What is your favorite .380

[MikeJ]

Browning BDA

 

[kokapelli]

That's true Mike, but it's still

109 degrees in the shade at 4:10 pm here just southeast of Phoenix.

 

[gbelleh]

I've owned a few .380s. Walther PPK/S, Mauser HSc, Bersa .380, and Cobray Pocket Pal... a revolver chambered for either 5 shots of .22 or 3 shots of .380. More info here:

Cobray Pocket Pal

I would also like to add a Colt Mustang, CZ-83, HK 4, Beretta 84, Sig 232, Colt 1908, etc. I've always liked .380s.

 

[browningguy]

Well it depends on what it's for.

For carry a Bersa .380:


For something not everyone has my High Standard G380:


For looking good a Browning 1910/71:


For really dressed up I have a Renaissance grade 1910/71, no pics of it online yet, have to correct that.

 

[Surefire]

Beretta Cheetah 85


Followed by the Sig P230/P232

 

[jcooperdj]

Colt Mustang Pocketlite for sure. shoots and feels great and good CCW Just bought a P3AT as its even smaller and keeps my mustang in the garage Smallest 380 ever

 

[Lobotomy Boy]

Is the new Carry version of the Bersa going to be out soon? The website says it will be available in June and according to my calendar, that would be about now.

 

[faustulus]

Seems to be a ground swell of support of the CZ, since I love CZs maybe I need one of these.

 

[GunGoBoom]

PCRCCW, if the Bersa is the same as the Sig, but half the price, as you say, then shouldn't it be listed ABOVE the Sig in your list?

 

[Lobotomy Boy]

The Bersa is a quality gun, made of durable alloy and steel. They can be a little rough around the edges when you bring them home, but they clean up real purty. I looked at used Sigs and almost bought one, but the day I decided to buy one I got a Gander Mountain ad listing Bersa's for $199. I got to my local Gander Mountain and they'd sold out of all but one display model with a slight scratch on the barrel. I ended up buying it for $189. Since then I've run about 2000 rounds through the gun and have never had a FTE/FTF. The only problem I've had is that if the magazine gets dirty the slide won't lock open on the last round. The only thing I've done to it is to de-burr some of the internals right after I bought it, which smoothed up the trigger considerably. It is now much smoother than my CZ75B, which cost over twice as much as the Bersa.

Lately the Bersa spends too much time in my gun safe, since I have a Taurus 605C and a Glock 26 for carry, and .380 ammo is horribly expensive, even the cheap WWB stuff from Walmart. I almost traded it for a 9mm KelTec this spring, but when I took it to the range I realized I couldn't part with it. It really is a blast to shoot. Maybe if enough of us start using .380, the price of target ammo will come down.

The only way I would get any .380 other than the Bersa would be if I collected a certain type of gun--Walthers, Berettas, Sigs, CZs. If you just want a plinker, there isn't much reason to buy the more expensive guns.

 

[mainmech48]

Just to throw in a couple of Jokers to the pack, my true favorites are both a bit obscure:

Bernardelli M-60. Bought it new at a K-Mart (shows ya how long ago that was, doesn't it?) for $69.95. About the size of a Walther PP, very accurate, absolutely reliable with ball or Super Vel HPs. Beautifully made.

Remington M-51. Slim, slick and beautifull. Quite accurate, even with the tiny irons. Only fed ball well, but truly great ergos. Wish that I'd had the sense to resist the temptation when offered way too much money (seemed so at the time) for it.

 

[Johnny Guest]

I like .380s for two different reasons - - -

Historical/Esthetic - - Back in the day, these were the "magnum" pocket pistols. In a time when European police were mostly armed with pistols chambered for the 7.65 Browning (.32 ACP,) most of the same platforms could be had in .380 ACP. This was considered "needlessly brutal" and "difficult to control" by many. But, if you were serious about personal defense and needed to conceal a pistol, the 1908 Colt Pocket, the Savage double stack, and the 1910 Browning design were pretty much IT. A little later, the sleek Walther DAs and Remington Model 51 enhanced "the Pocket Pistol as an Art Form" image. Those were the glory days of the .380.

Today, though, those beautiful, classic designs are just flat obsolete. Advances in the state of the art render the old designs oversized and overweight - - Needlessly big and 'WAY too heavy for their power. You can dispose 9x19mm power in a smaller, lighter pistol, and, if you still want a .380, you can get downright TINY.

Lest I seem disdainful of the old classics, I mention that I have a 1966 vintage PPK which is NOT for sale. I also have an ancient Colt 1908 in my desk - - Little remaining finish, but mechanically perfect and frighteningly accurate.

Practical, everyday, concealed carry -- Some of the current crop of .380s are smaller and lighter than some older design .25 pistols I've owned. I still don't consider the .380 a first line combat proposition, but, as they say, it beats a sharp stick or a stern scolding. I have a P3AT in my side pocket as I write this, and it is fairly "forgettable," which is a fine attribute for a pocket pistol to have.

For the future -- I'd love to see the old Colt 1908 updated: A trimmed down, polymer receiver with shortened barrel and slide mounting low, clearly defined sights. Perhaps 5+1 or 6+1 capacity, around 13 ounces in weight. Keep the concealed hammer, grip safety and the same size thumb safety. Flat, light, short, large enough to shoot well - - Perhaps the idea hideout piece. Hey, I can dream, can't I?

Best,
Johnny

 

[bodoke]

Bersa Thunder 380, the new CC version holds 8+1. Many people says it's not a SIG, CZ, Walther, etc. They are right, it's a BERSA.

Max.

 

[106rr]

380 Favorites

I have a CZ 83 and it's magnificent! I would also like to get a Browning BDA but the configuration of the sights is such that I would have to replace them. That would mean wrecking the finish and paying to get it redone.
My home state still has mag restrictions and I don't know if the BDA is available with 10 rd mags.
I tried the Sig 230 and it gave me fliers out of every mag. The ergos were beautiful and I would love to have one but an inaccurate 380 isn't useful. The CZ is very consistent, points well and was cheap. I live in CA so my choices as a second class citizen are restricted by law.
The Bersa was excellent in every way but the CZ had mystique and a feel of quality that the Bersa couldn't match.

 

[Marko Kloos]

Today, though, those beautiful, classic designs are just flat obsolete. Advances in the state of the art render the old designs oversized and overweight - - Needlessly big and 'WAY too heavy for their power. You can dispose 9x19mm power in a smaller, lighter pistol, and, if you still want a .380, you can get downright TINY.

I must be getting older and crankier, but these days my first priority in guns is not "Does it conform to the Tactical Commandments?", but "Do I like it, and does it work well?"

I know the shortcomings of my PPK when compared to my Glock 19. The PPK is almost as heavy, holds half the capacity and fires a much weaker cartridge to boot.

However, there's something about that little pistol that's not readily quantifiable. It is, for lack of a better word, far more sensual than, for example, a KelTec P3AT, even if the KT has superior characteristics on paper. I am pleased with the feel of the Walther in the hand, and with the way it looks and works. It's like gun jewelry.

Obsolete? I doubt it. The PPK still does what it was designed to do. The fact that you can get a far lighter pistol in the same caliber does not detract from the functionality of the PPK, at least not for me. I hardly ever carry the pistol in my pocket, and when you stick it onto your belt, five or ten extra ounces are not that dramatic. I know that everyone wants matchbox-sized Magnums made out of meringue these days, but there are dimensions to a gun that go beyond the size and weight comparison game.

You prove that point yourself by carrying a 40-ounce all-steel cavalry pistol with a five-inch barrel and a mere eight-shot capacity. Is it obbsolete just because you can buy a Glock 21 which weighs two-thirds as much and holds almost twice the rounds?

 

[Ala Dan]

I like several .380's, listed in NO particular order are:

Bersa Thunder DT, SIGARMS P230 & P232, German Walther PPK & PPK/S,
Browning BDA, and Seecamp's .380.

 

[erik the bold]

NAA Guardian

 

[ChickenHawk]

Another vote for Bersa Thunder .380

Great gun.

ChickenHawk

 

[Old NFO]

Browning 1910- Now If I can just find a holster that actually fits it...

 

[Marshall]

Browning BDA, and the Sig 232

 

[ReadyontheRight]

Sphinx AT 380

 

[Black Majik]

Sig P232

With my experience, the smoothest shooting, best handling .380 is the SIG P232.

Its no wonder why the SIG is mentioned so many time, I haven't felt any other .380 that shoots as well as the SIG, well... in my hand at least.

The recoil isn't bad, its very controllable. Only thing I didn't like was the heel release for the magazine.

 

[George Hill]

Beretta 84/85

 

[Frandy]

I had an 86...liked it but sold it.

My 232 gets here Monday. So, I'll let you know.

 

[greg531mi]

Colt Pony Pocket-lite, 12 ounces and thin.....and don't have to worry about a safety. Some people love it, and some hate it. But, I will always say, make it simple.......