a very specific .380 ACP and .38 Special question

[Southern Shooter]

I have a Bersa .380 which I love. I keep it loaded with either Remington 88 grain JHP or Golden Saber 102 grain JHP ammunition.

And, I have a Charter Arms Undercover 2" barrel .38 Special that is NOT +P rated...which I love, too. I keep the Charter Arms loaded with Federal 110 grain Hydra-Shok Non +P ammunition.

Ok, now I know neither of these are power houses. They are for when not much else can be concealed. So, not counting the fact that the Bersa can hold more rounds, if, between these two guns and loads stated, you had to choose a small concealed carry gun which would you choose and why?

Thanks

 

[David E]

Of THOSE two, the Charter Arms.......

 

[foghornl]

Yea, neither one of those is the "just short of Thermo-Nuclear" loads some folks load up in the .357Mag class, but my vote goes toward the Charter .38Spl.

I use that same Federal "personal defense" 110-Gr load in my very cheapy (RG-38) snubby.

 

[EHL]

Bersas are actually pretty large framed given the small cartridge they shoot. They're about as big an officers 1911 without any extra rounds to compensate and definetly a whole lot less power. I'd opt for the belly popper as well. (i.e. snub)

 

[thunder173]

Hard choice. I have the Bersa .380 and carry it occasionally in the rotation of things,...but the honest truth,...all else being equal,...I would take the 38 snubby too. (Also have a S&W 36).....don't get me wrong,..the .380 will do it,..and that Bersa .380 is a decent little gun. Direct contact likely?? Yup,...the belly popper with 5 rounds would be my choice.

 

[1KPerDay]

whichever one is less trouble to carry.

 

[earlthegoat2]

38 every time. Never been a believer in the wonder 380s. Ill take the heavier bullets with the 38 special.

 

[Marlin 45 carbine]

you omitted the big advantage the Bersa has with more shots and the fact that it is 'slim' is relevant also. .380acp - I don't want to have anyone shoot me w/it.

 

[makarovnik]

Bersa. I can hit what I'm aiming at better with the Bersa than the revolver and it's slightly more comfortable to carry.

 

[wnycollector]

A few years ago my daily CCW was a russian Mak in 9x18. I felt comfortable that 9 rounds of 9x18 would get the job done if called upon. My current warm weather carry pistol is a S&W .38 loaded with the remington FBI load. Again, I feel comfortablethat it would do its job. I say carry what is most reliable, what you are comfortable with and shoot the best!

 

[Southern Shooter]

Remember...110 grain NON +P ammo

Hey folks...thanks for the input. But, remember, this is a NON +P rated gun. So, this was based on using NON +P 110 grain Federal Hydra-Shok. What would that ammo do coming from a short-barreled .38?

Thanks

 

[PhiloebeddoUSA]

Short barrel offsets the +P. (bit of recoil as well) Waste of extra powder.

Semi-auto has the possibility of a jam. Revolver will not.

My vote would be for the .38 with a 158 grain SWC or hollowpoint/softpoint.

your call though.

 

[Jim Watson]

Agonizing over "pressure ratings" is unproductive. A few rounds of .38 Special +P is not going to blow up your gun. My similar size S&W Bodyguard gets 158 gr lead hollowpoint +P, the "FBI load."

 

[goon]

Revolvers can also jam and when they do, it generally takes a lot more head scratchin and tools to get them un-jammed.

IMO, you can't really just toss out the extra magazine capacity of the Bersa. It holds a few more rounds and no amount of imagination will change that. As far as cartridges go, I'd prefer the .38. It carries a heavier bullet and is probably likely to penetrate far enough more reliably.

To the OP, which do you shoot better?
Sorry, but that's my answer. It's your life on the line when you carry them, not mine.

 

[Southern Shooter]

I like both...and shoot both well

Hi Folks,
I like both of these guns...and shoot both of them well. Being a small framed person...5' 5" at 160 lbs, the small Charter Arms tends to hide a wee bit easier. And, being in the Deep South where lots of clothing is not always an option even in the winter that is a big factor.

I have several other 5-shot .38s I could choose from but this one is even smaller. Plus, it fits great in my ankle holster allowing me to wear shirts tucked in my pants. Guess it is my most convenient CC at this point in time.

Perhaps, I should consider upping my ammo to a 125 grain +P...if it would not cause havoc to my Undercover. I have put a few PMC Starfire .38 Special +P through it. Not a fun experience but manageable.

 

[gglass]

Here are a couple of real world comparisons between non +P .38 and .380 rounds:

Notice that with similar bullet expansion, the .38 special had nearly twice the penetration than the .380 acp.

 

[goon]

I think buffalo bore loads some ammo for guns that aren't plus P rated. Might be worth a look.

 

[MedWheeler]

I also have these two pieces for carry. I like the Bersa, and have a spare mag for it as well, but I have enjoyed the .38 for more than twenty years. I carried it as a BUG and O/D gun when I was in LE.
I carry the .38 with 158gr jacketed flat-nosed rounds, and the .380 with 90gr FNEBs (essentially a SJHP).
I carry each using an IWB holster, which I "sandwich" between the belt and my pants, rather than insert entirely inside my pants (which would require I buy bigger pants.) The Charter sometimes gets dropped in a pocket; the Bersa is not so easily done so.
All that being said, I find the little wheelgun more comfortable to carry, as the Bersa's big beavertail likes to poke me some.
I've never felt poorly armed with either, but I do feel that the extra three rounds in the autoloader are needed to make up for some possible shortcomings in stopping power. Still, I'd probably carry a five-shot .380 if I really liked it.
Carry what you comfortably can, and make sure that you are proficient with it to be able to make every shot count. You'll probably end up doing what I do, which is carrying either of them, based on mood, comfort, or nostalgia..

Edit: was reviewing the bullet weight you're using. I think most agree, particularly this time of year, that 110 grains from a snubby might be a little light. I carried 125gr FNEBs during the summer months, when clothing here in Florida is light, then switched to the heavier load when clothes got more heavy. Think I'll stick with it year-round, and put the other ones in my HD revolver (a 4-inch six-shooter.)

 

[Marlin 45 carbine]

I replaced a .380acp with a Makarov 9X18mm for carry and replaced a .357mag with my Mak for a 'bedpost pistol', a spare holster velcroed to bed post.
extra shots, very 'pointable' reliable and powerful enuff. it is truly a one-hand pistol leaving left hand free for a light.
I load a hot handload H-P in chamber and FMJ in magazine.
.38spcl snubbie is a good 'carry' however can't argue history.

 

[Ken Rainey]

Between those two guns with the listed ammo, it's a toss up...which ever one you shoot the best...although, for better, hopefully adequate penetration I would prefer a standard 158 grain lead SWC in the Charter and would use FMJs and/or Golden Sabers in the Bersa...

When I "have" to carry a small .38, if possible, I carry a speedloader or speed strip with round nose ammo for an easier, more positive reload...and when carrying an auto, I carry FMJs in the spare mag...depending on the pistol and caliber, sometimes FMJs are in both mags...

 

[357sigRog]

I like you have both also, I have a Bersa .380 and a .38 snub. Neither of the two are my primary ccw. I feel comfortable carrying either one of the two. But if I had to choose between the two I would have to say go with the .38 for better penetration and less likely to jam.

 

[evan price]

It's up to you. Which one do you shoot better, and which one are you most comfortable carrying?

Or, if you could only ever keep ONE of them, which one would you choose to be buried with someday?

 

[ArchAngelCD]

I would also carry the Charter Arms .38 Special.

 

[golden]

Which do you shoot best

Southern,

I am dealing with the same problem. I have a CHARTER ARMS Undercover, S&W model 12 with a 2 inch barrel and a BERETTA 84 .380ACP.
I usually carry the CHARTER. I think the snub nose CHARTER will be easier to conceal, as it is lighter by almost half a pound, than the BERSA. The SMITH & WESSON model 12 is also very light, but physically much larger and I only use a holster for it or the BERETTA.

Both of these guns firearms will have the same effective stopping power.

So I would take both to the range and shoot a comparison.

Something like this:


3 yard range

5 shots from your right hand only

5 shots from your left hand only


7 yard range

5 shots two handed

3 shot failure to stop drill (two into center mass, one into the head)

2 shot failure to stop drill (one into center mass, one into the head)

Add up the score and decide which is best. If the difference is large, go with the higher score, otherwise I would choose based on concealibility.

This drill is a modification of the qualification drill my agency uses. I limit the range to 7 yards as these are strictly defensive arms and the CHARTER holds only 5 rounds.

Good luck.

Jim

 

[Just One Shot]

My choice is the Bersa when I'm not carrying one of my larger calibers.

I like the way it carrys, the extra rounds, the slim mag that's easy to conceal and the accuracy at the longer distances.