smallest .380 with a full grip?

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g_one

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As much as I've tried to ease her into it, my wife just isn't comfortable with the recoil and noise behind the 9mm or 38spl cartridges. She doesn't mind 380 so much but she also doesn't feel comfortable shooting anything with a grip that forces her pinky to hang off. That rules out my favorite 380, the ppk. So my question is, what can I look for her in 380 that is small enough for purse carry, but with a grip long enough so that someone with moderately small hands can get her whole hand on it? I haven't seen a ppk/s which supposedly has a longer grip and magazine extension, but in the pictures it looks short...
 
Awhile back I shot a friend's .380 that was on a 1911 style frame ~ I don't remember the make. All of my fingers would fit on the grip and the recoil wasn't bad at all.

What I'm trying to say is that they are out there. Just look around.

Edit: Thinking about it, it may have been a Colt Mustang.380. Not sure tho.

My favorite carry is a Ruger LCP. Two fingers feels good with a finger extension, but you're right, the pinky is not gripping.
 
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Awhile back I shot a friend's .380 that was on a 1911 style frame
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That sould like a Llama or a Star .380. My Father-in-laws daily carry is a 50+ year old Llama .380.

My wife has small hands and the Beretta 84B fits her hand very well.
 
A third nod to the Bersa Thunder. The Taurus PT-58 and the similar-sized Beretta 85 are pretty hand-filling, too. There is at least one by CZ, too, but I can't remember which one.
Come to think of it, Taurus has a "hi-cap" (13 rounds, I think) .380 out now as well.
 
Off-body carry is dangerous. Snatched purse = stolen gun. She should keep the gun on her person. That said, the SIG P238 is a soft-shooting .380 for which a 7-round magazine with pinky extension is available.
 
I'll throw another vote towards the Sig 232. However, there is a lightweight model if you start looking at these you should stay away from. Less weight = More recoil...
 
+1 on the Walther PK380. My wife feels most comfortable with a full grip on a pistol. The Walther is what we chose. She didn't like the Bersa that we borrowed.
 
I'd go with the Bersa Thunder, Thunder CC or even the Thunder+ for a true full-size grip. The + is a double stack 15-rounder that feels really good in my hand. Have her try all three and see which one fits.

Or try the Beretta 85 (single stack) or 84 (double stack).

Or the CZ-83, which is also a double stack.

The Browning BDA, while harder to find (no longer in production), is essentially a closed-slide Beretta 84 and is the finest shooting .380 I've tried. If you can find one to audition, do so.

IMHO, these non-miniature .380s are among the best carry guns out there for anyone who's very recoil sensitive but wants more capacity than a .38SPL can provide.
 
The CZ 83 is not small; it's a double-stack, and the grip is not only wide, but also long. Very comfortable to shoot, but definitely large for a .380.

I would go with the Bersa or the SIG P232. The SIG in stainless is heavier, but the felt recoil is less. The SIG in alloy will feel close to the Bersa: considerably lighter, but might hammer her a bit with the recoil. The SIG also has no safety and no slide-release lever: operation is slingshot-and-decock only.

If she thinks the PPK is too small, she's not going to like the SIG P238, even with a grip extension. I could be wrong, but that's my guess.

I have no personal experience with the Berettas, but those I know who have them seem to like them.
 
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They've all been mentioned except the lesser known Sphinx AT-380. All stainless, holds 10 or 11+1, compact but a full grip, very smooth trigger.
Sphinxsale004.jpg

My person pick would be the Sig P232 alloy frame, (for it's light weight). With a Hogue rubber grip this is a very nice pistol that's easy to shoot well. A great natural pointer.

Currentpistols032.jpg
 
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not sure how or why, but the Sig P238 shoots .380 quite well. It handles recoil better than any other small frame .380 I've felt. The extension makes the grip even larger. I used to have a LCP, but traded it because it was so dang unpleasant to shoot. the 238 is a very very nice gun. a bit pricey, but worth it in my humble opinion.
 
herkyguy said:
not sure how or why, but the Sig P238 shoots .380 quite well. It handles recoil better than any other small frame .380 I've felt. The extension makes the grip even larger. I used to have a LCP, but traded it because it was so dang unpleasant to shoot. the 238 is a very very nice gun. a bit pricey, but worth it in my humble opinion.
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Most of the 380 pistols mentioned have blowback actions, but the P238 is locked breach action and that's why it is so soft shooting.
 
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