Best .380

.380

I have 3; PK380; PPK (no S); and an AMT Backup.

The AMT is the easiest to conceal but the PPK is the most accurate. Love em all.
 
The Zenith MC14 is a Beretta 84 copy that you can get in the $400 range and it comes with 3 magazines. Double stack .380 w/13 rd mag. Few reviews, but they're all good.
I see them online for sale, but I'd like to get one in my hand before buying.

Sig P238 makes a great pocket gun. Get the 7 round mag if you do.
 
You also mentioned FMJ ammo.
That's probably only going to piss off whoever you shoot with it.
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That is a very irresponsible statement!

While FMJ ammunition may or may not be the best for carry, it's most certainly deadly!
 
Kind-of off topic, but with the bersa's having really thick grips how do they conceal under a fairly fit T-Shirt? Lets say compared to a 342pd?
 
Darn it! I knew I shouldn't have started reading this thread. All this talk about .380's caused me to visit my local small gun shop over my lunch hour today, and now I'm $268 poorer, but the new owner of my very first .380. I ended up getting the Ruger LCP II.
I also shouldn't have picked up all that spent .380 brass at the range. Every time I pick up brass for a caliber I don't own, it's only a matter of time before reloading dies and a gun to match that brass empties my wallet. It's insidious, the way that works, and I never learn. :rolleyes:
 
kyguy1 wrote:
Which one is the best in terms of reliability & ease of use?
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Highpoint CF-380: Cheap, reliable, ugly as homemade sin

Taurus 738: Cheap, fairly reliable, small, light and cute in an angular sort of way.
 
Darn it! I knew I shouldn't have started reading this thread.
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Cobra81, once I was going through assorted ammunition I had and found a box of .44 Magnum ammo. My first thought was, "I don't have a 44 Magnum and should buy one so I can shoot that box of ammo".

I sought some professional help and gave the ammo to a friend. But it was touch and go.
 
cobra81 wrote:
Darn it! I knew I shouldn't have started reading this thread.
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I have so far avoided "pulling the trigger" on a 380. Mostly this is because buying the gun means getting ready to load for it and after taking on 25 ACP some years ago, I'm not sure I want to get involved in another tiny cartridge.
 
For what's it's worth, my 'carry' .380 ACP is a Ruger LCP. Light, thin and not bulky. It has been very reliable with a variety of ammo. I had a Kahr CW .380 but had to send it back once and I never could get to be reliable.
These small 'pocket' pistols can get picky about its ammo so if you find one it likes, buy more!
 
Was at the range a few days ago. I brought my Kahr CW380 and my Pico and threw my LCP gen 2 in the bag. Man, the Pico and the Kahr have totally spoiled me. They are so pleasant to shoot. As I mentioned, I own two Pico's now and after a few thousand rounds Not one Hiccup. The Kahr now has around 500 with no problems.
I put a hundred rounds with the Pico and switched over to the Kahr. Hard for me to tell which I prefer. I am very bias toward the Pico, I just love that gun.
Then I shot my LCP, Lol, man two mags was enough for me. I have owned three and on my fourth, but no more. That gun is going back into retirement. I use to be a really good shot with that gun, but after shooting the other two, I do not want any part of a LCP. Shot the new model, and personally did not think it shot as well as the Gen 2 LCP. And I really did not like the trigger. Besides just being weird, it was IMO totally unsafe for a pocket gun.
I have always been a avid fan of the LC9S. But after shooting the Kahr, I am thinking of getting a CM9 in the next 6 months or so.
 
You will really need to figure out what works for you. The two .380 ACP pistols I have had experience with and liked were a Colt Government .380 ACP and a older Interarms imported Walther PPK. Actually were both my wifes guns but I enjoyed shooting them. The PPK is still in the safe today and I wish that little Colt Government was still with us. They were both good guns for us, reliable and problem free.

Ron
 
The Beretta 84/85 and the Browning BDA 380 (made by Beretta for Browning) are probably not "pocket pistols" because of their size, but they are very high quality, well designed, reliable, durable, and attractive pistols. Both feel very good in the hand.
As an aside, I have to agree that an FMJ 380 is not an ineffective round. When it is chosen in preference to HP, the usual reason is to maximize penetration. We tend to like expansion, but we need penetration. Greg Ellifritz's alternate look at handgun stopping power, and Brassfetcher's ballistic tests provide data to the utility of the 380.
 
I personally carry a S&W bodyguard .380. The reason I chose it was budget number 1. I'm not loaded so it ruled out the sig I wanted. Next I really liked the double strike capability. I have experienced a couple light strikes with the pistol but only on cheap steel case ammo. A second strike has never failed to make it go bang though. I also considered the LCP which seems to be a good choice as well. I do find the Bodyguard to be a bit difficult to shoot. I seem to hit low and left. It's definitely no tack driver, but it's handy and easy to carry. Some days I almost forget I'm carrying it.


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Hello CockNBama, Congrats on the Pico. To answer your question on which ammo it prefers, I would at this point say just about anything as far as feeding. I shoot a lot, so I buy a lot of bulk ammo. Freedom Munitions (their reloads) is one ammo it shoots well all the time and very inexpensive. And I buy a lot of Fiocchi, buy some Winchester, Rem etc. I have not decided on which defense load I want to carry, and am in the process of buying different brands to start comparing accuracy etc.. I now just carry some Hornady Defense, Fiocchi Extrema, and HST. This gun is built like a tank, so want to experiment with Hot loads. So I will post again toward the end of Summer.
Congradulations on the Pico, You will appreciate this gun the more you shoot it. I own a lot of firearms, but have to say my admiration for this sleek little mild shooting trooper as one of top favorites.
 
I've been carrying an LCP for years in a front pocket holster (jeans).
With a Polo type shirt that isn't too tight, the LCP hides so well that I carry it EVERYWHERE that there isn't a metal detector. It never prints and doesn't even "bulge".
You can't say that for any other compact.

And yes, I have several other .380's that allow me to make that very confident assessment. Those include an original Rohrbaugh, Kahr CM9, and a very old German Walther PPK that I carried when carrying wasn't legal.

My wife and I went to a political event once with a high level politician in attendance. The police at the front table were going through purses and any backpacks or belly pouches they saw. They searched my wife's purse and just looked at me and saw me carrying "nothing" so the officer just asked if I was armed and I said "no" so we walked right in.
There is NO other pistol that I am aware of that is as light, thin and small that would have allowed me to pass an inspection area like that.
 
I've put a bunch of carry brands through my Pico thus far. I've landed on a favorite and a close runner-up. I carry the Winchester SXZ because it seems the easiest to shoot and produces consistent groups. It's top quality ammo. Comes in a 50 round box. I like that.
http://www.winchester.com/Products/handgun-ammunition/Innovative/w-train-defend/Pages/W380D.aspx

I also liked the Hornady American Gunner. Also quality and consistent. Comes in a handy 125 round box. Uses the proven XTP bullet.
http://www.hornady.com/store/380-Auto-90-gr-XTP-American-Gunner/

All of the top tier ammo has worked well, but these two seemed the best for me. The Winchester just feels a little easier on the hand and very consistent groups. Give them both a try.

The only ammo I really disliked was the Ruger ARX. Seemed to have a mind of it's own.
 
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