I guess I'm just as a 1911 fan . As long as its kept clean, the firearm is flawless. Mine has more than 500 rounds with no malfunction other than slide failing to lock back after final round a couple of times. Glock 42 is the best pocket rocket I've shot yet.. I figured why not have 9mm since it's only slightly bigger yet still as easy to conceal comfortably. One of the big box sporting good stores ran the Ruger LCP 380 for $199 on black Friday. Last 10 years carried a Glock 36 . Small, sleek, thin, no snag points on it, mostly all metal. While the shotshells were fine for small game, I cannot image them being the least suited for self-defense. I've not needed to use deadly force in my 1st 60yr, and I hope to make the peashooter suffice during my second. (PS-I had a local 'smith do some smoothing of the edges and it's amazingly easy to get in and out!) But you get the idea. Rent and shoot them all. to be used by the Agents who carried out activities in the territory of Ireland, the destination of said contract stated verbatim "to be used in personal defense". But the omission is glaring. I also have a Micro 9 which is a bit larger than the Micro 380. Get new friends. I dress then chose a pistol from my collection that fits concealed with the most stopping power. I highly recommend the LCP as an everyday carry. Others find this to be true as well. Truly perfection! "They get the job done, but several shots may need to be fired to get your point across." Ammunition will differ slightly in energy, and that affects ejection. The .380 only offers easier concealability, but not equivalent performance. I have an LCP II and have sent it back to Ruger twice but it still misfeeds on but FMJ and JHP. Again, many thanks!!! Oftentimes, the guns chambered in .380 ACP are tiny enough to fit into your front pocket. I have an AMT Backup in .380 (I also have one in .45 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. Rock Island Armory Baby Rock 7. (Even the slightly easier to carry 3" barrel models can provide fairly similar figures.) I love mine. That's right, of the 4-5 that we have , the Bersa has never ever had a problem and it was under $200 out the door. These were offered decades ago for the Thompson-Center Contender. It's cheaper than any of the guns in your list. Specs vary based on model. The Kahr CW 380 is my concealed carry gun. A design that has been manufactured for 91 years! Try the Remington RM380, it was a pleasant surprise. Jams all Underwood Xtreme Penetrator or Defender. I prefer the long trigger pull on the original. USA While size really isn't that much of a issue for me, as I carry my Glock 20 10mm quite often, the P238 is easy to pop into a pocket when I'm in a hurry. Absolutely, this is why 10mm is great for a woods carry gun when you're facing four-legged threats but less of a good idea when you're in the city facing two-legged. Here's a plug for a very specific P238, from a very specific source. You need to know that your ammo of choice works in your gun of choice. For the last 15 years as a plain clothes Detective, I chose to carry the nickel finish Beretta 84FS Cheetah. 5 Same issue with the sticky magazine, rounds flying out of the opening in the slide. The double strike feature is great too, particularly when using cheap reloads. While it certainly isnt difficult to take down and reassemble, there are easier ones out there. It Works. Not sure what's with Ruger on returns for repair. I really like it because it's all metal and so dampens the recoil. purchase helps support my work in bringing you more awesome gun and gear articles. Lastly, the size of the grip itself can also help you handle the recoil better. The P365 380 may be on the larger size spectrum of concealable 380s but is probably the flattest/lowest recoiling model. Thanks for getting the Bersa Thunder 380 on the list. No malfunctions of any kind. Any bullet however beats a rock. The .380 cartridge is as nasty as any other small one! I'm a 65 yr old novice and it only required 30 seconds to select LCP 2. Josh is a gun writer with several years of experience, who has devoted his life to teaching people about firearms, while continuing to learn himself. Very fine gun overall. The big thing to consider using these 380's is the ammo. In addition to a pistols caliber, recoil (felt, perceived, or mechanical) is determined by the type of breech lockup that a pistol uses. Small, easy to carry and just plain sexy, I have to say it's my favorite so far. Carry sig in ankle holster . These are two very different guns. Fits my wife's hands as well as mine. Go to a gun store and check out the pocket pistols. I would recommend a Bersa to anyone entering the world of Concealed Carry. After he graduated high school, he joined the Marines where he qualified with an M16, an M9 pistol, and a 240G machine gun. Best 380 Pistols and Handguns for 2023 - Reviewster With a much lighter trigger, enhanced slide serrations, wider grip, impressive stippling job, and the ability to slide lock on the last round, the LCP II is a definitive improvement over other comparable .380 pocket guns. May as well have a 9mm for about the same size. Framed with polymer and 2.75-inch75 inch barrel, Ruger's LCP 380 pistol is a lightweight fighter coming in at only 9.6 ounces. That said, it is expensive as hell. I know snobs won't like it, be I do. I'm more accurate with it than my j frame, and carry two additional rounds. Simple. If you take aim at an attacker with your .380 pistol but miss four out of five shots, you may just end up angering the person coming at you. It may be slightly larger than the pocket models, but I prefer my 7+1 Bersa Thunder 380 for concealment, great hand fit, trigger, & DA/SA with decocker. (Makes the "Judge" seem crude by comparison!). I could almost copy and paste Petes review of the LCPII as my experience. I have a Glock 42 and Im a realtor. I have read alot of bad about the Taurus TCP 738 but I love mine and at $239 and reliable as heck with the fix I did it"s alot cheaper than the top 5 in this article, not trying to take anything away from the top 5 or anyones personal choices.. Kimber Micro .380ACP TLE I'm liking it a lot. I went with the Glock 42 and enjoy shooting it, additionally I am a Glock armorer which factored into the decision. The grip shape is comfortable and recoil is no worse than any other .380 pocket pistol. I like my Ruger LCP II - light weight, I can handle the recoil. Its much easier for me to shoot my Ruger than it is my S & W! The 380 is in between the 22/25 pocket pistols and the 38spc/9mm sub compacts. It's certainly uglier and much more expensive. All the .380s are snappy & regardless of how I adjust my grip, they all give me varying degrees of "trigger bite", leaving my trigger finger sore after shooting. The Remington 380 is a really decent gun. Know your target and what's behind it as you are responsible for that round that goes through the target and lands in something/someone else. I love my Bersa Thunder Combat. This is one very inexpensive pistol that works very well. I've found the fit and overall feel of the pistol to be more favorable than the Sig 238. Most likely it wasn't discussed because the the Sig P365-380 is quite a bit larger than these yet offers no additional capacity. Easy to shoot, very reliable and inexpensive (~$285). So don't underestimate the power of calibers starting with 3. I am a 76yr. I've ran 100 rounds through the Sig P238 and not one issue , it is awesome , pricey but awesome . I LOVED it for its size and wanted it to come in #1! Just my 2 cents Its looks great and feels great in my hands. For comparison a Sig P365 is 17.8 oz unloaded. What about the SCCY CPX-4? It's hard to find a pocket-carry gun that can top the LCP II, but the new SIG P365 might do it for me. Great little pistol that I think is worth a mention, thanks. EXACTLY. 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 bought it used, based on discussions with an off-duty police officer. For more info on other calibers, check out our Bullet Guide. Finally, while the Bodyguards do come with a safety, they are hard to disengage. I cant win. Another great gun is the CPX3 .380 pistol made by SCCY on the east coast of Florida. For the size & weight you could carry a Ruger LC9S in 9mm that does everything better. I prefer my 357 Mag but I'm seriously considering a 380 due to their size and less recoil. It eats anything you feed it. Its design has not been changed and it is manufactured the same as almost a century ago, because it is exceptionally good and very well made. They chew any Ammo you can think of, with ease and practically no malfunction! No other cartridge has that claim to fame or infamy if you prefer. This seems to be a hit and miss gun as far as quality is concerned. Google it. Your article stated that the Kahr 380 was the smallest 380. Great reviews, here 's my 2 cents. You have to get it from Palmetto State Armory. Brand : Winchester It should be stated here that, while Ive not had many malfunctions shooting one, this is my least familiar gun on the list and plenty of others have had picky ammunition issues from this pocket .380. I WANTED to carry the LCP but I CANNOT carry it after owning it and my testing. It has a slide stop (not too useful as a slide release but it holds the slide back when you're empty), and second-strike capability which I've had to use. Snappy but controllable and also pretty accurate for the size. I would say no - unless you really needed the ultra-compactness and reduced recoil. Weve built dozens of ARs and well cover all the best AR-15 upgrades such as handguards, triggers, BCGs, gas blocks, and more. I have no issues at all deactivating the safety. It's about 30% heavier as a result, but it shoots awesome. I have read conflicting reports about it. Don't need that. "While the LCP was a popular pistol, the LCP II is a refined and much improved version." Its always in a secure IWB or OWB holster. I am not sure why Kimber was excluded from the list of .380's. The 5 Best 380 ACP Pistols - Gun Tests There are basically two methods of thought when it comes to self-defense cartridges. Peepew tends ro regurgitate older reviews and most likely the Sig wasn't available when the review was conducted. Lol, the Glock 25 was made for countries with strict gun control. I wouldnt carry any of these micro pistols without the extension, I need to have all 3 fingers on the grip. Used two different kinds of ammo-American made. You're currently reading page 1; Page 2; It's also rock solid reliableOver 100 rounds of mixed ammo types without the first hiccup. A few BIG points about the Sig P238 that should be in most any article about them: The SIG P238 has a single-action trigger that is light, crisp and easy to shoot. I also carry an extra mag. The few failures I have had maybe are my fault. The Shield is not hard to carry and conceal, but my .380 is so much more comfortable and concealable that it is the one I choose most of the time. 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. Re: Glock 42 and Sig P238 With the proper ammo this weapon can't be beat for carry and at 10 yards put your shoot where you aim it. She finds it a dream to rack and feel . Its the most reliable gunI own. I had 6 stovepipes(!!!) It literally Runs almost EVERYTHING. This gun is amazing and feeds/extracts EVERY ammo I give it. Its a small pocket gun with similar specifications to most every gun you did list. The .38 spl. M&P Shield EZ .380 6. Just wanted to say, I own 4 different caliber Taurus pistols and I am very satisfied with my 357 mag, 1911 Commander 45 acp, and 38 special. By comparison, the UXP still worked fine in 9mm, but he was able to find dozens of 9mm hollow point rounds that expanded consistently and only cost a fraction of the price. The Precision One XTP round did excellent. I have had a Bersa Thunder .380, a Ruger LC380, and now a Glock 42. If anyone has a legitimate reason I shouldn't use this particular weapon for self defense, please respond. 45 ACP as a duty weapon as an administrator. Don't get me wrong, Glock makes great pistols but as far as the pocket models in 380 and 9, they are a Johnny-come-lately-me-too and it shows. The first one says that if your bullet size of choice doesnt start with a 4 its insufficient for self-defense. Another even more serious mistake is that you, mentioning the benefits of the good Bersa pistol, about the Walther PPK, you textually say: "It improves it a bit with some modern features, such as an open sliding cover and a decocker / security."