Let's talk .380's

H

Hal

New member
A few years ago, I was all done with the .380 acp.
Small sub-compact 9mm's had (IMHO) made he .380 outdated.

Then along came the .25 acp sized "pocket" .380's......

They have proven to be excellent little machines!

I picked up a Ruger LCP a few months ago & was in love w/it right off the bat.

I was really quite content until the thread here about the Beretta Pico being +P rated came along.

Now I want a Pico. I can't live w/out a Pico. If I don't get a Pico.....I'll hold my breath until I turn blue!!! :D :D.
Ok-seriously - the Pico is one fine looking little gun.

To the point here - - what all else is out there in .380?

I had a PPK/s once & didn't care for it - the slide chewed up my hand.
Beretta or Browning - can't remember which made it - had one that one company made for the other.
Beautiful little guns!
Are those still being made?

What about S$W and CZ? Where do there .380's come in at - as far as small pocket type carry?
 
For bigger ones, service pistols I would call "medium-sized", my favorites are the Beretta 84 and the CZ83. These are double-stack pistols which seem to be designed to fit in a belt holster. The single-stack Sig 230/232 is another nice one. I also like my old Russian Makarov in 380. The Colt Government model is very soft-shooting and my daughter's favorite.

As for pocket pistols, the Ruger LCP and the Kel-Tec P3AT it was copied from are pretty much the standard for polymer double-action pistols. There is also the single-action Colt Mustang... and I forget the model number of the Sig that seems to be identical.

Those are the ones I own or have shot.

There's also a Browning version of the Beretta (BDA, maybe?). And both Browning and Rock Island Armory have recently come out with 1911 single-action 380 pistols reminiscent of the old Colt Government Model.
 
For the longest time, my backup guns were a Ruger LCP and a S&W 642-1 in .38. The issue with .380, for me, was cost of ammo.

My “solution” was to get a SIG P938, and then I got a conversion cylinder for my 642-1 in 9mm. Never sold the LCP, and won’t.

While the P938 is a very nice gun, it isn’t as small as the LCP. With a Recluse holster, the LCP with 15 rounds of ammo (two Magguts converted magazines; 7+1...+7) fits in my back pocket and I can draw the pistol from there. The P938, I cannot fit in that pocket and expect to draw. Can’t do either in my front pocket, so the P938 is a cargo pocket gun, with similar capacity as the LCP (if I run seven rounders, as I tend to carry at least one reload; it is also carried elsewhere).

If I can include a 9mm, I definitely try to. But there are times that a smaller gun is needed... and I’ve yet to see a 9mm get to LCP size. When that occurs, I’ll think about retiring the LCP/.380.
 
The small pocket 380's are great little guns, LCP, P3AT, Taurus has two, the curve and PT738, NAA, Remington, Colt Mustang & Pony, CZ made a few and AMT. Most are great pocket guns and are really handy. Once you start moving up a little in size you reach my favorite summer carry gun the Beretta 84f, with 13 plus rounds on tap they are great shooters plus the Browning version. There's also the small 1911 style Browning thats 80% the size of a 1911 full size.

Now as far as the Pico goes, I'm not a fan of them. I have handled them a few times but never shot one but to me I just was not happy with the was the gun felt in my hand.

Taurus even made a revolver fit for the 380 that is a little more scaled down for the cartridge.
 
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I carry a Smith 637 with CT grips. I have an LCP because it fits anywhere. Mostly in my back pocket.

I can shoot the 637 quite well including using it in a bowling pin match @ 25 feet.

I can shoot a few rounds out of the LCP with out hurting my hands. A few magazines and my trigger finger is beat up. I have to cover the target with the muzzle to hit where I want.

Then I saw a Sig 238. I liked it so much the girlfriend and I rented one to try out. Slide pulls back easily for her. Recoil is 380 size, meaning it is easy to handle. It put the shots where I aimed it. She fired 5 out of 6 shots in the same hole at 5 yards with no problems. I could keep them all on a sheet of paper at 25 yards. We were both impressed. I have one sitting at the gunshop waiting for me to pick it up. Night sights are standard on this model.

Girlfriend has fired ONE round from the LCP. Seems the 238 will fit in my back pocket like the LCP.

938 is too big for a pocket pistol and has way too much recoil for ME. I would rather carry my LW officers model.
 
The Kahr .380s are small, accurate, and actually shootable at the range.


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I have the LCPII for the many times carrying my larger 9MM is inconvenient. Especially nice when wearing cargo shorts and a tee. So far, after a couple hundred rounds through it, I have not had one single FTL or FTE. Shoots very comfortably for me despite what I've often read about these guns being snappy. Pretty darn accurate at 20 feet too.
 
My favorite semi(not just.380) is a BDA, my EDC for 8 years has been a LCP. I have no inferiority complex about the cartridge and would still like to add a couple more .380 guns to my collection.


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I have about thirty .380 caliber pistols in the corral, some vintage some modern and some in between. I also have a pile of .32 acp' but that is for another post.
My normal carry is a Sig P 238 or 938 both of which are a modern version of a popular fifties pistol. Although i shoot fmj in my pistols there are large offerings of performance cartridges for .380 and most other handgun calibers today.
 
I've got one of the early Sig P238's which I guess is the same as a Colt Mustang or whatever that other Colt Mini-1911 look-a-like is/was. It's a great shooter and to me, far more pleasant to shoot than the older Sig P232 which was also a .380.

I've kinda got an itch for a less than stellar (or popular) ctg these days too. I've been kinda keeping my eye out for a CZ 83 in .32ACP. Why? I don't know, I guess just because I've never had one before.
 
Hal, you ask a great question. I have owned 4 LCP's, a Kahr and shot just about every thing else. I will tell you emphatically, that I love the Pico. I have done quite a number of Pictures comparing them to a few other guns. Pico's are built like a tank and very reliable. I like it so much I bought a second.
Do not worry about handling, yes they are slim and I have a large hand with long fingers and can draw and pull as fast as any pocket gun. These guns are extremely MILD Shooters, great sights and a great trigger on the new version.
I have shot the Sig 238 and yes they are lovely firearms and would love to have one, but doubt I really want anything more than the Pico for Pocket Carry.
I love pocket guns and love shooting them. I also have a Ruger LCR9mm that is a fun range gun. I currently have had a LC9 and LC9S that I love for winter carry and ultra reliable, but really have a eye on a Kimber micro or perhaps the Khar CM9.
You really cannot go wrong with the Pico. This is a 380 meant to last a life time. Sheer quality throughout the gun.
Good luck with your quest and thanks for posting.
 
All the firearms in my accumulation are not dedicated to defensive purposes. I have some for the sheer joy of owning and shooting them. Yes, some are outdated I guess others might think. That's OK, I still like them. Examples are a couple of Beretta 85Fs.

Some might also think my revolvers are outdated, but I even carry some of those from time to time.
 
The pocket .380, 9mm market is mature and saturated.

I've seen deals on the Beretta nano, pico, the ruger LCP and LCPI II, S&W Shield, Diamond back's, the Taurus 738.. and the list goes on.

I picked up a Taurus 738 recently I did not want a .380 but the price was so cheap I could not pass it up.

The gun looks like a toy, Feels like a toy, But it is so small it rides really well.
It's light enough (12.5oz loaded) I can actually carry it in my PJ's without it dragging them down.

I've got a Taurus 709 single stack 9mm that I bought for pocket carry but im liking the 738 better.

I settled on speer golddots for defense load.
 
I have two .380s, a Pico and a LCP. I much prefer the Pico, 100% reliable with 5 or 6 types of ammo, and MILD recoil. It does have its shortcomings though.

I too, am very interested in these little guns, and my next one will probably be the Remington RM380. I'm in no hurry, and will wait for Bass Pro Shops to have them on sale.

Other little lightweight .380s, which I'll probably never own include:
Taurus TCP aka PT-738 aka ?
S&W Bodyguard (reports of light strikes)
Kahr CW380 (shoots lead, but has reports of reliability issues)
Kel-Tec P3AT
 
I like the .380 and have carried on and off for a number of years. Easy to hide and will make a bad guy leak. All you can ask for.
 
my edc is a MP bodyguard 380. Small in size, easy to conceal, DOA, hammer fired...I really love that gun, it shoots great.
 
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