.380 Owners......

Hidalgo

Hidalgo

Well-known member
My wife has the hots for a .380 after shooting one that belongs to a friend of hers. The one in question was a Bersa Thunder. From what I can gather...these little pistols are sorta hit-and-miss in quality as I have read a few bad reviews.

Does anyone own a .380 that they would suggest as a reliable purse gun for her?

I know the argument about it being marginal for a SD round...but I'd much rather her have a weapon that she is comfortable with and can shoot well. I bought her a 9mm but she just never took to it very well.

I'd LOVE to find an old Colt .380, but they're now priced WAY beyond what I would consider "reasonable"..... /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/wink.gif
 
Hey Higgy...

I have a stainless Walther PPK in .380 that I carry in my jeans pocket in the summer - they are now made by S&W (so I am told).

Single and double action.

Good pistol, and pretty too.

.



Very reliable.
 
I just read something about a brand new one to the market that everyone's hot about, just can't remember who makes it! Taurus maybe???

Anyway, I've got the Kel-Tec. Simple, light, tiny, and carries 7 opportunities to end a criminals career.

I've put maybe 100 rounds of hardball and 30 rounds of premium defense ammo through it. She had a few failures breaking in (stovepipes), but after shooting it a bunch more and cleaning it well, there have been no issues since.
 
I agree with CS....the PPK is an excellent 380.

Another option might be the Beretta 80 series also known as the Cheeta. The Model 85 has a single stack magazine (8 rounds IIRC) and has a fairly slim grip while the Model 84 has a double stack magazine (13 capacity) and is more of a handfull.. But both Models are very well made reliable pistols...

JMO - BCB
 
Do you have a price range? Might I suggest one of these:

http://www.kahr.com/PA-1_380_p.html


...or step up to a 9mm.

http://www.kahr.com/PA-1_9mm_cw.html

I carry the P40

gun7rp3.jpg
 
I carried a Colt Gov 380 which was ok to carry but the trigger pull must of been about 14 pounds. You had to squeeze so hard that you could not have hit a car at 25 feet.
 
You can get the Hungarian PA-63, which is a knock off of the PPK, for $130. Sometimes they go on sale for $99. It comes with a leather holster and two magazines. The chambering is 9mm Makarov, which is tad more powerful than the .380 but under the 9mm Para.

SOG currently has the PA-63 chambered in 32ACP on sale for $99.

Keep in mind these are military surplus. Mechanically they are excellent to like new. Cosmetically they have a little wear on the edge due to drawing in and out of leather holsters they come with.
 
Fellows, thanks for all of the info and suggestions. Me & Momma are off to the gun shop this afternoon to see if we can get her fixed up. /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/wink.gif
 
Quote:
Fellows, thanks for all of the info and suggestions. Me & Momma are off to the gun shop this afternoon to see if we can get her fixed up. /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/wink.gif



Only problem now is...

"....still able to chase my wife around the house /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/wink.gif "

... now she's armed and dangerous and she can shoot back /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/smile.gif


.
 
Quote:
Quote:
Fellows, thanks for all of the info and suggestions. Me & Momma are off to the gun shop this afternoon to see if we can get her fixed up. /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/wink.gif



Only problem now is...

"....still able to chase my wife around the house /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/wink.gif "

... now she's armed and dangerous and she can shoot back /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/smile.gif


.


She's not at all worried about me chasing her....she knows that I'm UNARMED too. /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/laugh.gif /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/smiliesmack.gif /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/blush.gif
 
I would give the Kahr a serious look. I have two Kahr K9's and if the .380 version is of the same quality then it should be a winner.

I have had bad experiences with the Walther PP series guns. They use to be issue for a large state agency here as an undercover/back-up gun. I've had several and found reliability to be sketchy and inconsistent and the triggers to be heavy and with a hitch in their get-a-long. Sights are pretty small too, though that may not be a big deal considering the role of this gun most often. I refused to carry one on an assignment and chose instead a good old S&W .38 Special snubbie. I wasn't supposed to have a "cop’s gun" but I felt the S&W snubbie to be common enough that I could explain it away as a pawn shop buy. Mine was a beat up blue M36 and made me much more comfortable than the hit and miss Walther.

I currently have a Ruger LCP, which is at Ruger right now for the retro fit safety recall. It is too small for a primary self defense gun unless there is no other way to carry except in deep concealment. My dad has a Beretta .380 and it is really an excellent gun. My only objection to the Beretta is the size. In today’s market you can get a 9mm in the same size package and have a big step up in power. I use the Buffalo Bore 90 gr. Speer Gold Dot which is supposed to give 1,000 fps from the teeny LCP and Kel-Tec barrels.
 
Steve, You might want to look at the Sig 230 or 232 (stainless)
SigP-230.jpg


I switched over to the Sig from a Walther PPKS after being 'bitten' in the web of my thumb/forefinger so many times while carrying it off duty and having to qualify/practice with it...

The Sig has a natural point for me and IMHO, a better trigger pull than the Walther...

Good Luck in your search... There are some potent .380 loads out on the market these days...
 
Quote:
Steve, You might want to look at the Sig 230 or 232 (stainless)
SigP-230.jpg





BILL...I hate to tell you this, but when Sallye saw the pic of your pistol she said" "OHHHHHHH...that pistol is CUTE!" /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/grin.gif

Sorry about that Buddy. /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/laugh.gif
 
I carry the LCP also, which complements my G27. My LCP has been back to Ruger for the recall. The trigger has improved since it has come back from the factory. My gun had no problems before I sent it back to them, by the way.

Now that Ruger has worked the bugs out of it, the LCP might not be a bad choice.

Good luck.
 
I have a Sig 230 and it is a great gun. My wife thinks it has harsh recoil though, though I have never been able to figure out why. See if you can shoot before buying.
 
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