380 auto ?

the .380 (9x17mm) is also refferred to as a 9mm (9x19mm) short. It has less performance the the .38 spcl. If used properly, loaded with select ammunition such as Hornady TAP it is acceptable (barely) as a self defense cartridge. Yes it will kill (so will a rock) but in a matter of life or death, always go with the cartridge that gives you the edge. If the .380 is what your budget allows, so be it. Just practice shot placement and use quality HP ammo.

I carried a walther PPKS in .380 as a hidden back up gun many times on duty. I knew if I needed it, it would be a close up shoot out and I was confident that it would work for that purpose. They are fun to shoot too, low recoil etc.

shoot safe

The 380 auto is a smaller round than the 38 special as well as less powerful.

It's the same size as a 9mm but with less powder and a shorter casing. If you look on the slide of a Walther PPK/S, it will say 9mm Kurtz, which means 9mm short. For personal protection I would never carry anything smaller than a 380. And a 380 only because it's small and easy to conceal. I believe that you should always carry the largest caliber weapon that you can effectively conceal.

The .38 spl. is a rimmed revolver round and is more powerful than the .380 auto round. The .380 is better than the .32 auto, but it still ranked as marginal for self defense purposes by many people in the know.

The Ruger LCP 380 is a striker fire semi auto, with a double action only function. This means that to fire each and every round, you have to squeeze the trigger rearwards and let it go back to original position. Many people are under the impression the smaller concealable guns are easy to shoot on target. The smaller the gun, the harder it is to control , even for the experienced shooter.

The enemic .380 is a 9mm short. It is pretty poor as a self defense round. Oh, it can kill but it may not stop the attacker before they injure or kill you. The ammo is more expensive than the 9mm. If I were you, I'd forget the .380 and get a 9mm instead. It is not my favorite carry gun but it is a better man stopper than the .380. My personal preference is the tried and true .45 acp in a compact design.

The .380 ACP is different from the .38 Special.

The .380 ACP (Automatic Colt Pistol) cartridge uses a rimless case design and has a shorter overall length than the .38 Special cartridge.

The .380 ACP cartridge is suited for semi-automatic/autoloading pistols. Such pistols can be made to relatively smaller dimensions because of the cartridge size (length & diameter), operating pressure and perceived recoil.

The .38 Special cartridge delivers more muzzle energy than the .380 ACP cartridge. But due to the rimmed case design of the .38 Special, it is most often chambered in revolvers.

Both cartridges are adequate for 'self-defense' purposes, but their primary advantages are derived from being pleasant to shoot (less recoil) and because pistols chambered for such cartridges can be made smaller (more concealable).

Use of smaller pistols with shorter barrels also prevents the cartridges from reaching their optimum performance (2" snub-nosed barrels cause the muzzle velocity & energy to be less than the energy developed in 4" or 5" barrels).

Short barrels also reduce the accuracy or precision a shooter can achieve. Inside of 15 feet they'll shoot decent groups, but don't expect to be like Annie Oakley beyond 15 feet.

Bottom line? The .380 ACP and .38 Special are different, but they're both nice cartridges in their own way.

Please see the links below for more information.

380 is called 9mmX17 in Europe as it is just a shorter 9mm round. It is a round made for semi auto pistols. It has almost no rim as it only needs enough to be held onto until ejected when it hits the ejector as the slide comes back from recoil. The 38 spl is a revolver round with an extended rim for ejection by a star ejector that you push and it carries the cartridge out by the rim.

they are fairly similar. The 38 special is designed for revolvers, and while much longer, is only slightly more powerful.

The 380 is designed for autos, and is quite compact, but a bit less powerful than 38 special.

Now, the 380 is considered adequate for self defense, but is about as low as you want to go.

Question, why do you want the LCP? Remember, this gun is designed solely for concealed carry, it is not a gun that will be good for recreational shooting. A bersa thunder also in 380 is a bit bigger and still conceals well, but is much more amendable to going out to the range for some fun. Plus, it is even cheaper. Cabela's was just selling them for 209.99

Otherwise a relatively inexpensive 9mm handgun like the Ruger P95 would be a great starting place too.

They are both totally different calibers. 380ACP is a 9mm short. So in other words the 9mm doesn't have good stopping power like the 38., 40S&W or 45ACP. The 380ACP is alot smaller than the 38 Caliber. Other than that difference, 380s are in semi autos, 38 is a standard revolver round. Don't get yourself a 380, get yourself a good 9mm, cause 9mm is cheaper than 380 and it's a more effective round if you buy yourself any self defense ammo that is 124 grain +P, it will get the job done. You can pratice more with it cause it's cheaper than any other caliber besides the 22lr. Ruger semi auto handguns are garbage, look into H&K, Smith&Wesson, Glock, SIG. They all make good guns that are very reliable. I only named a couple, there are more.

Get a 9mm the ammo is much cheaper.