If carrying a .380: Which One?

[OLDE RETIRED COASTIE]

I two have a BABY ROCK , LIKE IT A LOT. recoils is there and is noticable, but no more than my other pistols, is small, easy to carry concealed, and about the only thing I would change is to put a hogue finger groove grips is they made them small enough

 

[jar]

No love for the Ruger LCP2?

I like the LCP II but in 22lr and can see it as a viable option for many people.

 

[Pistolay]

I agree … But their is a market.. , growing market.. for a pistol like the Ruger Security 380 .. lite rack , low recoil … fast follow up shots and with practice.. accurate follow up shots .. from a a extremely flat shooting pistol…
As I get older .. and due to my neurological problems ..( cervical fusion) a light racking , fast shooting pistol sounds good … especially since its not a 22LR ….
Right now .. Im good with racking a slide .. but I’ve noticed.. that I notice .. racking a slide .. which before.. never a thought about it ..

I really don't understand why this is so difficult for some folks to figure out. There's a reason why we're seeing more and more subcompact size .380s on the market these days, and that reason is an aging population. I frequently run across articles from well known gun guys (Ellifritz immediately comes to mind) who are sometimes carrying smaller calibers due to the effects of aging. I never thought the day would come when I would ever get rid of my Glock 26, but when it got to the point where I could barely rack the slide, I had no choice. And I'm far from alone.

 

[Buckeye63]

I really don't understand why this is so difficult for some folks to figure out. There's a reason why we're seeing more and more subcompact size .380s on the market these days, and that reason is an aging population. I frequently run across articles from well known gun guys (Ellifritz immediately comes to mind) who are sometimes carrying smaller calibers due to the effects of aging. I never thought the day would come when I would ever get rid of my Glock 26, but when it got to the point where I could barely rack the slide, I had no choice. And I'm far from alone.

Luckily .. Im getting older .. better than the alternative…

 

[amd6547]

Beretta 84F. I bought it as cheap Israeli surplus, never considering a serious role for it
After I shot it, and found out how well it handled and shot, how well it fit my hand...it became a carry regular.

 

[Average Joe]

Ruger LCP

 

[SterlingBullet]

I found the Springfield 911 with ambi-safety to be the softest shooting micro 380.

Although it is an all metal alloy frame, it is very light to carry and very compact.

After that, the Ruger Lite-Rate LCPII in 22lr is the easiest semi-automatic to operate with no recoil.

 

[Armybrat]

LCP Max…

 

[Balrog]

I am not sure why I would carry a 380 that is as big as a 9mm. I can understand it for people who are very recoil sensitive. For me the 380 is a pocket gun, and for that I like the Ruger LCP and LCP Max. I have a Glock 42, and think its a good gun, but its too big for what I do with 380.

 

[gc70]

I am not sure why I would carry a 380 that is as big as a 9mm. I can understand it for people who are very recoil sensitive.

My wife has a Ruger LC380 because she is both recoil sensitive and lacks grip strength after hand surgery. My neighbor is a burly retired federal agent who bought a Ruger LC9 as a pocket gun when his preferred .40S&W pistol was too large to carry. The LC9 and LC380 are the same gun in different calibers.

At the range, my neighbor and I both shot the LC380 faster and more accurately than the LC9. So why carry a 380 that is as big as a 9mm? Being able to consistently put more rounds on target more quickly is a pretty good argument for a carry gun.

 

[MikeInOr]

Let's say you want to carry a .380. Which one would you choose:
S&W .380 EZ
Walther CCP M2
Beretta 85F/Cheetah

The EZ is SA only with both manual and grip safety.
The CCP is striker-fired and has "innovative" gas-delayed blowback system to lessen recoil. (It is the same size as the EZ.)
The Beretta is traditional DA/SA, single-stack with a decocker/safety, is all metal and larger than the other two.

Why do you want to carry a 380? Why do you want to carry a medium to large sized 380?

The nicest 380 I have ever fired is a Browning 1911-380. It is mid sized but also pretty lite. Because it uses the delayed action of the 1911 instead of being a straight blow back pistol like most 380's it is a very soft shooter. Much softer than all of the blow back 380's I have shot. The slide is pretty easy to rack, if that is a concern.

I carry a LCP. When I carry a larger gun I carry a larger caliber.

 

[Balrog]

My wife has a Ruger LC380 because she is both recoil sensitive and lacks grip strength after hand surgery. My neighbor is a burly retired federal agent who bought a Ruger LC9 as a pocket gun when his preferred .40S&W pistol was too large to carry. The LC9 and LC380 are the same gun in different calibers.

At the range, my neighbor and I both shot the LC380 faster and more accurately than the LC9. So why carry a 380 that is as big as a 9mm? Being able to consistently put more rounds on target more quickly is a pretty good argument for a carry gun.

I probably can shoot 380 faster than 9mm, but don't think there would be enough difference to outweigh the difference in terminal ballistics of the 2 rounds. I am just speaking for myself.

 

[Riomouse911]

For me, a .380 is the LCP II. They are teeny enough for me to hide anywhere yet reliable enough to count on.

Stay safe.

 

[Pistolay]

Why do you want to carry a 380? Why do you want to carry a medium to large sized 380?

I can't speak for anyone else, but for me, arthritis in both wrists and my left thumb, and a surgically repaired right thumb. I can (barely) manage small .380s like my LCP MAXs because slide racking effort is more of an issue than recoil, but a 16-20oz locked breech .380 is the sweet spot.

 

[Griffen]

Compact package, very manageable recoil, small size, accurate, perfectly reliable, and a really nice pocket fit in a Sticky holster. I have had many many other .380’s, but this one is top shelf for CC. Alternate Underwood and Federal HP ammo. I really like my Browning 1911-380 and trust it after some fiddling, but the Colt has the advantage in the conceal factor. Like the look as well.

 

[Old Dog]

I've carried the Colt Gov't/Mustang/Mustang II, the SIG P-238, the Beretta 1934, Taurus PT-58 and of the OP's selection - the Beretta 84/85 and 86.

Those models are the ONLY .380 ACP pistols I'd ever depend on. I'd rather carry a larger .380 that shoots well and is proven than a smaller, lighter one.

Notice that none of my choices are plastic.

 

[MikeInOr]

I can't speak for anyone else, but for me, arthritis in both wrists and my left thumb, and a surgically repaired right thumb. I can (barely) manage small .380s like my LCP MAXs because slide racking effort is more of an issue than recoil, but a 16-20oz locked breech .380 is the sweet spot.

I was wondering if the OP had similar reasons.

You might like the Browning 1911-380. It is easier to manipulate than the micro 380's. Everyone that has fired my 1911-380 absolutely loves it, until they see the price. It has always been one of my favorite pistols. I can shoot it all day long and not feel tired or jittery. The frame is polymer which concerned me when I first bought it but I have come to respect its ruggedness and really appreciate the light weight.

P.S. I just pulled my 1911-380 out of the safe and pulled the slide back to cock it and it requires less force than my LCP for sure but is still a medium amount of force. Cocking the hammer before pulling the slide back does reduce the amount of force to pull the slide back considerably.

 

[GRIZ22]

S&W Bodyguard or PPK.

 

[Pistolay]

You might like the Browning 1911-380. It is easier to manipulate than the micro 380's. Everyone that has fired my 1911-380 absolutely loves it, until they see the price. It has always been one of my favorite pistols. I can shoot it all day long and not feel tired or jittery. The frame is polymer which concerned me when I first bought it but I have come to respect its ruggedness and really appreciate the light weight.

P.S. I just pulled my 1911-380 out of the safe and pulled the slide back to cock it and it requires less force than my LCP for sure but is still a medium amount of force. Cocking the hammer before pulling the slide back does reduce the amount of force to pull the slide back considerably.

I'm not sure I want to go back to a single action, cocked and locked pistol. My P365-380s are very soft shooting, not difficult to rack, and get the job done for me.

I have to admit though, I've always been intrigued by the Browning. What is the grip height on that gun?

 

[jeepnik]

 

[JN01]

View attachment 1146020

That one looks like it has been carried a lot.

 

[Zendude]

Let's say you want to carry a .380. Which one would you choose:
S&W .380 EZ
Walther CCP M2
Beretta 85F/Cheetah

The EZ is SA only with both manual and grip safety.
The CCP is striker-fired and has "innovative" gas-delayed blowback system to lessen recoil. (It is the same size as the EZ.)
The Beretta is traditional DA/SA, single-stack with a decocker/safety, is all metal and larger than the other two.

If you are ok with a thumb safety, the Walther would be my choice of the three. It has nice ergonomics.

 

[MrChicken]

No love for the Ruger LCP2?

This is going to sound strange especially from a 1911 guy, but I like the trigger on the original LCP better than the trigger on the LCP2/Max. I shoot the LCP better than my Max.

My thinking on this is that when the trigger pressure is over say 3lbs the sudden break affects my accuracy more than a longer smooth pull.

 

[EMC45]

G42, or Beretta 84 if size isn't too much of an issue

 

[jar]

I'm increasingly impressed by the Walther CCP M2 380. There have only been a very few handguns that fit my hand as well or that I found more accurate and controllable at self defense distances. A lot of the accuracy is likely do to how well the grip fits my hand but also its fixed barrel and simple blowback system. The polygonal barrel rifling may also help by slightly increasing the speed.

Initially the pistol was consistently shooting low but Walther included several different height front sights and it was really easy to change to a lower sight. Each step brought the pattern up and with the shortest of the three sights I was right on vertically from 7 to 15 yards. At the range yesterday I put all eight rounds in an inch and a half pattern centered on the bullseye freehand with moderate rate firing.

The delayed blowback system in the CCP series really works. The recoil impulse is almost unnoticeable; maybe even less than shooting the other two EZ 380s, the S&W 380EZ and Ruger Security 380. I still fumble a little lining up the piston with the cylinder on reassembly but it's gotten much easier as well.