Buying the wife a 380 suggestions

[rooster007]

Going to buy the wife a 380 sometime next week . I know alot of you guys have them out there . Any suggestions on the good and the bad would be great , would like to stay under 400.00.

Thanks

 

[IndyGunSafety]

Rooster:

My first carry gun was a Bersa .380. I loved it. It weighed only 24.5 ounces (empty) and was easy to conceal.

Now I carry a .45 or a .40, but I also have the KelTec P3AT. Now this is a highly concealable handgun, but honestly it's not much fun to go put 100-200 rounds through, even with my big hands. In a defense situation, who cares? But if you want to practice and be proficient, it matters. The Ruger LCP was modled closely after the KelTecs.

The Sig 232 is a nice gun. Donna had one, but it chewed at her thumb joint when she fired it. There are also several springs that pop out IF you take the grips off to clean. She quickly became an expert at putting them back on.

My . Good luck!

 

[Bill B]

My wife loves her Bersa Thunder, but I hate the sights.
We've only put about 200 rounds through it, so we really can't say much about long-term reliability.

 

[jd3772000]

Bersa 380 is my first suggestion. I have one and its a nice firearm. Kahr has a nice new 380 that's out but its more than your $400 price range. Also look into the ruger lcp.

 

[Indecision]

My girl just picked up her LCP yesterday. She loves it.

 

[Chefcook]

I was in Bradis yesterday and they had a Llamma Mini Max .380 for $299, now I do not know a whole lot about this gun but I was impressed with its look of quality and the way it sat in the hand. I would have grabbed it if I had the $$$...

 

[IndyGunSafety]

My wife loves her Bersa Thunder, but I hate the sights.

Bill, what's wrong with the sights? Mine had nice 3 dot's. Did they change them? Maybe there are multiple options. I still use mine to teach because of the good sights on it, but it's about 7 years old. I hate it when they fix things that are not broken!

I will say mine is starting to malfunction, but it's had thousands of rounds through it.

Also, as of right now .380 ammo seems to me to be hard to find. Anyone else have any better luck?

The KelTec is $239 at Plainfield Shooters Supply.

Any chance you could talk her into a little 9mm? More ammo, cheaper to shoot. Glock 26 or 19 used? Just a thought.

 

[kludge]

Bersa Thunder .380 (~$250)
Bersa Thunder .380CC (~$300)
Walther PK380 (haven't seen one yet, don't know the street price, should be ~$400)
Ruger LCP (~$330-~$430, can't figure how people get more than $400 for these guns)
Kel-Tec P3AT (~$240)
Walther PP, PPK, PPK/S ($400+)
Browning BDA and Taurus's version of it, can't remember the number. ($400-$600)
NAA Guardian (~$400, maybe more)
Colt, Sig... well that gets beyond your $400 number.

 

[redneckmedic]

I would get with a few members here who actually own 380's and have her shoot them, and see which she likes best. With that said the Bursa Thunder is a popular choice, but I would look hard at a Glock 19, you will have no noticeable difference in recoil and a higher capacity mag, and an overall better gun. IMHO

 

[Leadeye]

Tough to beat a used Interarms PPK/S, good value for the money.

 

[irishfan]

Another happy Bersa .380 owner here. Great little gun and have had no malfunctions in 500+ rounds.

 

[Joe Williams]

Was planning on getting Cathy a Ruger LCP. She likes the way it feels, and she loves how highly concealable it is. Then she got her hands on a Sig P238, and is in love. Can't blame her. It's almost as concealable, feels better in the hands, and has real sights. I'm betting it feels better to shoot, and has much better practical accuracy, too. She's gonna have to wait an extra check or two, but it's worth it to get the right gun.

 

[Bill B]

Bill, what's wrong with the sights? Mine had nice 3 dot's. Did they change them? Maybe there are multiple options. I still use mine to teach because of the good sights on it, but it's about 7 years old. I hate it when they fix things that are not broken!

...snip

The sights on my wife's are red which, for some reason, is hard for me to see. Otherwise it is a nice gun. I like the key lock and the manual safety and the "feel" of the gun is nice.
To be fair, my wife likes the sights. She's also a better shooter than I am (with handguns). To each his own.

 

[CombatVet]

I'd suggest a High Point (dodges rotten food). I own one. It's light and cheap as hell. I think you can find them for around 150-200. My only gripe so far is finding a Holster for it oh and ammo.

 

[IDCC]

Do you have a source for 380 ammo right now? Would 9mm be too much for her in say a CPO SIG P239, Glock G26 or S&W M&P9C?

 

[Roadie]

The sights on my wife's are red which, for some reason, is hard for me to see. Otherwise it is a nice gun. I like the key lock and the manual safety and the "feel" of the gun is nice.
To be fair, my wife likes the sights. She's also a better shooter than I am (with handguns). To each his own.

If they are red they have been painted. Stock color is white.

 

[shooter521]

Going to buy the wife a 380 sometime next week . Any suggestions on the good and the bad would be great

Take her to the shop and see what SHE likes. The Bersa family, SIG P232, SIG P238 and Ruger LCP are all possibilities (although the SIGs may be out of your stated price range), but...

• Does it fit her hand?
• Can she rack the slide?
• Can she manage the trigger pull?
• Can she manipulate all the controls without drastically breaking her shooting grip?

If the answer to any of the above is "no," move on to the next candidate. Given the price and availability of .380 ammo right now, it might behoove you to take the previous poster's advice and check out some small 9mm autos, as well. Kahr CW9, Kel-Tec PF9 and Taurus 709 all fit roughly into your price range and are worth consideration.

 

[theweakerbrother]

Has she shot a .380 yet? Lots of choices open up if you aren't married to that caliber.

 

[shooter521]

Stock color is white.

Not on the nickeled ones...

 

[emclean]

I would get with a few members here who actually own 380's and have her shoot them, and see which she likes best.

Take her to the shop and see what SHE likes.

I ended up with my Bersa because I bought it for my wife. it is hard to get a gun that fits someone with out puttign the pistol in there hands.