Guns & Tactics asks, Is the .380 Pocket Pistol Dead?

Published by
Recoil Staff

So asks Guns & Tactics in a recent article by contributor Judah Torres.

They are (or so he opines) uncomfortable, snappy, tough to be accurate with, have limited capacity and just aren't that an effective a round. In a world with M&P SHields, Glock 43s, Glock 19s, Sig P320s and M&PCs, at a time when there are a plethora of good holsters that make it easy to carry a more effective weapon..why would you use a .380?

“Modern science has told us that there is no such thing as ‘handgun stopping power.' Ultimately, shot placement is key. To that end, a shooter should strive to be accurate and moderately fast under stress. But on the .380 pocket pistol, the ultra-short sight radius and less-than-optimal sights make a good sight picture fairly tough to acquire quickly. Additionally, most .380 pocket pistols have notoriously difficult triggers, and if our vision determines our speed and our trigger press determines our accuracy, the majority of .380 pocket pistols are just that much more difficult to shoot quickly and accurately. The Glock 42 performs a little bit better than other .380 pocket pistols in my opinion, with a factory Glock trigger and sights, but doesn’t match it’s far more capable big brother, the Glock 43.”

He makes some interesting points, though some of us would argue there is still a place for the .380 with some people. You can read what he has to say in its entirety over on Guns & Tactics right here.

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