What is the lightest moderately priced .380 ACP you would trust fo SD ?

I would avoid a blowback action .380 as they actually have more felt recoil than a delayed action. The Colt Pony would be worth a looksee. Small, light single action trigger pull, delayed recoil.

Gun Master

Bud's Gun Shop has a SIG P238 (weighs in at 15 oz.), with 3 mags, Viridian laser, and holster for $549. That's a pretty decent deal with a lot of extras to it on a great .380 that's very soft shooting. I have a P238 very similar to this one as well as a Colt Mustang and both are very reliable and accurate with their single action trigger and easy to acquire sights.

The Ruger LC380 is a locked-breech pistol that weighs 17.2 oz. and can typically be found in the $300-$350 range.

I like that little sig 238 myself. Had one for a little while, just found someone who liked it more than me. Very light recoil with excellent sights and trigger. Shot just as well as a full size, at least as much as a small gun like that can. Pretty little thing too.

I also suffer from arthritis and at 84 don't have anyway near the hand strength I used to.

These are the 380 pistols I have because they all work well for me. I have a Bersa, a P238, a TCP, two Glock G42''s and a Tanfoglio Pavona.

The P238 is a fine pistol but I prefer to not carry cocked and locked.

The Bersa is (IMO) probably one of the best pistols in it's price range and though it is blowback the recoil is not harsh enough to bother me.

The TCP is pretty small and works the best for pocket carry and is pretty soft shooting for it's size.

Of all my 380's the G42 is hands down my favorite and the Tanfoglio Panova second. The Tanfoglio is a double stack that holds 14 plus 1 and is by far the most accurate, but it is a blowback. I do most of my practice at thirty feet and the Tanfoglio is a tack driver at that distance, even with my 84 year old eyes.

My wife's glock 42. I despise the feel of it's big brothers and that taught me to dislike the brand, the 42 made me rethink. It's small enough, but leaves a fair grip. It's light enough but still enough weight to feel it. It's locked breech and recoil is not bad at all.

$209 brand new.
Very lightweight. 7+1 capacity with the $30 extended mag. I carry it every day.

I have an LCP and it has proven its self reliable. However, for me it is more of a deep deep concealment gun or a BUG. It is really hard to beat in that role.

For a primary, if I was going to have a small 380, I like both my mustang and my Glock 42. Although the are obviously similar I prefer my mustang to the my Sig P238.

I haven't shot the mustang in a while but I want to say the G42 is probably the softer shooting gun. The 42 is pretty pleasant. Its not a tiny little 380 like the LCP but that's why it is a better more enjoyable shooter. There is a strong enough aftermarket that you can get good sights, holsters, etc.

I'd agree with avoiding the blow back guns.

I just picked up a Remington RM380. Just an outstanding little gun. Very manageable recoil and slide. But, the trigger is fairly long and heavy.

How about one of the Berretta tip ups?

Armored farmer said:

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$209 brand new.
Very lightweight. 7+1 capacity with the $30 extended mag. I carry it every day.

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Seriously, you're recommending a LCP to someone with arthritic hands and wants a light shooter? That thing kicks worse than a magnum revolver.

JohnBiltz said:

Seriously, you're recommending a LCP to someone with arthritic hands and wants a light shooter? That thing kicks worse than a magnum revolver.

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Its been a few years, but I dont recall my old LCP recoiling overmuch, certainly no magnum revolver. Then again, it is the only 380 I've shot and "felt" recoil is entirely subjective.

I've had just about all of the pocket 380's and because of aging hands I carry the Remington RM380. Galloway makes some springs that help with the trigger pull weight. It is a long pull though. The Sig P238 is another that is very easy to rack the slide and has less recoil then just about any pocket 380. I do not own but have shot the Glock 42 and find it also pleasent to shot. For a true pocket gun I prefer DAO trigger and always use a pocket holster.

Bersa thunder CC , fills that roll for me. A speck smaller than th thunder.

Mags are not interchangeable.

I have a PPK and a G 42 and the 42 has a lot less recoil then the PPK the 42 is my main carry gun in the hot season. have over 2k thru it no problems yet

The Kahr CT380 - easy to hang on to (much better than the CW380 or the LCP), moderate recoil. But the slide can be hard to rack (I'm 72).

There are some used Beretta 85F semi autos for sale from various vendors. I have no personal experience with these, but the reviews are positive.

Armybrat

Nice collection of .380s, especially the Remington Model 51 and the Colt Government .380!

Coyote3855

Great suggestion as Bud's Gun Shop has used Model 85Fs for sale at $398. I had one years ago and while a bit big to me for a .380, it was a soft shooting gun that was very easy to operate.

JohnBiltz said:

Seriously, you're recommending a LCP to someone with arthritic hands and wants a light shooter?

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Thread title is lightest moderately priced that you would trust for SD.
I use an LCP. I don't think the recoil is any worse than any other small lightweight .380.

Re-read post #1
If no one likes my suggestion, that is perfectly fine.

Gen 2 LCP's can be had for $179 sale price to $230 right now. They're clearing out inventory trying to make way for the Gen 3 LCP II.

To the OP ignore the posts on the Ruger LCP. It is unsuitable to someone with arthritic hands. Very unpleasant recoil. People are seeing the title, not reading your post and posting.

Gun Master said:

Any suggestions ?

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Glock 42 or Sig 238. These are the two 380's that I think are the most shootable.

Softest recoil and easiest to manipulate. The only question is, do you want a safety catch?

JohnBiltz said:

To the OP ignore the posts on the Ruger LCP. It is unsuitable to someone with arthritic hands. Very unpleasant recoil. People are seeing the title, not reading your post and posting.

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OR we dont thinkbthe LCP is the "magnum caliber" .380 you are suggesting. In addition the OP said his/her arthritic hands limited them, then indicated 2 .380s. One could infer that the OP didn't want any other calibers in light, small frame autos.

Please do not assume thought processes of others based on your own bias.

Not to cloud the issue but I have very arthritic hands and wrists; and can still handle the PPK & PPK/S without much trouble. Racking the slides is a bit of trouble for me, however. Since I seldom carry nowadays, it's irrelevant I suppose. In cold weather if I carry it's likely to be a S&W M60 or a Kimber Ultra Carry since heavier clothing makes it easy to conceal.