Would I carry a 380? Yes. Several caveats, though. First, I subscribe to the concept that any gun that you will carry everywhere, is 1000 times better than the "best" gun you left at home because of __________ (whatever reason). Second, most knowledgeable people will acknowledge that the 380 is "marginal" for self defense use. Please note that "marginal" doesn't mean that it doesn't work. It just means that you are using the lowest/weakest caliber that has proven itself as an effective defense caliber in most situations. The key terms here are "proven" and "effective" with the understanding that this is the least "effective" choice from a range of "better" choices. Accuracy is the most important factor. This range of ranking is based upon the experience of many hundreds of shooters who have used the cartridge since its inception (including General George Patton)(who relied most upon his 45, but he carried a 380 everywhere). Third, 380 ammo has improved enough these last few years that using specialty ammo moves the cartridge up the ladder from "marginal" to "generally effective". No, it's not the latest and greatest, but it works. Most importantly, though, it's ALSO more likely to be carried. Personally, I would recommend practice on a regular basis with the cheapest FMJ available, but I would carry the specialty ammo I was most comfortable and accurate with. "Accurate with" implies enough range practice that you know where your shots are going. I also reccomend Underwood ammo. Even though the 380 is a blow back design, Underwood has been able to make 100 grain bullets travel at 1150 fps. This is only a tad less than the majority of 9mm ammo which uses 115 grain bullets FROM A LOCKED BREECH at 1250 fps. Not very different at all. Blow back designs are lighter than locked breech designs and ALL 9mm is locked breech. Lighter guns are more likely to be regularly carried - even if the difference is only an ounce or two. Fourth, while most Americans want the "latest and greatest" there's a whole lot of things that can be "effective" in their nominal use. Why do you think that the Europeans used the 32 acp for decades? Answer, because it worked for them. Side note - that implies that the 32 acp is far more effective than Americans give it credit for. No, it's not a "put down" cartridge like Americans look for. It, however, IS an effective cartridge when used within it's capacity. Yes, most of Europe has dropped the 32 acp and moved to the 9mm. But I noticed that they did so reluctantly. Russia even developed the Makarov, which is (to all intents and purposes), a "Plus P" 380, and used it for multiple decades before moving to the 9mm. Yes, I'll carry a 380.

I often pocket carry my 380 at home. It’s so easy to do in the right holster. Better than nothing if I get surprised and separated from my home defense stuff.

I would carry a 380 with Xtreme penetrator ammo.

congrats brother hopefully was a easy birth and everyone is well your'e gonna be a busy man for a while

Great video as always Alaskan 👍

Congratulations on 10 k subs bro

Congratulations on the birth of your son Chuck, all the best for your family .

Solid 380 rounds can getter done! TFS

have been a .380 carrier (during warmer weather) for the past few years...my carry ammo includes Hornady American Gunner 90gr XTP, Hornady Critical Defense 90gr FTX, and Barnes x-Tac 80gr copper hp; carry pieces have included Ruger LCP, Kahr CW 380, Smith & Wesson Bodyguard, and Springfield Armory 911 Alpha

I personally wouldn't carry a 380 but you're spot on when you say it beats a sharp stick. My sister carries a Glock 42 and she's a dead eye with it. She can out shoot most guys I know and I'm thrilled that she has her ccw and is ready to rock n roll should she ever need it. Good video as usual, God bless brother!

Thanks Chuck that .380 shows promise as a back up caliber.

I own an M&P Shield 380 EZ and am quite confident in it. It has a 3.5" barrel so I'm sure this ammo gets more velocity from it than the Kimber gives it. About the only thing you didn't take into consideration is the wound channel for this ammo while making this video, which I would highly recommend looking into. Keep up the good work!

Good video

The hornady American gunner in. 380 has shown good results in gel with and without denim. I like how it has a lesser recoil impulse than the 95 grain ball stuff too. We used a bersa thunder .380

Not my first choice- but often a .380 goes where nothing else can

Interesting 380 ACP bullets !!!!!!!!

I carry a subcompact 380 in the summer in a pocket sticky holster, nothing else in that pocket. Loaded with Sig hollow points. One in the chamber. Daily. When the weather gets a bit cooler I carry a compact 9 in a vertical shoulder holster, Hornady critical defense, one in the chamber. Soon due to the amount of time spent carrying this ammo and the current availability I will be putting my own reloads in both. The reload is a Hornady 115 grain JHP with load data for both 380 and 9mm. Both have been test fired and ran suitably.

Kimber makes some good looking guns. Ive always heard mixed opinions on the quality though.

I carry the Kimber Micro 9 pretty often.

Can yall get the Buffalo Bore hardcast standard pressure or plus+ ammo? Those are 100 grain in the standard velocity is getting 950 out of these short barrel Kimber's and the + p they're getting over 1100 fps...

Alright. Thank you kindly.

For me personally I would not carry a 380 as an EDC. But I might consider it as a secondary or backup pistol. Those bullets were not impressive at all I would rather do hollow points. Nice to see you guys got some bare ground up there for a change🤣🤣🤣 enjoy your warmer weather and have a wonderful day🇺🇸👊👍

Some interesting results

I will have a 380 on my permit, for the times that my larger Shield isnt concealable. It doenst have as much punch, but at short range it gives me an advantage over (in your words) "a sharp stick". The really small 9mm are hard to find in CA.

my rig is Springfield 911 alpha in 380; my carry loads are varied...hornady critical defense, barnes xtac, hornady xtp, norma mhp; this spring the barnes xtac is in the springer & the norma mhp is in my Bersa thunder; winter carry rig is S&W 638 snubby in 38 spl +p; past few years I have loaded Hornady critical defense +p...I got a shipment of Inceptor arx & had that loaded for the past few weeks; the 638 has been rotated out & the 911 has been rotated in

I am curious if Underwood will shoot better it claims 1300FPS balliatics on the box with this same bullet 68 grains I bet these short barrell guns will get 1150fps.

My backup / gym shorts EDC is an RM380.

If bigger & "better" round is available, I go bigger & better. But it is better than a sharp stick. I have considered a 380. My deep carry small gun is a S&W Shield45. I carry & have for almost 20 years a 40 cal. of some sort. 44 mag or 10mm in Northwoods where I live and work.

The G9 LE version will cut through IIIA and dump enough energy in gel to light it up. The G9 Civilian type and UW Xtreme penetrator will go through 16 inches of Gel and still have enough energy to dent a IIIA backstop ... works for me.

Buddy of mine got shot in the face with a 380 when someone tried robbing him at a gas station. It went straight through his cheek and stopped in the back of his throat/jaw. If that was a 9mm or bigger he wouldn't be here to tell the story. I think I'll stick with my 9mm

Other than as a last resort back up boot gun, no. There's just too many excellent concealable options in 9mm. That's a sweet little Kimber though!

The sig 380 hollow points run pretty good. Not my first choice but with a wife with poor wrist strength it’s better than a 22.

I would use 380 for self defense

I would carry a 380 for self-defense. But with Lehigh Xtreme defender or reloaded by Underwood Xtreme Defender a book to G9 but with the current Insanity going on you can't find ammo. They're solid copper, which I think is originally. L-tech ammunition But can't get a hold of Larry anymore over there. He doesn't return calls. So I guess I have to deal with G9 out of my carbine because they feed reliably they don't have that big mouth Open mouth. Smart with skinny narrow. Hollow point Out of a 3 inch barrel, not the best expansion. But out of a 16-inch carbine wow. Great job. Keep up the good work. I carry a glock 26.

A 380 is a good defense round I carry one

Lehigh Extreme, Underwood Extreme and the like ammo has brought the 380acp, Short Barrel 9mm, Short Barrel 45acp, and 38spl Snubs to life. 13-17 inches in Ballistic test.

Good enough for Bond it’s good enough for me !!

You got to get you some Speer Gold Dot Winchester ranger t Remington ultimate defense Xtreme penetrator it's the best for the caliber which just so happens to be my primary

Yes, I use .380acp for EDC and for home defense.

This is my ccw weapon. Especially if I'm wearing sweats or basketball shorts

I didn't hear to well because I'm at the eye doctor but someone commented on you having a baby so congrats. I just wanted to mention that you didn't cut the meat open. The g9 round's greatest feature is it does hollow point damage with pointed tip penetration and speed. You gotta cut the meat open. I think you'll be surprised.

in my opinion, any gun big or small in a survival scenario has got to be better then 2 fists or a tazer, i carry a colt defender 45 and my 380 is a backup. now granted a gun is a gun when comming down to whatever situation it would be as far as self defense. me personally i carry hard ball in it because i dont see a reason for over penetration to spend the extra money each is to his own. would i carry this gun as a backup sure the size package and just shear concealability makes it just as dangerous as the person or persons you may face. basically a down and dirty up close and personal gun

I know a guy who lived and still alive. He was shot by a 357 mag. The 380 acp looks good. Water jugs are weak on opening hollow points. I always see they need dinum or wood to get some to open up. Like copper vs old school.

My Kimber 380 is not very reliable. How has yours been?

I traded my LCP2 and Taurus G2 on a Glock 20. My carry is a Ruger LC9 s Pro 9mm or Taurus 605 110 grain 357mag or 158 grain Buffalo Bore 38+P

Who sells those around here? 380. Is scarce everywhere I’ve been. Alaska ammo got some 380. Fmj and slot of different 9mm this week. Almost gone already.

You didn't cut the pork open to see a wound cavity. The 9mm tests I've seen all had large wound channels right after entry. I would be interested to see the shock it delivers in flesh.

I’m telling you the 9mm and up is freaking nasty they make it locally here In post falls idaho I got 4 boxes and run it in my Glock 43x

I carry an LCPII with Sig 100gr. Would you recommend a J Hollow Point, & if so which one? Thanks brother.

Better than a sharp stick

Why is this showing up as a new video in my feed?

380 is better than any sharp stick, sharp stick you got to be close, and a little 380 you don't, prefer not being close up, but I always have my 33 gen3 and my 327 magnum or something else, always have a bigger/ more energy carry, just in case, Got to know your capabilities and limitations 🤔 I do carry a 380 for a back up, but can also use it for a primary , but hopefully no one puts me in a situation and find out, carry corbon 90 grain JHP and fmj mixed,1 and 1 in my magazines, and 115 grain underwood jhp and 125 grain sig elite v-crown in my 33, and 115 and 100 grain Speer gold dot in my 327 magnum revolver and spare magazines and speed loaders 😁

Lotta good information here thanks for sharing, I think the only reason the carrier a 380 is because the small compact guns they come in

You got to try the Winchester rangers

I can say in my line of work I've seen people shot with 380 and it wasn't impressive. In one case a 380fmj was a clean pass through missing ribs front and back. The guy walked out and was cussing about being shot. Obviously shot placement plays a huge factor, but delivering energy to the target is important also.

9mm or 38 would be my choice . 380 & 22 LR are better than a sharp stick !

I love 380 but for 70gr bullet 950 is sucky ballistics and in 380 everything counts I prefer Buffalo Bore standard and +P and really Hornady 90 grain 380XTP shoot good ballistics out of the short barrel 380 also!

I typically carry my glock 19 G5 With HTP Rounds but if can hardly carry anything then I carry my Kimber Micro with only Buffalo Bore +P 380 ammo HP for my CHL. Apparently the Kimber is ok to use hot ammo and these have been great. It’s a short barrel to really capitalize on velocity but I’d rather run a hot round in than a standard if it means my life.

380 👍

380 when you need a small gun and no other is available. I wonder if you could shoot wadcutters out of a 380. That would seem to be a better option for a bullet.

Let’s try the hornady FTX .380

Yeah I'd use it .

Yes, absolutely. I use Winchester 95 gr PDX1, Magtech Guardian Gold or Hornady Critical Defense myself but you can see the tests here: www.luckygunner.com/labs/self-defense-ammo-ballistic-tests/#380ACP

Not so much expansion is it is penetration? But with the deviation I noticed you got to be around 90 grain and up Surly get that straight line penetration anything under that tends to yaw

More gimmicky ammo. One of the biggest issues i have with boutique ammo is that it seldom achieves its claimed velocity (with the exception of Buffalo Bore, for the most part). 1120 sounded very optimistic, even with a 70 gr bullet. And it was. That said, i have never used a 380, and only ever owned 1, a PPK/S. Sold it about 2 yrs ago when finances were low. No plans to replace it. Much better off with 9mm or 38+p, for which there are many good ammo choices.

Only carry 380 when i have gym shorts on. Almost always carry a 9mm

I only carry the Xtreme Defender, I like the fact that the bullet doesn't deform. High Velocity so you get straight penetration good barrier penetration, I kind of given up on LED Halo points. So many things can go wrong. They don't always expand the same Etc.

I'd use it if my 45 and 40 ran out of ammo I carry both

Big deviation. I would use a 380 as a concealed carry.

I carry my 9MM and a 380 back up on my ankle

I would carry a 380 if I absolutely couldn't carry anything bigger, but that would be the only time.

If it was all I had I would carry it, but if my wife can shoot a 9mm and handle it well, then anyone can. I would definitely get a 9mm. My wife carries the shield EZ 9 and it is alot easier to rack the slide and load the magazine.

Bro if you just did that in some that freaking ballistic gel It would be so much better to see what it really does. There's a lot of 9 mm videos of this I wanted to see one in 380

Yes I pocket carry .380 or 9mm. For just self defense up close and personal one arm out to stay back one hand can shoot .380 easy and accurate with plenty of power. Wont over penetrate, easy to one handed, the right ammo it will do plenty of damage, in court a small self defense .380 would likely prove you were only defending yourself with no intention of being lethal. Use a 45 or a 9 and you’ll probably be under more scrutiny. I find that 380 is enough but i do use 9 and usually my 45 or a 9 at home. Walk in the woods, always 45.. We get critters with big teeth and claws. A 380 would likely just piss them off. But a human attacker. 380 is enough.

A .380 in your holster I better than a 9mm in the gun cabinet. And yes I do carry one.

.380…🤔? With todays ammo like G9 External HP, this round is more than capable in a confined place with 360* neighbors around you. .380 in general is meant for up close (10’-15’) and personal use wo much or any over penetration to worry bout, a specially if there is walls around you. Perfect choice for me as for “At work” EDC use, because If shit goes down I don’t want to worry bout neone else but ME..and for the obvious reasons ✌🏻😎

Sig 238 xtreme defender n penetrator...oh yes g9

With modern ammo, the 380 is a very viable self defense round. The caliber is not as important as the shot placement and the shooter. No firearm is going to do you well if you dont put your shots into the right place. On the other hand, most firearms will do well if the shots are well placed, so practice, practice.

It’s all about shot placement 🧐. Plus,lower recoil. Still there are better 9mm.

How to turn your .380 in to a .22 lr.

380 is enough for 2 legged predators!

I knew a guy that swore to me he killed a 300 pound black bear with a 380 he didn't have proof so I was definitely sceptical

140ftlbs... if that’s thats the Absolute ONLY thing i had access to yeah but Jesus I’d rather fight LMAOO

For the price of 380 I would much rather buy and carry 9mm.

Depends. Yes iv had carry a kel-tec in 380acp for years. Got for my first pistol was going be a ccw and for my wife. Got it at steal at gandermount as used trad. Be quite firm. Gun was pink and black. Change slide back to black and was pan do to it was coat pink. Had few issue with it first owner lost enjector for it in triger was goofed but keltec replaced all of it. And did a polished job gun eats anything.. usly carry it with 95gr winchesters pdx1. Or 92gr horndady. Put only out around home or just out where I don't got pocket room for my sr40c. Must time I carry 40s&w

G9 is Nasty in tissue just nasty

I would carry the Xtreme Penetrator/Defender ammo. I wouldn't carry any other 380 ammo.

Dont see the point of 380s with all the small 9mm available now a days.

Any gun even a 22 caliber is better than nothing.

Nope!