Anyone here into firearms?

semtex · 03-10-2010, 08:39 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Red370

You should be able to pick up a P3 for $250. BTW, I owned a PF9 and its a wrist breaker, as im sure you know, you need to practice a bit with your carry gun and carry loads and i'll tell ya, 15 rounds and you're ready to put it down. My P3 literally feels like my cell phone in my pocket, i've even had it in my basketball shorts, it doesnt print at all. BTW, the CorBon DPX .380 loads penetrate 12"+ in denim covered gelatin, thats 9mm territory, just food for thought!

Yeah the PM45 is like that too. It is not a pleasant gun to shoot. Shooting .45 from such a lightweight pistol, well let's just say that the recoil has to go somewhere. In my case, it all went to the knuckle of my thumb, and it actually took skin off after 50 rounds!

Re. .380 penetration, here's the concern I've always had. I wonder if .380 has sufficient energy. You say that it penetrates 12" in gelatin. That's fine and well, but what happens if the slug hits bone? Will it have sufficient energy to break through bone? Energy is what smashes through bone, not velocity. (Velocity is important for slug expansion, however, and it factors into the energy equation.) That's one shortcoming of ballistic gelatin testing, IMO. Why is this important? Well, our vital organs are protected by bone. Take a center of mass shot, and there's a good chance the slug will hit a rib. Take a head shot, and it has to penetrate through skull. Unless you're aiming for the gut, you're not shooting at the equivalent of a block of gelatin. I'm not saying that .380 won't get the job done, mind you. I'm just saying that I'm unsure, that I don't know, hence I'm a little iffy on being confident in the round.

To give you an idea, here are the comparative energy ratings of Corbon DPX .380 vs. 9mm rounds:

.380: 196 ft/lbs.
9mm: 399ft/lbs.

So, just by moving up to a 9mm, you get a little more than double the energy.

Having said that, I still might get a .380. You just can't beat the convenience of those little things when all you want to do is go take the dog for a walk or something, and have some protection with you in case a vicious dog breaks out from a neighbor's back yard and attacks you (which happened to me once -- the thing grabbed my dog by the neck and started shaking it. I only managed to stop the thing by kicking it square in its nose. The next time something like that happens, I'd rather just shoot it. Luckily, the dog dropped my dog and ran off. It could have easily turned on me instead).