]

380s normally fire a lighter bullet at slightly higher velocity, and ammo is a little harder to find and more expensive. As already said the 380s are more common in a small semi-auto form then revolver and working the slide might be a problem for a person with weaker hands if that makes a difference.

[nitrous_bob]

im not a big .380 fan but i am getting a LCP for summer carry.

im a small guy (5'6" 150lb) and trying to conceal my glock is not real easy in the summer.

ruger also makes a LC9 just released this week... nice small 9mm

.380 is just short 9mm


the ruger LCR or any of the smith and wesson airweights in .38 would make a good carry gun too. it'll hit a bit harder than .380 but not considerably unless you use like a +p load

try to shoot some stuff b4 buying

but my recommendations are those...

lcr/airweight
lcp
lc9

[sweatyspartan]

not sure how it applies to you, but ammo is hard to find at times for the .380

[Joeywhat]

Both are typically used in small guns, that have a lot of recoil, difficult to use sights, and long/heavy triggers.

Basically, not exactly user friendly. Make sure your wife understands this before using it. If she can shoot it well great...either will work. If not, get something different she won't hate shooting.

[DEVIOUS99]

can't get any better than that^^^^^^^^

[shurhouse]

What is the difference between .38 and .380?
What are the advantages and disadvantages of each? Pluses and minuses?
Looking for a light, dependable, and manageable carry gun for my wife.
Thanks in advance for any help.

In the discussion of a protection caliber, the .38 is marginal better than the .380 and both are the minimum as a threat stopper.
The only way to find a "light, dependable, and manageable carry gun for your wife" is to take her to a range and let her try them out.

[dpgperftest]

What is the difference between 9mm and .380?
What are the advantages and disadvantages of each? Pluses and minuses?
Looking for a light, dependable, and manageable carry gun for my wife.
Thanks in advance for any help.


FIXED IT FOR YOU

[yndotguy]

For the pure simplicity of things, I'd lean towards the .38. There's a reason why they say "five for sure" with those little snubby revolvers!

Bottom line = you put bullets in it and it WILL go bang!

I personally own both (a 642 airweight and an LCP), but I just finally got confident enough to carry with the LCP.

PS: If I'm buying for my wife I would consider 1) a S&W .38 2) a ruger LCR .38 or 3) the NEW Ruger LCR in .357 that will still shoot .38 and won't be so snappy to shoot.

$400-500 you will be solid with a flawless carry piece

[dpgperftest]

For the pure simplicity of things, I'd lean towards the .38. There's a reason why they say "five for sure" with those little snubby revolvers!

Bottom line = you put bullets in it and it WILL go bang!

I personally own both (a 642 airweight and an LCP), but I just finally got confident enough to carry with the LCP.

PS: If I'm buying for my wife I would consider 1) a S&W .38 2) a ruger LCR .38 or 3) the NEW Ruger LCR in .357 that will still shoot .38 and won't be so snappy to shoot.

$400-500 you will be solid with a flawless carry piece
+1

[moosefisher]

not sure how it applies to you, but ammo is hard to find at times for the .380

One of the reasons that 380 ammo is so hard to find is because a lot of the ammo made goes down to Mexico. The citizens there are very handicapped as far as which rounds are legal to own there. The 380 is the biggest that is legal there. They have too many rules.
THANK GOD FOR AMERICA, MOOSE

[Daniels]

Both are typically used in small guns, that have a lot of recoil, difficult to use sights, and long/heavy triggers.

Basically, not exactly user friendly. Make sure your wife understands this before using it. If she can shoot it well great...either will work. If not, get something different she won't hate shooting.

My only experience with .380 is in the CZ83 and it was none of that. That gun was very user friendly.

[miforest]

The revolver is so much simpler for someone who isn't a gun person. use hollow point ammo, the expansion helps. those light guns are so nasty to shoot she may change her mind about shooting for practice. practice is more important than calliber. 38 wadcutters have low recoil so she can practice more. also , revolvers never jam.

[RPMO6]

revolvers never jam.
:laugh: :lmao: :laugh:

[TomE]

Plus 5 shots ain't enough , it will get you killed . Thats why I have one for each hand:thumbup:

[Pistol Teacher]

Look for a used Beretta 84F Chettah should be around $495. Nice pistol 13 rounds. It Blows the S&W and KEL-TEC,Ruger out of the water,

Use Buffalo Bore +P Ammo, it is the best buy far.

This is a excellent Personal Protection Semi-Auto & it looks great.

http://www.buffalobore.com/index.php?l=product_list&c=29

380 Auto +P Ammo - 100 gr. Hardcast F.N. (1150fps/ M.E. 294 ft. lbs.) - 20 Round Box $24.12 + Shipping

[Leader]

Look for a used Beretta 84F Chettah should be around $495. Nice pistol 13 rounds. It Blows the S&W and KEL-TEC,Ruger out of the water,

Use Buffalo Bore +P Ammo, it is the best buy far.

This is a excellent Personal Protection Semi-Auto & it looks great.

http://www.buffalobore.com/index.php?l=product_list&c=29

380 Auto +P Ammo - 100 gr. Hardcast F.N. (1150fps/ M.E. 294 ft. lbs.) - 20 Round Box $24.12 + Shipping

The same logic that dictates you get a 13 round handgun over a 5 round pistol would dictate you get something that can take a 30+ round mag.

[dpgperftest]

The same logic that dictates you get a 13 round handgun over a 5 round pistol would dictate you get something that can take a 30+ round mag.
something that can take a 30+ round mag:popcorn: :ak2:ok whats your point?

[PackRat]

something that can take a 30+ round mag:popcorn: :ak2:ok whats your point?

It appears that his point is the school of though regarding any advantage of more than doubling magazine capacity.

[TomE]

something that can take a 30+ round mag:popcorn: :ak2:ok whats your point?

Hollow Points , lots of 'em

Whoops , I'm sorry , I'm flying stealth .

[fastlane1986]

What is the difference between .38 and .380?
What are the advantages and disadvantages of each? Pluses and minuses?
Looking for a light, dependable, and manageable carry gun for my wife.
Thanks in advance for any help.
On the technical side of things, the .38 is actually .357 dia. and a .380 is .355 dia. The .380 is also called a 9mm kurz or short. I have owned, shot and reloaded for both. The ballistics aren't that significantly different in my opinion. Marginal? Maybe, but it's better than throwing a rock! The .380s pistols tend to be much smaller in size than the .38 snubbies. I can carry one in my front pocket in a holster about the size of a wallet and no one knows it's there. The snubbie is wider due to the cylinder and I carried that in an IWB holster that was bulkier but very concealable. Is your wife planning on keeping it in a purse? The snubbie will be like carrying a couple of rolls of quarters in her purse, the .380 will be less, unless it's a Walter or Bersa, they weigh about the same as a snubbie. And contrary to a previous post, I've had a snubbie lock up due to lint and grit so they don't always go "bang"! Ammo can misfire as well, so practicing the various tap and rack drills is important for your survival in a life or death situation. She needs to get familiar enough to grab it in the dark and know what to do. Buy her plenty of ammo and let her practice, practice, practice :badass: (in a safe environment, of course).

[Pistol Teacher]

The same logic that dictates you get a 13 round handgun over a 5 round pistol would dictate you get something that can take a 30+ round mag.
It was a discription of the pistol not advocating more rounds.It would still be better than a keltech if it only held one round.

[PackRat]

It was a discription of the pistol not advocating more rounds.It would still be better than a keltech if it only held one round.

Geesh, bullets get the job done, via whatever delivery system one has at their disposal.

Only having one round is not a position that I would want to find myself in. You may go right ahead with that plan of action if you so desire. Good luck to you sir.

[Pistol Teacher]

Geesh, bullets get the job done, via whatever delivery system one has at their disposal.

Only having one round is not a position that I would want to find myself in. You may go right ahead with that plan of action if you so desire. Good luck to you sir.


Sarcasm

[MrSmithMSU]

What is the difference between .38 and .380?
What are the advantages and disadvantages of each? Pluses and minuses?
Looking for a light, dependable, and manageable carry gun for my wife.
Thanks in advance for any help.
Pennsylvania - wow! Are you originally from these parts?

Anyway, to your questions. I'm assuming your wife is not an experienced shooter, so the first rule of a man buying a gun for his wife is don't. What I mean by that is, let her buy it. If you have friends who are into shooting, see if they will let her try out what they have. If you were in my town, I know a lady that has a steamer trunk full of different guns that she uses for just this purpose - that's how I got my wife's gun. Let her pick the size and caliber that fit her best and that she enjoys shooting. If it's a 5-shot snubby - fine. If it's a Glock 17 with a 33-round magazine (what was that about some line of reasoning about 5-shot guns?) then go for it. Local gun clubs that have a ladies day are another good place for her to go to try stuff out.

Oddly enough, you may find she prefers something larger than a snubbie .38 or an LCP-type because the recoil on them will be lighter and more controllable as the weight of the gun will soak up some of that recoil. Smaller guns can get really snappy and uncomfortable!

Second, find a good female instructor in your area and send her to a class. Don't try to teach her yourself. Most of the time your wife will listen better to another woman than to you or your buddies when she is first learning. You will both be glad you did this.

As far as dependable goes - Glock, Springfield, Smith & Wesson, Beretta, even Bersa have mostly good reputations in the semi-auto realms. S & W has a lot of the market in revolvers, Taurus is in there too but reports are that customer service can be spotty. This is by no means an exhaustive list!

Parts and repair availability will also be a consideration for you, as will availability of ammo. That .32 H&R Magnum revolver might be just the thing, but ammo suppliers will be limited and more expensive, so reloading may be in your future if she wants to practice economically.

Lastly, even though some here have already scoffed at the notion, capacity matters, for one reason: more crimes today are being committed by multiple attackers. Five shots might be plenty for a single assailant, but what if there are more? If her choice is between a 5-shot revolver and a 10 or 13 round pistol, that's where this fact comes into play. Having to reload at bad-breath distance is how you get yourself killed, and having twice as many rounds means you have to reload half as often.