Poll: which .380acp?

[coosbaycreep]

I plan on buying a .380 sometime this week, and wanted advice on which one is best for my needs.

I've got 500+ rounds of reloads to shoot, which is the only reason I'm buying another gun in this caliber. Some of them are lead, so any gun with polygonal rifling is out.

This isn't something that will ever be concealed, so size/weight doesn't matter at all. The only guns in this caliber I've owned was a keltec and hipoint. The hipoint was alright, but ugly....and it's a hipoint. Keltecs are too snappy. Ruger LCPs are out due to recoil too.

I use to have a walther P22 and loved the looks and ergonomics of it, so I'm really thinking about a PK380. Bad thing about them is they're almost $400 from what I've seen, which is pretty much the absolute limit for what I will pay for a gun I'm just going to sell as soon as I finish shooting my reloads in.

The .380 makarovs seem to be well liked, but most are more than I'm willing to pay, or further away than I'm willing to drive.

I don't know much about TCPs, S&W bodyguards, or bersas, but I've read mixed reviews about all three of them.

Sigs and berettas are way out of my price range.

That's pretty much all the .380 pistols I know of that are readily available and in my price range.

So, which one of these guns do you think is the softest recoiling, most reliable, most fun to shoot, and the one that will sell the quickest and hold it's value the best?

Also, if anyone is selling a .380 for a decent price, I'm willing to drive anywhere between Eugene and Grants Pass for the right deal.

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[Nutty4Guns]

If you are just getting rid of some ammo, get the Hi Point. IMO

 

[FullCaliberII]

Ruger LCP! Only .380 I own, never had a problem.

 

[PlayboyPenguin]

I have seen SIG P230's sell for round $400 every now and then.

 

[Wood Worker]

Nothing wrong with a Bersa Thunder.
I like mine alot and will keep shooting it till I can no longer find ammo for it.
With a small Hogue grip sleeve, I find it pretty easy to keep the sights aligned under rapid fire.
Also, I have not found my thunder to be finicky with what it will eat.

 

[Burt Gummer]

Ruger LCP. Underrated. Always goes bang, simple to clean, light, accurate out to 25 yards, fun. Buffalo Bore ammo + LCP = lethal and reliable little gun. Add a shoot-through wallet and it is a hard-to-beat carry gun.

Concealed Carry Shoot-Through Wallet Holster for KelTec Ruger LCP - YouTube

 

[CCGC]

The softest shooting 380 I've found is the Walther PK380 (less recoil than the Bersa). The snappiest is the Ruger LCP. But, I just can't hold some of these little things in my big hand. As an example, I can manage to get only a single finger around the grip of a Ruger. That may be why I think it is so snappy - I just can't get a good hold of it. Your mileage will vary!!! Try them out at a range!

A Desert Eagle fits me juuuuust fine!

 

[cotillion]

I had a Taurus TCP but decided to go up in size. I loved it though. Very little recoil and accurate at short distances

 

[oasis618]

I've never owned a .380 but if I were in the market I'd take a good look at the Bersa. It's small enough to conceal easily but still gives you enough to hold on to to keep recoil under control. And best of all, it's cheap!

 

[CatCow]

Sig P238 FTW! Very comfortable to shoot(I got rid of my Keltec pistols because they were painful to shoot more than a mag or two), decent sights, looks sexy... What more could you want? And the long proven basic design of the old Colt Mustang and the lovely 1911-ish ergonomics.

 

[nitestocker]

ive shot the taurus have owened the ruger the taurus is ok to shoot +p not the ruger i have the kahr p380 now and love it

 

[Izzy]

My two favorite pistols in 380 (That I have fired) are the Walther PPK & the AMT Backup!
I own the AMT, & am going to buy the Walther!

 

[coosbaycreep]

Thanks for the replies, but I was hoping a poll would have a clear cut winner that would help narrow down my choices.

If I don't find a good deal on a used gun, I'll probably just buy a hi-point if I cheap out, or whatever the gun shop has the best deal on. If the walthers were cheaper though, I wouldn't even consider anything else, but they're overpriced for what they are.

 

[chunkeymonkey66]

<broken link removed> Try this guy. Cant beat a sig p238. Price might surprise you. You get what you pay for btw.

 

[supergenius]

TCP s can be had for 220 NEW. LOVE mine. Ive had a Keltec P3at (same as the damn ruger). Hated it. TCP is much nicer to shoot and accurate to boot.

 

[chunkeymonkey66]

BTW DONT BUY a HIPOINT. They arent worth it at ANY price.

 

[grouser]

Sig P238. Amazing little gun and very comfortable to shoot even with my big hands. I passed along my PPK after a range session with the 238. It's so small and light I don't even feel it on my belt. Got it for $500 at the last WAC show.

G

 

[stmcelroy]

If concealment is not an issue, then I would get either a Sig P232 or Walther PPk. Might as well get one of the quality .380's on the market.

 

[Jasonsan]

Throwing my vote for the Ruger in the hat as well.

 

[coosbaycreep]

I went ahead and got the PK380. It was $399, which is more than I wanted to spend, but I like the looks and feel of it more than the other .380s.

Put about 120rds through it on the way home, and had no malfunctions with a mixture of reloads (90gr XTP and 95gr LRN). It's reasonably accurate, much lighter recoil than a keltec (although still a little snappier than I was expecting), and other than the fact that it throws the brass all over the place and I'll lose more money on it when I go to resell it than I would have if I had bought a used gun, I'm glad I got it.

It only came with one mag too, which is lame.