The reason so many news accounts of self-defense mention pocket-sized pistols is their convenience. A .45 would be better than a .380 but the latter gets carried more, especially by people who don’t dress around the gun. A picket holster under a kimono sash or a tux cummerbund doesn’t print and still provides rapid access.
Small hand on the model. My (same size) LCP is a 1 finger grip gun, with the standard magazine base.
A .380 in a sash or cummerbund is better than a .45 in a safe.