All are used for pocket carry, as often my clothing choice here in FL makes it impractical to carry one of my 9's as I prefer, which is OWB under a loose-fitting shirt. I am a retiring Law Enforcement officer. The author is not clueless. Will say that I really liked the Sig because of the night sights,cause goblins come out at night, My p3at , is great. Sig Sauer P238 Nitron 12. I can say that they are similar, and this is the only gun on this list that is of all-metal construction. If you can't hit the side of a barn in a pressure situation the caliber of your weapon isn"t going to save you. I own a .380 and I'm confident it will neutralize an attacker upon the first of 1 or 2 shots. The slide will stop short of full closure and must be bumped from the back to complete the closure. Mostly carried in a Desantis SuperFly pocket carry. prints like a wallet. I WANTED to carry the LCP but I CANNOT carry it after owning it and my testing. Yes there is a difference but not enough to be an issue. I highly recommend the LCP as an everyday carry. Ruger LCP Max 2. It had a single-stack magazine and a large thumb cut-out in the base of the frame, to supposedly make magazine removal easier. Thank's David! The Remora works great! Oftentimes, the guns chambered in .380 ACP are tiny enough to fit into your front pocket. Never felt undergunned and to this day it remains the most accurate gun on my modest collection (<1" groups at 25'). But honestly, I don't even know if I trust it to do that. A little pricey, but very accurate, no malfunctions, has tritium night sights, and a real pleasure to shoot. The trigger pull is long but it's not a gun for more than 25 feet anyway. Most likely it wasn't discussed because the the Sig P365-380 is quite a bit larger than these yet offers no additional capacity. I believe its foolish and only going to get your ass shot by LE. Its internal mechanism has nothing like the Walther, not at all, other than its external appearance and that the spout is fixed. BATTLE OF THE RUGER .380S: LCP VS. LCP II. Have fired hundreds of rounds with both. As a combat vet, I don't want anything without useable sights, which the 911 demonstrably has (excellent night sights) and is accurate (again, the 911 is surprisingly competent at extended ranges). I use old Supervel. Very happy with my purchase . Check Price. It's about 30% heavier as a result, but it shoots awesome. Smith & Wesson M&P Shield 380 EZ 3. Its not a range gun, and should not be treated as such. The S&W gave me an issue with certain brands of hollow point, but, more investigation needs to be done because I think it occurred with one individual magazine. It also fits my hand perfectly and I can shoot it better. For some of us the best 380, is actually going with a mini 9. Weve got a dedicated section for the AR-15 here. This gun has less felt recoil, is about the same size, super easy to conceal, but with 9mm firepower. I could see if this list were entitled "Top 5 guns most likely to get you killed", Like everything about the Ruger LC380 except the trigger, and would buy another one if Ruger gave it the same, striker-fire setup as the improved LC9S Pro. The 380 is essentially equal to the Sigg P238 but I like the Kimber a little better because of the slicker lines. I didn't see any mention of this pistol here. I am quite accurate out to 10 yards and have gotten used to the recoil. That is saying something about the bullet design. Thank goodness for conceal carry licenses! We'll send you the latest guides and training tips geared Any bullet however beats a rock. Excellent 380 and shouldve been included in this list. My brother, on the other hand, has sent his Kahr back to the factory for the 4th time! But if being ultra-concealable is the goalyou cant go wrong with the LCP Max. Its the best combo of size, carry and shoot ability. ESTE ES UN TEMA QUE NO EST TRATADO EN EL ARTICULO: LA PRECISION !!! Both the front and rear sights are black which can make it difficult to see them if you are aiming against a dark background. I laugh at all those that say a .380 is enough gun to get you killed.Really, Having No gun will get you killed ! An accurate piece and conceals pretty well for a double stack. I haven't looked back! I think it is a great gun. It's probably as small as any on this list, at only 4.7" X 3.6", Ive owned and fired every caliber from my little Colt target 22 to my 50 cal Desert Eagle. The V-10 went back to SA, and they did a phenomenal job on the feed ramp. With the after rebate price, it was just too good to pass up. But if I am wearing pants, belt, etc I opt for the Sig. This little gun is so easy to hide in my front pants pocket, or jacket. Shoots fine and no issues. You get two shots, a single-action-only trigger, teeny tiny grips, and super short barrels. I went to Government schools too :-) but there is more than I can ignore. A review of .380s and no mention at all of Springfield's excellent 911? A slight correction. Really surprised the Browning 1911 .380 didn't make the Top 5. EXACTLY. Like you said the safety is difficult to disengage but with the double action trigger and long trigger pull I feel comfortable carrying with the safety off. I would suggest if you plan to carry any mini handgun try to get a mini version of the full size pistol you use in order to avoid learning another system. Im not a fan of carrying cocked and locked so my personal pocket gun is the Bersa Thunder 380CC. Had a Keltec P3AT And will say I had no problems with it, that being said I have heard others not so lucky sold mine to a friend that had to have it when I bought my P238, once I polished the feed ramp on the Sig it worked flawlessly was pissed that I had to polish the feed ramp on a $575 dollar pistol when a $199.00 pistol ran like a champ. Specs vary based on model. Type your new password and hit button below to confirm it. I did get a .380 3 or so years ago. For this reason, I recommend only 1911 style p238 firearm, hammer uncocked but a round in the chamber. I felt bad about taking his $100. Sadly, while we wish that were trueit isnt. The long trigger pull didn't help in the pocket because I won't carry without a pocket holster. I get it you are thinking "carry the 9mm", but I like the lighter weight and low recoil of 380. so I need all 6 of 380 on target to make a stop, no problem, we practice constantly and hopefully I can do that, as shot placement is king. Either one will give a bad guy some reasons to reconsider his actions. Let's make a fairer comparison. (You know, after those calming rubber nipples that young children like to suck on.) As the article notes: Practice, Practice, Practice! Yup, we're looking at an update this year! Most instances of conflict occur within 5 feet. I went with the Glock 42 and enjoy shooting it, additionally I am a Glock armorer which factored into the decision. I bought a LCP II but the extended clips don't work in it, so I am still carrying my old LCP in my front pocket. I trust both. The 84 is a great pistol but I wouldn't carry it in my front pocket. It runs Underwood penetrator, defender, Federal HST, Precision one, critical defense, you name it, The only reason I dont carry it is because it jammed on an HST ONE TIME. According to our peers, here are the six worst pocketguns, from less awful to worstest. It's there as last resort if I happen to be down there and unarmed when an intruder comes in. I do like the Kimber Micro too. I carry the 42/43 since both are he same platform and only caliber difference so with either on I don't need to "think" which gun do I have today, Great review! Just my 2 cents The holster appears to be a holster for an I-Pad. Looking to replace it with something more reliable. Ruger sells the LCP II with a neoprene pocket holster (which has the Ruger logo on it), and it actually works quite well. Meaning they do not hold up to a lot of ammo down range. And just like my performance center 9mm shield it will run anything without fail. . Jams other 380 hollowpoint. Split rails, cracked frames, cracked grips, broken take down pins etc. My right hand and wrist are sore when I leave the practice range, but they don't ache for days as they have with 9mm. My pistols are various makes and models from around the world and they have all (some with mild fit and finish work) become reliable for daily carry. I bought the Kimber .380 Raptor after a day of shooting a buddy's. Other places have it, online, for near that price, maybe at that price if you look harder than I just did, but I've not seen one for less. As always, be safe out there and thanks for taking time to read this. I've seen police videos when 4 shots from a .45 acp failed to stop an attacker. Rating the Ruger LCP II above the Sig P238 made me laugh. The name BERSA is the result of the union of the letters of the names of the founding partners, Benso Bonadimani, Ercole Montini and Savino Caselli. Try it, youll like it. I carry it inside waistband or front pocket. You might need to refresh or clear your cache then. the gun, 7 rounds& the colt laser sight weigh in at 17 once . I have lasers on the Kahr and Beretta. Sights are cast bumps on the slide but are accurate. Check out Editors Picks. Tucked into a J&J wallet holster, it's gone but easy enough to deploy. I, too, love the Sigs. Very reliable, I have only had one brand of ammo that gave me feeding issues, and that was some cheap wal mart steel case surplus ammo, that would still fire but I had to reduce the amount loaded in the magazine for proper feeding. Others find this to be true as well. Rock Island Armory Baby Rock 7. I have a KAHR CW 380. I thought this would be a good combo for the lady, but she has had difficulty using it on the range. It is a solid piece of metal and helps dampen the recoil. Para defensa bala semiwatcutter con penetrador. The later is for personal defense I like the 13+1 capacity. Ruger LCP Max 380 ACP Pistol 4. Consistent, smooth trigger pull from start to finish, very controllable, and accurate for short distance work, and it doesn't look bad. Best sights in class. I think a good one for the list would be the Remington rm380. I prefer these smaller pistols to large cannon-like guns b/c Im almost 51 years old and have a chronic illness which has caused Rheumatoid Arthritis in some of my joints, especially my hands. The Sig has a more "boxy" feeling to the slide, whereas the Kimber's slide is more "melted" along the edges, making for a more comfortable pistol for all day carry. It looks at over 1700 firearm incidents involving police, military or private citizen armed encounters and looks at the weapons used, incapacitation and lethal effectiveness. Thanks for getting the Bersa Thunder 380 on the list. It's got a long trigger pull, but I don't think that's a problem with a concealed=carry gun for close-up self defense. This is especially true if 147-grain 9 mm loads are compared to the higher-performance loadings in the .38 Special; it is uncanny how similar these are, especially given the differences in how barrel lengths are measured in pistols versus revolvers. Not funny. I think they make it still, but in a CA-compliant model only. I inherited my Dad's Browning BDA .380. Bersa never gets the credit it deserves. It is like the Ruger but fit my hand better. I chose the S&W MP EZ pistol. My thoughts exactly when I read the authors comparisons between the the 380 and the 38 special. One "embarrassing" point is, my wife Does use a 9mm. The theoretical gain it offers is not worth the proven disadvantages it displays. If I had to bet my life, my choice would be 1) Sig P238 I'm sure your testing will help out some of the other readers. Glock 42 5. and pistols shooting shotgun rounds are very effective (e.g. Best .380 (arguable, I know), best carry features (arguable, I know), best price for a P238 (can't argue there). Its a small pocket gun with similar specifications to most every gun you did list. It speaks to me in a purely utilitarian language, which is fine, it has it's place. Another thing: With me the 40 S&W caliber is, also, out. In order for you to be effective at self-defense, you need to choose a gun that enables you to rapid-fire your shots, and actually hit your intended target. Then youre going to want to take a closer look at the Shield EZ 380! And most humans I now aren't and can't be willing to live on a bag of rice, some band-aids, and water along with 10-20lbs of ammo and gun???? I have extended mags for both but the LCP 2 is still a lot snappier then the sig making it harder to get back on target. The Spectrum, LCP Custom some. I had 6 stovepipes(!!!) Lasers are a joke on a .380 and I don't like sights that may snag for deep concealment.. 380 makes more sense than 9mm or larger caliber is you cannot legally have HP ammo. A Glock model 30 which is a compact 10+1 45ACP. A recent shooting in my county was a one shot stop with a .380 to the chest at close range. The Bersa Thunder is a good gun but it is a PPK, PPK/s clone for a reason. I recently bought my wife a 380 Thunder and its the only gun Ive found the equals my 383DA. If you cannot shoot center mass, you need a different gun/caliber combo or to practice a heck of a lot more. Here's a plug for a very specific P238, from a very specific source. Before the Colt Mustang there was the F.I. All of these features together, the improved trigger, the enhanced serrations, the stippling on the grip, and the slightly wider grip size all combine to make the LCP II a better handgun to shoot than the original LCP. It was to replace my LCP. It's kind of like the old Sears "Good, Better, Best" thing. Great review on the 380's. The pull was so long that i would miss the reset when trying rapid fire. Also, I have not had any problems with any ammo. I really like it because it's all metal and so dampens the recoil. Going to a range and renting as many .380s as you can is a great way to try them out and see which one is the best for you. It takes an attacker 1.5 seconds to reach you from 21 feet. Just my 2 cents. Got three of them, one of which is an initial commemorative model (still in box, never fired). Pass on the II and get the original. Have you tried magazine extender that permits 3 finger grip, or does that magazine you mentioned offer that? In actuality the Seecamp 380 is smaller. It's actually fun to shoot, unlike a lot of small guns. The only .380 cartridge I'd ever use, is Precision One. The G42 has a barrel of 3.25 inches, one of the longer ones on this shortlist, and weighs in at 13.76 ounces. Nothing beats the 9mm caliber when it comes to self-defense. This is a very compact, very light gun that is chambered in .380 ACP. The chances of actually having to draw is really small, and the chances you're going up against someone who will shake off being shot are almost nil. I can forget and drop my car keys in my pocket without shooting myself. What about the SCCY CPX-4? On their website they recommend the +P version for the Glock 42. I really like the feel of it but am debating between it and the LCP II. A .410 is barely an excuse for a shotgun, and should never be used when a 12 or 20 gauge is called for. In this review, we will cover the disadvantages of the .380 pistol that the LCP II sought to remedy, what makes the LCP II an improvement over the original LCP, and the uses for and specifications of the LCP II. Click below for a FREE LESSON! Its much easier for me to shoot my Ruger than it is my S & W! I like the accuracy, the sights and the fact the slide locks back when empty. I have over 5.000 rounds of mixed ammo through one of them and over 1,000 rounds through the other. Thanks again, your post was very informative. A good shooter should have a variety of stances in his/her skillset. Helped GF decide on a pistol for her own self-defense and ended up with the Sig Sauer P238 and I liked it so well that I got one for myself to replace the KelTec. Surprised it didnt make the list. I like the feel and dependability of the Glock 42. I agree the Bersa Thunder series is great ! The Ruger LCP II, released by Ruger at the end of 2016, sought to remedy many of those downsides. Really??? Increiblemente yo cazo con pistolas .380, desde liebres, grandes tats, lagartos extremadamente resistentes, avestruces (algunos de ms de 80 kilos) Uso una walther pp, capaz de poner 5 tiros hornady en 1.5 " pulgadas a 25 mts, apoyado. Copyright 2023 Pew Pew Media, Inc. All rights reserved. had the 40 cal. That said, it is expensive as hell. She knows a good gun. My everyday carry is my Sig P238 as I can carry it all day on ankle or IWB without discomfort. 380 and 9mm will make the same size hole and anything larger than 380 without HP will surely over-penetrate. Looking for what is possibly the easiest gun to rackever? Looking for the FBI specs 12 inch to 18 inch in ballistic gelBut here's what I found after all the Self Defense 380 ammo testing. .. so far. No malfunctions of any kind. Not fun! Simply put, the best .380 ACP gun/ammunition combination cannot begin to match a plain S&W M10 with a 4" barrel and high-performance +P ammunition. Have I fired it in anger? Citation needed. Box of 5000 5 boxes of 1,000 My only complaint on this gun was the sights, which I easily remedied by installing a laser on the lower rail. 45 ACP as a duty weapon as an administrator. As a matter of fact is 1/2 inch longer than a Kahr CM9. The only way you're gonna hit your attacker is if you stick it in their gut and start pulling the trigger. "He must work for Taurus or at least a gun shop", you say.nope to both. Very fine gun overall. Still mystified by the issues with Hornady as that is my 9mm choice for personal and home defense. I'm hoping one pound will make my actual carry more likely in these crazy days. Plus search YouTube for "Texas Rancher Wild Hog .380" and watch his video. The Gen 2 is about 8lbs of pull, Smooth all the way through and deliberate. It just falls into your pocket. .. For the short test, out of box function and flexibility of this gun is fine.