Semi Auto vs Wheel

[Hot Wing]

I know this is red hot but, here is my deal. I own wheels and semi's
I was at range today with my PT .380 It is about a year old & has less than 400 rounds through it.
It has been flawless through today. The 1st round today at the range was a FTE and I cleared it and then I had a weak round and another FTE.
I had 3 problems with first my full mag (7 rounds) after that it was flawless.
As we alll know it has been a problem finding .380
This gun has been running any thing I can find. This has been my very 1st problem and I now its not the gun.
Its an ammo problem. Is the fix to use a quality new round?
I went to Dicks Sports today and got some winchester PD1
Here is my deal with my job (Retail) I need my firearm to function flawlessly if needed.
Will this help or should I carry 442 only full time at work?

[DefensiveCarry.com]

[joker1]

Revolvers are pretty damn reliable, and .38 spl definately a better SD round than .380.

[Rollo]

Is this the first time you used that type of ammo?

[Hot Wing]

Is this the first time you used that type of ammo?

I have not run the Pd1 threw yet.

I have only run the re loads .380 for the last year or so

[los]

Carry a dependable/reliable weapon, always.

[Rollo]

I have not run the Pd1 threw yet.

I have only run the re loads .380 for the last year or so

If this is the first time you have used that specific ammo theres a good chance your gun just doesn't like it. That being said I would probably carry the wheel gun as I think .38 is a better round then the .380.

[Arko]

As said, it could just be picky. Start with the obvious. Detail strip, inspect, clean, re-lube, try new ammo.

Baring that, go with the wheelie and a speed loader. No shame in a revolver, ever!

[Freedomofchoice]

I would have to agree with Joker here. I would carry the 38 snubby, and use the 380 also as a backup just in case 5 rounds aren't enough.

[1 old 0311]

This is why I carry a wheel gun. Pistols USUALLY work, Revolvers ALWATS do.

[Rollo]

This is why I carry a wheel gun. Pistols USUALLY work, Revolvers ALWATS do.

Simply not true.

Edit - And a dangerous mindset as well.

[Jesters Dead]

IMO, I would carry a j-frame over the .380 any day. If you have a FTF on your 442, just pull the trigger again. An FTF in a bottom feeder requires you rack the slide to clear the problem. It sounds like your PT doesn't jive with this particular ammo.

Plus, the .38 is a better man-stopping round than the .380 is.

Regardless of which you carry, make sure you've fired your SD ammo through that gun. You MUST be able to control the gun and get back on target quickly and your SD ammo must feed properly.

[MgoBlue]

You'll get more advice to go with a snubbie . . . I'd advise you to heed it! That said, perhaps what you are dealing with in regards to your .380 pistol is a weakening recoil spring. Smaller handguns burn through their springs at a faster clip. Go back to some .380 ammo that has worked in the past and see if you continue to get FTEs. If so, you likely will need to replace the spring.

Still, I really like having a j-frame as my pocket/easy to grab gun. Throw a strip of ammo in your pocket and you've got 10 rounds of either .38spl or .357mag ready to go!

Good luck with getting your pistol back up to speed!

[LoveLeather]

I'd go and do with the 442...about the only thing that will take it out of the fight is a high primer...and you can check that before carrying with a simple cylinder rotation. BTW, I love autos..I just hate small ones...:)

[gottabkiddin]

Honestly sounds like a ammo problem to me, but one can never really know.

As far as wheel vs semi, shear logic has to fall to the wheel as far as reliability. It has happened before though, so it's not 100%, but pretty darn close I'd say.

My personal preference is the semi over the wheel gun, but it's mainly due to the quantity of rounds offered by the two form factors. I'll always take two extra rounds in any caliber and faster reloads over the odds of a quality semi going down when you need it most, but YMMV. I do however feel everyone should have at least one in their lineup. I mean heck, a wheel gun is a part of history, I'm gonna get me an old SA six shooter sometime down the road. Not to mention it can be one of the most accurate handguns out there, being single action and a fixed barrel. As to you malfunctions; I'd try a different box of ammo and put another 50 to 100 rounds through it. If you experience no malfunctions, I'd say you're good to go.

Good luck.

GBK

[Old School]

I would have to agree with Joker here. I would carry the 38 snubby, and use the 380 also as a backup just in case 5 rounds aren't enough.

I agree completely here. A BUG is quicker to get into action than to reload the 442. You said you used reloads in the .380. I am not a fan of reloads in a semi-auto though many use them with good results. My question would be how does your factory defensive loads perform ? Good luck.