daddyo

Nah, not going to flame anyone, but an ammunition manufacturer telling me that their .380 JHP round is good for SD is no different from a firearms manufacturer telling me that their .25 cal handgun is all you need to carry. Their goal is to sell their product with little concern for my safety. For any round to be effective, simple physics has to apply. Velocity without weight is meaningless. You must have both. I just don't see where the 90 or 100 gr. .380 JHP round has the weight necessary to penetrate. I need to see ballistic results from an independent, third party (individual or company) that proves the .380 JHP round achieves the minimum 12" of penetration required to be considered effective as a SD round. If I WERE to ever carry a weapon chambered in .380, I would most definitely carry ball and not JHPs. At least with ball you have SOME chance of penetrating, but you get no expansion. A good SD round has to penetrate AND expand.

Can someone provide ballistic proof that the .380 round meets the 12" penetration standard required for an adequate self defense caliber?

Can you point to any ballistic testing that shows that the .327 round is equal to the .357?

Thanks, Will! I will definitely check it out.

Anyone know what type of revolver this is in my avatar photo, and where I might go to get an appraisal?

I personally wouldn't carry anything less than a service caliber. Anything less is gambling with your life.

Will carry be prohibited?

I suppose I should clarify what I said. I do ask if it's OK, and if it's not, then I don't go in. And the only time I ask is if I'm not sure where they stand on the 2A. I don't think I have a right to enter someone's home who doesn't want my gun there, even if they don't get it. But I do have every right to tell them that I won't be coming in because I refuse to disarm. That also goes for family, although I'm fortunate that no one in my family is anti-gun. Sorry I was so vague.

The 442 is not that much bigger and is just as concealable either in my hip or front pocket with a simple handmade pocket holster I picked up at a gun show. The recoil is stiff with +P loads, but it's managable. Plus I get a better grip on it than I did on my P3AT. On top of that, you get the reliability of a S&W revolver. I had to send my Kel Tec back to the factory after it failed on me one day at the range. I couldn't bring myself to trust it after that. With so many small and affordable 9mm's and .38's on the market now, there's really no reason to carry anything less. If it's a semi-auto you want, the Kel-Tec PF9 is a good pocket gun and, with the right ammo, is vastly superior to the P3AT. It is not much bigger and conceals just as well. It can also be bought for about the same price. This is a big part of why I feel the way I do about mouseguns: http://concealedcarryforum.com/forum/topic.asp?TOPIC_ID=9342 When you say you can stick the .32 up under the chin, or in the groin, do you really want to be that close to an attacker? To each his own, but I don't intend to let him get that close to me. I know 1911's aren't cheap, which is why I have only one. I'd like to have another. If Bud's Gun Shop would stop running ridiculous sales, I might be able to save enough money.

Wow, nice work!!

I know this isn't going to be popular, but within the past 12 months I've become convinced that .380 is not adequate as either primary carry or as a BUG. I sold my P3AT about 3 months ago and bought a S&W 442. Yes, .380 can kill, and it has, but it is not a man-stopper. My objective in a SD situation is to stop the threat, and I do not believe that the .380 is capable of doing that with any reliability. I won't carry anything less than a service caliber weapon. I refuse to sacrifice my safety for convenience.

I want it understood that if I accidentally expose my weapon that someone on the church staff knows about it and is not opposed. Just because I'm a member of the church doesn't give me the right to do just whatever I want to do. But if the pastor or one of the other ministers has a problem with it, I'm finding another church. Just like I won't give someone my money who doesn't want my gun in their place of business, I won't attend a church who doesn't want my gun inside its doors. I also ask permission to enter someone's home armed. It's a matter of common courtesy.

If I weren't allowed to carry in my church, I think I'd be looking for another house of worship.

You know, I might be, but I believe it would be hard for a prosecutor to convict on that. I think it's worth an email to Doug Jackson to see if that's the case. I'll let you know what I find out.

As has been said, not illegal to carry in a church unless they've posted. I think it's a good idea to have permission from a minister, though. And, I agree, whipping out your weapon in that setting is stupid. There are plenty of sheep in churches, and some of them don't like sheepdogs (until the wolf shows up, of course).

Thanks - I know it's a dumb question, but I just want to be sure I'm in compliance. I don't want to be one of those who makes other HCPs look bad, even if it's only through ignorance.

That's good to know, but what if your firearm is in plain view?

Umm, I know that I won't be running out to my car to disarm. I really don't believe the law applies to locations other than public parks.

With the THP setting up checkpoints throughout the state to check compliance with the law (seat belts, DLs, etc), do we need to hand them both our DL and HCP if we're stopped at one of these checkpoints?

Mobil 1 Synthetic applied with a Q-tip after cleaning with non-chlorinated brake cleaner.

I have one of these for my Officer's model 1911. They work very well and are super comfortable. Pay the extra $6 and get the kydex clips. For $36, these are a great deal. You can also trim away any unneeded leather. I outlined the cut on mine with a marker, and am very happy with the results. Even at the $45 regular price these are a good deal.

When I was looking for a .38, it came down to either a Taurus 85 or a S&W 442. I chose the Smith after I read horror story after horror story about Taurus' customer service (or lack thereof).

Stopped in walgreens today to get a paper, and reached in my front pocket to get 4 quarters. I completely forgot that I had a speed strip with 6 JHPs in it in the same pocket, and pulled everything out to get the coins. Even when I realized what I'd done I just stuck the ammo back in my pocket and looked at the cashier, who had a deer in the headlights look on her face. I just smiled and thanked her and walked out.