JavaScript is disabled
Our website requires JavaScript to function properly. For a better experience, please enable JavaScript in your browser settings before proceeding.

Best .380?

  • hi-point

    Votes: 4 2.0%
  • taurus TCP

    Votes: 11 5.6%
  • bersa thunder

    Votes: 31 15.7%
  • walther PK380

    Votes: 18 9.1%
  • S&W bodyguard

    Votes: 24 12.2%
  • other (please list)

    Votes: 109 55.3%

  • Total voters
    197
I gotta vote for the Kel-Tec P3AT. The newer ones are very reliable and extremely light. If you add tractiongrips, they are very comfortable too. Just make sure when you buy one that it has the newer extractor setup.
Hi-point, no way, too bulky.
TCP, No thank you, square front of the grip is uncomfortable. I wanted this one, I am 50/50 on the LRHO feature.
Bersa- would be my 3rd chouce, but would go for the older model 83 w/wood grips
PK380-never held one, so I dunno...
Bodyguard, umm, no... too much going on in a .380
LCP..... would be my 2nd choice... had one for awhile, but the P3AT won out with tractiongrips.
Sig 232... I miss this gun!... but I have 9mm's the same size or smaller.
I also understand the Kahr is very nice.

All I require in a .380 is bang every time, I don't want anything fancy. Sure there are NICER guns out there that have a premium cost... but my .380 is never EVER seen by anyone, EVER. it's a suprise!. So that in mind I get the cheapest, toughest, most effective gun I can. I'd hate to buy a higher end gun and it just sits in it's spot forever. I'll stick with the combo I trust that costs about $225 including ammo for the .380 BUG, and save the money for big boy toys.....
 
I have the sig 238, it's the colt mustang done right. It's an easy carry, looks great, good sights, well tested platform. Not as light as the LCP but I like shooting it better as the extra weight improves it as a shooter.

I've had the Bersa thunder, which I really liked until the sights started coming apart. It was a fun shooter till then. Very accurate.
I should get the similar walther or sig 232.
 
I had one of the colt mustang originals, the sights are far inferior to the Sig. The colt is a minimalist with sights. This may be good for pocket carry, but if you want to be able to aim after you pull it out, go with the Sig.

Other than that the ergonomics and operation were the same.
 
I think the first qeustion is not about caliber. Its a question of does a Guy want a pocket pistol meant to fire at point blank or does a Guy want a larger but still small carry that can be aimed.

I have both. I have a good traditional blowback pocket gun and a sig 230. I'd much rather carry the larger sign that drives tacks at 21 feet but its not always practical.
 
I have a Colt Government that I used to pocket carry but I never felt confident in it's safety enough to carry cocked n locked so I no longer carry it. One day I will send it off for some custom work, front nite sight, fixed safety, ceracote. We are about to get into LCPs for BUGs/boot guns and from all I have read they are the ticket for discreet pocket carry

I reload .380 and have a .380 suitable bullet mold, too. I would never carry one as a primary but they make an OK last ditch BUG
 
Try to find a CZ 83 in .380. They should run you between $225.00 and $400.00. J&G Sales is listing some surplus ones for $239.95 right now. I have a CZ82, the same pistol in 9X18 Mak, and it is very comfortable and fun to shoot. I don't know about resale value, but, since it's surplus, I would think you could sell it for close to what you paid.

Of the pistols you listed in your OP, I've owned a Bersa Thunder and currently own a S&W Bodyguard. The Bersa had really good ergonomics but I couldn't get it to run reliably. The S&W is dead reliable, but not a lot of fun to shoot.

CDNN has the 9 x 18 CZ 82 right now for $180 but they are near sold out. Hi Point should not even be in this poll, they are paperweights
 
9x18 pistols, such as a cz82, are a different story altogether. The PM Makarov pistols rank with 1911s as one of the best most reliable pistols ever created. They are similar size as a Walther PP or P232.

However cz83 is a fine shooting 380acp pistol.

Sent from my LG-E739 using Tapatalk
 
Waste of zinc? You mean the CZ83? I'm not a big fan of them but their track record speaks for itself. The HiPoint on the otherhand isn't worth the cost to pay for a background check...

Sent from my LG-E739 using Tapatalk
 
Waste of zinc? You mean the CZ83? I'm not a big fan of them but their track record speaks for itself. The HiPoint on the otherhand isn't worth the cost to pay for a background check...

Sent from my LG-E739 using Tapatalk

No, Hi Point. CZ makes great weapons and they are not zinc
 

Upcoming Events

Centralia Gun Show
Centralia, WA
Klamath Falls gun show
Klamath Falls, OR
Oregon Arms Collectors April 2024 Gun Show
Portland, OR
Albany Gun Show
Albany, OR

New Resource Reviews

New Classified Ads

Back Top