what is the best 380 auto pistol out there?

[littlecars]

+1 on the bersa thunder. I would not spend a bunch of money until I shoot a bersa. They are much less expensive and IMO just as good.

 

[Silverbullet-2]

I love Sigs, But I don't know if the new P238 is the BEST. I love the Sig 232! Great little gun. Whoops the Interarms/Walther PPK. Way better gun for less money.
The best 380 is the one you have when you need it!
Mine is a 3AT.
JPG

 

[brickman]

I have shot a Bersa and a LCP. I own the Taurus 738, Sig P238, and S&W BodyGaurd. I rate them in the following order: P238, Bodygaurd, Taurus 738, Ruger and the Bersa is too big to be a pocket pistol. If your going that big, carry a 9.

 

[2506]

+1 for the Bersa Thunder. The wife has a CC which is matte black, and it cost $279 at the Portland gun show. You can pay twice as much for a Diamondback or a PPK/S and get a gorgeous piece of craftsmanship that's "finicky." The heck with that stuff, I'll take high reliability over high tech any day of the week.

One other thing: The Kahrs are great guns, but they're DAO. The Bersa and Sig are single/double.

I'll agree with the Bersa. I think I paid $270 out the door and this little pea-shooter has yet to hiccup. Fun to shoot, easy to operate ( I'm a lefty) and goes right in my pocket. I like the idea of a pocket-rocket that's relatively inexpensive, seeing as how I sit on it, mix it with keys, coins, pocketknives, etc.

 

[guitarguy]

I have tried Kel Tek, Walther PPK, Makarov, Colt 380 Government, Bersa Thunder and others. I settled on a CZ 83, all steel and 12+1 capacity in 380 acp.
Not cheap but less than a Sig P238, a little heavy but that keeps the recoil down, very accurate and reliable.
Just something else to consider.

I just bought a Sig P238 and I LOVE it!. 4/18/14

 

[Dave Workman]

Walther PPK...in a Berns Martin triple draw holster.

Well, at least Ian Fleming thought the holster was okay...not bad for a rig that never existed.




But I do have an affinity toward the PPK. Maybe if I carry it in a blue-and-tan chamois shoulder holster, I'll get to hobnob with international gangsters, girls named Jill Masterson, Tatiana Romanova and Pussy Galore

...and then again, probably not...

 

[oasis618]

If I had to buy a .380 I would go with a Bersa Thunder.

 

[Crispy]

I really like my Ruger LCP... I have put 600+ rnds through it (200 first outing to break it in) and have found it completely reliable, reasonably accurate, bearable to shoot, and like alot of .380s it fits in my pocket.

 

[pokerace]

The little colt mustang. shoots good small light.

agreed

If I carry a 380 that is what I carry.

 

[davidgpo]

This is off topic as these are not .380's but take a look at the CZ83, CZ82 and Makarov. 9mm Mak is as good a round as the .380. Guns are inexpensive and reliable.

 

[raftman]

Yep. If you're not going for pocket-sized... the 9mm Makarov-chambered pistols are an excellent option. They are generally inexpensive, reliable, relatively accurate, and well-made. Plus the Mak round is considerably less expensive than .380 and a little more potent.

If you want a pocket-sized .380... I'd say the Sig P238. My girl has one and it's basically perfection in a tiny package.

 

[MountainBear]

The Mak are okay guns, but 9x18 Mak is actually harder to find around here than .380 or 9mm...

 

[sports-shooter]

I like the PK380 a lot, even though I am not a big fan of the 380 ACP.

Btw, I believe that your backup pistol should be the same caliber as your main pistol. But that's just me.

 

[hjohnsonjr]

I asked the same question sometime back. After research, I honed in on the Bersa Thunder 380CC. I also wanted an all metal frame, not polymer.....just because. Bought one and have put several boxes through it. So far, no hang ups, good accuracy and it fits my hand (hand size is 10 - large). It is the only smaller grip equpped hand gun that worked for me. If you check around, the sales people almost always get it mixed up with the straight up Bersa Thunder 380. I had a real hard time finding one in the Northwest.

 

[RobertJ.]

This is off topic as these are not .380's but take a look at the CZ83, CZ82 and Makarov. 9mm Mak is as good a round as the .380. Guns are inexpensive and reliable.

Actually, the Makarov is also made in .380, not just 9x18. I have a Russian model, in .380, with adjustable sights. It will feed any type of ammo I put through it, and it makes one ragged hole in the target at 10 yards. And it's heavy enough to use as a weapon when empty. You can still find them under $300, and in my opinion, are the best .380 for the money.

 

[bmont]

Save your money and get at least a 9mm. Many excellent compacts on the market today.
The 380 will just piss off the tweaker.

If you carry a .380 for a truly face to face gun, it will do just fine and drop a tweaker at close range.I would only pull mine at FTF anyway.I agree that a nine would be better but My LCP is so easy to carry and conceal

 

[raftman]

If you carry a .380 for a truly face to face gun, it will do just fine and drop a tweaker at close range.I would only pull mine at FTF anyway.I agree that a nine would be better but My LCP is so easy to carry and conceal

Yep.

Dunno of the burglar in this case was a tweaker, but he did drop dead with one shot to the chest with a .380.

UPDATE: Burglary suspect shot dead by Superior Court judge

20-year-old John Howard was killed by one shot from the judge's pistol.
...

Sheriff Strength says the judge heard voices and then saw Howard coming down the stairs wearing a bandanna over his face and socks over his hands. That's when the judge pulled the trigger on his 380 semi-automatic pistol, shooting Howard in the chest.

 

[enildeR]

+1 for the Khar P380. Use only Powerball or Hornandy critical defense cartridges. Anyone that speaks poorly of .380 is woefully ignorant of advances in modern ammunition available in said caliber. The 380 is for my wife's concealed carry, and I have the PM9 for mine.

 

[Dizle]

thank u guys for all the input!!

 

[Dave Workman]

It was fun, speaking for myself.
More typically do I find myself mired in gun politics so it's kind of a novelty to talk purely about guns, even tongue-in-cheek as I did with the 007 reference.

But I like the PPK, even though I found Ruger's LCP to be remarkably accurate out to 25 yards during a test I did last year.