Which .380?

[WJP9]

P3AT...could go slightly bigger (i.e. Bersa, Walther, etc), but then you begin to lose what you want....a extremely nondiscrete BUG. Make if you go that route you get a NEW 2nd Generation P3AT. Good luck!

[DefensiveCarry.com]

[RdRaceWannabe]

How do some of you carry your Bersa. Is it small enough to go in a rear pocket holster?

heres a review on the Bersa Thunder CC.
http://www.gunblast.com/Bersa_380CC.htm

In my opinion the best .380 is the one that you can shoot the best. For me that is the Bersa. But then again I only have my sisters P3AT to compare it to.

My advice would be to try several different .380's if feasible. What you gain in concealability with something like the Kelt-Tec you lose some controlability(lol, is that even a word?!). Just my .02 anyways

[pete156]

I love my Bersa Thunder.

I also have the P3AT, but haven't used it enough to know how reliable it is yet. I'm working on that.


Oh, and there ain't nuthin' ugly about the Thunder. They are sharp looking I think, especially with some nice wood grips.

[rachilders]

I have a number of .380's including several Bersa's and the P-3AT. For reliability and "value for the dollar", the Bersa's are an outstanding choice. The new Bersa .380CC (Concealed Carry) model is a good choice for someone who wants something a bit smaller and easier to conceal than the regular Thunder .380, though the T-380 is not a large gun. Of course, if concealability is the main concern, the K-T P-3AT is the most obvious choice for most people.

Capt. Ray does bring up a good point to consider concerning a larger caliber than .380. Many people choose the 380 because it can be found in a smaller weapon than most 9mm's. However, with the 9mm SKYY CPX-1, K-T's P-11 (both companies are going to offer 9mm models barely larger than the P-3AT later this summer/fall) and the small Kahrs available in weapon's as small, or smaller, than most 380's, it's something to consider if you can handle the gun/caliber combo.

Someone in another post here is also talking about their Bersa Ultra Compact 9, which I also own (I'm a big Bersa fan). It's barely bigger than the T-380 and the UC-9 also has a 13 rd magazine capability compared to 7-8 shots in the 380. The UC's are also available in 40 S&W and 45 ACP for those that want a bigger bang for the buck. Again, something to consider as option if you can handle the load.

[Redneck Repairs]

Kinda off thread topic but I read somewhere that Sky was having customer service issues ( not answering the phone , and forum offline ) I dont know if that is true as i have no intrest in picking up a sky ( or another kel tec for that matter ) , but if so i would re think buying a sky

[PastorDoug]

I didn't see anyone mention North American Arms Guardians. The size is comparable to the keltec but it is about twice as heavy. Since it is an all metal gun, I am willing to accept the extra weight. I currantly have the .380 version, but I would like to pick up one in the .32NAA caliber. It is a .380 case necked down for a .32 slug. One gun writer described it as a mini .357SIG. The numbers look impressive. Does anyone have any experience with it?

[Al Lowe]

If you go with the Kel-Tec, just remember, it's DAO. Personally, I don't like DAO automatics. Sort of defeats the purpose if you ask me.

I've got a Bersa Thunder .380. And I use it for a BUG, or when I'm too lazy to carry something bigger. The problem I've seen with putting higher velocity rounds in a .380 sized platform is it typically makes them harder to control.

Mine came with the 7 round magazines, but I'm told you can get 9 round mags for them. I looked, but I found the 9 rounders just looked ugly to me. That's ok. I got a spare. ;)

[P95Carry]

Doug -

but I would like to pick up one in the .32NAA caliber

IIRC they did not even have a demo at Shot Show and it seems so far this is still a ways in the future - it does have a certain appeal

Ahh - oops - I was thinking of the mini revo - sorry Duh!

[Frogman]

The Kel-Tec P3AT has been very reliable for me. It is a great carry pistol. Small, light and easy to conceal. Mine is surprisingly accurate. I can make head shots with it on an IDPA target out to 10 - 15 yards without any trouble. Be sure to get the gen2 model!

[Bline]

I've always liked the looks of the NAA Guardian .380. Might pick one up in the future. I like my guns to be made of metal. Just not a big polymer fan. PastorDoug, how does that little thing shoot and how do you carry it?

[PastorDoug]

It is amazingly accurate for such a short barreled gun. In fact, I just got back from the range, I took my dad for a late father's day, and I put about 50 through it. I don't have any trouble controlling it and I can hit center mass easily out to about 10 yards and my hand can cover the group. It is perfect for its purpose.
As for carrying it. I just tuck it in the front pocket.

[jabo2818]

Wow, I never imagined that I would get so many responses to my question. It seems to me that the general consensus is that, for the money, the Bersa Thunder is my best investment. Thanks again to everyone that posted pics, that really helped out a lot.

[Jungle Work]

I have several .380s, a Browning 1910, a FN 1922, a Sig P230, a PPK and a 1st Generation Keltec .380. Great little guns, but I only shoot and carry ball ammo in them as in the short barreled .380, most hollow point ammo won't expand and if it does, the penetration is so lacking that it does not penitrate deep enough to hit vital organs. So ball ammo it is.

Jungle Work

[Rocnerd]

Popular choices of .380;

Keltec P3AT
NAA Guardian
Seecamp
Walther PPK
Colt mustang/pocketlite
Makarov
Bersa Thunder
Sig 230/232

If price wasn't a concern I would go with the Seecamp.
If smallest and lightest was priority than Keltec.
If I wanted a bug I would go with either the PPK or Colt (double action model, whichever one that is)
For a shooter I would go with the Bersa for a bargain and the Sig otherwise.

[Bond]

There is only one .380 that I can recommend...