S&W introduces Shield 380
- Thread starter scand
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I know...this seems stupid. The .380 round isn't as effective as the 9mm and costs more, harder to find in bulk, and the 9mm guns are virtually just as small.
Sounds like you don't, but there are millions of other people out there with different wants and needs. I doubt very much this was developed with you, specifically in mind.
It seems like this was developed because of the proven sales success of the LCP/LCPII. While not as cheap or powerful as the 9mm, the .380 will still do the job and can be stuffed into a slightly smaller package. Ammo price for a carry gun isn't a top 3 concern for many people, and anyone with an internet connection can obtain as much as they want.
I disagree. Name one gun that is as compact and as reliable as the Ruger LCP. When you're talking about micro compact sized guns adding even fractions of an inch make a huge difference.
When I switched from the LCP to the LC9s I noticed a huge difference in how it felt carrying it, even though they were very close in size. I got used to it, but those millimeters do make a big difference.
So we are willing to accept that a few millimeters make a big difference in size of carry gun, but we act like a hundred foot pounds of energy is a "minimal" difference, worth sacrificing for those few millimeters. I'll never understand this logic. The difference in effectiveness between a 9mm and a .380 is far greater than the difference in size between the LC9s and the LCP. Obviously this is subjective, but I will never be convinced otherwise.
The 9mm and .380 will both stop an attack. For some people, convenience, comfort and the ability to carry discreetly determine whether or not they will be able to carry a firearm.
Like I said, this gun probably wasn't marketed with you in mind, but that doesn't mean it doesn't provide utility for a lot of other people.
If that extra hundred foot pounds is uneccessary, then yeah...it's inconsequential.
For a lot of people ME isn't the only consideration, otherwise no one would carry the 9mm either.
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- Jul 5, 2015
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This is the "EZ" model. From the article -
“... We focused on key areas that customers told us were important—the ease of racking the slide and loading the magazine,” he said, “allowing consumers of all statures and strengths the opportunity to own, comfortably practice with, and effectively utilize this exciting new pistol“ for both first-time shooters and experienced handgunners alike.
So it sounds like they made it for folks who have hard time racking the slide or for folks who may have an aversion to a heavier recoil.
Just my guess.
“... We focused on key areas that customers told us were important—the ease of racking the slide and loading the magazine,” he said, “allowing consumers of all statures and strengths the opportunity to own, comfortably practice with, and effectively utilize this exciting new pistol“ for both first-time shooters and experienced handgunners alike.
So it sounds like they made it for folks who have hard time racking the slide or for folks who may have an aversion to a heavier recoil.
Just my guess.
That seems like a definitive statement for a completely non-definitive set of scenarios. There is no guarantee a .380 or 9mm will stop an attack, just like there's no guarantee a .50 BMG will stop an attack. There are no guarantees. We are dealing with degrees and probabilities. And it is incorrect to say there is no difference in those degrees and probabilities between 9mm and .380. There absolutely is a difference. The question for each person is whether or not that difference is significant enough to sacrifice for some other benefit in the .380.
As I said, this is completely subjective and each person can make their own choice. I also understand there is certainly a market for .380s and that I am not that market. My position is that the vast majority of people who choose the .380 to literally save millimeters in size, are overvaluing the size benefit of the .380 and undervaluing the round effectiveness factor. That is my belief. You are entitled to your opinion, as is everyone else. I just encourage people to really seriously consider what weight to give various factors in deciding which caliber to carry.
You yourself said there was a noticeable difference between your LC9 and your LCP, but that you got used to it. I think many people are under the mistaken belief they won't "get used to it" and therefore overvalue that size difference.
I didn't say they would stop any attack, I said they would stop an attack...and both have. They're both a better option than an un-kind word or begging for your life. Like Hayata said, this seems to be marketed toward people that have a more difficult time with heavier recoil and magazine springs. Perfect. The more people that can find an agreeable platform for an sd firearm the better. There's a wide variety of humans out there looking to carry a firearm for self-defense, and for those people muzzle energy might not be the most important factor.
For me, I went with 9mm vs the .380 for the reasons you listed..primarily more m.e., and penetration, but I have no problem racking slides or loading mags. Some older folks do, and that's fine...it's inevitable.
Again, to each their own.
I just think there are better alternatives for any of the people's needs you listed than going to .380. Can't rack a slide? Get a revolver. Don't like heavy recoil? Get a larger gun. Everything in carry pistols is a tradeoff. I just think if people really got a hold of the significant difference in ballistics between the two rounds, they would be more willing to sacrifice somewhere else in their carry choice rather than caliber.
But again, if they truly understand what they are giving up ballistically and still choose .380, that is their absolute right. But when I'm asked as an instructor what is best for an individual, I always sit down and ask all the questions and get all the information and give all the alternatives, and I can usually help someone find a gun that they like, shoot well, and are comfortable carrying in a caliber other than .380. There are just so many options out there today. This comes from helping hundreds of shooters, both new and experience, find carry options for them individually. .380 is rarely the only viable option for anyone in my experience with many years teaching concealed carry pistol classes.
But as I said, people are free to their own opinion here. No need to keep beating this dead horse.
I just think there are better alternatives for any of the people's needs you listed than going to .380. Can't rack a slide? Get a revolver. Don't like heavy recoil? Get a larger gun. Everything in carry pistols is a tradeoff. I just think if people really got a hold of the significant difference in ballistics between the two rounds, they would be more willing to sacrifice somewhere else in their carry choice rather than caliber.
But again, if they truly understand what they are giving up ballistically and still choose .380, that is their absolute right. But when I'm asked as an instructor what is best for an individual, I always sit down and ask all the questions and get all the information and give all the alternatives, and I can usually help someone find a gun that they like, shoot well, and are comfortable carrying in a caliber other than .380. There are just so many options out there today. This comes from helping hundreds of shooters, both new and experience, find carry options for them individually. .380 is rarely the only viable option for anyone in my experience with many years teaching concealed carry pistol classes.
But as I said, people are free to their own opinion here. No need to keep beating this dead horse.
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When there are small, light, and thin 9mms out there, it really shrinks the group down that it would truly be the best option for. I don't know why that's so hard to believe. The size difference between most .380s and their single stack 9mm counterpart (whether it be the LCP/LC9, G42/G43, etc...) is insignificant for just about everyone who spends time carrying both and putting them through their paces as carry guns.