Which mid sized 380 carry pistol?

carguychris said:
My experience with the reliability of the two is the opposite of what you describe. :rolleyes:



That said, one issue with the PPK is that many of the less-expensive examples in circulation are U.S.-made Interarms pistols, which do have a reputation for being a mixed bag in terms of reliability. Some are very good, but others not so much, and factory service ceased to exist 15 years ago. :( The German and/or French PPKs are very good, but collector values have climbed beyond what I consider appropriate for a carry gun.



I'm not a fan of the PK380. On the plus side, it has a really comfy grip, nice sights, a surprisingly good trigger for such a cheap pistol, and it's one of the few mid-size locked-breech .380 pistols other than the Baby Rock, 1911-380, Colt Gov't, and Star SS, which gives it light recoil and very low slide operation force.



However, I can't forgive the PK380 for its two big negatives: a reputation for fair-to-middling reliability (the one I shot was an absolute Jam-o-Matic[emoji767]), and perhaps more crucially, the fact that the pistol will drop the hammer when the trigger is pulled with the thumb safety engaged. I find this highly inappropriate on a defensive firearm because of the confusion that could result if the user pulls the trigger in a defensive situation and gets a "click" rather than a BANG! With most pistols, the remedy is easy and straightforward – dud round, clear the pistol – but the PK380 forces the user to first waste time double-checking that the safety is off. :eek:



(No, I don't like this about the Mauser HSc or Star 28/30/31 either. :))



Oh, you'll note that I brought up the Star SS! Neat pistol, but magazine availability and service will probably be an issue, so I'd leave it to the collectors.



I'm probably one of the biggest fans of the Series 81 on this forum, but I'm also one of the first to warn people about this issue; the slides are simply NOT easy to operate, due to the stiff recoil spring and limited grasping surface. The slide also can't be moved with the thumb safety engaged; this is not unusual among older pistol designs, but it's still a minus for some people.



At least the thumb safety either disconnects (B/BB/F/FS) or locks the trigger (original no-suffix model), as a thumb safety should. :D
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Your right about the PPK. The best ones were made in either Germany or France. Even the early Interams pistols were still made in Germany and just imported by Interarms. That being said I know many people with Interarms made PPK's that are completely reliable, but not all. As for the PK380 it isn't even a real Walther. It isn't made in Germany and is technically manufactured by Umarex, as is the P22 and the CCP. Really a shame they use the Walther name on those significantly inferior guns. People are getting soured on the Walther name entirely without realizing the Ulm, German made guns are top quality and excellent reliability. Umarex, who bought the Walther name should stick to what it knows and keep making airsoft guns and BB guns and let the Ulm factory make the real ones.


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I also will throw a vote toward the Beretta 84F, DA/SA, good cap and an external safety. My wife enjoyed it so much I had to buy another for me to use. They just have a good solid feel to them.
 
Beretta vs. Bersa,,,

Honestly the Beretta looks the nicest but gotta decide if it's worth it or if I should just go with a Bersa. I'm also looking at some Berettas used in nice condition on Gunbroker.
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I own a Beretta 85 (single-stack) and a Bersa Thunder 380,,,
Both are fine performers and are more accurate than I can utilize.

BersaBeretta.jpg


This pic will give you a comparison of general size.

Hope this helps,,,

Aarond

.
 
My Girls and their 380's

Both of my daughters carry a LCP 380 and they both really like them. They are small enough to conceal anywhere they want and I have shot them and they are pretty good gun.
 
larrydean said:
Both of my daughters carry a LCP 380 and they both really like them.
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The LCP is a subcompact, not a mid-size.

I'd say that this thread generally concerns .380 pistols with barrel length >= 3", height > 4", and loaded weight > 20 oz – holster guns, not pocket guns.
 
How does she feel about that LCP of yours? Has she fired it? I don't see the kick as being bad at all especially when you consider the size and weight of the thing. I would think that considering all the junk women carry in a purse she would be hot for the small size. FYI that LCP is a locked breach action pistol.
On the other hand if she already likes Glocks that may better suit her. How is she planning on carrying it, loaded in mag only or one in the tube? That would be a big consideration here. I leave the LCP with one in the tube always but couldn't get my head around doing that with a glock. I like nice triggers but not on something that isn't anchored to a belt in a secure holster. That's one of those personal choices you have to weigh out in your own situation.
Don't be surprised if a bit of practice takes care of her issues. The trouble with the tiny guns is that you can't blast away all day of your hand hurts. You might try a short sessions of 20 or so shots or less and get her better accustomed to the recoil and improve her accuracy. Practice really does make perfect:)
 
My first handgun was a Bersa Thunder 380 and liked it well enough that when I happened onto a used nickel version at my lgs, I let it follow me home. As I'm really not into shiny, I modified an old holster that fully covers the trigger into a "sock" and it is my under the pillow gun.
 
Well I'm going to take her to a local indoor range to try a few pistols. She has yet to shoot my LCP Custom but I don't think she'll like the recoil. I'm now leaning toward the Glock 42 so that both defense pistols she would potentially be using will be the same mechanics.

If the Walther PK380 had a bit more of a solid reputation I might be leaning more toward that.

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I would really see how she felt with that Custom. Mine hadn't fired a gun in 10 or more years and was bangin away with it having no issues. She shot it well too. Same with my daughter, no problems or complaints and she hit what she was shooting at.
I recall shooting a guy's Walther one time a long time ago and was amazed how much that thing belted. It reminded me of the 45 the army made me tote. My buddy has a walther and says the LCP shoots a lot better, kicks less in his opinion. When I was looking at the reviews I noticed that many said it's recoil was quite manageable for such a tiny gun. Many said the wider (but oh so fugly) trigger kept trigger bite at bay. Those comments were pretty universal even if they overlooked that Buck Rogers Meets Billy's Erector Set trigger:(
Just take her out with the lightest bullets you can find and don't push the issue if she wants to call it a day after a short session. You might get lucky and then have to go out and find another one.:rolleyes:
 
Of course, what the wife likes is what she should get. I've owned and shot a bunch of .380's. My favorite is the one I still own, a SIG p232.

I recently sold my Beretta 84 and its sister/brother, the Browning. The slides were too hard to rack; the recoil was about the same as the p232. Accuracy is better with the p232, at least for me.

The German and French PPK's are the nicest PPK's, but harder to find at a "reasonable" cost.
 
Carguychris. I am also a fan of the Star S series of pistols (the SS is simply an added mag safety), bought a bunch when they were cheap and new in the box. Also have a pile of extra mags for the S and DK that are still in the wrappers so that is not a problem. Colt could have bought the S from Star and stamped Gov Model on the slide they cloned it so nicely....later Mustang also.
In .32 or .380 the S is a fine pistol along with it's smaller brother the DK, easy to rack light on recoil and accurate.
 
Not being argumentative but if you're looking for midsized why not go 9mm? I own a Taurus pt111 9mm and with over 2000 rounds not one hiccup. I'm not a Glock guy but I hear the g42 is a great .380.
 
Picking a hand gun for carry, Walther PPK/S 380 is a nice hand gun. Can carry one chambered hammer down, just point & shoot. Be careful when putting back in your holster , the hammer is back ready to fire. That's when most of the accidents happen. I like a revolver, my old friend is the S&W 36 2" Chief 38 spl. Carried it for many years. Both 38 & 380 are on the weak side. 45 acp. No matter what you carry, try to shoot 50 rounds once a month. Pick the one that feels best in your hand. Practice shooting right & left handed. Next problem will be the right holster.
 
I've owned quite a few .380's over the last 39 years and the ones I've kept are the Beretta 84 and the Browning BDA .380. My present 84BB is from Cole distributing and I think I paid $340 for it. He had it listed as "85%", but it's at least 90%. He has a lot of them on Gunbroker right now...
 
Beretta Model 85 or Model 84, Browning BDA 380, and SIG P232, all make for a quality compact .380. Slightly smaller in size and still easy to carry and shoot would be the Colt Mustang and SIG P238.
 
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