380 recommendation

There is at least one YouTube video where a group of women test multiple.380s, and the one video I'm thinking, they all liked the G42 the best.

The G42 I had was one of the funnest-to-shoot pistols I've ever had. My family, who hates me dragging them to shoot, actually had fun shooting it.

It is relatively easy to rack, fits most small to medium size hands and is a soft shooter.
 
My wife liked the Pavona. But her favorite 380 is her father's CZ83. It is basically a smallish service pistol. CDI Sales on Gunbroker usually has a bunch of surplus ones for roughly $250-$300. My FiL paid something like $265 for his and it had very little wear. If you read up on them you will find that they have an excellent reputation.
 
SEKLEM Slickguns had a dealer selling the Kimber Micro .380 in black with rosewood grips for $449.99. I know it's slightly over budget and may be a tad more complicated because of the thumb safety, but it's a very nice looking pistol that should hold up to thousands of rounds.
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Kimber recommends replacing the recoil spring every 1,000 rounds.:rolleyes:

Something ain't right about that.
 
My first recommendation is the Glock 42. Another .380 that has a fuller grip is the Ruger LC380 (not the smaller LCP). The LC380 is the same size as their LC9.

If you're buying locally, it will depend on what they have in stock. Ordering online and having shipped to a local FFL opens the full range of options but shipping & FFL transfer fees usually run around +/-$25 each.
 
Bought a EAA Pavona for my gal and went to the range to test it out today.

No surprises here. Being based off the CZ 75 it was super accurate. She was switching from a Ruger SR9C that she did not get along with for many of the reasons the Pavona was designed such as the slide being difficult to manipulate and the trigger reach.

The Pavona functioned flawlessly running factory Federal HST JHP's and 250 147g Xtream reloads. The slide is super easy to manipulate for my gal and myself. The trigger was great and she instantly fell in love with her new pistol.

My only disappointment was with the stock mag. It only took 12 not the advertised 13 and had some sharp edges.

I am willing to bet CZ 75 compact mags will work as my standard CZ 75B 16rd mag's fit and function without issues aside from the 2" of extra mag sticking out.

Great little gun and with the black on black version and silver sparkles (Hard to see them) it is not out of the question for a manly man to use it and not get the funny looks from your range Buddy's.

PS this was a 9mm version and they do make it in .380 but I recommend 9mm over .380 all day long for a number of reasons.

PPS I forgot to add the Pavona cost me $348 out the door at my local gun shop.
 
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Someone mentioned CDI sales on Gunbroker for the CZ83. They also have many used FN Browning BDAs and Beretta 84s for under $400. Any of those three is a good choice if you don't mind getting her a used gun.

It's been asked, but do you know why she wants a .380? If it's for a carry gun, those might not be the top choices, but they're all guns with good reputations otherwise.
 
I have a few .380's. The only one I would recommend is a Beretta Model 85F. It is a single stack so the grip is on the smaller size.

The trick is going to be finding one and then finding a used one in your price range.
 
The Kimber Micro has been mentioned several times so let me add a nickel's worth. I mentioned before having the. g42....- great pistol...and a Sig P 238, another great pistol either of which would make a perfect carry piece for your wife. Then along came the Micro and suddenly I had another winner of a CC piece. So not to confuse things but now I carry one of them on a daily basis. All of these pistols are quality firearms and I have shot many hundreds of rounds through each without even one malfunction.
 
My mom owns a Bersa Thunder. It has not been reliable though. Right now I have it working good. She loves my LCP.

My mom is 78 and is of a frail build, 5'6" 120. A larger caliber is just too much for her although she does have a single shot 20g beside her bed. That might work if she is propped against the headboard but when she is out and about, the .380 is with her. She has her CC permit
 
Bersa 380 slide easy to rack . Decedent trigger Way better than PPK/S or the 9x18 guns If grip not long enough is a 9 shot mag with extended grip also. I have 2 one is now 11 years old other is 4 . Neither ever been a problem

Trigger pull can be lowered . I know 1 gunsmith that will do the job.
 
My .380s are the Sig 232 and commercial Russian Makarov .380 single-stack. Some are double-stack, and many comm. Russians are in 9x18 Mak.

The actual Makarov handguns--Russian, Bulgy, EG or Chinese--are considered by many to be the most reliable semi-auto handguns ever produced, as you might realize.
 
My GF swears by her Bersa Thunder 380. This summer I loaded 1200 rounds up for her and it ran them all beautifully.
 
I see mention of keeping things simple by choosing a gun that is double action only. I have tried several double action only 380's, and I found that all had such a hard and rough trigger pull that I would not buy one for my mother. My 380 is a Colt Mustang, which has a nice trigger, but the cost of a new one is around $500.
 
I also recommend the Bursa thunder 380. Stay away from the Beretta 84/85 since it will be very difficult to rack the slide. Speaking from experience since I have both and most (if not all) of my female friends were having difficult time with operating the slide.

Yg
 
My only .380 is a Bersa Thunder. It has always been reliable and accurate for me. Plenty of rounds downrange so far. It's a decent sized gun so much easier to shoot than the various pocket .380s.

9mm is a better round but if you are set on a .380 and not looking for one of the small pocket guns, the Bersa might be worth a look. It's one of my favorite guns for range time.
 
I say the bersa thunder 380 is worth a look. Fun little gun. My wife carries hers every day. She needed something easy to rack with a decent trigger. She likes the safety features and it is a really inexpensive gun.
 
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