Please help me select a compact .380

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I have a ruger lc9 and a sig p238,the sig is much smaller and about 3oz lighter.The seecamp is beautiful but with no sights and a 1and a half finger grip is a contact range weapon in my opinion. The sig p238 has the best sights and the best trigger so for me it's the most accurate.
 
I'm another vote for the LCP. Very reliable with both FMJ and hollow points as well as cheap compared to most of the others.
 
If you want small, the Seecamp is it, but pricey as has been stated.

Take a look at the Micro Desert Eagle. It's larger than the Seecamp, but smaller than the LCP/KelTec/Kahr. It has sights you can see and is very accurate. It also will shoot any .380 ammo made. It comes in both blue and a satin nickle version that looks like stainless.

I've pocket carried a blue one for over a year and only had a coupla spots of rust on the slide (the frame is aluminum) and none anywhere else.
 
It is interesting to read all the glowing comments on the Sig P238's. During the first year of production their reliability was less than desirable. Sig apparently has got them fixed.

I think mine is finally reliable enough but I have not shot it in a while. I do like the pistol, it allowed me to retire my much beloved Colt Mustang to safe queen status.

Any way, to answer the OP, none of the 380 ACPs are really long range guns for taking out a wild dog or two passing through the yard. Something else might be more suitable at a small penalty in being not as easy to be concealed.

My Kel-Tec P3-AT and Sig P238 are great pistols for short range use. I cannot hit the broad side of a barn with them much beyond 20 to 25 feet.
 
If you want small, the Seecamp is it, but pricey as has been stated.
Click to expand...

MPA 380 protector is basically the same size as the Seecamp, but about $300. The only downside is it is a 5+1

https://www.masterpiecearms.com/special-info.php

Here is a pick of it next to a P3AT

7975413415_6bdaa29aa4.png

mpa380c-ii-a-sm.jpg
 
WOW! A couple-three things or so…

About eight years ago I figured (apparently wrong by my making this post) that I had just about collected enough handguns to cover just about any contingency that I would encounter. I decided that I would just be as proficient as my ability would allow me, so I reverted to practice and stopped reading gun magazines and therefore became unaware of what is out there. Shazam! You guys buried me in guns!

Next, I was bowled over by how many of you guys took the time to answer my request and provide me with your experiences. I can’t thank y’all enough.

This has been gun-information overload for me, so I think the best thing for me to do is go to the next big gun show to see and handle all of these guns for myself and then review the comments that you made before I make a purchase.

Again, many thanks for your help.
 
before you try the kahr p380 go to kahr talk and google search as well, far too many problems for a gun of that cost. if youre going to have to kel-tec a kahr to make it run right why not spend half the money, do the same work, and get the p3at?
 
I say give the s&w bodyguard a try or the lcp. I purchased a tcp new and it gave me problems from the start so i sold it for a used lcp. The lcp has been great and has never jammed and i still carry it daily. I have shot a bodyguard and really appreciated the nicer sights, safety, and the laser site over the lcp. I would say the triggers are equally horrible on both of these pistols. If you are looking for a good trigger your best bet is the sig (single action) or the kahr, but i dont really find a nice trigger that important or worth the extra $$ on a double action pocket pistol.
 
I tried the LCP, bodyguard and 238. The 238 was worlds better to shoot and still very small ammed concealable. I wanted to like the LCP, but I hated the trigger.
 
So here's my limited experience:

I've shot three of the compact type .380s.

The Taurus one, the S&W one and the Ruger one.

To be honest the Ruger didn't stand out to me at all. Decent trigger decently manageable recoil, but you know ... nothing ... really good?

The S&W was a conundrum. I shot it actually really well. But it felt liek it kicked really bad. My recoil recovery was terrible, but my ability to hit the target slowly was great!

The Taurus frankly had the best trigger, with nothing else outstanding. It's like a Ruger, but it has this astounding trigger!

tl;dr ... My choice for the best compact .380 I ever shot ... was a Beretta 84. but that's not very compact. In lieu of that, I'd take a Taurus.
 
One size does not dit all!

Being an obsessive/compulsive personality (according to my wife, and she's always right)...especially when it comes to guns - I can honestly say that I have bought an example of EVERY "pocket" .380 on the market.

The first to start the stampede for me was the LCP. Much as I wanted to like it, I just can't. Not because of any quality shortcomings, but simply because it just DOES NOT FIT MY HAND in a manner that allows me to shoot it accurately or comfortably.

THIS, I think, is something that EVERYONE considering a .380 mouse gun needs to pay close attention to and TRY BEFORE YOU BUY!
We don't all wear the same sized clothes...and we don't all 'fit' the same gun.

For me, there are two that felt 'just right' even though they don't look the same and are really different designs. My "Goldilocks" mouseguns are the S&W Bodyguard .380 and the Sig P-238.

The Sig is the best 'shooter' of all the .380's. I would have no problem placing a round where it needs to go. For most casual wear, it is undetectable in a front pocket. For more 'dressy' occasions...the bulk is a bit obvious.

The S&W is the easier 'carry', That flat design allows it to easily fit into a front pocket without being noticeable, and after a couple of days in the pocket, you don't even notice it's there.
It, too, is a highly accurate shooter for me.

Having said all of this...and after spending a small fortune acquiring and selling (always at a loss) all these .380's (by the way, that list DOES include the Seecamp and the Rorhbaugh)...I've found a solution that works even better for me (your mileage may vary) and that is the Springfield XDS .45 ACP!

Before you start laughing...even though this pistol is much larger and heavier
than the little .380's we've been discussing, the flat design and the balance of the grip vs. barrel and slide assembly make it not only UNDETECTABLE in the front pocket of any pair of pants I own...the squarish design keeps it so securely in place and positioned properly that a pocket holster is not needed.
And, again, after two or three days of carrying it...you don't even notice it's there! Finally, it is amazingly accurate (I can put 6 rounds into a 3" circle at 25' in less than 10 seconds) and the grip design minimized recoil.

There were times when I questioned my own wisdom in carrying a .380 round, even though, with the two I've highlighted, I'm confident I can place the rounds where they need to be.
I have NO doubts about a .45 hollow-point that I can place even more accurately!

There is NO ABSOLUTE ANSWER TO ANYONE'S QUESTION AS TO "WHAT SHOULD I GET?". As long as we have different hand sizes, finger lengths and
arm differential, we'll each have to customize our choice to our physiology!

Mike Harvey
 
One size does not fit all!

Being an obsessive/compulsive personality (according to my wife, and she's always right)...especially when it comes to guns - I can honestly say that I have bought an example of EVERY "pocket" .380 on the market.

The first to start the stampede for me was the LCP. Much as I wanted to like it, I just can't. Not because of any quality shortcomings, but simply because it just DOES NOT FIT MY HAND in a manner that allows me to shoot it accurately or comfortably.

THIS, I think, is something that EVERYONE considering a .380 mouse gun needs to pay close attention to and TRY BEFORE YOU BUY!
We don't all wear the same sized clothes...and we don't all 'fit' the same gun.

For me, there are two that felt 'just right' even though they don't look the same and are really different designs. My "Goldilocks" mouseguns are the S&W Bodyguard .380 and the Sig P-238.

The Sig is the best 'shooter' of all the .380's. I would have no problem placing a round where it needs to go. For most casual wear, it is undetectable in a front pocket. For more 'dressy' occasions...the bulk is a bit obvious.

The S&W is the easier 'carry', That flat design allows it to easily fit into a front pocket without being noticeable, and after a couple of days in the pocket, you don't even notice it's there.
It, too, is a highly accurate shooter for me.

Having said all of this...and after spending a small fortune acquiring and selling (always at a loss) all these .380's (by the way, that list DOES include the Seecamp and the Rorhbaugh)...I've found a solution that works even better for me (your mileage may vary) and that is the Springfield XDS .45 ACP!

Before you start laughing...even though this pistol is much larger and heavier
than the little .380's we've been discussing, the flat design and the balance of the grip vs. barrel and slide assembly make it not only UNDETECTABLE in the front pocket of any pair of pants I own...the squarish design keeps it so securely in place and positioned properly that a pocket holster is not needed.
And, again, after two or three days of carrying it...you don't even notice it's there! Finally, it is amazingly accurate. I can put 6 rounds into a 3" circle at 25' in less than 10 seconds. And the grip design minimizes recoil.
It is much more comfortable to shoot than some of the mouseguns and definitely better than any .38 Special 'snubby' I've ever found.

There were times when I questioned my own wisdom in carrying a .380 round, even though, with the two I've highlighted, I'm confident I can place the rounds where they need to be.
I have NO doubts about a .45 hollow-point that I can place even more accurately!

There is NO ABSOLUTE ANSWER TO ANYONE'S QUESTION AS TO "WHAT SHOULD I GET?". As long as we have different hand sizes, finger lengths and
arm differential, we'll each have to customize our choice to our physiology!

Mike Harvey
 
Lot of choices nowadays. I have the Ruger LCP and like it a lot. It has always been 100% reliable, more accurate than it has any right to be and very, very easy to conceal and carry. Give it a look.
Click to expand...

Ditto! I carried one until my wife recieved her CC permit then i passed it on to her. Lost count of how many times we've shot it but it's never missed a beat with any type ammo.
 
azgsmith said:
Bersa thunder, cannot beat it for the price.
Click to expand...
For the price, last I saw about 240 NIB, I have heard nothing but good things about these Bersa Thunders. They are modeled after a proven design and have a fuller fit in your hand than the smaller LCRs without being overly bulky. I do not personally own one as of yet, so I can only speak to the accounts of Friends. When I've handled them they fit really nice.
 
I have own or extensively fired:

Keltec 3AT
Ruger LCP
Seecamp 380
NAA 380
Kahr 380
Sig P238

Of these, I have a large preference for the Kahr and the Sig. The Sig was the more accurate of the two, less recoiling, and more reliable. However the manual of arms is IMHO significantly more complex than the Kahr.

I chose the Kahr because its KISS operation greatly suits my personal understanding of myself in stressful situations.

I also own the Kahr PM9. With nearly identical kydex Stellar Rigs, the PM9 is significantly larger in the pocket, it is more difficult to draw quickly from the pocket, and the recoil spring makes the slide significantly more difficult to operate.

I have a friend who is far more "tactical" than I am, and owns the Sig P238, and is perfectly happy with it.

FWIW, the Keltec P3AT broke its trigger within the first 100 rounds of testing/break-in. I don't trust the Keltec design, and in my opinion, the Ruger is too similar in design.
 
My wife went through both the Kel-Tec P3AT and the S&W Bodyguard. Both were terrible pistols to the point that she didn't look at Ruger or Hellcat .380s. We both vastly liked the Sig P238 until we looked at the price, a little high for a compact budget .380 for us. But still a pistol I recommend for anyone looking for a .380.
 
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