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View Poll Results: Which .380?
Kel-Tec P3AT 32 18.29%
Ruger LCP 83 47.43%
Lorcin 0 0%
Bersa Thunder 41 23.43%
Smith&Wesson Bodyguard 26 14.86%
Cobra Patriot 2 1.14%
Micro DesertEagle 3 1.71%
Hi-Point 1 0.57%
Multiple Choice Poll. Voters: 175. You may not vote on this poll

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Old April 11, 2011, 12:54 AM   #1
Glockfan35
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Favorite .380 for concealed carry

What is your favorite .380 pistol for concealed carry? I used to have the P3AT and was really disappointed in how it turned out for me. It hurt like heck to shoot, and I couldn't hit the broadside of a barn with it, so I sold last week. I'd like to pick up another .380 at some point but I'm thinking something slightly larger would be best.
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Old April 11, 2011, 01:10 AM   #2
Mosin44az
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I owned a P3AT and couldn't get through a magazine with it without a malf. Also nasty to shoot. Gone.

Right now have a Ruger LCP, FAR better quality, FAR more reliable than the Kel-tec: nearly 1000 rounds of all types of ammo, with only four failures to feed, and 2 of them were gun show private seller rounds, not mainstream commercial.

It still hurts to shoot, though I have found adding an extended mag baseplate, Pearce Grip's and especially Ruger's, helps quite a bit with comfort and control. Added a Pachmayr Tactical Grip Glove which helps also.

Terrible, invisible sights. Also long trigger, though more recently it seems better. Maybe I am getting used to it.

Very much a close-range gun; I have confidence out to 5 yards that I can hit quickly and accurately. Less so at 7 yards. 10 yards, eh...

Alternatives I have thought about:

Smith Bodyguard, which may have a better grip for more recoil comfort, has a laser which, at a minimum, adds 2.5 ounces of recoil-absorbing weight, and which has better sights. I could add a Crimson Trace laser to the LCP and maybe duplicate the recoil of the Smith.

Diamondback DB 380 also has better sights, advertises a 5 pound trigger pull (less than LCP's), and also appears to use a double-nested recoil spring assembly, which should cut recoil. New company, had major issues with early production, apparently finicky about what it will runs as the Factory-affiliated forum (DiamondbackTalk.com?) has a thread where people can post what ammo works....

People also like the Kahr P380, but it should be more expensive, and at that price why not get the PM9/CM9?
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Old April 11, 2011, 01:13 AM   #3
Glockeroo
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Quote:
Quote:
I owned a P3AT and couldn't get through a magazine with it without a malf. Also nasty to shoot. Gone.
I hear ya. A female friend of mine had a P3AT, and it was brutal to shoot. Hated it. She has a Glock 26 now since I let her shoot mine.
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Old April 11, 2011, 01:23 AM   #4
Kodyo
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My Bersa thunder is large enough that is fun to shoot and small enough to conceal.
They sights are dead on and I am more than confident when shooting targets at 15 yards.
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Old April 11, 2011, 01:26 AM   #5
Mosin44az
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I agree the Bersa is a good choice particularly if planning to carry IWB or by other means than in the front pocket. Maybe a little big for pocket carry. I like the regular Thunder better than the CC, better sights, larger grip tang to absorb recoil.
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Old April 11, 2011, 01:29 AM   #6
Kodyo
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If you go the Bersa route, UBG and Crossbreed both make good IWB holsters for it.
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Old April 11, 2011, 01:36 AM   #7
brabham78
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Picking a favorite .380 for concealed carry depends on my method of carry. For pocket carry, something small and light like an LCP or P3AT is the only thing that I find to be comfortable. Anything more than about 10oz in my pocket pushes me over the threshold of discomfort. I'm kind of wimpy when it comes to pocket carry comfort, but that's how I feel. I don't shoot my LCP as well as some of my bigger guns, but I shoot it well enough, and it's the compromise I make in order to enjoy the comfort of carrying such a light weight gun. That's the only reason that guns like the LCP and P3AT exist -- for carry comfort & concealability, because they don't have much else going for them.

For other methods of carry, like IWB or OWB, an argument can be made that if you're going carry a gun that is physically a little bigger than an LCP, then you might as well choose as 9mm sum-compact over a similarly sized .380, but I don' think that is the right choice for everyone.

I don't think that .380 is the ideal caliber for self defense, but I do think it's more than adequate, and for those that prefer a lighter recoiling gun, as is the case for larger guns chambered for .380, then sticking with a .380 might be a good choice for some people.

So for the sake of argument, if you would still like to stick with the .380 round, but in a gun that's big enough to shoot comfortably, then something like a Bersa Thunder .380 or their .380 CC model works well. I have a Bersa CC, and I have only good things to say about it. Unlike the LCP, you can comfortably shoot the Bersa all day, yet it's still slim enough to carry IWB without even knowing it's there.

But far as I'm concerned, the cream of the .380 crop happens to be the Beretta 85FS. It's a real jewel of a gun. A miniature version of the Beretta 92FS service pistol, and if possible, it looks even better. They aren't cheap though.

I didn't vote because I'd first have to know how the .380 was going to be used. I'd vote for different guns, depending on whether it'd be used for pocket carry, or IWB.

Last edited by brabham78; April 11, 2011 at 01:49 AM.
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Old April 11, 2011, 01:44 AM   #8
Jeremiah/Az
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No vote choice for me. A Kahr P380 is to me the best of all the .380's. It is very small, but easy to shoot & very accurate.
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Old April 11, 2011, 02:17 AM   #9
Glockfan35
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Bodyguard 380

I think I'll probably just go with the Bodyguard 380 over ANY of the other choices other than maybe a PPK or the Beretta!
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Old April 11, 2011, 06:17 AM   #10
Opinated
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Taurus not on the list?
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Old April 11, 2011, 06:33 AM   #11
predecessor
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Taurus not on the list?
There's really about 25 viable .380's for conceal carry that are not on the list. And yet , the Hi-Point, the heaviest and largest of the bunch, is there

Tough sometimes to put together an exhaustive poll like this and most have only shot maybe 1 or 2 from such a list anyway.

With .380's I find it easier to compare "pocket" pistols with like and "sub-compact" carry pistols with the like. The present poll has a smattering from both options. For my tastes, the Astra A-60, Beretta 85, Colt 1908 and Government, or CZ 83 are preferred.
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Old April 11, 2011, 06:36 AM   #12
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Sig 232
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Old April 11, 2011, 06:51 AM   #13
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P232 or Beretta 84.
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Old April 11, 2011, 07:11 AM   #14
Kreyzhorse
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The Ruger LCP was my weapon of choice. Easy to conceal, a bear to shoot but accurate and reliable.
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Old April 11, 2011, 07:36 AM   #15
micromontenegro
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Oh, the blasphemy! The granddaddy of all pocket .380 pistols is not mentioned!

Of course, my fav is the Walther PPK
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Old April 11, 2011, 07:55 AM   #16
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Lorcin and Hi-Point made the list, and no Colt Pocket Hammerless or Mustang? And what the heck is a Cobra Patriot?

I find my LCP very accurate out to 15 yards (haven't tried farther) considering its short barrel and excellent pocketability. I can easily keep it on paper at that distance.
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Old April 11, 2011, 07:58 AM   #17
dajowi
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What - no Colt Mustangs or Governments or Sig P238s - whats up with that. For me there isn't a nicer .380 to shoot than one of these fine examples.
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Old April 11, 2011, 08:07 AM   #18
hogcowboy
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I voted Ruger LCP but I didn't see a NAA .380.
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Old April 11, 2011, 08:10 AM   #19
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I couldn't vote, as mine wasn't on the list. I often carry a Beretta M85FS .380 concealed. Slim, relatively light and easily concealed.
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Old April 11, 2011, 09:38 AM   #20
bamiller
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Have had most in your poll and it doesn't include the best, IMO, which is the Kahr P380.
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Old April 11, 2011, 01:09 PM   #21
ryan huddleston
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I bought a body gaurd around 2 months ago and I love it. It shoots awesome, The recoil is really manageable, the sight are really usable and the laser sucks. Over all if I had to buy a 380 again it would be the bodygaurd. My wife doesnt mind shooting it and she is not a fan or guns with med.-high recoil.

Last edited by ryan huddleston; April 11, 2011 at 01:55 PM.
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Old April 11, 2011, 01:45 PM   #22
Glockfan35
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To Ryan Huddleston-Thanks!

Ryan, thank you for your very informative post on the Bodyguard 380! Really helped seal the deal for me when I buy my next 380!
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Old April 11, 2011, 01:50 PM   #23
michael t
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I pocket carry a KelTec loaded with Corbon DPX . I have shoot Corbon 90gr HP now the DPX I can't understand all the recoil is so bad talk on these little guns. I feel a lot more pain shooting my PPK/S than the KelTec . for belt carry I use the Bersa Thunder again lot softer the the PPK/S
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Old April 11, 2011, 01:51 PM   #24
jimbob86
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I don't have one yet, but do want:

http://www.sigsauer.com/CatalogProdu.../p238-sas.aspx

Someday, it will be mine: A Baby 1911!
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Old April 11, 2011, 01:57 PM   #25
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A Kahr P380
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