If carrying a .380: Which One?

Redcoat3340

Redcoat3340

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Let's say you want to carry a .380. Which one would you choose:
S&W .380 EZ
Walther CCP M2
Beretta 85F/Cheetah

The EZ is SA only with both manual and grip safety.
The CCP is striker-fired and has "innovative" gas-delayed blowback system to lessen recoil. (It is the same size as the EZ.)
The Beretta is traditional DA/SA, single-stack with a decocker/safety, is all metal and larger than the other two.
 
Of those the Walther. Shot one and it was very nice.

Had a Cheetah, and it was great for a nightstand gun, but way too chunky for CCW carry.

For .380s, Ive carried the Colt Mustang, .380 Govt, Berretta Pico, Sig P238, and P230. The P230 was the "best" but was larger than many 9mms now. I still have the .380 Govt and carry it regularly.
 
I'll answer your question as asked, then I'll deviate a bit from your parameters.

If I'm carrying a .380 ACP, I want it to be in as small a package as possible. The EZ is the thinnest and lightest of the three. The beretta is the heaviest and by far the widest, but also the shortest height. The Beretta will probably be the best shooter in SA, being heavier and with a longer barrel. All 3 have 8 rounds.

With that, I'd probably choose the S&W Shield EZ for you.

Now to deviate a bit...

On the one hand, are you married to the .380 ACP? S&W has just come out with a .30 Super Carry version of the Shield EZ. The .30 Super has slightly better performance than .380 and has a capacity 2 higher. I've actually been eyeing the no-safety version myself.

Which brings me to my second deviation, are you married to the manual safety? I pocket carry a Ruger LCP with no issues. Although it isn't a very good gun, it's the one I'm mostly likely to have on me.
 
I carry .380s out of necessity, due to medical issues. The only one in that list that appeals to me is the Beretta, but I'm not sure I could deal with the blowback design, not so much for the recoil, but rather the stiff recoil spring. My EDCs are a pair of SIG P365-380s that are very accurate and soft shooting, as well as easy to manipulate.
 
Pistolay said:
I carry .380s out of necessity, due to medical issues. The only one in that list that appeals to me is the Beretta, but I'm not sure I could deal with the blowback design, not so much for the recoil, but rather the stiff recoil spring. My EDCs are a pair of SIG P365-380s that are very accurate and soft shooting, as well as easy to manipulate.
Click to expand...

If the recoil spring is the problem, why doesn't the EZ appeal to you? Is it something else?
 
Skribs said:
If the recoil spring is the problem, why doesn't the EZ appeal to you? Is it something else?
Click to expand...
I've never shot the .380 EZ, but when my hands first started going south, I went to the range and rented the 9mm EZ to see how that would work. It was soft shooting and easy to manipulate, but I had 2 major (to me) issues with it. The first was the upside-down grip safety. Even after surgery, a high and tight grip is painful for me, and that safety had a real problem with my looser grip. The other issue was the trigger. It was light enough that I wouldn't feel comfortable carrying it without a manual safety, and I don't like manual safeties on my carry guns.

Besides that, all 3 of those guns have another problem. For me, the most important part of concealed carry is "concealed", and the 5" grip height on all of those pistols doesn't appeal to me. I had a Glock 48, but the grip height was the reason why it was in the safe while my Glock 26 was always with me.

I really miss that G26.
 
Have or had all three and a few others as well. I did sell the Beretta but still have a Cheetah (81) in 7.65 and often carry it. It does not have a decocker though.

I've been carrying a S&W that has the bottom pinned grip safety since the late 1950s or so. The S&W EZ grip safety hasn't been an issue for me but it is a different feel from my 1911 style ones.

Right now I'm using my CCP M2 380 as my CCW in a kydex IWB holster (can't remember who was the maker). I had to change the front sight from what came on it to one of the shorter front sights Walther includes. Since it is fixed barrel it is the most accurate and consistent of the three. Reassembly after cleaning does take practice.

Other 380s I have that don't get to go WalkAbout very often are S&W BG 380, Remington RM380, Beretta Pico and Sig P230. Also there is a East German Mak that is actually softer shooting than the Sig P230. There was an LCP but it was without a doubt the worst of the bunch so it went to foster care.

The Ruger Security 380 is also the same size as the Walther CCP and S&W 380EZ and is a stagger stack that comes with two magazines as well; in most states a 10 and a 15 round or two 10s where required. It is hammer fired and also has a thumb safety. The thumb safety pivots from the front so it's easy to swipe of but almost impossible to accidentally swipe on.

The S&W 380EZ and CCP M2 can be racked with the safety on. The Ruger safety locks the slide. The CCP has a magazine disconnect and you need to have an empty magazine inserted to safely pull the trigger before field strip.
 
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I now carry a 380 due to arthritic hands. I carry the Ruger Security 380 Lite Rack. It runs like a Swiss watch. Have had it for one month now. 400 FMJ rounds through it without a failure of any kind. It runs Underwood Extreme Defender (Amy catty ammo) without a problem. Very happy with the gun.
 
buck460XVR said:
Kimber Micro .380. Accurate, mild recoil for a micro .380 and functions just like a 1911.

View attachment 1142594
Click to expand...

My very similar Sig version. Not a big .380 fan, but there are times when I need something very small & light (running around in gym shorts) and am not wearing a belt, so a larger weapon would be cumbersome. Unless I go to the fanny pack, I go to this.

4nkofdu.jpg
 
The SW i own one. I have a Walther PPK380 too. I would carry it too. But what i do carry in my Taurus spectrum 380. Nice and slim. With the pocket holster. It looks like i have a pack of smokes in my pocket.
 
Not a big fan of any of the three choices but if that was all that was available at the time I would go with a Beretta 85F.
I had one years ago and despite it's rather large size for a .380, I found it to be a well made gun, very easy to use, and more than accurate for EDC.

Now if the choice were mine I would go with one of my single stack .380s; a Colt Mustang or a SIG P238. If more "firepower" were needed then my Ruger LCP MAX would get the call.
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None of those. I guess your interest is the 8 round capacity. I would look at a bersa thunder, it has hammer, safety, decocker, all those switchy goodies for the new shooter. It won't do you any good though.
I used to own a 42 when I didn't know much about modifying Glocks. They are 6 rounds, but I also had an 8 and 12 round mag. They want to eat the real .380, the NATO spec kind, not SAMMI which is weaker. Or the +p which is pretty much NATO. I got rid of the gun because I used to think it wasn't good because of occasional jams. I later learned it was the ammo. SAMMI allows .380 to be inconsistent for some political reason and Glocks are built to want the hot stuff.
A simple fix is to get a weaker recoil spring, but this is what I would do:

Blue Glock Firing Pin Spring (31N)
3.0lbs Trigger Connector
Maritime Spring Cups
DPM Recoil Spring
TFO Night Sights

Optional KKM Threaded Barrel(for more power, reloads, hardcasts, compensators)

I would run Underwood Xtreme Defenders or Inceptor ARX
 
CZ 83 or an Astra A-60. Both are 13 rd. pistols. Both are excellent pistols, dependable and accurate. Both will eat anything you feed them. I carried the Astra for about 15 years. It is still in my carry line up. They are both a joy to shoot.
 
JN01 said:
Not using a high grip is a good way to induce malfunctions on many pistols, so in your case, you might want to try it before you buy it if possible.
Click to expand...
I have 2 P365-380s and 2 LCP MAXs. All of them run reliably for me, although the MAXs are borderline painful to shoot, even with Hogue HandALL grips. My grip isn't actually loose, I just can't jam it up into the beavertail, and that was enough to cause an occasional problem with the EZ grip safety.
 
I wouldn’t choose any of those you listed. I’m happy with my Walther PPK/s and my Kahr P-380. Both are fun to shoot and the Kahr disappears in my right front pocket in any pair of pants I wear. I love my old Recluse holster, very comfortable and does the job I bought it for.
 
To me, a .380 should be the smallest concealable size, thus my LCP.

If I was going to carry a larger pistol in the sizes you mention, then I'd upgrade to a 9.
 
Yeah, Astra made some excellant pistols, both auto and revolvers I had a friend that had a 357 mag revolver, and I tried for 3 years to talk him out of it, and was never able too. I do wish I could have gotten it
 
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