Offers for .380's everyday. What's some of the better ones?

[intercooler]

Anyone else getting these from Bud's, Cheaper Than Dirt, etc...? I got one today from Bud's for a Sig P238 with laser, blet clip and holster for $529 delivered. So what are some of the good .380's? I know little about them but was just in WalMart and checked ammo prices... Federal 95gr FMJ $17.57 for 50. At .35 cents a shot isn't their a better small 9mm package?

 

[greenlion]

Its kinda hard to tell if you are asking about .380 pistols, .380 ammo, or 9mm pistols. As to the first one; I tried all the new wave .380 pistols a while back and ended up with the KAHR P380. It was superior to all the others in every way, except price.

 

[Cokeman]

I have a P380 in my pocket right now.

 

[OARNGESI]

Personally id go 9mm over 380

 

[CZ223]

2 part answer to a 2 part question.

1.) What are some of the better 380's? Answer: The Ruger LCP <$300, Kahr 380, Taurus TCP<$300 and of course the Sig. You can buy two of the Rugers, or the Taurus guns, or one of each, for the price of the Sig. I have two LCP's and they are drop dead reliable. The Sig is a very nice looking gun but is heavier by far than the other two. A lot of folks also like the Kel-tecs but for the price I think the Ruger is better made.

2.) Isn't there a better small 9mm package out there? Yes, there are a few smaller than average 9mm's that may work well for you but they are all considerably bigger than the smallest 380's. The Ruger LC9 is the gun I chose. This will be going to my daughter, as soon as she gets her permit. I will probably have to buy another for me. I looked at bothe the PF9 fro Kel-Tec and the 709 Slim from Taurus before buying the Ruger. Either may be a great choice for you but again I prefered the Ruger name/quality. There are also some higher dollar choices like the Springfield EMP or the Kimber aegis 1911's. Just as an aside, while looking at the 9mm's I also got a look at the Taurus 940 which is the same size as the 709, wow. This may be a must have for me.

 

[Bmont2409]

380

My choice is a Sig p238. Mine has been super reliable and feeds my reloads, WWB, PMC,Gold Dots and anything else I have tried in it. I do like to shoot it a lot so the sights and extra weight over the Kel Tec/Ruger is not a problem. Sometimes pocket carry, sometimes IWB but has never been a problem.

 

[Dr_2_B]

I have a Kel-Tec P3AT and it's been great. But if I were buying today, I'd get the Ruger. Kahr looks great too, but I believe the Ruger is just fine and it costs considerably less.

 

[MICHAEL T]

I would go with the Kel Tec and if wanted a larger 380 The Bersa Thunder. I have 5 trouble free KelTecs 32 ,380, 9mm and 2 380 Bersa's

 

[shadow9]

If you want 9mm in .380 size, it's Kahr or Ruger. Kahrs have a shorter stroke trigger and are striker-fired, with a low-bore axis. Ruger's LC9 looks like a blowback (PPK,P232, etc), but it's a Browning DA setup. People complain about the long trigger, but under stress I'm sure that won't matter... Also, the LC9 is REALLY tiny, and packs 7 rounds of 9mmP that will easily fit in your pocket.

 

[oldfool]

Browning BDA, Beretta, CZ
'full size' trumps pocket size for quality and shootability in 380s

"better" (X vs Y vs Z) is a mighty elusive descriptor

 

[waidmann]

The LCP for those days I need the minimum, or as a BUG. On other days just for grins a Walther PP. If I have the means to really conceal then don't carry a .380 for a primary.

 

[rich642z]

I agree with cz223 on the Ruger LC9. RELIABILITY,AND FUNCTIONING are Rugers attributes.

 

[GDownRange]

Cz 83

The CZ 83 is a real nice full size .380

Double stack magazine.

DA/SA trigger. One of the better double action pistols I've used, above average single action pull. Can be carried condition 1.

All steel adds weight, but makes for a real solid feel and sweet shooting gun.

 

[wnycollector]

Browning BDA, Beretta, CZ
'full size' trumps pocket size for quality and shootability in 380s

+1 on this. I went the "full sized" .380 route when I picked up my Beretta 84B. Full sized is kind of a misnomer, since it is the same length, width and height as my S&W M36 It also only weighs 5oz more loaded with 14 rounds of 95gr .380 than my steel framed M36 with 5 rounds of 158gr LSWCHP ammo.

 

[intercooler]

Yea I would rather have a 9

 

[kokapelli]

I have owned or shot most of the 380 pocket pistols out there and none of them And I mean none shoot like the P238.

 

[harmon rabb]

I have owned or shot most of the 380 pocket pistols out there and none of them And I mean none shoot like the P238.

Very true. It ain't even close.

However.. the 238 is about as heavy as the kahr cm9/pm9's (but it is smaller). Food for thought.

 

[exavid]

My LCP is in my front pocket most every day. No fuss, no muss, just drop it in it's Desantis Nemesis pocket holster in my jean or shorts pocket and I'm good to go. I like the long DA action on the LCP because you can safely carry 6+1 without the need of a complication of a safety. No way anyone's going to accidently trigger an LCP. Even with it's minimal sights and looong trigger pull I don't have any problem hitting paper plates at 50' or an 8X10" steel plate at 25yds. It took me a good bit of practice with the little gun but I feel quite confident with it out to 25yds which is probably much farther than a person would need in a SD situation. The gun has been perfectly reliable for over 800 rounds so far with round nose and hollow point ammo of many brands and my hand loads. I've settled for carrying it with 100gr. plated RN bullets with a healthy dose of Power Pistol powder. I prefer the LCP over the TCP which I had previously because I don't need a safety to carry it with a round in the spout. I like it over the Kel Tec because the LCP does have a manual slide lock. You can find them for around $280 in some places, a good buy for a very good quality, nicely finished pistol.

 

[PabloJ]

Eight hundred rounds so far? You're going to wear out that thing in no time.
In addition to modern KoolAid pocket guns there are many fine classic pistols out there in this caliber. There are: Colts, Brownings, PPks, HSPs, Sauers, Makarovs, H&Ks,......

 

[ArchAngelCD]

A friend bought a Sig P238 Rosewood and it's the nicest 380 I've ever seen or shot. It looks and feels like Sig took a full size 1911 and shrunk it down to .380 size. It's very small and concealable but still controllable. It's a extremely well made semi-auto and probably the best on the market IMO.

 

[Fastcast]

For starters I can't really make heads or tales of the original post/question.

The best .380s and easiest .380s/9mm to carry are completely different things. The easiest to carry, are best at that (carrying) but certainly not the best shooters, if that's what you're getting at, I don't know.

I feel like I have A.D.D

 

[ATLDave]

I'm also baffled by the OP. I'll just add this. As I understand it, you'll never get a 9mm package as small as a .380 can get because .380's can be straight blowback, whereas 9mm requires some sort of delaying mechanism. That means lugs or locks or cams or whatnot, and those add bulk.

 

[intercooler]

To clear it up I hope. I don't know the .380 models what is a good or bad one and get email offers almost daily for them. Enlighten me. Second part is 9mm ammo is much cheaper and more power so why wouldn't anyone just choose a very small 9mm?

 

[2wheels]

To clear it up I hope. I don't know the .380 models what is a good or bad one and get email offers almost daily for them. Enlighten me. Second part is 9mm ammo is much cheaper and more power so why wouldn't anyone just choose a very small 9mm?

One reason is that tiny 9mms aren't as small as tiny .380s. For example, the Ruger LC9 is almost an inch longer and taller than the Ruger LCP, and weighs nearly twice as much (6" long, 4.5" tall, 17.10 ounces vs. 5.16" long, 3.6" tall, 9.4 ounces). That makes a difference when it comes to pocket or ankle carry for some people. That and 9mm can be hard for some people to control in such a tiny package.

If you're going to carry IWB or OWB, that extra inch and a few more ounces doesn't matter, and the 9mm wins all day long IMHO.

The best pocket .380 IMHO, is the Sig P238.

 

[exavid]

It took me about 400 rounds to get to where I could hit anything much with the little LCP. Lucky for me I reload. I've since put a bit more than 400 more rounds through the pistol. I bought 200 rounds of ammo at a local store, got about 300 more empty shells at my local range. Reloading .380s saves more money per round than reloading 9mm or .45s. I don't know why factory ammo seems to cost so much more per round in .380 than 9mm. One thing about reloading .380s is that they take a lot more care due to the thin cases. It's easy to crinkle on in the press.