Comparing Four 380's

Get yourself a Pearce soft rubber grip for the Makarov. Then let the sensitive ladies shoot it.

(I should get mine out again. It was the first centerfire auto I bought, about almost 20 years ago.)
 
It would have been nice to go with something currently manufactured, but I figured the Colt Mustang would be too small for me. I have heard good things about them. The Government Model is just barely large enough to get a good grip on. My pinkie won't fit on it, but that's normal. IIRC only my CZ75 and Beretta 92 are big enough to get my pinkie on. All the rest I just curl it underneath the bottom of the grip. Other big-handed shooters know how that is.

The Beretta is a jewel. Racking the slide is mildly challenging, since the spring is so stiff and there is nothing to grip but the small serrations, but that is my only complaint. It feels bigger in my hand than it actually is. I love the double-stack magazine - more rounds and a thicker grip. Do they still make them?

A nice thing about the Makarov is the location of its safety. It is in the perfect spot to give you a little something extra to hold when you rack the slide.

I don't really understand why some folks dislike 380's. Mine serve their intended purposes well. And 75% of them are fun to shoot. :)
 
The Beretta is a jewel. Racking the slide is mildly challenging, since the spring is so stiff and there is nothing to grip but the small serrations, but that is my only complaint. It feels bigger in my hand than it actually is. I love the double-stack magazine - more rounds and a thicker grip. Do they still make them?
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Yep, Beretta still makes them, but the one in production today, the 84FS, is a different version from the one you (and I) have, and there have been a few mechanical changes (the safety now doubling as a decocker being the main one) as well as aesthetic ones. It's still a wonderful pistol, though. Beretta had stopped importing them for a while but resumed importation a few months back.
 
Thanks Austin, that is good to know. I won't be exchanging my old-school one, even though I like decockers, but my FiL may want to buy one. And then he will be reloading 380!

In case anyone else runs across this, mine came with broken grips and no magazine. Don't be afraid to bid on one like that. I found the grips on eBay for ten bucks in less than a minute, and Mecgar mags are easily avaible. I think they are OEM, even.

BTW, I went to school in Austin in the mid-80's. It is a wonderful city. :)
 
I love those 'plus-sized' .380's. I understand how useful these pocket-sized guns are (I own a Kahr PM9), but putting in the range time to get proficient with them is not fun.

I own a CZ-83, and it is a blast to shoot even though the grips are just a bit wide for me. The Beretta 84 is very likely to be my next gun, as soon as I can work it into my budget. At some point, I intend to add a Sig 232, and a Mustang to the collection. I want a PPK, but in .32.
 
I have heard there is a batch of surplus Beretta 84's on the market now, selling in the $249-$299 range. That's a pretty good deal for such a nice shooting pistol. :)
 
I will add my S&W.380 PPK/s shoot great with no problems. Very solid fits my hand great.
 

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Tallball
Thanks for taking the time to do the write up and sharing. It was an interesting read!!
To bad the G42 doesn't fit your hand. It is a nice shooting gun with not bad recoil.
I don't own one but have run a couple boxes of ammo through a couple.
Thinking maybe I might pick a used one up cheap when the rush for the single stack Glock 9 starts. ;)
 
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