# What is your favorite 380 pistol?



## AdamSmith (Dec 18, 2013)

What is your favorite 380 pistol?

Someday soon I will need to get a 380 pistol to add to my LTC CCW list.

My full sized 45 ACP works fine when I can dress for it (big leather jacket on, large belt and levi's) but it would not go well with a tux and tails. That's when I would need a pocket carry gun.

380 is the smallest size that my State will allow.

So that's why I am asking.

All of my guns (pistols and revolvers) have always been full sized -- the 45 ACP's, the 9mm's, the 44's, and the 357's.

I have virtually no experience with a 380 other than once when a girlfriend asked me to teach her how to shoot the one her dad gave her for protection at home.

Thanks.


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## paratrooper (Feb 1, 2012)

I have two Beretta 84BB's. Very finely crafted handguns with the traditional polished blue finish. Both are 13 rd., so aren't all that concealable. One has smooth walnut grip panels, and the other has checkered walnut panels.


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## Bhoffman (Nov 10, 2013)

My favorite, of the two I have, is My Walther PPK/s.

My Everyday Carry, is My Ruger LCP w/Crimson Trace Laserguard.

The LCP carries easily in my hip pocket in a hip pocket holster. It will carry well in a front pocket or jacket pocket in a pocket holster, or on your ankle in an ankle holster.


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## TAPnRACK (Jan 30, 2013)

Sig Sauer P238.

Small, reliable and easy to control. Accurate and not a pain (literally) to train with like other small firearms. Zero failures so far and it is as easy to conceal as it gets. Pricey but worth every penny.


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## AdamSmith (Dec 18, 2013)

Bhoffman said:


> My favorite, of the two I have, is My Walther PPK/s.
> 
> My Everyday Carry, is My Ruger LCP w/Crimson Trace Laserguard.
> 
> The LCP carries easily in my hip pocket in a hip pocket holster. It will carry well in a front pocket or jacket pocket in a pocket holster, or on your ankle in an ankle holster.


The Walther PPK is probably the state of the art. I have seen one before, in college, and it has everything that I am looking for -- external hammer and double action and single action trigger.

Wondering what modern clone of the PPK is made these days, or if the PPK is still made currently?


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## Scorpion8 (Jan 29, 2011)

Favorite: Walther PPK/S

Most carried: Beretta 84/85 or Astra A-60.


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## Bhoffman (Nov 10, 2013)

AdamSmith said:


> The Walther PPK is probably the state of the art. I have seen one before, in college, and it has everything that I am looking for -- external hammer and double action and single action trigger.
> 
> Wondering what modern clone of the PPK is made these days, or if the PPK is still made currently?


Walter PPK/s is still being made, by S&W in the US. Many New In Box (NIB) listed on gunbroker.com for around $650.00


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## shaolin (Dec 31, 2012)

I carry the Sig P238 but I would also carry a Bersa .380acp "for the money it is a great gun".


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## paratrooper (Feb 1, 2012)

My experience with the Walther PPK/S was horrendous. It was my BIL's gun that he bought new. I put about 75-100 rds. thru it and regretted each and every one of them. Truly, one of the worst handguns I've ever shot. 

My BIL was so disappointed with it, he sold it shortly thereafter.


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## Steve M1911A1 (Feb 6, 2008)

Fits in a pocket. Dirt cheap. Works without a hitch. Kel-Tec P3AT.

Like all mini-pistols, it's very hard to control, and requires you to practice with it consistently. But if you work with it, it's deadly accurate and extremely reliable.


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## Hurryin' Hoosier (Jan 8, 2011)

Česká Zbrojovka ČZ-83. :smt023


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## Hurryin' Hoosier (Jan 8, 2011)

paratrooper said:


> My experience with the Walther PPK/S was horrendous. It was my BIL's gun that he bought new. I put about 75-100 rds. thru it and regretted each and every one of them. Truly, one of the worst handguns I've ever shot.


Oh, you big candy. You mean that you didn't like a pistol which tried to slice your thumb off? :mrgreen:


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## Bhoffman (Nov 10, 2013)

I have read and heard a lot about the Walter PP PKK, and PPK/s problem w/slide bite. I have never been bit once with mine. It's not the gun, it is the shooter.


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## Steve M1911A1 (Feb 6, 2008)

Bhoffman said:


> I have read and heard a lot about the Walter PP PKK, and PPK/s problem w/slide bite. I have never been bit once with mine. It's not the gun, it is the shooter.


Um, try accessing it quickly, as if in a real save-your-life panic, and see whether its slide slices your thumb or index finger as you fire its first shot.
Also see where that first shot lands, relative to where you were looking.

The Walther PP/PPK/PPK-S TDA trigger action was purposely designed to be at a mechanical _dis_advantage, as a "safety" measure. Its SA trigger action isn't much better.


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## paratrooper (Feb 1, 2012)

Bhoffman said:


> I have read and heard a lot about the Walter PP PKK, and PPK/s problem w/slide bite. I have never been bit once with mine. It's not the gun, it is the shooter.


Ummm no......it's the gun. The overall ergonomics of the gun just plain suck. I can shoot just about anything and adapt to it in such a way that I can make do. That's the way we were trained in the military and your life could depend upon doing it successfully.

The hard plastic checkered grips on the PPK/S had to have been designed by a demented individual. The trigger on that gun is so bad, I can't even think of a term or phrase by which to describe it.

If there was ever a legitimate reason to ban one gun...........:smt120


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## srommes (Apr 11, 2011)

Sig P238. Owned the LCP previously and while it is a decent gun, it just sucks to shoot. If you can deal with the weight of the P238 in your pocket ( and of course the price difference) there really is no comparison between the two.


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## borris (Oct 28, 2012)

Well I Have A Beretta 84f nickel Love It Also Like The Kimber 380 & The Newer Eaa Pavona For My Daughters


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## Spokes (Jun 1, 2008)

Last month I purchased a Ruger LC380 and am tickled pink with it. Accurate at five yards, reliable, and best of all light recoil.


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## paratrooper (Feb 1, 2012)

Spokes said:


> Last month I purchased a Ruger LC380 and am tickled pink with it. Accurate at five yards, reliable, and best of all light recoil.


Aren't those guns available in pink? :smt033


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## Spokes (Jun 1, 2008)

:anim_lol:I think they may be...


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## AdamSmith (Dec 18, 2013)

Hurryin' Hoosier said:


> Česká Zbrojovka ČZ-83. :smt023


This looks perfect, but CZ's are hard to locate.


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## olroy (Aug 29, 2013)

I don't currently own a 380, but have had several in the past. My absolute favorite 380 was the little Llama with the locked breech. Looked like a 1911 that had been left in the rain and shrunk! Had a trigger job done on it, the thumb safety worked over so it engaged solidly, the grip safety pinned out, and the ramp polished. Ran anything I put in it, including the old Super-Vel hollow points that I carried in it all the time. Carried it as a BUG, and an occasional off-duty piece. Consistently shot 94-95% with it on the old PPC for qualification.

Carried it for several years 'til I saw a camera I had to have, got stupid and traded the Llama for the camera.--------------------------------Camera got stolen out of my patrol-car at an accident scene, so I wound up without the camera _OR_ the Llama!:smt076 A-R-R-R-G-H!!


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## Cait43 (Apr 4, 2013)

Not particularly a favorite of mine but just threw it out there for revolver lovers........
Taurus Model 380 Mini-Revolver 2380121UL, 380 ACP, 1.75 in, Rubber Grip, Blue Finish, 5 Rd - Able Ammo


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## Garydh2000 (Dec 26, 2013)

I own two 380's, a Bersa Thunder and a Bersa Thunder Concelaed Carry. Both firearms are very accurate, easy to conceal and fun to shoot. Oh ya and they are pretty reasonably priced.


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## desertman (Aug 29, 2013)

Why not just get a small "nine" if you want a semi auto? The size difference is negligible. I only have two .380's a PPK/S and a Sig P238. The PPK/S as Paratrooper stated is indeed horrendous. The first double action trigger pull is about 17 lbs. more than likely you'll miss your first shot. The Sig P238 is a great little gun, however it is a single action semi auto. I could never imagine carrying it in a pocket holster in condition 1 "cocked and locked". If the safety were to come of while your moving around it wouldn't take much to set the gun off. If pocket carry is what you desire I'd go for an S&W J-frame hammerless, it's small grip and concealed hammer makes it ideal for pocket carry. It is extremely easy to draw from a pocket has more stopping power than a .380 and conceals very well. Pocket carry is what this gun was designed for.


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## AdamSmith (Dec 18, 2013)

I like double-and-single action triggers. I normally carry in condition #2 -- loaded chambered and the hammer down on a live round with a pistol having a spring safety on the firing pin.

I like to be able to fire double action in any situation so close that I don't have time to cock a hammer. When that close you would not miss. If time and distance allow for it, simply cock the hammer first.

And I do not trust Glocks or Glock actions on non-Glocks.

Single action slows you down in that you do need to cock the hammer first from condition #2, or carry in condition #1 -- loaded chambered cocked and the safety on. I do not consider condition #1 safe. I am used to it for the range. I am not used to it under any other circumstances.

I do not know what the US Army and USMC teach as doctrine for the Beretta's in A-stan now. We weren't taught anything when I was in, between Viet Nam and Lebanon. So we carried either in condition #2, #3 or #4 back in those days.

[#3 = magazine loaded & chamber empty; #4 = pistol unloaded & magazines in pouches on belt.]


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## BigCityChief (Jan 2, 2013)

Sig P238!


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## SportivoX (Mar 5, 2014)

I don't have any, but just in case - Walther PPK.

next in line - Browning BDA, then Colt.

I like to old format.


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## lakeforktx (Oct 16, 2013)

Sig P238 in the HD model, heavy but looks good..


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## mikemc53 (Feb 11, 2013)

Love my Kahr CW380. Also had a Bodyguard 380 which was not bad either.


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## CPAwithaGun (Nov 9, 2013)

I have a SW bodyguard which is very nice and carry very well. I got to handle the new Glock 42 .380, in my local store and think that it will be my new favorite once I am actually able to purchase one.


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## desertman (Aug 29, 2013)

AdamSmith:


> "I do not consider condition #1 safe"


I consider it safe only when carried in an outside the waistband holster or shoulder holster, because the gun is not as subject to body movements as it would be if carried in a pocket holster or inside the waistband. For a women, carried loosely inside a purse would definitely be a recipe for disaster. Although there are redundant safety features on single action semi auto's such as the half cock notch and on some a grip safety and firing pin block, the single action trigger pull is lighter and shorter than on double action or striker fired pistols. Therefore the risk of accidental discharge while drawing the pistol would be greater if the thumb safety were accidentally disengaged as opposed to intentionally disengaging the safety as the gun comes up on target. This does take practice. 


> "And I do not trust Glocks or Glock actions on non-Glocks."


Perfectly safe as long as the holster covers the trigger guard, and the user is aware of the "mechanics" of those types of pistols. In my opinion just as safe as double action revolvers only with a much better trigger pull, not as long or heavy. Because of this they can be fired more accurately and quickly. No one can predict what type of situation they could be in. I want a gun that I can draw and fire without having to disengage a safety or have a long heavy trigger pull in double action for my first and in the case of revolvers, subsequent shots. But also not have a trigger pull that is too light, such as in a situation where the aggressor ceases all hostilities and you are holding them at gun point. Once hostilities have ceased you are no longer justified in using deadly physical force. Striker fired pistols to me have just the right trigger pull not too light and not too heavy.


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## peaceforsam (Jan 24, 2014)

Sig 232 sexy and very accurate with siglight night sights and crimson trace grips rides everywhere with me full of bb hard cast I don't feel under gunned.


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## welshdude (Mar 16, 2014)

Of those I've shot including LCP, P3AT, TCP, NAA Guardian, P380, CM380, IO Hellcat, Bersa Thunder CC, S&W Bodyguard, Micro Desert Eagle, Sig 238 my own personal preference is the MDE. For variety of reasons. Size, concealability, weight, fit, feel, quality. _Anything _regarding S/DA is a concern for me in a high-stress SD situation. The Sig was awesome, great quality fit, feel, smooth. There's no doubt should they decide to make a .380 model in a DAO I'd certainly consider the option. The BT-CC was great as well, but again the S/DA was a deal-breaker for me. The only 'pocket pistol' .380s I wasn't able to rent/borrow/shoot were the MPA Protector 2 and a Seecamp.

My current EDC is a Sterling 300 .25. All machined steel. It was all I could afford in needing a CCW _right now._ My wife and I were sharing a P11. Anyway, after a few mags I realized this little beast was actually a beauty. GREAT accuracy, follow-ups, smooth and weighty. It's a SAO w/a trigger safety. Had it checked out thoroughly regarding the sear/hammer assembly and was assured it would be fine to carry +1. It was manufactured in Gasport, NY which points to somewhere between '72-'76. Anything after that was Lockport. Machining was replaced by casting. And the inspection tolerances were substantially expanded. I did my homework.

So, after shooting a variety of .380s in anticipation of an eventual upgrade the one speaking the loudest was the MDE. As an owner of a P11 the trigger pull isn't an issue. It's butt ugly and a small 380 is no range warrior. That being said it _does _have a little beef @ 13.5 unloaded minus mag. Loaded +1 it comes in a just under a pound. So, the recoil/follow-up factor while tricky isn't nearly the issue as it is w/t polymer PPs. Much less range time required. All the reviews/videos, etc. are high on the quality. Some don't like the look, fit, feel, etc., but none complain about the tolerances. There have been a few 'send backs', but that's just the nature of a given manufacturing process. H&K, Boberg, Kahr, Kimber, etc. all have instances of error.

The NAA wasn't nearly the quality, though I like the idea of a barrel/frame assembly. The Sterling is similar, but the barrell is pinned instead of actually an extention of the frame. The double rod slide return assembly is another feature I like in the MDE, too.

All the polymers, while nice and light were all pretty much variations on a theme. Some were higher quality to be sure, but all shared one attribute. W/o substantial range time to adapt to the stout recoil/reset issue one is a danger to themselves and others. The .380 ammo costs a small fortune nowadays. Even target quality rounds. Unless one has the liquidity to become proficient taking out a 2nd mortgage to afford the ammo may well be one's only option.

So, at the risk of seeming a 'steel is real' retro-grouch the MDE _will _be my upgrade of choice when the time comes. That's _if _I decide to upgrade. .25, though pricey is usually available a/t BBStores as it's not a popular round. With respect to the reasoned/experienced arguments as to _why _it's not a popular round, point well taken and ubiquitous online.  But, when I developed 6-9" groupings @ 25 ft w/my off-hand suddenly the urgency to invest in creative financing became less of a priority. And there wasn't a single volunteer willing to take a several rounds to the chest in any of the arguments deriding the lowly .25 as a SD round. If it's all about familiarity/shot placement I'm confident in my present EDC. However, as it's my intent to show my grandaughters how to shoot w/this Sterling upgrading to a MDE asap would be prudent. Afterall, I _do _want to be around to teach them. :mrgreen:


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## Ricky59 (Dec 21, 2011)

Kahr P380..has real sights & smooth trigger..


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## GCBHM (Mar 24, 2014)

It just became the Glock 42. What a great shooting pistol!!!


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## aarondhgraham (Mar 17, 2011)

*You said "pocket pistol",,,*

I own several .380 ACP handguns,,,


Ruger LCP
Beretta 85BB
Bersa Thunder 380

The Beretta is very classy,,,
It fits my hand perfectly and is a joy to shoot.

But it ain't a pocket pistol.

The Bersa Thunder 380 is the same size/shape as a Walther PPK,,,
Mine has proven over thousands of rounds to be both accurate and reliable.

But it ain't a pocket pistol either.

The Ruger LCP is a reliable shooter with terrible sights,,,
So practice point/instinctive shooting and you will be fine,,,
It's recoil is snappy but can be cured with a Hogue grip sleeve.

It is a pocket pistol.

My friend has a Ruger LC380,,,
It is exactly the same size as my LC9,,,
They are actually a bit smaller than the Bersa Thunder 380.










I still wouldn't call the LC380 a pocket pistol,,,
Here is a pic to compare the LC9/LC380 with the LCP.










As you can see the LCP is significantly smaller than the LC9/LC380

There is a reason that the LCP became one of Ruger's all time best selling pistols,,,
The little thing is reliable and as accurate as a pocket pistol can be,,,
Just practice with it a lot and learn to point shoot.

Aarond

.


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## cwl1862 (Sep 1, 2008)

Of all the 380's I own, and have owned. Current Beretta 84, Bersa Thunder 380 Plus, Colt Gov't 380, Ruger LCP, Owned in the past Walther PK380, SIG P230, and a Taurus PT58HC. My favorite overall is the Colt Gov't Model 380, followed closely by the LCP, although the Beretta 84 and Bersa Thunder holds a special spot in my heart as well. The others were good guns too however the PT58HC was too big to be practical for carry, the Walther PK380 was a good gun however others were better and it left to fund the purchase of other firearms. The SIG although a good reliable firearm never really fit my hand and was prone to inflecting a bad case of slide bite on my shooting hand if I ever forgot and held it normally. (I have large hands) and the SIG just sits too low in my hand. The only other weapon I have in this class is my CZ82 but it's a 9mm Mak, but it is also available in 380, and has the absolute best DA/SA trigger I've ever had the pleasure to shoot. I'm thinking of having it re-barreled in 380.


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## nrd515525 (Feb 12, 2007)

IMHO, the best .380s are the Beretta 84 and the Browning BDA380. I've had three 84's and a BDA and they were as perfect as a gun can be. If the ammo was good, not deformed like a large amount of it was for a time, it shot it. None of them ever jammed or had any issues that weren't due to bad ammo. I bought a nice used one for less than $300 a couple of years ago, and it's as good as the other ones have been. I had a PPK and several others, including several Erma clones and they ranged from OK (The PPK) to awful(most of the Erma made guns).


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## BigCityChief (Jan 2, 2013)

I really have 3 favorites: a Sig P238, a Glock 42, and a Beretta 84FS.


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## SHOOT (Aug 21, 2010)

My favorite is the only one that I've had for 4 decades or so. It was my dad's and was what guarded our small family business for all of the years that I was growing up. Very sentimental to me which I'll never let go of. Here it is with my Colt Gold Cup . . .


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