JCN’s Taurus 380 Snubbie review

[FrankB]

I carry a pistol from the moment I put my pants on in the morning, until I take them off at night. My intention is to protect myself, and to stop a threat. It’s NOT my mission to kill someone. I’m just an ordinary citizen, and don’t need to apprehend someone, or any of the other things that police do. A .380 would work just fine IMO, but I generally carry 9mm/357 Magnum/38 Special +P. JTMcC needs to kill things, and I can understand that entirely. I own several .380 pistols, but they’re generally carried in addition to my primary gun, and I rarely carry two guns.

[03RN]

Do people here carry 38 wadcutters?
People said they carry 38 Gold Dots.

An XTP in 380 ACP is almost like a semi-wadcutter with a very small petal.

Plus the screw top copper Xtreme Penetrator and Xtreme Defender are also good punchers of tissue.

The 380 xtp is not like a wadcutter. It doesn't penetrate as deep and in fact doesn't even reach 12" consistently in the test you posted.

.380s make sense for tiny bug if you dont like snubs

[JCN]

The 380 xtp is not like a wadcutter. It doesn't penetrate as deep and in fact doesn't even reach 12" consistently in the test you posted.

.380s make sense for tiny bug if you dont like snubs

Does a wadcutter stop within 18” in ballistic gel?

I haven’t seen it tested, but I’d be surprised if it did.

The XTP isn’t like a wadcutter. It’s semi-kind of like a wadcutter.

Higher velocity loadings it goes farther without overpenetration.

If you like overpenetration, then the Xtreme Penetrator loaded by Underwood is your 380.

The picture is above and it goes >20” in gel.

I kind of don’t want my self defense ammo to overpenetrate either. Some people are okay with it. I’m not comfortable with it. Everything’s a trade off and I don’t want to hit someone I’m not aiming at.

[03RN]

Does a wadcutter stop within 18” in ballistic gel?

I haven’t seen it tested, but I’d be surprised if it did.

The XTP isn’t like a wadcutter. It’s semi-kind of like a wadcutter.

Higher velocity loadings it goes farther without overpenetration.

If you like overpenetration, then the Xtreme Penetrator loaded by Underwood is your 380.

The picture is above and it goes >20” in gel.

I kind of don’t want my self defense ammo to overpenetrate either. Some people are okay with it. I’m not comfortable with it. Everything’s a trade off and I don’t want to hit someone I’m not aiming at.

https://pistol-forum.com/showthread....ullet-Gel-Test

[JCN]

https://pistol-forum.com/showthread....ullet-Gel-Test

Nice! And thanks! That is great!

[JCN]

If anyone wants to send me 5 rounds of wadcutters to test against Underwood loaded XTP and Xtreme Defenders (they usually penetrate around 13-14”), I’m game for it.

[JTMcC]

Quoted for truth. Classic example of being stuck in a box, and not realizing firearms carry can be situationally dependent to others.

You're taking me wrong. I'm not in a box.
I've worked in many facilities that required background checks and a firearm while going thru the metal detector would result in arrest, tools are counted going in and coming out, etc.
I'm aware that lots of folks absolutely can't be armed at work and others will be terminated if found out.

Lots of people are constricted in their choice of clothing to cover their firearms.

I've at the point that I work where I want (self employed, outdoors, rural areas), dress how I want, and I carry what I consider appropriate firearms for threats I might encounter, they differ from the majority of people.

My world is what it is, but I still even in a prohibitive environment wouldn't trust .380. Others do. That's their business not mine.

You assume to much about me.

[JTMcC]

Im guessing from what you've said here you would not be dismissed from your employment if your pistol got spotted?

I'm self employed, my Wife/Chic technically owns the company.
She would dismiss me from my employment if I left the house without at least one sidearm and a carbine, probably a shotgun in the work truck as well and if I sold the ammo that's in the truck at todays prices I could likely retire.

My customers commonly bust out shooting on site during their lunch break, so I need to be able to keep up

[TheNewbie]

I think this thread has taken a too serious tone. It’s a fun thread that may or may not produce useful information, but it’s at the very least interesting and actually might produce useful information.

[JCN]

I think this thread has taken a too serious tone. It’s a fun thread that may or may not produce useful information, but it’s at the very least interesting and actually might produce useful information.

I've already learned something from @03RN and wadcutters that I didn't know before.

Now I'm itching to test wadcutters against 380....