Best .380 CCW for my mother

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Lady Smith

Both my girlfriend and her mother carry S&W Hammerless Lady Smith revolvers in .38 Special. They are very small, light, easy to use, and you don't have to worry about a slide.

They both have incredibly weak grips and have trouble cycling most semi's, so the double-action trigger (9-10 lbs) was initially a little stiff and hard to keep on target. We added a new trigger spring to lower the trigger pull (now about 5-6 lbs), tossed on a Hogue grip to help with the recoil, and now everything is great.

They both give the LS a thumbs up.
 
carry choices...

I started with a Charter Arms .38 special (it was free...) I even qualified for my CHL with it (re-qualified later with a semi).

I now also have a Kel Tec .380 and a Glock 26. I enjoy shooting the 9mm, the .380 is my least favorite, but it is more concealable (5' tall, small frame)on me than the .38. The recoil on all 3 hasn't been an issue for me-that I worked through. My problem, which was evident in a tactical pistol class with the 9mm-2 days and 1000 rounds, is arthritis and some nerve damage making it difficult to rack the slide and load magazines when my hands were tired.

I was told I wouldn't be able to shoot the .38 accurately as a beginner, that theory was dispelled quickly. I still love my revolver.

Let her try several and see what her preference is.

Tass
Cypress, TX
 
Doc S, I took NO offense to any of this. Gosh, I've got a stronger spine than that. :p I've got to with ALL these men in my life!!!;)


Racking the slide is generally the hardest thing for the ladies to learn to do. It was for me too. But with practice, it can usually be overcome if the person has the desire to do so. Often times, ladies will think they will hurt the gun if they're rough with them. Explain that they will not. Now granted, if someone is elderly or has arthritic hands, that causes a new problem indeed. Although, there are some firearms out there that have an easier slide on them.

I have to look at it as a safety aspect since I am a CCW instructor. God forbid the 5-7 rounds that a revolver holds are all shoot out, you now have a sitting duck for a victim. Some statistics that I have seen show that under stress, only 20% of your shoots hit the mark. That means 1 shoot from that revolver will hit the criminal. Under stress, one is not going to be able to reload that revolver, even with a speedloader. That becomes a fine motor skill. It is much easier to hit a magazine release button and shove another mag in, and be back into the action within a matter of a couple seconds. That's why I'm not a big fan of revolvers for concealed carry, especially for someone who is not going to practice speed reloads under stress.
 
I carry a Bersa T380 everyday, and love it. it's accurate, relatively low recoil, slim, very easy to conceal, and above all, reliable. i've had several smaller women shoot it with no problems, even though i noticed just from the way the gun recoiled that they were limp wristing. It still functioned w/o a single problem.
just my .02
 
Ya know...I really like my Beretta .25 auto. It has the tip up barrel. It can be fired SA or DA. It is good for those of us with small hands. I have small hands for a man.

You can buy those expensive fancy rounds for .25's, too. And is is good for deep concealment. Just a thought. :)
 
Most folks say a revolver is the easiest for a non-shooter to get used to shooting and less possible malfunctions. If you decide to go the revolver route alot of really good things are being said about the new 327 magnum--six shoots instead of five and better power factor than a 380.

Good Luck
 
If it's her money, I would wait a few months and talk her into getting a Kahr .380. That way she can buy it, and you can shoot it and see if you like it before you shell out the $600 bucks for your own.

Otherwise, I would have to agree with the Bersa .380. I have the CC version and it is a real sweet shooter, and is more reliable than a Kel Tec out of the box. Can't speak for the LCP as I don't have one.
 
I was reading corneredcat.com and say some stuff about how the .380 tends to kick quite a bit since the arms that are made for them are so light. I've never fired a .380, so I wouldn't know. Is this true, does a 9mm or .38 in a heaver frame gun kick less? This is important, I want to make sure to give my mother the best advice. Just wish I had all the guns I eventually want to own so I could let her test them all out. Sadly for now it's my Mark III 22/45. Nothing against it, just want many, many more.
 
It would be a mistake to assume a .380 has less recoil just because of the less powerful cartridge. The small size and light weight of many of them actually increases the recoil sensation. One exception is the Beretta "Cheetah" series (Models 84, 85 and 86). But now you have a .380 the size of many compact 9mms but firing a less powerful cartridge.

I would seriously look at a Kahr K9. They fit smaller hands well, the trigger pull is light (albeit long) and have some weight - as well as a nicely shaped grip - to tame the 9mm recoil. The slide racking can be gotten around with proper technique.
 
I was reading corneredcat.com and say some stuff about how the .380 tends to kick quite a bit since the arms that are made for them are so light. I've never fired a .380, so I wouldn't know. Is this true, does a 9mm or .38 in a heaver frame gun kick less? This is important, I want to make sure to give my mother the best advice. Just wish I had all the guns I eventually want to own so I could let her test them all out. Sadly for now it's my Mark III 22/45. Nothing against it, just want many, many more.
Click to expand...
Yes, a .38 Special will kick less than a light .380 Auto especially if you use a standard pressure .38 Special round and a heavier revolver like the Ruger SP101, S&W M640 or M649 like I suggested in my first post. A 24/25oz revolver firing a .38 Special is very easy to handle and doesn't have that sharp snap you get with a .380 Auto. A 9mm has a similar snap as the .380 Auto and might not be right for your Mom. Like the others have suggested, have your Mom shoot a few different handguns so she can get a feel for what she might like.

Remember, I'm suggesting a 24oz J frame, not a 12oz Airlite or 15oz Airweight J frame. The recoil on those will be uncomfortable for an older person who doesn't have a lot of hand strength.

I have a M640 which is a 24oz .357 Magnum and it's comfortable to shoot Magnum rounds and extremely comfortable to shoot .38 Special rounds.

Also, you said price isn't a issue so any revolver you get can be sent to a good custom shop for a trigger and action job and what ever else is needed to make the revolver shoot easily.
 
I sell a lot of guns and I would recommend a 38 special, hammerless if you can get one. Most women who are unfamiliar with guns won't know what to do with an auto, or won't be able to rack the slide. The bersa .380 isn't bad but it is still an auto with a lot of things that can go wrong.

My wife has been around guns her whole life and she shoots a lot of autos with me. Even so she still never got comfortable with a carry gun of her own until she got her 38 special (hammerless).

Keep it simple is best.
 
I see a smallish, frail lady with an eight inch 44 magnum on a garder holster... or...make some educated reccomendations, take her to the range,rent a few and let her decide for herself. try both revolver and semiauto, then sign her into a class to learn how to use it effectively.
just my $0.02
 
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I have often heard that the .380 tends to kick, but I have never experienced that myself. Out of my Cheetah, and my Bersa, both .380s have always felt very mild to me. My fiance also has no problem with either one.
 
You can't generalize on recoil.
I have 6 .380s, 4 9mm, and a .38 spl
Of the .380s:
The blowback-operated Escort has the worst recoil
The Locked-breech Keltec has the next worst, due to weight and size.
The all-steel, locked-breech Llama is the best, about like a .22 magnum
Of the .38 Spl revolvers
My wifes Agent is J-frame size, all steel, hurts me to shoot, doesn't bother her
My M10 K-frame is no problem at all, for either of us.
9mm - mine vary by weight, all are locked-breech, so the only difference is the weight - more is better for recoil. Less is better for carry.

So with my experience, and not having shot one, I'd say the Bersa would be the one to try first IF it's locked breach. Anyone know off-hand?

The pinkie lip on the Keltec mag is a big deal. By allowing more control with less grip pressure, you are better able to handle the recoil. I won't hardly shoot mine without one.

Having said all that, be sure a Keltec P32 is on your list to try. I handful of Silvertips in the breadbasket is is a pretty good deal breaker for a BG.
 
I would take a look at the Ruger SP101 and possibly look at the 3inch barrel chambered in .327 Fed Magnum.

Recoil with the 85gr bullet should be minimized because of the longer barrel and smaller bullet, but it's actually more powerful than the .38 sp at any load, and comparable to the .357 magum in it's larger loads.

The downside would be ammo cost, but if it's only a CCW piece to be used for self defense you don't really need all that much ammo. You can also shoot .32
H&R magnum bullets out of it as well as .32 S &W long and short, which may be good options for practice. You also gain an extra round (6) instead of (5) with .357's or .38sp's of the same size frame.
 
I'd probably recommend a Kahr K9 or P9. Even the polymer models have basically no recoil to speak of. Personally, I find that compact .380s have even more uncomfortable recoil than my MK40.
 
I would recommend the Ruger SP101 in either .357 or .327. with 3 inch barrell.

Personally, I'd recommend to my Mother to go with the .357. It's versatile and she can shoot either .38 or .357. It's a tank and will help reduce felt recoil. She' going to need alot of practice and .38 ammo is way cheaper. I don't think she would like to practice with the .380. I hear tough, strong, young guys complain about the slap of the .380.

I bet she'd be more accurate with the SP101 than any of those .380's.

No slides to contend with. She may not be able to clear a jam in the heat of the moment. If she pulls the trigger and nothing happens just pull it again.

Easier to clean a revolver. She must learn to maintain the gun.
 
Bersa Thunder 380:

bersaduotone.jpg


Accurate, controllable, easily rackable, and about as small as you're gonna' get for a reliable/respectable auto - around $200 out the door...
 
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