My 1st Holster, Magazine for EDC, Pistol Carry Case.

[Stainless 14]

Hi guys. first off, I hope you all enjoyed your holidays and I wish you all a happy new year. anything will be better than 2020.
I also want to say thanks for all the holster recommendations, pros/cons, etc. in selecting my 1st. They were a great help.

1-ok, i decided to go with the UrbanCarry Leather Lock OWB. After following the instructions to place the gun in the holster and leave in overnight to break in the holster a bit, I wore it most of the day. It's comfy as hell after sitting in a chair, couch, in the car, walking around. No complaints. Sure, i know it's there, but that's as it ideally should be. it being leather, time will tell how it "performs" in comfort, drawing, and re-holstering.
2-Loading the magazine and leaving it that way over time. Does keeping bullets in your EDC for days/weeks at a time without firing it, weaken the spring at all? Is compressing it over time a negative factor?
3-Pistol carry case recommendations. Looking for a waterproof hard case (maybe look at a soft type?) model to carry two guns, multiple mags, ammo. What type of padding/lining is best? closed cell? what other features should i consider?
A link from one of my searches. Top 10 Best Pistol Cases/Locks Of 2020 Reviewed
thanks in advance.

My baby, lol.

 

[IPSC_DRL]

1. Great!
2. No. Compressed springs don't wear, compressing/decompressing is what wears them. No worries.
3. Buy a bigger one than you now think you will need.


Welcome.

 

[Sparkey]

what do you have for carry ammo?looks like FMJ's in the mag

 

[Stainless 14]

what do you have for carry ammo?looks like FMJ's in the mag

Hi Sparkey...I currently have Fiocchi 95 gr. FMJ in the mag...my gun is a S&W M&P Shield EZ .380

 

[kerryman71]

You should use hollow points for carry ammo.

 

[Stainless 14]

1. Great!
2. No. Compressed springs don't wear, compressing/decompressing is what wears them. No worries.
3. Buy a bigger one than you now think you will need.


Welcome.

thanks for the welcome. The case...ok, i'll go bigger, lol. But...any model/make recommendations...what do you have and why?

 

[Stainless 14]

You should use hollow points for carry ammo.

why is that?

 

[SDG]

You should use hollow points for carry ammo.

Debatable in 380. However I imagine the option isn’t really on the table at this point. 380 HP seem harder to come by then most.

 

[Stainless 14]

Debatable in 380. However I imagine the option isn’t really on the table at this point. 380 HP seem harder to come by then most.

Hi Robin...Aside from being less available on the market, why do you think HP is debatable in a 380? Wouldn't HP be more effective than FMJ in any caliber?

 

[SDG]

penetration is your first need. Then expansion. This is where the FMJ is your friend. 380 often doesnt have great expansion though with the longer barrel of the EZ you should have better luck than most. Paul Harrel has a pretty good video series on YouTube on the subject. When I carry 380 it’s usually with a solid tip like Underwood extreme penetrators or similar. Hornady flex tip would be my one exception. Otherwise FMJ is fine.

 

[Stainless 14]

penetration is your first need. Then expansion. This is where the FMJ is your friend. 380 often doesnt have great expansion though with the longer barrel of the EZ you should have better luck than most. Paul Harrel has a pretty good video series on YouTube on the subject. When I carry 380 it’s usually with a solid tip like Underwood extreme penetrators or similar. Hornady flex tip would be my one exception. Otherwise FMJ is fine.

thanks for the advice, Robin. i'll definitely look at the vids. four seasons has a couple of brands for the 380 HP...winchester and elite performance.

 

[kerryman71]

Check out as much testing as you can on your carry ammo. Lucky Gunner usually had some pretty good testing that they did for each caliber. I'd look into Speer Gold Dot if you can. I understand ammo is limited right now, so carry whatever you can.

Certain caliber handguns weren't seriously considered as self defense weapons until the ballistic improvements of hollow point ammo in their respective caliber took place.

 

[kerryman71]

Also, just a note, I don't own a 380. Just offering some advice and certainly not trying to downplay anyone else's advice or get into a caliber debate

I have heard some people who carry 380s use FMJ in the colder weather due to heavier clothing, and go to HP in the warmer weather. Could be BS, I don't know.

Good luck with your firearm and train as much as possible with it.

 

[AHM]

I have heard some people who carry 380s use FMJ in the colder weather due to heavier clothing, and go to HP in the warmer weather. Could be BS, I don't know.

We've got a Very Nice Chinese cookbook that says it's traditional
to make Hot and Sour Soup more sour in the summer and spicy in the winter.

So it's plausible.

 

[appraiser]

why is that?

I may get flamed for this, but even with improvements to .380 ammo, in the Northeast, especially in the winter when people are wearing multiple layers of clothing, the .380 that is IMHO a tad under performing to start with is hampered by the extra layers of clothing so a JHP is warranted to ensure it does the most amount of damage to the area it hits.

In Florida and Arizona, the .380 is widely carried and loved, but they are not usually bundled up like you are in the Northeast.

The .380 may be the gun for you, it is better to have a gun you hit with than one you miss with, but I would seriously consider upping the type of ammo you carry for defensive purposes to be one you can count on to do the job with the least amount of shots.

 

[jkelly1229]

Hi Robin...Aside from being less available on the market, why do you think HP is debatable in a 380? Wouldn't HP be more effective than FMJ in any caliber?

The theory is that 380 hollow point ammo expands and dumps its energy too quickly not penetrating bones or deep enough in a human.

Ball ammo should penitrate deeper.

Do your own research on this. I carry a full size 9 for a different reason... I like big guns and extra ammo.

But you should carry hollow points in 9mm and above. They expand and transfer all energy into whats being shot and create larger permanent wound channels. Remember your not 1 shot stopping someone... as awful as it sounds your trying to create enough pain to incapacitate them until they bleed out.


One other anecdote on the topic a former boss of mine shot himself with a bodyguard in the hand... 380 jhp qt point blank... it got stuck in his middle knuckle

 

[weekendracer]

Hi guys. first off, I hope you all enjoyed your holidays and I wish you all a happy new year. anything will be better than 2020.
I also want to say thanks for all the holster recommendations, pros/cons, etc. in selecting my 1st. They were a great help.

1-ok, i decided to go with the UrbanCarry Leather Lock OWB. After following the instructions to place the gun in the holster and leave in overnight to break in the holster a bit, I wore it most of the day. It's comfy as hell after sitting in a chair, couch, in the car, walking around. No complaints. Sure, i know it's there, but that's as it ideally should be. it being leather, time will tell how it "performs" in comfort, drawing, and re-holstering.
2-Loading the magazine and leaving it that way over time. Does keeping bullets in your EDC for days/weeks at a time without firing it, weaken the spring at all? Is compressing it over time a negative factor?
3-Pistol carry case recommendations. Looking for a waterproof hard case (maybe look at a soft type?) model to carry two guns, multiple mags, ammo. What type of padding/lining is best? closed cell? what other features should i consider?
A link from one of my searches. Top 10 Best Pistol Cases/Locks Of 2020 Reviewed
thanks in advance.

My baby, lol. View attachment 428742

Looks like a decent holster.

If it makes you feel better, my 'first' holster was one of those 'fits large frame handgun' nylon types (that should be outlawed). I didn't know any better and at least I didn't CCW it.

Yes, I wish I could undo that. It's a stain on my man card and firearm owner's card.

 

[straightshooterjake]

Everyone who expects a certain level of performance from their ammunition should spend some time reading up on the subject. This is especially important for defensive ammunition in calibers .38 special and smaller.

For example, based on my own research, I am puzzled by some of the discussions of winter clothing in this thread. The primary reason that heavy clothing is included in ballistic testing is because clothing can plug up some hollowpoints, and cause them not to expand. This effect can greatly decrease the effectiveness of more powerful pistol cartridges. It may also result in very increased and excessive penetration, but with a needle like hole through ballistic gel, and a minimal wound channel. Note that this small hole may be the best you can get with lower powered cartridges, and it still beats a failure to penetrate.

There is video of a test with a heavy Carhardt jacket folded over 4 times, so that the jacket is 8 layers thick, and then shot with a .32 ACP FMJ. All 8 layers were easily penetrated by the little .32, which still got good penetration in the gel behind. Those Carhardt jackets are about as thick as clothing gets, so as a general rule, I assume that the protective armor effect of clothing is minimal. But anyone who does their own research can, and should, form their own opinion.

 

[chris_1001]

I remember in the 80’s it was common to load 3-4 hollow points then fill the rest with ball ammo.

thinking was if the first shots did not do it, then you needed to penetrate cover as it was at that point a full on gun fight.

I don’t disagree...

 

[Buck F]

I remember in the 80’s it was common to load 3-4 hollow points then fill the rest with ball ammo.

thinking was if the first shots did not do it, then you needed to penetrate cover as it was at that point a full on gun fight.

I don’t disagree...

That’s not the dumbest thing I have ever read

 

[chris_1001]

That’s not the dumbest thing I have ever read

ESP if you think of the average gun fight being 3 shots at 3 yards and
3 seconds... if you need a 4th...

 

[Sterg]

Here’s a really interesting concept for ammunition. Funny, it’s hard to find this on YouTube. Larry Seecamp had partnered with someone and put a patent on the bullets.

View: https://youtu.be/rbG7mQ7QMSY

 

[paul73]

That’s not the dumbest thing I have ever read

In a carry gun you got to have as many hollow points as many the magazine fits.
Unless you are a suicidal pacifist and load your EDC with all blanks.

 

[SS1]

Nice video, There is a video some where it shows the fmj, hollow point, and wad cutter comparison and the wadcutter had a better performance than the FMJ

 

[paul73]

Nice video, There is a video some where it shows the fmj, hollow point, and wad cutter comparison and the wadcutter had a better performance than the FMJ

And even a better performance is a war cry of a pure rage, one that terrifies the enemies and makes them deeply ashamed of their evil means.

 

[Hogie1]

Check out Harbor Freight (look for their additional coupons online) for knock off Pelican type cases for really good prices. I've bought 3 different sized ones from there, all good for my needs.

 

[Buck F]

In a carry gun you got to have as many hollow points as many the magazine fits.
Unless you are a suicidal pacifist and load your EDC with all blanks.

Ball ammo is quite a bit more effective than blanks and in some cases more so than hollow points too.

 

[Stainless 14]

Check out Harbor Freight (look for their additional coupons online) for knock off Pelican type cases for really good prices. I've bought 3 different sized ones from there, all good for my needs.

Thanks, Hogie1. I'll look into them.

 

[SDG]

I remember in the 80’s it was common to load 3-4 hollow points then fill the rest with ball ammo.

thinking was if the first shots did not do it, then you needed to penetrate cover as it was at that point a full on gun fight.

I don’t disagree...

This is actually still the “official” recommendation on the Buffalo bore website.

 

[paul73]

Ball ammo is quite a bit more effective than blanks and in some cases more so than hollow points too.

Ball ammo has no place in a defensive firearm.