• Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar
The Loadout Room

The Loadout Room

Professional Gear Reviews

Hardcore Gear and Adventure

Menu
  • Shooting
        • Pistol
        • Pistol Accessories
        • Rifle
        • Rifle Accessories
        • Shotgun
        • Machine Guns
        • Air Guns
        • Ammunition
        • Optics and Sights
        • Weapon Lights
        • Tips & How-To
        • Concealed Carry
        • Holsters
        • Suppressors
        • Precision Rifle Shooting
        • Firearms Training
        • 1A Gun to Ride the River With: The Smith & Wesson 686
        • The Tristar folding shotgun is ready for your wilderness adventuresThe Tristar folding shotgun is ready for your wilderness adventures
        • maxim defense cqb stock (8)The Maxim Defense CQB Stock: Short and Sweet
        • Perfecting your zero | A little help goes a LONG wayPerfecting your zero | A little help goes a LONG way
    • Close
  • Gear Reviews
      • Mission Gear
      • Camping Gear
      • Survival Gear
      • Medical Gear
      • Adventure & Travel
      • Knives & Tools
      • Overland
      • Disaster Preparedness
      • Footwear
      • Womens Gear & Clothing
        • RIP-MVehicle Preparedness: Fast access to essential items | Grey Man Tactical RIP-M
        • Midland radioOverland Essential | Midland Radio MXT275 | GXT1000
        • ppGrab your gear and go | Here’s everything you’d need to build an adventure go bag
        • Scrubba Washbag: Keep your clothes clean in the fieldScrubba Washbag: Keep your clothes clean in the field
    • Close
  • Men’s Lifestyle
      • Fitness
      • EDC
      • Eyewear
      • Watches
      • Electronics & Technology
      • Downtime
      • Mens Clothing & Accessories
      • Manly Skills
      • Style & Grooming
      • Gentleman Drinks
      • Crate Club
        • The Outdoor Edge ParaClaw: A concealed stingerThe Outdoor Edge ParaClaw: A concealed stinger
        • How to determine how long you have before the sun setsHow to determine how long you have before the sun sets
        • fireWilderness survival expert breaks down how to build a fire
        • 5.11 Tactical Expedition Long Sleeve Shirt5.11 Tactical Expedition Long Sleeve Shirt, SWAT Tested and Approved
    • Close
  • News
  • Video Demo
  • Shop
Pistol

Does Anyone Consider the .380 ACP a Manstopper?

March 19, 2018 by The Arms Guide Guest Writer Leave a Comment

There exists a continuing debate about the effectiveness of the .380 ACP cartridge in self defense scenarios. Because I possess, and exercise, my concealed carry permit, I’ve also put a great deal of thought into the caliber of pistol I  choose for CCW. My limitations to what I can effectively carry vary depending on my location and dress. As such, I have adopted more than one option for carry.

There are occasions where it simply isn’t feasible to carry anything larger than a slim subcompact. While there are exceptions, it is generally easier to find small, highly concealable options in .380 ACP. In my decision of whether or not to include a .380 pistol as a concealed carry option, I considered elements of shooting in self defense scenarios, such as shot placement and “stopping power.”

I don’t have a background in ballistics, however, as a student of human biology and a tutor in anatomy and physiology, I do have a background in how the human body functions from what my professors have taught me. From that standpoint, “stopping power” has two definitions:

1. Disabled nervous system.

As the central nervous system directly controls a person’s ability to command their muscles, disabling it would effectively “stop” an attack. The application in self defense is that shots to an attacker’s brain, brain stem, or spinal cord would render the assailant physically incapable of continuing their attack.

2. Catastrophic blood pressure loss.

In the event of a catastrophic blood pressure drop, the vital blood supply to the brain is decreased so significantly that it causes unconsciousness. Rendering an attacker unconscious “stops” their ability to continue an attack. Shots to the aorta, the heart itself, the thoracic or abdominal aorta, or the femoral artery could cause a blood pressure drop considerable enough to incapacitate an assailant.

With these principals of human anatomy and physiology in mind, I took to the range to see how effective, if at all, my shots would be with a .380 pistol. I affixed an anatomical overlay over a silhouette target and fired my first shots through the Smith and Wesson Bodyguard 380 and evaluated the target afterward. You can see how the range experience turned out by watching the video with this post.

After 6 shots, three grouped at the head (the goal being stopping an attacker through ceasing the central nervous system’s communication with the assailant’s body) and three grouped near the heart (the goal being stopping the attacker through causing a catastrophic loss in blood pressure), I came to a conclusion. While I am not implying that .380 (or any caliber, for that matter) is the best caliber for self defense, I do think it can be used effectively. However, as .380 ACP is not regarded for its penetration, I would want to put as many rounds as possible at my attacker, targeting the heart and major arteries in the area to maximize my odds of disabling their assault. It was less challenging to place shots effectively in the chest cavity, and the concern of under-penetrating the target was lessened when not attempting to cause catastrophic blood pressure loss rather than CNS deactivation.

This exercise was to closer simulate shooting in a self defense scenario and does not constitute a training exercise for my self defense shooting practice. I am also not recommending a caliber for self defense. However, as a result of this shooting “experiment,” I determined that if I feel my choice is either no firearm, or a pocket pistol like the S&W Bodyguard, I’d rather have that than nothing.

by Destinee

Destinee is also a vlogger. She publishes videos on weapons, gear, and fitness on her YouTube channel every Tuesday and Thursday.

Image courtesy of FateofDestinee

Share This

More From The Loadout Room

Comments

Primary Sidebar

Email Newsletter

Sign up to receive email updates daily and to hear what's going on with us!

Find Us on Facebook

The Loadout Room

Recent Comments

  • berniyin on Gear in the Wild: Astronaut uncovers relic aboard the International Space Station
  • berniyin on Gear in the Wild: The right gear for chemical attacks (or for when you forget your gym bag in the trunk)
  • berniyin on Gear in the Wild: Divers work to recover bodies of lost WWII bomber crew

Tags

9mm AIR FORCE SPECIAL OPERATIONS AR-15 arms guide CCW concealed carry defense EDC Erik Meisner everyday carry firearms fitness GBGuns gear Glock Guns Handgun Headline loadout room LONG TAB MARSOC Military Navy Seal pistol preparation preparedness PT PT PREP Rex Nanorum Rifle Selection self defense sfas Shooting socom SOF SOF PT sofrep Special Operations SPECIAL OPERATIONS FORCES Survival TAG thearmsguide Training US ARMY SPECIAL FORCES

Latest From SOFREP

News

SUBSINK, Indonesian Submarine Feared Lost With all Hands

Entertainment

U.S. Special Forces in Colombia, Storming a Dunkin’ Donuts in Bogota

Life

How to Talk Yourself Into Success Like a Navy SEAL

Military

75th Ranger Regiment Rangers Win Best Ranger Competition

© Copyright 2021 SOFREP Media Group · All Rights Reserved.

  • Privacy Policy
  • Terms of Use
  • Advertisers