380ACP Experience

G

Gahaha

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Been eyeing the S&W Bodyguard, trigger pull is on the heavy side which is good since the safety is very hard to work, at least for me.

Anyone have any recommemdations? Walther has a few models in .380 but I haven't handled any.
 
I have and like the G42. trigger pull isn't a concern for me with most any gun because I am competent with a revolver.
 
Kahr P380

The Kahr model has a good reputation. However, if one does not possess a strong grip, it's prone to jams and mis-feeds. That was my experience anyway.
 
I guess I should have added.... ive owned:

bersa 383
sig p230 and 232sl
walther ppk/s
Seecamp 380
keltec p3at
ruger lcp
glock 42

I still have the glock.
 
The only experience that I have with a "modern" .380 is a few rounds through a SIG P238.
Being a "1911 guy", I'd prefer a SA trigger and manual safety, but those familiar with point-and-squirt striker-fired guns probably won't like it.
 
I shoot the LCP with excellent accuracy considering it's tiny sights and overall size... has been 100% reliable.
 
Been eyeing the S&W Bodyguard, trigger pull is on the heavy side which is good since the safety is very hard to work, at least for me.

Anyone have any recommemdations? Walther has a few models in .380 but I haven't handled any.
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Well, what size exactly are you looking for? Bodyguard size? Because Walther doesn't make anything that qualifies as a pocket .380.

I have to dispute the claim that the Kahr P380 has a good reputation. A few minutes of Googling and a visit to Kahrtalk will show that isn't the case. Mine has been an unmitigated disaster with almost every problem you could name. If the gun were reliable, though, it would be the perfect .380 pocket pistol to me.

The Bodyguard doesn't have a great rep. The Ruger LCP is pretty bare-bones, but it's light, slick, and small, and very reliable for this class of pistol. (Unfortunately, it's an ergonomic no-go for me.) I'm eyeing the Beretta Pico as a possible replacement for my P380, but I don't like to be an early adopter of anything. I like what I'm reading, though. I've shot all the others, and I don't really care for any of them.
 
I have an LCP and it does everything I need it to do quite well. It's not pretty and it's not that much fun to shoot either.

But...

It's accurate, easy to carry and with 100gr hardcast flatnose projectiles from Underwood, it's pretty potent.
 
I must be unique, I find the ergos pretty good on the lcp and it'd pretty comfortable to shoot. To each.. I've had several other 380s this is my favorite by far.
 
I own several:

Kel-Tec P3AT: great size for cc, 100% reliable, not fun to shoot, I carry it sometimes
Russian Makarov: largish, heavy, 100% reliable for about 25 years
Beretta 84: feels good in the hand, points well, the most accurate of the three, 100% reliable so far (just a few hundred rounds)

They are all blowback and all have too much recoil for my daughter. I had hopes for the Beretta, but it is still "snappy" for her.

I won an auction for a Colt Government 380 the other day. It should arrive this week. Since it is steel and fires from a locked breech I am hoping that I will finally have a 380 that my wife and daughter will enjoy shooting.
 
I bought a Taurus TCP 738 because a lot of people preferred the trigger over other similar brands and the price I paid was $199.99. I like it a lot and it shoots surprisingly well for a tiny pistol. I also like the lifetime warranty.
 
I must be unique, I find the ergos pretty good on the lcp and it'd pretty comfortable to shoot.
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I don't know about unique. It seems to work for plenty of people. It just doesn't mesh well with my large hands and long fingers.
 
I have the Bodyguard 380. It works for me and I like it for what it is. A small compact carry gun, not a range gun. Quality has been fine for me. I went to buy a Ruger LCP and walked out with the Bodyguard. It just seemed a little better built, better sites, and felt better. That being said, I don't think you could go wrong with a LCP as well.

Have a friend with the Glock 42. Feels really good in the hand. A little larger for a pocket gun though.
 
Have a friend with the Glock 42. Feels really good in the hand. A little larger for a pocket gun though.
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Yeah, the G42 is bigger than a Kahr PM9. That gun doesn't really belong in this particular conversation, in my opinion.

Unless you're arthritic, extremely recoil averse, and/or have very little hand strength (difficulty racking slides), if you're thinking about getting a G42 as a CCW, you really ought to consider a quality single-stack 9mm instead.
 
@ RickB

Being a "1911 guy", I'd prefer a SA trigger and manual safety, but those familiar with point-and-squirt striker-fired guns probably won't like it.
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I agree. At one time I owned a blued Llama .380. Being a 1911 guy also, I like the familiarity of the controls. The gun ran good with ball ammo but was just too small for my long fingers. I sold it to a guy that "just had to have it" as a BUG for just a bit more than I paid for it.

Not something for the newer .380 carriers/shooters. Just for nostalgia, IMO.

Oh, well...
 
if you're thinking about getting a G42 as a CCW, you really ought to consider a quality single-stack 9mm instead.
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Id just go with the 26. No need to short yourself.

I have a couple of 42s, and they have been good, reliable and accurate guns so far. As much as I like them though, they really arent all that much different in size compared to the 26, and I just dont want to give up what they have to offer.

I also currently have a SIG P230, and an LCP. They have been about like the 42, especially the P230. It will allow you to stretch the distances a bit further than the smaller guns, as it has decent sights. The 42 shoots just like its big brothers, and at about the same distances.

I had a P238 when they first came out, but they were pretty rough back then, and not at all reliable. They were "soft" shooting like the 42's, and accurate, when you could get them to shoot.

Personally, "pocket" wise, I still feel the Seecamps are the one to beat, if you need a "little" gun. Mine are in 32, and I really dont see the need to go up to the 380 version. For what they are, there really isnt that much difference in performance between the rounds, and the 32s are much more comfortable to shoot.
 
I had an early LCP and thought it was a good gun for me. A friend talked me out of it when they were hard to find and I never replaced it. I recently bought a Colt Mustang and its a great little gun as well, albeit slightly heavy. I would like to have something small to throw in my pocket and not worry about so maybe it's time to look at another LCP. Or perhaps Colt's polymer Mustang...has anyone got one of those?

I will agree with other posters who've said the G42 is big for a .380. A friend of mine bought one and she loves it. It's a darn good gun but for pocket carry, IMHO, it just seems big.
 
I like the Sig238 better than any sub compact 380 I've shot. High quality, accurate and easiest recoil in its class. It's my preferred warm weather carry, although I carry the TCP w/ CT a lot when I'm doing dirty work and don't worry about banging & scratching it up working. Very inexpensive, reliable "with good ammo" point & shoot simplicity.
I'm a Ruger fan, but don't care for the LCP
 
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