.380 pistol

[Charliehorse]

Colt or go home.

I prefer the Government Model 380 ACP (mid 80's-90's),


but the current Mustang is fine too.

 

[Sgt Nambu]

I carry my LCP when I need deep concealment. In a pocket holster or my SHTF brand IWB holster it just disappears. It's perfectly reliable, if a bit stiff to shoot. It has a LazerMax and I carry two spare mag's. I'm pretty fond of it. I also own an old AMT .380, single action. It feels like a brick compared to the LPC!

PS: With that said, I'm much more comfortable packing a 9mm!

 

[Kruel J]

Another vote for the G42. I really like mine. Although its going to the wife and I'm upgrading to a G43 for deep conceal and my G19 for jacket weather.

 

[jrprich]

I had a nice Sig 238 for a year or so. Easy to shoot and accurate. But I sold it and bought a Sig 938 in 9mm. Also easy to shoot and accurate. But I find I carry my Ruger LCP more as it is so much lighter and thinner. As to the stiff trigger several mention, try using a RTK trigger along with a Galloway Precision SS guide rod and their 13lb recoil springs. This combo gives my LCP a very smooth 7lb. trigger. I also mounted a Crimsontrace laser which really improves shot placement.

 

[Flopsweat]

Necropost

if anyone is in the market for a 380 Pocket pistol, I complied all of the stats to help you make a decision

http://tincanbandit.blogspot.com/2014/01/pocket-380-pistols.html

Nice write up. I have handled the Beretta, the Sig and the Colt Mustang. I've shot the Ruger, the S&W, and the Kahr. I own the Kel-Tek. Here's what I learned:

Handled:
The Beretta was a bitter disappointment. When I picked it up and tried to rack the slide, the combination of a strong main spring and shallow grooves on the slide made it slip from my hand (the slide, not the gun). I tried it again and got it fully back only with a lot of effort. That was enough for me and I handed it back to the salesman.

The Sig felt just like a Sig only smaller. Solid weight, build quality seemed good. Nothing fancy but I expect it to run well.

The Mustang felt very well made. All of the controls felt great. If I didn't already have a pocket gun, this one would have been in the running. I really want to shoot this one and the Sig.

Shot:
The Ruger ran great and felt good in my hand but I didn't shoot good groups with it. I don't recall the numbers, but I remember that it was not as good as I wanted. Maybe I was having a bad day. I really wanted to like the gun. Still kind of do.

The Smith & Wesson ran well, felt very comfortable in my hand and I shot it very well. It had good sights on it. The trigger felt a little odd but broke cleanly. This is another one that would have made the short list if I were in the market.

The Kahr was exactly like every other Kahr I've every shot - not the prettiest gal at the party but boy can she dance.

Also I should mention that all three of these guns cycled every round, although I only put a few through the Ruger.

Own:
The Kel-Tek had a few FTEs for the first couple hundred rounds just like they tell you to expect on the Kel-Tek forum. Once broken in it started running great, so I started feeding it every off brand of .380 I could find (you could find a lot back then). It ate everything and never set a foot wrong. Even so, the sights are really low-profile and frankly not all that easy to use. And the grip is really short like a lot of pocket guns. So I put a Crimson Trace laser on it and bought some magazine extensions. Both items improved the gun noticeably. So much so that it is probably my most-used concealed carry gun.

Conclusion:
I would consider any of the guns that I've mentioned above except the Beretta. And for that matter, if you can cycle it comfortably, you may find that you like it just fine. I like Berettas in general. The Mustang and the Bodyguard I'm pretty excited about. The Kel-Tek has proven a solid companion, albeit with a couple hundred dollars worth of accessories on it. My advice is to look over a bunch of guns from TINCANBANDIT's list at a gun counter and then take your three favorite out and shoot them. You'll probably find one that you really like.

 

[Bookmark Man]

The 1,830 fps sounds like RBCD ammo. Last time I tried to get some it seems they are out of business. Anyone know for sure?

 

[albin25]

" When I picked it up and tried to rack the slide, the combination of a strong main spring and shallow grooves on the slide made it slip from my hand (the slide, not the gun). I tried it again and got it fully back only with a lot of effort."

That's odd....
I've never had that particular problem with my Beretta 380

Cheetah mod.86

 

[revjen45]

Post #10: "Bersa makes a superb 380." I noticed this when I was working as a gunsmith. Bersa offers great value for the $.
Post #24: "...Sunday-Go-To-Meeting Gentleman's Carry Gun", a Colt's Model 1908, factory nickled and engraved." AKA a barbeque gun, i.e an elegant part of one's sartorial suite at an outdoor gathering of fiearms enthusiasts, however far too precious for EDC since if you need to use it you will never see it again.

 

[semperfi68to70]

I own a Smith and Wesson Bodyguard and I really like it. I considered a lot of different factors before purchasing it. I think .380 is an acceptable caliber for self-protection as if it ever becomes necessary we are certainly talking close range. I have run a few boxes of ammo through it and while I wouldn't shoot it a lot for fun, it functions flawlessly and I like the way it feels in my hand. My favorite feature is I can stick it in the front right pocket of my Levis and it is undetectable. I think I paid about $329 brand new at NW Armory and I thought the price was another attractive feature.

 

[edslhead]

I ordered some Buffalo Bore 380 ACP +P 80 Grain Barnes TAC-XP Hollow Point for my Colt. 1200 fps should make the little stinker work.

 

[bzltyr]

Ruger LCP if i was carrying one. great pocket gun, great when wearing shorts. Ill stick with my G43

 

[fxdc]

My other half rented a bunch of 380 guns at a indoor range in eugene.

She prefers 1911's so she narrowed it down to the sig 238 and 938.

Problem was the 238 frame is smaller than the 938 and she would hit the mag release at times and drop the mag.

So the 938 won the shoot off. And she is a happy camper.

 

[Porter]

I carry a Smith and Wesson Bodyguard, absolutely love it. My 2 choices when I was looking for a pocket carry gun were it and the LCP. After firing both the Bodyguard just felt better in my hand. I carry it in a DeSantis pocket shot holster, absolutely looks like your billfold/cell phone in your pocket. Great little gun that gets carried alot.

 

[tac]

I used to carry my dad's Walther PP in .380ACP with what were then SOTA loads - 90gr Winchester Silvertips as my back-up handgun. Thankfully, I never had to use it, but like all of us in the same boat over here, I practised a lot of likely scenarios, particularly dealing with a traffic light/roadblock stop. A Warrant Officer acquaintance of mine was shot dead at a traffic-light stop in Calais, identified by his BFG license plates as likely to be miltary, and murdered by a roaming PIRA 'unit'. The traffic-light stop was a no-brainer, just empty the mag of whatever you had under your thigh at the time through the window, in my case, a Browning P35 with a 20-round mag, and get out of town anywhere you could. A road-block was going to be tricky, though, since they usually took place in the rurals, and the opposition would have Armalites or AKs. In those cases, we usually died.

Thankfully, that never happened to me, either.

Mrs tac was a VERY good shot with that little Walther, and parted our local military police
personnel from many ££££££££ over the years in shoot-out comps - usually on a Wednesday afternoon on the range.

In accordance with the law here in yUK at the time, it had to be handed in on the ban back in 1998, in spite of the fact that when I whenever I went back to Ireland I got issued with my usual Browning, a HK MP5K and a Walther in .32ACP as a back-up gun.....even in 1998 after the so-called 'Good Friday Agreement' had been in place for three years.

I had it deactivated instead, and sold it last year to a collector of rare handguns, since that is what it actually was - a Vienna Police special-branch issue with its matching stamped holster - I got just under $4000 for it.

Pics on request.

tac

 

[Oregonhunter5]

I have a bunch of .380's.
But I wish I had a bunch of Kimber solos instead. Or the micro 1911. The 9mm is just better.

 

[Slobray]

Colt or go home. View attachment 262973

I prefer the Government Model 380 ACP (mid 80's-90's),

View attachment 262974
but the current Mustang is fine too.

View attachment 262975

I have the older Mustang also (top pic), never had a problem with it.


Ray

 

[USMC-03]

I'm another Walther fan; my PPK has been a carry go-to for 25+ years. Light, reliable and easy to conceal; it's particularly nice for carry when time for light summer clothing.

 

[fxdc]

Just some personal experience:

I have two Bersa .380's. A Model 83 from the late 1980s (owned since new) and a newer Thunder 380. Neither one has ever had an issue.

I bought the TCP because I liked the ergonomics over the LCP - it just fit my hand better. It had to go back to Taurus for a visit just after purchase (one week turnaround), but has been 100% reliable since. I have two friends w/ LCP's and one had to go back to Ruger (3 week turnaround as I remember) and is still picky on ammo, but the other has run flawlessly (that I know of).

I tend to shoot my 9mm's more (because of cheaper ammo), but still like the size of the .380's. Have fun shopping!

Love the older bersa's. I have the single stack and the high capacity late 80's models.

The bersa was approved by Sparks PD in Nevada as a duty BUG, I picked the S&W 645 as my main sidearm.

And it still remains my favorite 380.

 

[albin25]

I liked my "stainless" Bersa 380 CC in spite of the factory grips. After I found some better grips on eBay ($25)...I now really, really like it!
The new grips are shaped to extend over the pinky extension and have a nice solid feel.
I got lucky on those grips...haven't seen any like them before or since.

 

[Bookmark Man]

This and ammo selection is why I don't see owning another .380.

"Handguns chambered in .380 ACP are small, compact, and generally easy to carry. Unfortunately, testing has shown that they offer inadequate performance for self-defense and for law enforcement use whether on duty as a back-up weapon or for off duty carry. The terminal performance of .380 ACP JHP's is often erratic, with inadequate penetration and inconsistent expansion being common problems, while .380 ACP FMJ's offer adequate penetration, but no expansion. All of the .380 ACP JHP loads we have tested, including CorBon, Hornady, Federal, Remington, Speer, and Winchester exhibited inconsistent, unacceptable terminal performance for law enforcement back-up and off duty self-defense use due to inadequate penetration or inadequate expansion. Stick with FMJ for .380 ACP or better yet, don't use it at all. The use of .380 ACP and smaller caliber weapons is really not recommended for LE use and many savvy agencies prohibit them."

BUG's: .380 ACP vs. .38 Sp