.380 for wife... not CCW

Status
Not open for further replies.
P

petrey10

Member
Joined
May 27, 2009
Messages
286
Well I am in the process of getting a RIA 1911 so the wife wants to get a pistol too so we can shoot together and so she feels like she can protect herself better when I am not home. I have been looking around and researching which caliber to get her and have decided the .380 provides the lowest recoil with a reasonable amount of stopping power. I was hoping some of you could chime in on what pistol to get her. She will not be carrying this on her... it will be more of a home protection and range gun. She is 5'9'' 140# so I believe she can handle the 380 (correct me if I am wrong!)... Would like to stay in the 300 area (less would be nice)... I reload so I will end up getting a 380 setup

Pistols I am considering

Walther PPK
Bersa Thunder 380
Walther PK380
CZ 83
 
Can one get a beretta in the $300 range? The ones I've seen run more than that. The cz turns up used on GB a fair amount-that would be my choice of the ones mentioned. Or pay a bit more for the beretta...
 
She is 5'9'' 140# so I believe she can handle the 380 (correct me if I am wrong
Click to expand...
Any human that size can handle .500 S&W recoil if they have the desire to do so.

I'd lean more toward a full size 9mm, as recoil will not be as sharp & stinging with a locked-breach 9mm as with a lighter blow-back operated .380 ACP.
And the 9mm ammo is cheaper & much more available.

But carrying that thought a step further.
At least one of you needs a .22RF handgun of some sort for cheap range practice.
Only after you learn how to shoot a handgun with it, then move on to a center-fire.

rc
 
My wife has been carrying a Bersa for about 3 years. She's just 5'2", and a little over 100lbs. and has no problem with it.
You might also look for one of the Makarov pistols in .380, or the 9x18, which isn't going to feel much different then .380, but the ammo can be cheaper, if your gun store carries it.
 
+1 for Bersa Thunder 380. It is one of my go to carry guns and my wife feels very comfortable with it. She is 5'4" 125#.

Thanks
 
She may like the Walther PK380 -it's got some nice ergonomics and it's a real soft shooter.
 
.380 for home defense????? If this is not a CCW issue, she needs better protection IMO. If you have limited funds I might suggest a good used .38 Spec. revolver with a 4" barrel weighting about 30-36 oz. that can be had for $250-$450 and just a little more for new one. There are also a bunch of new and used all steel 9mm's out there $300-$700. Any of these would have less recoil than the small .380's and probably about the same as larger framed .380's. In general she should be a lot more accurate with a larger gun which translates to more fun at the range and more confidence with her ability to defend herself. I started my grand-daughter out at 12 with a 1911 .45 ACP and she loved it. The ladies in my family find the all steel auto's much easier to learn to shoot well than the plastic wonder 9's etc. I have .380's and appreciate them, but they are better suited for concealed carry when nothing else will work because of dress ect. or for use as a back up gun to a larger calibre. You will find that 9mm ammo is much cheaper and much easier to find. And since you reload, what is easier to reload than a .38 Spec?
 
One other thought, if you are getting a RIA 1911, maybe they make one in a 9mm. You could have very similar guns and you could save a little money by practicing with her 9mm. If not an RIA 9mm, there are 1911's out there in 9mm. Check out all the safety features on John Browning's 100 year old design.
 
I just figured the .380 would be as light of recoil as I could get for home defense... I guess I could get a 9mm 1911 it would definite be easier to find ammo and reload

My next question would be will light recoil reloads cycle a 1911 reliably?
 
I recommend the Beretta 84FS/Browning BDA (Double Stack) or the 85FS (Single Stack) but in the end you need to let her choose her own gun. She needs to choose what she is comfortable shooting not learnging to shoot what you were comfortable buying for her. Pick it for her too often results in very little shooting. IMHO This site has a lot great information to help your wife choose a gun. http://corneredcat.com/

These are some of the finest 380 autos on the market. Deadly accurate and a real fun shooter IHMO. They have a nice DA/DA trigger. They are a little heavy and some say a little large for a 380 auto but I think that is just in comparision to todays Mini CCW 380s.

DSCF2037.gif

Another nice gun to look at is the Sig P232 which are another classic 380 auto. CDNN has a great deal on these last time I checked. Somewhere just north of $350 IIRC.

P232-Stain-detail-L.jpg


However might I suggest a 20 guage shot gun for home defense work. I good pump gun like an 870 20 guage loaded with OO buck is a deadily house gun. Being shot in the chest with this load is the equalivant of being shot with 2 44 mags. :)
 
Last edited:
My next question would be will light recoil reloads cycle a 1911 reliably?
Click to expand...

if you can find a lighter recoil spring The 9mm 1911 have little recoil their a full size or commander size pistol.
Bersa makes a 380 under $300 and the compact 9mm 13+1 for about $400 comes with 2 mags also. Recoil on most not plastic 9mm is no worst than a 380 blowback pistol.
I have several women on bersachat that own 1 or both and carry them

http://bersachat.com
 
There is not much recoil in a 1911 9mm. I wouldn't down load, but if you did want a reduced load, you could make it work by getting a Wolff Spring kit from MidwayUsa.com and put in a lighter recoil spring. You might have to try a few different weights.

Don't underestimate a woman's abilities.
 
she already has a 20 ga...


I guess i am confused on how a 380 acp with 90 gr bullet going 950fps (ish) has more recoil than a 9mm 115 gr going 1,100 fps (ish)

I know the 9mm can be loaded down in the 100 gr (give range) but still that requires more powder

now i know gun wieght factors into perceived recoil but will a 38 oz 1911 9mm kick less than the 28oz cz 83?

im not arguing I am just trying to get all my facts in a row...
 
I'll respectfully disagree with Cemo on the 38sp revolver....Although an easy manual of arms with the revolver, she'll only have 6 shots before a reload is required. We have several times had 2-4 hoodlums stop at our house (500ft driveway mind you) with I'm sure shady intentions. Fortunately with a large aggressive dog and owner (me) they made up some nonsense excuse about why they came up our drive and promptly left.

Now imagine your wife home alone in that situation with a 6 shot revolver. Hopefully they're not armed also and your wife doesn't miss.....I'd take a Beretta 84FS with 14 rounds of .380 or CZ83 with 13 rounds any day, over the slight increase in power of 38sp.

Now if she has a problem learning the manual of arms with a semi-auto or racking the slide on the blowback pistols than the revolver might be better.

Both the Beretta and CZ .380 are as reliable as semi-auto pistols come so that's not an issue, in comparison with the revolver....IMO

Now many will come along and tell you get a 9mm and that is a valid point for some reasons but not because it's equivalent to .50cal and .380 is equivalent to .177 pellet like many here will try to convince you.

If you folks are set on .380 I'd go large 4" barrel, high cap like the Beretta, CZ or Browning......IMO
 
I guess i am confused on how a 380 acp with 90 gr bullet going 950fps (ish) has more recoil than a 9mm 115 gr going 1,100 fps (ish)
Click to expand...

Most 380 autos are blow back designed guns. They have fixed barrels and as a result the recoils transfers directly from the gun into the hand. The perceived recoil is typically much higher from these guns than the 9mm. Size also has a lot to do with it. The #1 appeal of a 380 auto gun is the ability to make them small. Look at all the pocket 380 autos. Less weight = more felt recoil.

In the end again you have to ask WHAT DOES SHE WANT? Has she voiced an opinion? Does she like to shoot and does she want a hand gun for home protection or are you getting her a gun because you want her to have one. My first #1 question is what does she like to shoot. If we are not talking about a CCW gun why not expand the search to a full sized gun. In the end let her choose by handling a variety of guns at the store. Then once she has picked out a few which feel comfortable take her to a range where she can rent the ones she likes and let her pick the gun.

IMHO This site has a lot great information to help your wife choose a gun. http://corneredcat.com/ It is a great read.
 
Last edited:
Another thing to keep in mind for female shooters is the trigger pull. A .38 special will usually have a stiff trigger -that's harder for a female to keep on target. I still think a PK380 will get the job done just fine with plenty of lead in the magazine for follow up shots. I certainly don't want to get shot by it.
 
I guess i am confused on how a 380 acp with 90 gr bullet going 950fps (ish) has more recoil than a 9mm 115 gr going 1,100 fps (ish)
Click to expand...
As rellascout said while I was typing:
You are confusing a blow-back operated .380 with a locked-breach 9mm.

It's true the 9mm has more ft/lb's of energy, but the way they are operated soaks up a lot of it to unlock & allow the slide to open.
The energy is still there, but it is spread out over a long time span, so it feels softer.

The blow-back action .380 just has a sharper stinging recoil impulse because it is not locked shut at the moment of firing to absord any of the energy.

rc
 
rcmodel said:
The blow-back action .380 just has a sharper stinging recoil impulse because it is not locked shut at the moment of firing to absord any of the energy.

rc
Click to expand...

Sure but they're not that bad at all in the larger frames he's talking about. They actually tend to come straight back into the palm, instead of the flip-up recoil....In which case back on target is extremely quick. ;)

BTW....My wife out shot every man at the CCW course with her Beretta 84.....Even the instructor said "gentleman don't mess with this lady"......She had one ragged hole.
 
BTW....My wife out shot every man at the CCW course with her Beretta 84.....Even the instructor said "gentleman don't mess with this lady"......She had one ragged hole.
Click to expand...

The 84 is a slick weapon by any standard. In my hands they are extremely accurate. I really enjoy mine. They are also very good looking guns IMHO. They have an elegance and grace to them. :D
 
the 84 is a little higher then I want to spend for her... man now I thought i knew what to get her but now I just don't know
 
380 is good, but if she isn't carrying, consider a 9mm, it is just a little bit more umph, and in a full size/service pistol it is more than manageable, and ammo is much cheaper and there is a much larger selection,

also for 300 you can pick up a older (ww2) surplus, and have a bit of history.
 
.380

The only .380 I own is my LCP, and I like shooting any of my guns more than it. Since it's not for CC, you will probably want to go for a larger metal .380 that will soak-up recoil. That Beretta and Sig looked nice. OR, you could consider a revolver; say a 4" .357 stoked with .38 spl or .38 spl + P. It has a shorter learning curve IMO than an auto and requires less thought in a stressful situation. Put a laser on it and your good to go.
 
Since you have her on a shoestring budget, see if you can find anybody with CZ82s in stock. Czech surplus in 9mm Makarov; they are cheap and sturdy; all steel construction will hold down the recoil.
 
Status
Not open for further replies.

Similar threads

M
  • Locked
Is the .380 enough?
2 3 4 5 6
Replies
126
Views
7K
JR47
J
J
  • Locked
  • Poll
Petite wife possibly interested in a small HD pistol – guidance requested
2 3
Replies
50
Views
2K
P. Plainsman
P
A
  • Locked
  • Poll
Bersa Thunder 380 or Makarov 380
2
Replies
33
Views
3K
SAG0282
S
S
  • Locked
Gonna buy a new .380 today Bersa or Walther?
2
Replies
48
Views
5K
harmon rabb
H
G
  • Locked
Bersa Thunder 380 Plus
Replies
24
Views
2K
MikeNice
M
Back
Top