[Tomcat1977]

I find myself carrying them more and more lately. Dont get me wrong, I also carry my 9mm's and 10mm and my bedside is a .45, but life is winding down for me and its not often I'm out of the neighborhood. I have 2 LCP's, a regular and a Max, and now have a P365 .380 "which I can't get enough of its so much fun to shoot".

Do you think I'm relying on the .380 to much and what ammo would you recommend ? Right now Im carrying 95 grn Hydra's cause I have to many laying around.

 

[DoctorStrange]

I find myself carrying them more and more lately. Dont get me wrong, I also carry my 9mm's and 10mm and my bedside is a .45, but life is winding down for me and its not often I'm out of the neighborhood. I have 2 LCP's, a regular and a Max, and now have a P365 .380 "which I can't get enough of its so much fun to shoot".

Do you think I'm relying on the .380 to much and what ammo would you recommend ? Right now Im carrying 95 grn Hydra's cause I have to many laying around.

I mostly carry a .380 Bodyguard. It’s sufficient for most situations and due to size, more likely to be carried. The reality is many people won’t carry regularly if the requirement is a larger gun.

 

[Julius Seizure]

This time of year I really enjoy carrying a .380
Even my more carry friendly options don’t compare to the way an LCP feels and it’s better than not carrying at all due to inconvenience or comfort.

 

[magnum2117]

Personally I could never get used to carrying a 380 as a primary edc, however I do rely on one pretty often.
If it's just me and I'm making a quick run to the store or taking the dog out I'm good with my little LCP. If I'm going out for the day or to multiple places, going somewhere with my family, I'm definitely carrying something better. Depending on where I'm going the LCP might stay in my pocket as a back up or it might stay home.
Only you can answer wether the 380 is sufficient for your needs. The 380 in your pocket is 1000× better than the 45 you left on your nightstand. If you're serious about carry a small 380 or even a 22 should be in your rotation because there will be times you don't feel like putting on a whole rig. There will be times when you can't carry something bigger.
I will say this, I had the Glock 42 and intended to pocket carry it. It didn't work out for pocket carry so I started carrying it on my belt. Before I knew it the 42 was my edc. I decided if I was going to carry on my belt I wanted something a little better than the 380, especially with only 7 rounds. If it had the same capacity as the LCP Max I might still be carrying the 42 today. 10 or 12 rounds of 380 is nothing to sneeze at.
As for the Hydra-Shoks they're not the worst but there are probably better options. I'm carrying HSTs in 380. Older tests from years ago aren't great but all the recent HST tests I've seen have been good. Federal changed something along the way. Anything loaded with the XTP bullet is good too. You could do alot worse than the Hydra-Shok in 380.

 

[MarkCO]

I carried .32ACP for a while, and .380 for a while (both gone, as well as the calibers). My tiny gun now is a KelTec PF9 with a NiB slide. It has been reliable, accurate and light. Next to the Kahr PM9, it just feels like such a smaller pistol, even though they are similar. I don't see myself taking it out of rotation, but it is the pistol I have in the role of your .380. My wife's little gun is the Taurus 905, also in 9mm.

For me, the .380 just does not cut the mustard. It's like using a cargo strap instead of a seatbelt. You probably won't need it, and if you do, in a light skirmish it might do the job. 9mm is, to me, marginal, but acceptable.

But if you can't find a 9mm you will carry, I'd rather you carry the .380.

And, YES, I am one who beleives we ponder and argue about calibers WAY too much. The arguments should be about getting to the range and practicing regularly!

 

[Schrag4]

It’s a lot better than nothing. The worst thing about most 380s is that they are so small that they are difficult to shoot well. As long as you practice with and are comfortable with it, I wouldn’t have a problem with it.

 

[Valmet]

While it’s def “better than nothing,” I’m not a .380 fan. In the real world of 2024, if you can easily ccw a .380 you can easily ccw a 9mm…the minor trade off in weight/size is well worth it in muzzle energy/ballistics. YMMV.

 

[DoctorStrange]

It’s a lot better than nothing. The worst thing about most 380s is that they are so small that they are difficult to shoot well. As long as you practice with and are comfortable with it, I wouldn’t have a problem with it.

This is true, but they can be shot reasonably well with regular practice. In my experience, snubby revolvers are even harder to shoot well and take more regular practice.

 

[Jason D]

I think they have their place. It's kind of nice to drop one in a pocket and have no bulk when you want to go 100% concealed and inconspicuous.

I have a S&W bodyguard that will feed Speer Gold dots without a hitch. It's literally the only defensive round I've tried, so I stopped there.
That said. I do not carry this gun much at all. I realize that any gun on your person, beats the one left at home. I am just not trusting of the .380 as a defensive caliber.

 

[mmcbeat]

With all the 9mm guns and ammunition available today I just can’t justify owning a .380. And .380 ammunition, both practice and self defense is about double the cost of 9mm. I do have a .32 Seecamp but it‘s a guilty pleasure gun, I never carry it.

 

[MarkCO]

This is true, but they can be shot reasonably well with regular practice. In my experience, snubby revolvers are even harder to shoot well and take more regular practice.

9mm in Snubbies is cake. It's what my wife prefers until we get to G19 sized pistols.

 

[magnum2117]

I carried .32ACP for a while, and .380 for a while (both gone, as well as the calibers). My tiny gun now is a KelTec PF9 with a NiB slide. It has been reliable, accurate and light. Next to the Kahr PM9, it just feels like such a smaller pistol, even though they are similar. I don't see myself taking it out of rotation, but it is the pistol I have in the role of your .380. My wife's little gun is the Taurus 905, also in 9mm.

For me, the .380 just does not cut the mustard. It's like using a cargo strap instead of a seatbelt. You probably won't need it, and it you do, in a light skirmish it might do the job. 9mm is, to me, marginal, but acceptable.

But if you can't find a 9mm you will carry, I'd rather you carry the .380.

And, YES, I am one who beleives we ponder and argue about calibers WAY too much. The arguments should be about getting to the range and practicing regularly!

While it’s def “better than nothing,” I’m not a .380 fan. In the real world of 2024, if you can easily ccw a .380 you can easily ccw a 9mm…the minor trade off in weight/size is well worth it in muzzle energy/ballistics. YMMV.

I know these were meant for the OP and not to hijack the thread but I wish there was a 9mm or even a 38 snubby I could pocket carry as easily as the LCP or similar 380s. Even the Glock 42 was too big and printed obviously.
If we're talking about IWB carry then yes there is no reason not to carry at least a 9mm but if one is restricted to pocket carry a 380 might be the only option. The LCP is as big as I can go with a pocket pistol, any bigger and it looks obvious. Even with the LCP I have to have the right holster or you can see the outline.
I don't wear skinny jeans or anything like that either, maybe it's just my body type I don't know. It really comes down to how discreet I have to be and wether I can carry on my belt or not.

 

[Check-raiser]

I exclusively carry Fiocchi Extrema 90 gr XTP or Precision One 90 gr XTP for 380 acp, not plus pressure stuff for LCP/LCP Max.

Precision One ammo test out of a short LCP length barrel.

 

[fastbolt]

I find myself carrying them more and more lately. ... I have 2 LCP's, a regular and a Max, and now have a P365 .380 "which I can't get enough of its so much fun to shoot".

Do you think I'm relying on the .380 to much and what ammo would you recommend ? Right now Im carrying 95 grn Hydra's cause I have to many laying around.

Your call. Only you can determine whether you can manipulate and shoot all 3 of your choices with ease, controllability and accuracy under stressful conditions.

As far as the caliber? Well, since the introduction of the really diminutive .380s, it's become a common option for both Secondary and off-duty roles. If a .380 suddenly utilized as a Secondary weapon (meaning while on-duty, in dire situations) is considered sufficient enough to be an approved option for many working cops, why wouldn't it be practical for the private person?

The really small size of the original LCP and the Bodyguard (now part of the M&P line) does make them difficult for some folks to handle, manipulate and fire when under stress and duress, meaning even minimal range stress, so that's something for the individual to assess for themselves.

I hadn't wanted to own a .380 for close to 25 years (bad experience with a Beretta M84 in the 80's). However, once I borrowed and tried a LCP from another instructor, I realized a couple of things. First, it was easier to shoot than I'd expected for its small size, and second, it could slip into shorter and tighter jeans pockets which couldn't hold my J's. I ordered a second one, with the revised trigger/hammer geometry, fixed sights and stainless slide.

I tried a variety of loads, including W-W STHP, Federal JHP, Rem GS, Speer GDHP and some Ball loads. The Rem GS and Speer GDHP were the easiest for me to find, and they all fed & fired when I used the little LCP's for range sessions, drills and quals.

Every time I take one or the other of my LCP's to a range session, I'm once again surprised by how well the little .380's shoot. I find them virtually as easy to accurately run at reasonably close distances (1-15yds) as my J-frames.

Matter of fact, we're getting ready to make a road trip to the PNW, now that my wife's lumbar fracture has healed and she can tolerate being seated in a veh for longer periods, and I'm debating on just taking one of my LCP's, instead of a LCP and one of my snubs or a small 9/.40.

 

[Tomcat1977]

I like Fiocchi ammo. Even their plain Jane JHP's are good stuff. Accurate, reliable, do decent in Gel. The P365 can handle +P stuff for carry so I'm going to research pretty hard. If it comes down to brass tacks I can always easily find HST's but I do want to upgrade from Hydra's. Ive seen plenty of people made dead by .380's.

I use to shot competitively. Ive lost some skill but am still pretty decent and shoot at least once a month, which, really isnt enough. When I was working I was able to pop into one of our ranges and shoot a box or two once a week, which is closer to what I'd consider minimal. Still, I think I'm decent enough to make the .380 a viable carry round. Its not a death ray by any means but with 13 in the gun and two 12 round spares I should be able to stay in the fight long enough to survive.

And I'm not decked out in blue anymore. "Survival" is my only concern.

 

[Whittsailor]

My LCP Max is the only .380 I’ve owned and I carry it often. I had it with me today as I volunteered at an open air event. Also, a spare 12 round magazine is easy to slide in a pants pocket.

 

[bac1023]

I pocket carry an LCP II often.

 

[Syclone0538]

The XTP. It doesn't expand as much as most others... which is why it gets more penetration than most others.

 

[Hoss]

GF carries a .380 on occasion and I buy her Hornady CD, Speer GD, Federal Hydrashok, Sig Elite in 100 gr. For range—whatever is on sale. She usually carries a 9mm but likes her .380.

 

[Viktor Vaughn]

I find myself carrying them more and more lately. Dont get me wrong, I also carry my 9mm's and 10mm and my bedside is a .45, but life is winding down for me and its not often I'm out of the neighborhood. I have 2 LCP's, a regular and a Max, and now have a P365 .380 "which I can't get enough of its so much fun to shoot".

Do you think I'm relying on the .380 to much and what ammo would you recommend ? Right now Im carrying 95 grn Hydra's cause I have to many laying around.

In my testing, there are only two factory .380 JHP loadings that will consistently pass the 4 layer denim + ballistic gelatin test. I love the .380 ACP, but it’s a load specific cartridge with JHP ammunition.

1.) 90 grain Hornady XTP

2.) 99 grain Federal Hydra-Shok Deep

These two loadings will penetrate 12-13 inches through the media and expand to roughly half an inch and do so on a very consistent basis.

I’ve tested several loadings. Critical Defense comes close, but will fail to expand on occasion. HST expands beautifully, but with 10 inches of penetration likewise the GoldDot which fail to expand more often than the Critical Defense.