.380

[fred cook]

My wife carries a Glock 380 which is small, compact and easy to conceal while I carry a Kimber Solo in 9mm. Using an IWB holster, the Kimber pretty much disappears under an untucked shirt or a light jacket! I tend to use Hornady critical defense ammo for serious social work.

[id10t]

If anyone wants a Sig 238, local shop offered a German made one to me yesterday for $550+tax/phone call... about $100 off their marked price which is pretty reasonable.

[svandamme]

The 45 is not bad either

[J P Stein]

I bought a Ruger .380 yesterday as a CC tool.
At under $250, it is a steal.
Don’t buy a Ruger LCP .380 without reading this!

To my minds eye, an ideal CC piece, small, under 12 oz (loaded)....the smooth shape was a deal maker. The only thing I didn' t like is the lack of a safety.......that'll take some getting used to.

[red-beard]

Originally Posted by fred cook

Good point, but the .380 version was a 1908, not a 1903. Actually, there were 2 Colt 1908 pistols, the Hammerless model and the .25 cal. Vest Pocket model.

Disagree. The 1908 is the Colt Pocket vest. The M1908 is a variant of the 1903 produced in .380 ACP

Also, comparing the pocket pistols in .380 to the 1903 in .380 is a bit off. The 1903 has a 4" barrel, providing much more velocity, especially with P+ ammo.

I like my browning 5" 1922 in .380!

There is an article on a person who converted a Browning 1922 to .32NAA, by reaming the chamber to the .32NAA cartridge. I would love to do this to a cheap standard 1903 in .32ACP! Might have to file the magazine well a little bit, since the .380 magazines need a little more room. Or maybe use a .380 frame with a .32 slide and barrel.

[red-beard]

Originally Posted by J P Stein

I bought a Ruger .380 yesterday as a CC tool.
At under $250, it is a steal.
Don’t buy a Ruger LCP .380 without reading this!

To my minds eye, an ideal CC piece, small, under 12 oz (loaded)....the smooth shape was a deal maker. The only thing I didn' t like is the lack of a safety.......that'll take some getting used to.

I has a very long, heavy trigger pull as the safety. I carry a similar pistol (Keltec P3AT) in its original rug, to keep the trigger covered. If you're doing pocket carry, get a cheap Uncle Mike's fabric holster.

[flyenby]

And how many people in this forum , who carry ....have really shot someone ?

[red-beard]

I hope none of us! Except former military in combat.

[svandamme]

Originally Posted by red-beard

Disagree. The 1908 is the Colt Pocket vest. The M1908 is a variant of the 1903 produced in .380 ACP

Also, comparing the pocket pistols in .380 to the 1903 in .380 is a bit off. The 1903 has a 4" barrel, providing much more velocity, especially with P+ ammo.

You put modern day P+ ammo in a 100+ year old pistol?????

[red-beard]

No. 80 year old pistol....It was built around 1939. I have a modern barrel in it for carry, as the original barrel lost most of its rifling.

[fred cook]

Originally Posted by red-beard

Disagree. The 1908 is the Colt Pocket vest. The M1908 is a variant of the 1903 produced in .380 ACP

Also, comparing the pocket pistols in .380 to the 1903 in .380 is a bit off. The 1903 has a 4" barrel, providing much more velocity, especially with P+ ammo.

You need to do some studying up on Colt names and models. While the 1908 Hammerless is a relative of the 1903 Hammerless, it is a separate model. There are significant dimension differences (a 380 mag won't work in a .32 gun), etc. Don't feel bad, lots of people make the same mistake!

Merry Christmas!

[svandamme]

There are a lot of 1903's

Colt Model 1903 Pocket Hammerless .32 ACP

This one did come out in 380 Acp as the 1908 Pocket Hammerless, overal pistol has the same dimensions.


Colt Model 1903 Pocket Hammer in .380 ACP


FN Model 1903 9×20mmSR Browning Long

[fred cook]

Originally Posted by svandamme

There are a lot of 1903's

Colt Model 1903 Pocket Hammerless .32 ACP

This one did come out in 380 Acp as the 1908 Pocket Hammerless, overal pistol has the same dimensions.


Colt Model 1903 Pocket Hammer in .380 ACP


FN Model 1903 9×20mmSR Browning Long

Very nice, the 1903 Pocket Hammer is not .380 but 38 ACP! Thanks for sharing with us!

[onewhippedpuppy]

Originally Posted by id10t

If anyone wants a Sig 238, local shop offered a German made one to me yesterday for $550+tax/phone call... about $100 off their marked price which is pretty reasonable.

I have a 938 for my CCH, absolutely love it.

[svandamme]

Originally Posted by fred cook

Very nice, the 1903 Pocket Hammer is not .380 but 38 ACP! Thanks for sharing with us!

there was a 38 acp as well? learn something every day !

[targa911S]

Originally Posted by fred cook

Very nice, the 1903 Pocket Hammer is not .380 but 38 ACP! Thanks for sharing with us!

I was waiting for somebody to catch that.

My Colts. 1908 vest pocket .25 (pretty useless gun) M1908 .380, Woodsman match target .22, 1903 .32, 1911 .45

[Seahawk]

My Mother's Fathers Navy Officer Colt in .38, which is now mine.



As a Navy Seal friend of mine always says, "Nobody wants to get shot, especially if they don't have a gun..."

I will say, the ballistics of the appropriate .38 for the gun above are not confidence inspiring.

[Hard-Deck]

I know a little about shootin'...
In my good armory...
I own three .380s...
Carry one all the time...
'Nuff said.

[Jeff Higgins]

Originally Posted by flyenby

And how many people in this forum , who carry ....have really shot someone ?

None of us have.

I have, however, shot a fair number of animals that are either about our size (deer) to somewhat smaller than our size (coyotes), plus assorted other game, both larger and smaller. I base my assessments on the several hundred coyotes I've shot and have seen shot first hand, and dozens of deer sized game.

I've shot coyotes with everything from the lowly .22, to the .357 mag, to the .44 mag, and on up to heavily loaded .45 Colts (substantially more powerful than off the shelf .44 mag...). I've shot deer and antelope with the .357 mag, .44 mag, and the .45 Colt. I've learned a few things about killing things over what are now four decades of this kind of activity. (First and foremost would be "bring a rifle", but that's not what we are talking about here.)

Most applicable to the defensive arms under discussion in this thread, I've learned there is a good deal of difference between "dead" and "stopped". "Dead" can mean I'm chasing the god damned thing for miles. Yes, .22's kill - I've killed a fair number of coyotes with them (mainly from rifles, actually). .357's kill as well (I've used handguns exclusively in this caliber). Use anything within this range you like, as long as you like your exercise and are good at tracking wounded animals that have run away. Sometimes a long ways away, before they die.

So, what if it's not some animal that's going to run off and try to hide? What if it's a two legged animal that has a knife, or his own gun? I don't care if he dies when I shoot him, if it takes him more than a nano second to do so - even five seconds is way, way too long. No, I don't care if he dies, eventually - I just want him to stop doing whatever it was that made me want to shoot him. Immediately, if not sooner...

As such, my defensive calibers all start with a "four". There is always a way to carry at least a compact 1911, or my little five shot Charter Arms Bulldog in .44 Special.

[onewhippedpuppy]

A few years ago, one of our members shot and injured a man who stormed his law office, I don't recall the reasons. He is no longer active here unfortunately, but he was fully convinced that having a concealed handgun saved his life that day.