Goldilocks .380 ACP
- Thread starter cluttonfred
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Sour Kraut
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I’m looking at 380s right now for pocket duty. I like the Bodyguard....even with the long trigger pull I shoot it pretty well. I shoot the Glock 42 better, but it’s larger than I want for pocket carry. The P238 is ok, but I don’t want a single action. Those are the ones I’ve tried so far....more to look at.....
rskent
Member
A little Moly paste does wonders.
rskent
Member
To me its like the G42 is on the soft end of the recoil spectrum (DUH it’s a 380) and the G43 is on the stiff end, and all the other 9mm Glocks are in the middle. Not saying the G43 is unshootable, just not as much fun as the little Zyglock.
I believe I carry my 42 more than the 43 but I shoot my 43 more than the 42. Not sure why that matters.
bannockburn
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cluttonfred
I would disagree with you on this point as I found blowback type guns, like the Walther PP and PPK/S to have more felt recoil than locked breach designs, like the Colt Mustang and SIG P238. Just my experience but both the Colt and SIG are very comfortable to shoot, easy to control, and to stay on target with.
I would disagree with you on this point as I found blowback type guns, like the Walther PP and PPK/S to have more felt recoil than locked breach designs, like the Colt Mustang and SIG P238. Just my experience but both the Colt and SIG are very comfortable to shoot, easy to control, and to stay on target with.
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zaitcev
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Did you actually watch the GB video that you referred? Right at the beginning he reassembles the gun and the barrel is not cut for tilting. It's right there!
This is what really grinds my gears about Bersa, Grand Power, Tanfoglio (sold by EAA), and Star (where RIA cloned the Baby Rock from). They took a perfectly serviceable 9mm, kept all the features and the design of it, including the disassembly procedure, but removed the locked breech operation. In case of Tanfoglio, they drill a round hole through which the cam pin goes, instead of the kidney slot. Congratulations, you saved 40 cents of machining! Of course, the hood is lower on the blowback barrel, too, so depending on the process, the barrel blank can be a little smaller, too. That's probably where most of the savings come from.
Star is the worst offender, because they didn't do it to a 9mm gun, like Bersa and Grand Power did. They had a great gun family already, which ended with the Especiale. And then, they removed the locked breech in it for the MicroMax generation. By the time it got into the hands of RIA, it was already a blowback.
Buckeye63
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You are right .. The BP380cc is a blow back !
I assumed ( u know what they say about that) being it was based on the BP9CC it would be the same ..
Im going to do some research on that pistol ..
Gordon
Member
Me too, and at 9 .oz has replaced my P32 for everyday pocket carry.
It's a trade-off. You want as discrete carry as possible but big enough for your hands. I have average hands and went with the LCP. It pretty much measured out as the smallest of the .380s. (At least the .380s I would trust.)
I wouldn't worry about accessories. All they're going to do is make your gun less discrete. Mine is for when my dress doesn't allow for normal carry. I put it in a stiff pocket holster. I don't use any mag/pinky extensions, because again, they add to the overall bulk.
I wouldn't worry about accessories. All they're going to do is make your gun less discrete. Mine is for when my dress doesn't allow for normal carry. I put it in a stiff pocket holster. I don't use any mag/pinky extensions, because again, they add to the overall bulk.
Jeb Stuart
member
Over bulk? Do you mean in a watch Pocket?
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Gordon
Member
The LCP, like the former P32 Keltec can ride in any pocket well. The way I use it is to throw it in my strong or weak side pants pocket in a DeSantis Trickster holster which keeps it lint free and from printing . I usually as of late have been carrying a Walther PPS .40 in a "clip on " IWB holster or other OWB larger pistols as the situation dictates. The LCP is always there tho. mine has been 100% in 300 rounds , 200 of which were Winchester white box FMJ and now 100 of Winchester Train and Defend 95 grain JHP , both shoot to same point of aim BTW and I filed rear notch slightly on one side to get group center at 50 feet.
Jeb Stuart
member
I would say any of the small Pocket guns ride in the pocket well, with or without a extension. Pico, Keltec, LCP, Bodyguard. Kahr, and others. And I can easily shoot all of them and I have a large hand and long fingers. I prefer the Pico and Kahr, but to get back to the 4 selected by the OP, I would choose the Kahr. Even a little longer than the CW380 he should have no problem concealing in a Pocket even with a extension and for sure it is fine quality and a very mild shooter. (At least if it is any thing like the CW.)
Another website to compare size other than the first one I posted in here.
https://www.genitron.com/My-Handgun-List
Another website to compare size other than the first one I posted in here.
https://www.genitron.com/My-Handgun-List
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CeltKnight
Member
I used to carry a Kel-Tec P3AT for years as an OD/BUG piece. I shot it WAY more than it was probably ever expected to be shot and while it is still functional, I had to modify the take-down pin to keep it from walking out under recoil (this was after years and many, many, many boxed of different ammo). So, I retired it and searched for a handy replacement. Like you I narrowed my search down. You've found several great ones to choose from and have gotten some good advice. So, my $.02 is this: I shot a friend's Kahr P380 (the, at the time at least, ridiculously higher priced version of the excellent CW380), found it to be outstanding, then got a great deal on a NIB Kahr CW380 and haven't looked back since.
I found during my first range session with that Kahr that I was getting 2 kinds of malfunctions: Ammo related and Shooter Induced. As for the ammo-related troubles, the solution was simple: Don't use steel-cased ammo, at least in mine. There, problem solved. As for the rest, I traced that back to me shooting it like a full-sized duty pistol. That is, the "correct" 2-hand grip. Depending on the 2-hand grip you use, you can actually provide less support for the backstrap and this lets the pistol move more under recoil. You won't feel it, but it'll happen and it only takes a little movement to reduce the amount of energy going to the slide. For 2-hand holds, the old cup-and-saucer hold seems to work well. But these are really designed to be drawn and fired one-handed. I mean, c'mon, it's a last-ditch, get-off-me, save-your-hind-end piece, not a high-zoot competition piece. I have yet to get any malfunctions shooting it one-handed. Also, do what the manual says and load the first round by locking the slide back, inserting a mag, and then releasing the slide. For at least the first few hundred round that will ensure you don't slip and not pull the slide back far enough. There really isn't much margin for error on these tiny guns of any make.
The sights, unlike the ones on many others on micro pistols, are actually surprisingly useful. Mine has fed ball and hollow point of many varieties equally well (just no cheap steel-cased stuff unless you want practice clearance drills ever other mag or so).
It's light enough (as are most of the others) to be carried in the pocket of pretty much everything short of pajamas (I guess...?). I make a 1/2 shell from kydex and backed it with a rectangle of leather that hides the outline. This takes up less room in my front pocket than a wallet and is almost unnoticeable in most pants I wear. Spare mags direct from Kahr can be a bit pricey (haven't priced them in a couple years) but I found factory mags from online sources for around $25. I use an old coin/card wallet to tote 2 spare mags (like I'll have time to change mags, but it makes me feel better).
For practical accuracy this is, IIRC 6 rounds from 7 yards:
This is, I believe, 3 magazines from 15 yards:
I found during my first range session with that Kahr that I was getting 2 kinds of malfunctions: Ammo related and Shooter Induced. As for the ammo-related troubles, the solution was simple: Don't use steel-cased ammo, at least in mine. There, problem solved. As for the rest, I traced that back to me shooting it like a full-sized duty pistol. That is, the "correct" 2-hand grip. Depending on the 2-hand grip you use, you can actually provide less support for the backstrap and this lets the pistol move more under recoil. You won't feel it, but it'll happen and it only takes a little movement to reduce the amount of energy going to the slide. For 2-hand holds, the old cup-and-saucer hold seems to work well. But these are really designed to be drawn and fired one-handed. I mean, c'mon, it's a last-ditch, get-off-me, save-your-hind-end piece, not a high-zoot competition piece. I have yet to get any malfunctions shooting it one-handed. Also, do what the manual says and load the first round by locking the slide back, inserting a mag, and then releasing the slide. For at least the first few hundred round that will ensure you don't slip and not pull the slide back far enough. There really isn't much margin for error on these tiny guns of any make.
The sights, unlike the ones on many others on micro pistols, are actually surprisingly useful. Mine has fed ball and hollow point of many varieties equally well (just no cheap steel-cased stuff unless you want practice clearance drills ever other mag or so).
It's light enough (as are most of the others) to be carried in the pocket of pretty much everything short of pajamas (I guess...?). I make a 1/2 shell from kydex and backed it with a rectangle of leather that hides the outline. This takes up less room in my front pocket than a wallet and is almost unnoticeable in most pants I wear. Spare mags direct from Kahr can be a bit pricey (haven't priced them in a couple years) but I found factory mags from online sources for around $25. I use an old coin/card wallet to tote 2 spare mags (like I'll have time to change mags, but it makes me feel better).
For practical accuracy this is, IIRC 6 rounds from 7 yards:
This is, I believe, 3 magazines from 15 yards:
Jeb Stuart
member
Standard Kahr Excellence: Stainless steel, precision, tight tolerences. Steel inserts at the stress Points. Rated to shoot the hottest ammo.
Interesting to read about the P9 after 40,000 rds.
Interesting to read about the P9 after 40,000 rds.
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