Tarus 738

[Rudy8116]

Any input on this .380?

[Hitthegym]

Yes, stay as far away as possible. We do not carry that gun anymore because of how many warranty exchanges and sending back we have had to do. The thing is a total piece of junk, anybody that says "Oh mine shoots great buy it" is definitely lucky because that is not the norm. Skip it and get an LCP, they have wayyyy less problems

[reils49]

A guy in my station traded his in for an LCP. The taurus had a problem with the magazine falling out of the gun

[WillBrink]

Any input on this .380?

Friends don't let friends carry .380.

[CruiserClass]

Friends don't let friends carry .380.

I've recently seen a femur fractured in two places by a .380 as well as a through-and-through gut shot. Up close and with no intermediate barrier, its a respectable round.

That said, with the variety of compact 9mm out there today, there's less and less reason to pick the .380. Especially with ammo costs for the .380 being much higher than 9mm or .40S&W.

If you really want a .380, I'd suggest looking at Walther PPK or the Bersa/Firestorm quasi-clones. They are a good combination of size, grip comfort, slimness, and come with decent sights.

[WillBrink]

I've recently seen a femur fractured in two places by a .380 as well as a through-and-through gut shot. Up close and with no intermediate barrier, its a respectable round.

I'd default in expertise to Dr. Roberts who does terminal ballistics testing for various Fed, mil, and LE agencies:

"Handguns chambered in .380 ACP are small, compact, and generally easy to carry. Unfortunately, testing has shown that they offer inadequate performance for self-defense and for law enforcement use whether on duty as a back-up weapon or for off duty carry. The terminal performance of .380 ACP JHP's is often erratic, with inadequate penetration and inconsistent expansion being common problems, while .380 ACP FMJ's offer adequate penetration, but no expansion. All of the .380 ACP JHP loads we have tested, including CorBon, Hornady, Federal, Remington, Speer, and Winchester exhibited inconsistent, unacceptable terminal performance for law enforcement back-up and off duty self-defense use due to inadequate penetration or inadequate expansion. Stick with FMJ for .380 ACP or better yet, don't use it at all. The use of .380 ACP and smaller caliber weapons is really not recommended for LE use and many savvy agencies prohibit them.

While both the .380 ACP and .38 sp can obviously be lethal; the .38 sp is more likely to incapacitate an attacker when used in a BUG role."

Source:

http://www.m4carbine.net/showthread.php?t=19914