Small semi-auto .380/9mm $400 or less

A $12.99 accessory tames the recoil of an LC9,,,

140813-LCP_PachmayerSleeve.jpg


I believe it was a Pachmayer brand,,,
It just slips tightly over the grip.

It made my LC9 very comfortable to shoot.

Aarond

.
 
Have you looked at a SCCY CPX-2?

10+1 of 9mm, not bad to shoot, not nearly as snappy as my Ruger SR40c. But, it's DAO, so you have the long trigger pull every shot, which may not be a bad thing. It's a double stack, so the grip is a bit thicker, but not too bad.

Just something to consider.
 
I did not see all of the most recent responses. Anyways, I went ahead and considered budget (it ended up being less than $400 that I was able to spend) as well as past experiences and I took a gamble and went with the Bersa. It was worth it to me to have something picked out to give as a gift and if it ends up not working out, we can sell it and get something else.

Preliminary results, without firing it, are that she likes it a lot. Fits well in both our hands. The controls were very stiff at first but are already wearing in just from handling. The double action is incredibly smooth, nicer than my CZ even, and the single action is a pretty good single action. We picked up a box of Barnes TAC-XPD ammo but no FMJ yet. Hopefully we'll get to shoot it this weekend.
 
Say Aaron. What's that "Twisted Industries Inc, LC 22 LR" on the slide of your LC9 all about? Is that a conversion unit?

I liked my LC9s so much I went out and bought a second one. Hard to pass them up at $249.00 each.
 
They also have the BP380. Same thing, just .380 instead of 9mm
Click to expand...

The BP380CC is blowback, not locked breech, the Ruger LC380 however is a locked breech and is on my short list,

Of all the.380's i have shot, owned and still have. The Sig P238, Glock 42 and the Browning 1911-380 are the only I recommend to folks that are recoil shy.
 
Bersa Thunder Pro Ultra Compact 9mm. Small enough to carry, but big/heavy enough to eat the recoil. I was just at the range this morning firing mine. What a pleasure to shoot. The recoil is low and the slide spring is really easy to manipulate (out of the box). Large controls that are easy to reach, very, very easy take down for cleaning. DA/SA with Safety/decocker for multiple ways of carrying depending on the shooters comfort (locked and cocked or safety on hammer down or hammer down with no safety and fires like a revolver on the first shot/sa after). All metal frame to boot.

https://bersa.eagleimportsinc.com/bersa/firearms/thunder-ultra-compact-pro-series

See if you can find one.. I got mine for about $380 new locally.

Example:
http://www.gunbroker.com/Auction/ViewItem.aspx?Item=534962854
 
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For ease of shooting also consider a used Beretta 84, or the Beretta-made Browning BDA 380 (no longer made, bit available on the used market.
 
Only one vote for a Kahr .380, but I have to give it a +1. Locked breach so recoil is practically nothing. Great trigger, great accuracy, and the CW380 is around $300 out the door. You can get night sights on them as well.

The Kahrs require some range time to make them run right. Plan on burning through about 200 rounds. And you absolutely have to keep them cleaned and properly lubed. But if you're willing to live with those conditions, your little Kahr will run like a top.
 
I'm in the exact same scenario.

Wife shoots some but doesn't like to to shoot alot.

Interested in CCW purse carry. So needs to be as lightweight as possible.

I like the LCP but completely understand about recoil in these pistols.

Since I reload I plan to work up a light .380 load by 25 or so rounds going up to full power so she can get comfortable with the gun first. A tiny .380 will never be fun to shoot but the positives outweigh the negatives IMO.

I found some light recoil loads that might help if you don't reload.

My money would be spent on the LCP or LC9 striker or similar.
 
Doc TH said:
For ease of shooting also consider a used Beretta 84, or the Beretta-made Browning BDA 380
Click to expand...
I'm a great fan of these pistols, but I think it's important to emphasize a few of their drawbacks.
  • They are NOT locked-breech and many shooters find them to have very snappy recoil.
  • Slide operation is relatively difficult due to a stiff recoil spring and limited grasping surface.
  • Beretta slide cannot be moved with pistol on-safe. This is admittedly commonplace with older European auto pistols, but some folks still don't like it.
  • BB, B, and no-suffix Berettas lack a positive hammer-blocking decocker, but can be carried cocked-and-locked; YMMV.
  • New and LNIB/Excellent used examples will generally be well above the original $400 price range. There are plenty of Good and a few VG Euro or Israeli police-surplus pistols available in this price range, but not everyone likes to roll the dice on surplus.
  • Lots of snaggy protrusions, particularly with the Berettas.
  • Limited aftermarket support. (Want easily-installed "drop-in" night sights? Too bad. :()
  • Although the pistols are small-ish in length and height, they're larger than a G26/27/42/43, LC9/380, or Shield. Perhaps more significantly, they're almost the exact same length and height—yet slightly wider and heavier (loaded)—than an M&P9c, which packs only one fewer round of more-potent 9mm. The G26 is also narrower and only gives up a couple more rounds, and both the G26 and M&P9c win soundly on reloading if you (like many folks) carry a FS 17rd mag as your spare. (You can fire 27rds at most with one reload in an 84/BDA, whereas you can fire 28rds from a G26 and 30rds from an M&P9c.) Basically, in terms of size vs. power, the 84 and BDA 380 compare much more favorably to a Walther PP, SIG P230/232, or Bersa Thunder than to newer tactical plastic.
I carry an 84BB because I love it and I shoot it very well, but I recognize that it's not necessarily the optimum carry gun for everyone.
 
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I've heard some good suggestions here. I'd be the first to say that my girlfriend pretty much hates guns, but she gravitated towards the Bersa Thunder .380.

She almost cried when we went to Gander on the day after Thanksgiving and the pink 9mm Ruger was sold out. I almost wanted to snap on her and tell her to suck it up.

Sadly, if she pulls out a pink pistol, she'll probably have to shoot somebody just to prove that she isn't joking around. I love her BT380 though....almost got a little jealous when she bought it.

The only thing I've noticed about the BT380 is that it's kinda finicky with ammo....so spend a few more bucks on rounds to avoid a ftf.
 
My used Sig 232 has night sights. Has the OP's friend handled one of these?
Really good ones can be found for about $450 or such, retail, as with mine in 2014.

The DA trigger is a bit lighter, and more consistent finger pressure is used than on the commercial Russian Makarov.

Maybe the Sig 232's recoil might be acceptable, but it is much easier to conceal than the standard length CZ-75, or 75 Compact.
 
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