Which .380?

[Felonious Monk]

Okay. We're narrowing down the choices for the move up from a P32 for my wife.

Looks like she likes the .380, but the AMT she shot didn't float her boat, and the KelTec P3AT was too small a platform to launch a .380 comfortably enough for her to practice with.


Which of the above (or some other choice) and why? I'd really like to hear about your experience shooting them, as well. Triggers? Least recoil? etc.

Thanks!
FM

 

[MICHAEL T]

Get the Bersa everybody loves the one they have. My 10 year old enjoys shooting mine and she's getting to be a good shot.

 

[deputy tom]

Monk,I didn't vote because all of the pistols in the list are great choices.Any one of them will work out fine for your wife.Just make sure she handles each one and determines which one fits her hands best,easiest to rack,proper trigger reach,etc.tom.

 

[GrandmasterB]

Out of the ones listed, the Bersa Thunder is the best value and is a great, reliable .380.

If you can find one, I highly recommend the Colt Mustang Pocketlite. IMHO, these are the best .380's ever made.

 

[Smoke]

Colt Gov't, Mustang, or Pony (Pony is DA)

Smoke

 

[cstreu1026]

I'd say from my experience there is nothing negative about owning a Bersa. So throw int he bargin basement price that I got mine for and I don't see how you could possibly go wrong. Besides the money you save could buy that much more ammo for practice.

 

[halvey]

How about the Beretta with the tip up barrel? Then she doesn't even have to rack the slide. I want one, and it's the only non-American gun I'd own.

 

[CZ52GUY]

I voted other, Browning BDA-380...13+1...heavy enough to be very steady in the hands...accurate, and esthetically pleasing too .

My better half ended up with this one by shooting model airplanes with it .

Safe shooting,

CZ52'

 

[Ohen Cepel]

I have the Sig 230 (earlier 232 model) and I really enjoy it! Very classic look which I like.

Little snappy to shot with hot loads but that's to be expected. Very well made (it's a SIG after all!)

Only downside I can think of is it's a bit large.

 

[Ivy Mike]

I voted other.

Of those listed, I'd be more apt to consider the CZ83.

The "other" gun I voted for is, of course, the Makarov.

 

[Shane333]

I'd get the CZ83. It's very comfortable to shoot (for a blowback action), works well for those with not-so-big hands, has good ergonomics (ambi safety and mag release) and holds 13+1.

Edited to add:

With the CZ83, you can easily carry cocked and locked or carry with hammer down on loaded chamber. Depending on your preference for single or double action for the first shot.

 

[tbeb]

How about the discontinued Taurus PT-58 (if the grip, which houses a double column magazine, isn't too big)? Pistol came with blue, satin nickel, or stainless finish. Barrel length is 4 inches, and empty weight is 30 ounces. It is double action first shot, and single action for the rest. Safety is frame mounted. One thing--safety is not a decocker. So, you have to be careful lowering the hammer if you want a round in the chamber and hammer down. Recoil should be very manageable because pistol is heavy for caliber. Four inch barrel gives long sight radius for caliber, which aids accuracy.

 

[kimbernut]

What .380 Auto?

I'm with Smoke go with a COLT.
Sig 230/232 is great but for the size I'd go 9mm

 

[wasrjoe]

My first vote is a Makarov chambered in .380. Fairly easy to find, but barrels are even easier to find. My second would be the Bersa .380. My third would be the Sig P230, if only because the price is a bit much for a .380 IMO.

 

[gbelleh]

I voted Bersa because it will shoot just as well as the others for a lot less $$.

 

[Black Snowman]

The CZ 83 is really the only 380 that I've tried and liked (which I have to admit is a small sampling). 13 rounds, accurate, wide enough backstrap that the sharp blowback recoil doesn't sting or feel too uncofortable. Doesn't hurt that it's affordable.

 

[Black Majik]

My vote is the Sig 232. Although the .380 is a snappy round to shoot from (also cuz of the blowback design), I found the Sig to still be easy shooting.

Glad to see the PPK isn't on the list. That thing... hurts to shoot.

Go for the Sig.

 

[kokapelli]

What is by far the largest selling 380 in the US market?

Why it's the keltec P-3AT. But it's not on the list!!!

 

[CZ-100]

I voted OTHER

Kel-Tec P3AT.

I carry one every day

 

[Felonious Monk]

kokapelli, CZ100-- Don't get me wrong, I'm a HUGE Kel-Tec fan (I own 4) and for ME, the P-3AT would be great. My WIFE, however, wants to move up in caliber and in size of platform, in order to get a better weight/recoil/balance thing happening. The recoil of the P-3AT was far too snappy for her to put enough rounds through to stay really good with her skills (which is what we WANT).

I'd love to have a Colt Mustang in Nickel for her, but can't really afford it.
We'll ultimately shoot a bunch of models and let HER choose, but I'm hopeful to keep hearing what folks have to say about perceived recoil of those in the poll and others I may have missed.

Thanks guys. Any others we should consider?

 

[crt360]

I'd choose the CZ83, especially if perceived recoil is an issue. My brother has one and it almost seems like it has no recoil. I personally like everything about the pistol, but I don't need a .380 at the moment. Some people will complain that it is too big and heavy for a .380; well, those are key factors in making it such a pleasant gun to shoot. The other guns mentioned are good guns, but none would be my first choice unless it was a BUG to be crammed into a tight space and for that the Browning/Beretta, Colt & even SIG might be too large. Have her shoot as many of the choices as she can; I bet she will enjoy shooting the CZ83 the most.

 

[Marko Kloos]

The Beretta and the SIG are the top picks on that list for me. It all depends on whether she likes an external safety or whether she prefers her guns "pull, point, and bang".

Personally, I think the SIG P232 is the best of the .380s. They are lighter and flatter than the Berettas, better put together than everything else in that caliber, thin and easy to tote, very accurate, and extremely reliable. You do pay a little extra, but I think the P232 is well worth its premium. It also has an exceptional trigger, and the large-ish grip makes it more comfortable to shoot than most others. In addition, it has the best sights of any .380 on the market, with optional SIGlite night sights. The Beretta's sights are integral to the slide, and the Kel-Tec and NAA don't have very sophisticated sights at all. The mini-380s are also harder to shoot well, and in case of the NAA painful in recoil.

The CZ is a fine weapon, and the easiest recoiling one of the bunch, but it's also the most difficult to carry and conceal, since it's a 30+ ounce all-steel gun with a bulky double-stack grip.

For a budget choice, the Bersa would get my nod. It's a "best buy" in handguns, and will do everything the P232 does for half the price.

In the end, it's all about which one fits her the best. I do find that many first-time CCW women take a liking to the alloy-framed P232s, though.

 

[mod12]

the narrowness of the grip tends to concentrate the recoil of the p3at. i built up the backstrap with 3 layers of foam lined electric tape and added an "uncle mike's" grip sleeve. this lengthened the pull about 3/16 of an inch and cushioned the grip. a noticeable reduction in felt recoil. mine's in my pocket right now.

 

[varoadking]

mine's in my pocket right now.

And I thought you were just happy to see us...

 

[enfield]

My wife's choice of a .380 was dictated more by the holster types available than by the fit of the gun or the manufacturer's reputation. She had a Bersa which she loved, but she couldn't find a comfortable holster for it. She's 5' 2" and typical high-riding CCW holsters put the grip in her armpit. We sold the Bersa and bought a PPK with a Galco Deep Undercover holster. She likes the fit better, but it's still not great. She shoots the PPK fine and, probably due to her small hand size, it's not painful for her. What she carries is a NAA Guardian .380 in a Graham Pop Top holster. The holster is an IWB that fits very low -- the pistol grips are below her belt line. She doesn't like the NAA as well as the PPK, but at least it's comfortable to carry. She does have accuracy trouble with the NAA due to the small size and long, heavy DA trigger pull (who doesn't?), but it also doesn't hurt her hands as much as it does mine.