Every scenario is different.....I saw a video of a police officer who shot 5 times on a perp, with a 357 magnum,center mass with all shots making contact. The perp went to the ground and fired 1 shot from a .22 handgun and the bullet went into the side of the vest opening under the arm pit and killed the police officer.

Sorry about your friend.

I almost hate to ask this,..but was your friend shot with fmj,hollow points...etc.

If you dont know the answer or dont wantto discuss it...no worries.... Again sorry for the loss.

On the subject of the .380 I am learning that the "load" and the bullet type play an important role...wellof course shot placement.


Shane

BEST .380 Ammo on the market, IMHO

Speer Gold Dot 90 grain GDHP

product # 23606

Thanks Randy.....

Read this....he says your recommendation is good but there are better....

http://www.chuckhawks.com/ammo_by_anonymous.htm

What do you think...I value your opinion more than most other people's, so please let me know.

Thank you,
Shane

Yeah. One thing you can count on is every situation being different. He was killed a lot of years ago so I'm past it and his lifestyle pretty much guaranteed it would end up like that someday. I honestly don't know what the bullets were. If I had to guess, I'd say FMJ because HP hadn't really hit the semi-auto scene yet.

Again a long time ago, I had another friend that was shot in the forehead at point blank range with a 38. The bullet entered his skull at an angle, ringed around the inside like a roulette ball, and didn't do any real damage. He never lost conciousness and when they removed the bullet, they "only" had to cut a section of his skull out that was about 2" square. Last time I saw him, he didn't seem to be suffering any ill effects from it.

Another friend (about now you're thinking I was a bad judge of friends) was hustling pool in East Dallas when the other guy refused to pay up. A fight ensued and the other guy pulled a 25auto pocket pistol. During the fight, the other guy was shot in the throat with his own pistol. They both had hold of the gun so we never knew which one of them actually shot him. At that point he jumped in his car and left. Of course the Police were called. The guy that had been shot pulled back in the parking lot about 30 seconds before the Police arrived. He had gone home, gotten a shotgun, and come back to finish it. Fortunately, the Police pulled up while he was standing in the parking lot with the shotgun and hadn't gotten back in the bar yet.

A lot of people have a lot more firsthand experience than me when it comes to shootings. But I always think it's kind of funny when guys act like they know it all when the only people they've seen shot were on TV or the big screen.

Shane, Chuck Hawks is pretty good for research but the ammo tests he has NOT done proves more.

The ones I listed run from very good to fair.

Even a 45 fails sometime.

Shot placement with what ever caliber you have in your hand.

Just because it is a JHP does not mean it will perform like it should.
Watch other tests. Some Fed/Win/Rem classic hp designs will plug up with the denim and act like a FMJ plowing on through.
I have been to autopsies and terminal ballistics classes where all sorts of daily available carry ammo was shot and evaluated.
The exotic ammos I have never been very fond of. Super high velocity and light bullet weight....some 9mm's and even other popular calibers have failed to penetrate deep enough to make it a stopper instead of just a Bee Sting.

I Think Buffalo Bore might be a contender for the best 380 ammo

This false statement makes me laugh:

"You are not undergunned carrying a 380 as long as the other guy is unarmed"

I am thinking nobody is going to stand around and keep getting shot by any caliber pistol. Carrying a 380 doesn't bother me in the least.

What I gathered from article is don't shoot a bad guy wearing denims that's full of gelatin!

A friend of mine is a cop and he couldn't remember the exact number but he said around 90% of gunfights take place inside of 10 feet. So at that range I feel confident in my .380 as long as I get to it before the other guy gets to his. I definetely shoot my Glock .40 cal better but at 10 feet I will take the concealability of the .380.

In our CHL class they said it was the rule of 3's said most gun fights happen within 3 feet normally a total of 3 shots are fired within 3 second span of time.

(thats just what our CHL teacher told us.)

I almost said 3 but I thought that couldn't be right but glad you said it.

Yup was told the same thing.

Shane

There are reasons you qualify for your CHL at the ranges you do. I will say this about the .380, I don't want to be shot with one. Nor a .22, .25 or any other.

Bought a compact .40 for concealed carry. But after trying to carry the darned thing I got an LCP. It goes in my front jeans pocket with no problem. I love it for carrying. The only negative is forgetting it's there and going where you legally shouldn't.
The point is:I got to where I wouldn't put my .40 in to take when going out. In a year since having my LCP, I've left my house TWICE without it. Seven rounds of GOOD bullet stopping power is better than a gun sitting at home anyday.

It's just like fishin folks! You can't catch unless your bait is in the water...fact!

Get something that you are comfortable carrying and carry it !

I also like the LCP and carry one as much as possible.

Mind your business when carrying and everything will be fine.

That sounds like something I have said once or twice. What compact .40 don't you carry?

So how's this gun been treating you? Is it a keeper?
How's the trigger?

This.

.