Best .380

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I have a KT P3AT and love it. When I bought it, the LCP was about $100 premium and they had a trigger recall. I would likely pay the extra $30-40 for the LCP today to have the better fit/finish and slide lock.

I would say get a pocket gun like the LCP/P3AT or make the jump to a larger caliber. A Kahr PM40 is about the same size and weight as the other larger 380's like the Bersa or PPK/S. The Seecamp is nice, but also heavier and more expensive. I would rather have a Rohrbaugh 9mm or PM9 for the money and get the extra energy of 9mm to boot.
 
stinger 327 said:
How about the Desert Micro Mini?
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The Micro Desert Eagle is a good one. Well made and finished, alloy frame, steel slide, DAO, 15oz loaded 6+1. Slightly bigger than a Seecamp, slightly smaller than the Kahr. The sights are ok, the trigger pull is smooth and about the same weight as a J-frame. Very accurate and so far has worked with everything I've put in it. It's a keeper.
 
I like my Micro Eagle also. It's pricey compared to a P3AT but alot more accurate and ruggedly built. I own them both and carry the ME most of the time.
 
I would say unless you are getting something as small as a LCP, I would get a 9mm. I have a LCP for pocket carry and it works great. But finding ammo is a different story. In the past maybe nine or ten months, I have seen one box of ammo at Walmart and it costs the same as 45. I needed another box to qualify for my CCW and I had to find it at a gunshow for twenty bucks for fifty rounds of PMC. Then again maybe you reload and it won't be such an issue. But I would definately recommend the LCP.
 
Kahr P380

Worth every penny AND you can find them! If you need a pocket gun you want the best not the most economical.

The Kahr has several good reviews on their website.
 
I love my Bersa Thunder .390 made in Argentina. However, with the great shortage of .380 ammo to say nothing of the high prices being paid for the few rounds that can be found, I would have to suggest a pistol in 9X18 Makarov.
 
CornCod said:
I love my Bersa Thunder .390 made in Argentina. However, with the great shortage of .380 ammo to say nothing of the high prices being paid for the few rounds that can be found, I would have to suggest a pistol in 9X18 Makarov.
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.25, .32, and .380 are all expensive and don't have that many choices as far as different types of loads.
 
I love my Bersa Thunder .390 made in Argentina. However, with the great shortage of .380 ammo to say nothing of the high prices being paid for the few rounds that can be found, I would have to suggest a pistol in 9X18 Makarov.
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there isn't really a .380 shortage anymore. go to a gun store, not walmart. or order online.

the problem with going to the 9x18 pistols is that they're the size of 9mm's. you could get a PF-9, PF-11, PM9, PPS, etc., and in some cases have a smaller gun. not to mention that 9mm+p+ kicks the snot out of 9x18. that said, i have carried my cz-82 on occasion :eek:
 
Beretta Cheetah 84/85 or CZ 83.
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why on earth would you get a cz-83 over a cz-82 when the price of .380 is about 3x the price of 9x18, and when the cz-83 is twice the price of a cz-82?
 
I have a Bersa 380 and have over 2k rounds through it with one FTF...a few weeks ago I put on layaway a Browning 380....my all time fav.I should have it paid off the end of month
 
If you rely on the 1911 as your main gun, you would naturally go for the SIG238, or better yet, the venerable Colt Mustang. I believe that these are the only two pocket guns that offer the sweet, crisp single-action trigger group.

Personally, I can't stand the double-action guns, unless perhaps the trigger group goes into single-action after the first shot - such as the Walther PPK/S. In any event, you just can't beat the fine fit and finish of a Colt Mustang, tucked into a nice wallet holster, with one in the pipe, cocked and locked in condition one.

It just feels soooo right.
 
I own a Mustang PocketLite and it is nowhere near as comfortable to pocket carry in a small pocket holster as my Diamondback 380.
And the DB is even lighter than my PocketLite.
I have zero intentions of getting rid of my Mustang but that sharp spur and hammer pulled back in the cocked and locked postion is not really ideal deep down in your pocket.
Not to mention the lack of comfort those sharp areas of that pistol stabbing you presents.
Lastly I just ordered four 50 round boxes of S&B 92 grain Fmj from Midway yesterday and they sent me an e-mail that it has already been shipped to me.
I also bought just last week a box of Win Whitebox in a local sporting goods store.
So perhaps 380 ammo is not so unobtainable as is being suggested.
 
Harvey said:
If you rely on the 1911 as your main gun, you would naturally go for the SIG238, or better yet, the venerable Colt Mustang. I believe that these are the only two pocket guns that offer the sweet, crisp single-action trigger group.

Personally, I can't stand the double-action guns, unless perhaps the trigger group goes into single-action after the first shot - such as the Walther PPK/S. In any event, you just can't beat the fine fit and finish of a Colt Mustang, tucked into a nice wallet holster, with one in the pipe, cocked and locked in condition one.

It just feels soooo right.
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I agree with you I prefer the set up like the Beretta pocket pistols first show is double action and each shot after that is in auto mode. At least with revolvers you get the choice of both DA or SA.
 
First I got a walther ppk, good gun kind of heavy shot well, wife liked it too much now its hers, then I got another one, son got his carry permit, # 2 gone. Got keltec p3at. lots lighter & smaller I like it, 380 ammo hard to find, I reload but brass and bullets also in short supply. Find a keltec pf9 (9mm) ammo much easier to find, brass too, bullets still in short supply. Its a bit larger than the p3at but about the same size as the ppk and much lighter with better sights than either. I'd say get what fits your needsand pocket book.
 
rugerman said:
First I got a walther ppk, good gun kind of heavy shot well, wife liked it too much now its hers, then I got another one, son got his carry permit, # 2 gone. Got keltec p3at. lots lighter & smaller I like it, 380 ammo hard to find, I reload but brass and bullets also in short supply. Find a keltec pf9 (9mm) ammo much easier to find, brass too, bullets still in short supply. Its a bit larger than the p3at but about the same size as the ppk and much lighter with better sights than either. I'd say get what fits your needsand pocket book.
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.380 is 9mm short. Like I have seen there don't appear to be that many choices of ammo in this caliber. More in .45, 9mm and .357.
 
My recommendation is

the Khar P380. Mine has performed flawlessly through ~800 rounds. The gun is really light weight and small, but is still accurate. In fact, the gun is so light you can forget that you have it in your pocket. I carry mine in a DeSantis Nemisis. Great gun, but not cheap and somewhat hard to find.
 
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Might want to investigate something that shoots a Makarov 9x18 round. They're much cheaper (my P64 was $159.99) and the ammo is easy to find (here) and cheap ($9.99/50 @ Academy here).
If you're hell bent on a .380, though, I'd say LCP. You can get one pretty cheap here: http://www.hoffgun.com/index.htm especially if your favorite color is raspberry..
 
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