Ladies, what are some favorite .380's?

[Mtn folk]

My wife recently attained her CCW. She has a sp-101 in .357 and a CW9. while she was qualifying with those two, she noticed others qualifying with some small .380's and now she wants one of her own for summertime carry. she didn't ask for makes or models and we since looked at some pictures online and haven't found what she saw that day. ultimately she will have to handle and fire models available to choose one she likes and it is up to her but i would like to know, from a woman's perspective, what are some of the favorite small .380's for carry? I'm sure made in the USA will be mandatory. Just looking for opinions of what you gals like and why. Advice of models to stay away from would be appreciated as well. thanks!

[BonnieB]

Maybe a Colt Mustang? Nice little guns. The new ones have a polymer frame which doesn't absorb recoil as well as the older steel frames. I've shot a 1984 Colt Mustang Mark IV (steel frame) and liked it a whole lot.

[Pally]

Sig P238 is a nice solid little 380! I also enjoy the Bersa Thunder 380 (now off-roster in CA)

[PM720]

Not a lady but my advice would be to try some of those cute little .380's before she buys, some of them can be quite snappy. I have a Ruger LCP and love it but it took a while to get a handle on it. I have shot the new Glock 42 and it is quite pleasant but a bit larger than the LCP or Keltec type pistols. If you are in SoCal you are more than welcome to try my LCP anytime.

Scott

[movie zombie]

snappy can be an understatement....definitely wants to fire them, not just trust handling them in the gun shop. usually the smaller the pistol the less metal and more "plastic" type parts which means lots more recoil. ouch!

[Asphodel]

snappy can be an understatement....definitely wants to fire them, not just trust handling them in the gun shop. usually the smaller the pistol the less metal and more "plastic" type parts which means lots more recoil. ouch!

Concur....... : )

I've been invited to fire a few of the really light late model 380's at at the range, just for 'familiarisation fire', and I can't say that I care much for them.

Recoil is 'snappy' alright.

It didn't really 'bother me' all that much, but, then, I've 'worked my way up' over the years, to adapt to the recoil of a full-charge 44 mag.

I'd suspect that anyone who doesn't 'work their way up' in developing the instinctive muscle response to recoil may have a potential for developing a bad flinch, when firing one of the very light 380's.

"Flinch' is a really bad situation......its too easy to develop, and takes a good bit of time/practice to conquer.

By 'work their way up', I mean firing 22's enough to have the basic 'muscle memory' for a handgun, then going to a low-charge 32, then hot 32, then low-charge 38, etc.

This is the classic 'there's no free lunch' situation.

It is, in its own way, vaguely equivalent to the way that the 'muscle people' learn to lift those heavy bar-bells......they have to become accustomed to lifting fairly light ones first, then heaver, then heavier yet, and so on.

(added on edit........you can find videos, on the 'you-tube' internet programme, of women of somewhat 'delicate' build firing full-charge 45ACP and 44 mag, accurately, and with no apparent flinch or discomfort......I can't explain the 'muscle reaction development' necessary in technical medical terms, but it definitely is so.......a 'learned response' which becomes 'instinctive'. (somewhat on the order of the aeronautical engineers explaining, in technical terms, why a common honey bee can't fly.......but the bee doesn't know that, and flies adequately well anyway)

Personally, for a 380, I like the old Italian service weapon, the Beretta M1934. Yes, they are larger and heaver than the current production small 380's, but they are good steel, and reliable.

cheers

Carla

[M1NM]

My wife is in love with this Walther http://www.calguns.net/calgunforum/s...d.php?t=896968

I had one of the first PPKS in 1968/69. It was a great little gun

[Asphodel]

My wife is in love with this Walther http://www.calguns.net/calgunforum/s...d.php?t=896968

I had one of the first PPKS in 1968/69. It was a great little gun

Concur re the Walther PP, PPK, and PPKS..........again good design, good steel, and very reliable if one uses the rounds they were intended to use.

For someone not accustomed to handgun recoil, a Walther PP in 7.65MM/32ACP could be an excellent choice.......they still do recoil a bit 'sharply' but not nearly so much so as does the .380........aka 9MM Kurz, the German designation for the same cartridge......it just means 9MM short, to differentiate from the military 9MM Parabellum.

cheers

Carla