Budget .380

[SpaldingPM]

Ok, well the .380 is a round/weapon i know pretty much nothing about.

To my friends, and all my acquaintances, I am their "go to guy" when it comes to firearm buying questions as i have a vast knowledge about 9mm's, .45's, and pretty much any and all semi auto long guns and sub pistol caliber rifles.

But when it comes to rounds and weapons that deal with .380, .25, .32, and pretty much any revolver round i'm clueless... mainly because I've never cared to learn about them, simply because i've had no desire to own anything in those calibers.

I have a buddy that want's to purchase a .380 for his grandmother, for home defense, when he's not home. He wants a sub compact or pocket size. I leered him away from a 9mm sub or pocket, mainly because i've had many, and my girlfriend (5'8" and 125lbs, and works out daily with me) can barely rack the slide due to the double spring guide rod setup... as far as 9mm goes. A few of my friends have LCP's and she can easily rack the slide on it (much smaller springs).

So IMO, a .380 would most definitely be the choice of my friends older grandma who is obviously more weak than my 23 year old girlfriend.

I tried to suggest a decent .38 6 shooter, but he wants a semi auto (i have no idea why, seeing as even a cheap revolver is more user friendly than any semi auto sub compact, and most .380's hold the exact same amount of rds minus a chambered round giving it that extra +1)...

anyways, to my question... he doesn't want to spend much... so my suggestion to him was to check out the LCP, the KelTec .380 (whatever model that is), and the taurus p738. Stay the living hell away from jiminez (or whatever the hell that garbage airsoft quality is called), cobra, and basically anything under $250 new.
He doesn't want to spend too much so walther is obviously out of the question....

Does anyone know of any other brands and models that are equivalent to the suggestions i gave him?


Also noted, she has no experience handling and they're rather poor so they can't afford a proper firearms class, so I'll will be offering a few weekend hours up to train her so don't worry! Also noted, I have 8+ years of handling and 6+ years of carry experience under my belt so don't need to worry about that either haha. Just some reassurance that a new gun owner won't be another ignorant accident waiting to happen.

 

[bobbittle]

I'd suggest something bigger, maybe the new LC380 or the Bersa Thunder .380. The small, snappy LCP might be too much for grandma.

 

[SpaldingPM]

I'd suggest something bigger, maybe the new LC380 or the Bersa Thunder .380. The small, snappy LCP might be too much for grandma.

Very true. Those are some pretty light weight pistols.
Is bersa a decent manufacture?

 

[ErickB]

The people who own Bersa thunders seem to swear by them. I've never handled one, so maybe I shouldn't be chiming in, but again, they're cool little PPK clones.

Also, after handling my Dad's S&W made PPK in .380, I can't say the extra money spent on the current Walther license production is necessarily worth it. My old '72 German made PP .32 is smooth as butter, and my old man's modern made PPK is gritty as can be.

Thunder owners seem to love them.

 

[rockhopper46038]

There is a thread about the S&W Bodyguard .380 running right now where someone said Palmetto is selling it on special for $329. I'd say that's a pretty good deal on that particular weapon.

 

[BigMoose]

There are basically two types of 380 guns...

Both of them have some drawbacks.

You have the old type. The older type.
Walther PPK, Colt Model 1908 Pocket Hammerless, Beretta M1934 and Cheetah, 4 inch barrels or close to it. But they are heavy for the firepower you get.

The new types are small and have 3 inch barrels, and you loose so much that it really makes 380 anemic.

The main problem with both is 9MM, it's cheaper, just as light, and has more firepower.

380 even in the best guns can have feeding issues as well.

 

[SpaldingPM]

He actually just bought the LCP laser max as I was typing this. O well.
I stand by any ruger gun with my life, that's for sure. I'll take her out to the property this weekend and next and have her go through 100+ RDS each day, show her break down, clean, and assemble until they have it down pat, then the 3rd weekend, I'll meet up and let her do her thing as I watch and chime in afterwards.

That's how I've always taught everyone I know. 2 taught shooting sessions, 2 cleaning and break down sessions, and one last one on their own as I just hang out.

 

[ru44mag]

He actually just bought the LCP laser max as I was typing this. O well.
I stand by any ruger gun with my life, that's for sure. I'll take her out to the property this weekend and next and have her go through 100+ RDS each day, show her break down, clean, and assemble until they have it down pat, then the 3rd weekend, I'll meet up and let her do her thing as I watch and chime in afterwards.

That's how I've always taught everyone I know. 2 taught shooting sessions, 2 cleaning and break down sessions, and one last one on their own as I just hang out.

If Grandma can put 100 rounds through a LCP in one day, she is one tough lady. I've heard a lot of guys whine about recoil on there LCPs. I don't think it's that bad, but I would be surprised if Grandma doesn't want to quit before she empties her first mag. If I'm wrong, GREAT. If I'm not, The Bursa Thunder, or my personal favorite the Sig P238, Would be much better choices. I just had the Sig out tonight. Love it more every time I shoot it. Good luck. Hope it works out.

 

[SpaldingPM]

If Grandma can put 100 rounds through a LCP in one day, she is one tough lady. I've heard a lot of guys whine about recoil on there LCPs. I don't think it's that bad, but I would be surprised if Grandma doesn't want to quit before she empties her first mag. If I'm wrong, GREAT. If I'm not, The Bursa Thunder, or my personal favorite the Sig P238, Would be much better choices. I just had the Sig out tonight. Love it more every time I shoot it. Good luck. Hope it works out.

GMA, still vacuum's, bakes cakes, and changes her own oil haha.
Any man that complains about 100rds in a pocket 9mm or smaller should just stick to a heritage rough rider imo. Haha jk.

 

[Corporal D]

IMO the P238 is the best pocket gun for anyone with weak/small hands that wants a .380 auto... however, it's the most expensive choice. For something a little larger the Bersa Thunder is a great .380 option.

I bought my mom a J frame .38 snub, she couldn't do the DA trigger with her arthritis. Went with the P238 because I knew a KelTec, etc, would be too snappy for her as well. She loves the Sig.

 

[pudly]

A Bersa .380 Thunder might be a very good choice. Reasonably priced, highly reliable, easy to maintain and manipulate. It is larger and easier to aim than the LCP, KelTec .380 and some others. As with all gun purchases, she should handle and ideally test-fire first, but it would be a good option.

 

[cbseniour]

I just got my wife a Bersa Thnder w/ crimson trace, she loves it.

 

[INcountryboy]

I've had a Bersa Thunder 380 for about 4-5 years now. I really like the gun. It has a fixed barrel that makes it very accurate. I think the size is perfect for a lady and the minimal recoil of the .380 is a great fit too. My mom and my girlfriend both love this gun.

 

[LP1]

Sounds like the intended user won't be doing a lot of shooting and/or maintenance on the gun. If that's the case, might a .38 revolver (relatively foolproof) be a better choice? My LCP can be a little balky if it isn't cleaned regularly.

 

[Birds Away]

I have had a couple Bersa Thunders and had no problems with them. Mine have been reliable and good shooters for what they are. If I were in the market for a .380 I would probably go with a CZ 83 which is a very similar design and also quite reliable. You can pick a used 83 up on Gunbroker for around $200. It would save you a few bucks and get you what, imho, is a better gun. The only issue is that the Bersa allows you to engage the safety with the hammer down and the CZ safety only engages when the hammer is cocked. The weight of the DA pull on either gun should make using the safety superfluous but that is up to the user. Good luck in your search.

 

[cosermann]

+1 for the Bersa Thunder 380. It's a decent value 380 auto.

OP, if grandma is reasonably healthy (this goes for girlfriend too), it's quite possible they're both having trouble cycling the slide because they're doing it wrong (poor grip, using the wrong muscles, etc.).

Here's just one such page for women on wracking the slide: "Racking the slide is not about strength. It's all about technique."

http://www.corneredcat.com/article/running-the-gun/rack-the-slide/

FWIW, I've found the "slingshot" grip to be the poorer of the two for many women. The overhand grip gets more of the hand and more of the fingers on the slide and is consequently a stronger grip (if grip is part of the problem with the particular woman in question).

 

[JasonB]

I think the most important part for any 380 discussion at this point is Ammo Availability.

Basically 380 ammo seems to be non-existent... You can find a handful of personal protection HP's but even those will come at a premium, if you plan to do any shooting to speak off 380 isn't the best option at this point.

Even 9mm which everyone is buying is truck loads as available is showing up on shelves again as it is a much more popular (or at least readily available) round...

Also as mentioned there is very little difference from shooter standpoint but 9mm packs considerably more power.

If you do look in the 9mm pocket pistols there are several great reviews in INGO and elsewhere... Something like the Beretta Nano or similar will have nearly same small sizes as most 380's...

Just personal take but if you do step into this area I'd avoid anything with a Taurus Name, as most will be some form of Beretta knockoff and outside their revolvers and an occasional PT-1911 with decent feedback their Triggers tend to be rated near the bottom of the pack.

 

[Mwiseman6]

If it is for Grandma's home defense why would you look at a pocket size pistol? Even a small .380 in a pocket gun is fairly snappy to handle. Also if she is new to guns a revolver may be a better choice. I think a first pick for my Grandma would be a larger revolver in 38 special. The heavier gun will tame the larger caliber and feel less snappy. Check out a midsize Taurus. Also, I'm a huge Bersa fan. The cost and quality make it a great choice. They are the police service pistol of Argentina. I carry a BP9cc every day.

 

[cosermann]

If it is for Grandma's home defense why would you look at a pocket size pistol? ...

Good question!

Mid-size to larger autos are also often easier handguns on which to rack the slide for a couple of reasons; more to grab on to, and lower spring weight (compensated for by the heavier slide). This is to say nothing about the other advantages of larger handguns like better ergos, longer sight radius, longer barrel, improved ballistics, increased capacity, etc.

There's no reason to go small if she isn't going to carry.

 

[J4Me]

Looks like most everybody missed the part about how she's already got a LCP. I highly recommend getting the Hogue grip for it. Reduces felt recoil and makes it much easier to hold onto when it's trying to jump out of your hand.

[FONT=.HelveticaNeueUI]http://www.midwayusa.com/product/1151194422/hogue-handall-slip-on-grip-sleeve-for-ruger-lcp-rubber[/FONT]