Penance - Attn: Aaryq

[ugaarguy]

A couple days ago you posted this question

Hey folks. I'm getting a .380 tomorrow. Aside from putting holes in targets and teaching my wife how to shoot a pistol, what other good uses does this cartridge have?

Well then a bunch off us got into off topic chest thumping and got your thread locked with Mr. Stephen A. Camp saying

Well, once again a poster asks a question in good faith and does get some good answers. Then comes banter back and forth that ruins it all.

I'm one of the guilty parties. So to make it up I'll try to answer your question now.
The Speer Reloading Manual Number 13 says

The 380 Auto was introduced to US shooters in 1908...
...In an era when some people considered a 32 caliber a "big gun" the 380 Auto created quite a stir. It was compact enough to be chambered inn any pistol that could handle the 32 Auto cartridge yet offered a distinct ballistic advantage.

In their reloading data Speer shows the 90 gr. Gold Dot JHP at between 1020 and 1056 FPS with the better half of the powders listed out of a 3.8" bbl Walther PP.

For comparison a .38 Special 110 gr JHP fired from a 6" bbl S&W M14 gave velocities from 1022 to 1134 FPS on the better half of powders they tested.

The 2 extra inches of bbl give the .38 Spc test data a good advantage in velocity, but the 20 gr. heavier bullet must also be factored in. I'd say that standard .380 auto is little less potent than light bullets in a standard pressure .38 Special load.

For ballistic gel tests see www.brassfetcher.com and http://www.winchester.com/lawenforcement/testing/testing.aspx#

 

[Sylvan-Forge]

.380 ACP is not Thor's Hammer, but it will get-r-done.

 

[armoredman]

Absolute lightest I would go nowadays for SD, more useful as a BUG, but if it's what you have, use in good health.