Cowboyfromhell
New member
So I'm really thinking hard about picking up a .380 for the first time. Hoping to find a good deal on a Sig p238. Maybe a black Friday sale..Will see
Going to give a .380 a try
- Thread starter Cowboyfromhell
- Start date
My P238 is in my pocket all the time here at the house, even while doing outdoor chores for the wife. It never gets in way. Great little pocket pistol. I never have one in the chamber. (Yeah, I know) ... it is what it is.
I also bought a 380ez for the wife since it is incredibly easy to rack
I don’t mind reloading for it ... And it is incredibly cheap to do so. (2.8gr TG with a 95/100gr proj)
I won’t be buying another 380 ... 2 is enough for me. 9’s, 45’s and 357’s are way more fun to shoot and that’s where I spend my fun money.
My LGS just posted about 5 different 238’s for sale ... Tanners Sports Center on FB ... look them up ... they are a large vendor and will ship.
I also bought a 380ez for the wife since it is incredibly easy to rack
I don’t mind reloading for it ... And it is incredibly cheap to do so. (2.8gr TG with a 95/100gr proj)
I won’t be buying another 380 ... 2 is enough for me. 9’s, 45’s and 357’s are way more fun to shoot and that’s where I spend my fun money.
My LGS just posted about 5 different 238’s for sale ... Tanners Sports Center on FB ... look them up ... they are a large vendor and will ship.
My first EDC was a Glock 42...’Clipdraw’ and trigger cover with belt cord lanyard, great for summer, Tshirt. Plus into my jersey pocket when I ride my bike(4-5 days per week). Great little gun, yes, others smaller, almost as big as some small 9mm but for me, not a ‘PITW’ to shoot(Pain in the Wrist)...others, like Ruger LC9, was.
Also 16 oz. loaded with (mag ext) 7+1...
BTW- had a Ruger LCP...yup, reliable, small, thin, light and a PITButt to shoot for me..adios...
Also 16 oz. loaded with (mag ext) 7+1...
BTW- had a Ruger LCP...yup, reliable, small, thin, light and a PITButt to shoot for me..adios...
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FrankenMauser
New member
I entertained the same thought process for a long time. All it did was make me miss out on a lot of fun and some cool firearms.
Another set of dies and some different bullets isn't really a big deal. (Whether a common handgun cartridge, or obscure rifle cartridge.)
With .380 Auto, in particular, though... Most owners that I know don't shoot their .380s enough to really warrant reloading, anyway. Combined with the fact that most people lose 50% or more of the cases at a range, and 70%+ in the desert/mountains, it actually makes reloading even less desirable. It isn't a big deal to buy a box or two of factory ammo per year. (Or every two to three years.)
Of course, I reloaded from the get-go and am now sitting on an assortment of bullets, set of dies, pile of brass, and stack of ammo that doesn't get used, because I sold or traded all of my .380s. But, I'll end up with another one at some point...
(The handguns were the problem, not the cartridge - if anyone was wondering.)
HighValleyRanch
New member
I've gotten spoiled shooting .45 and picking up brass...easy to find.
Now 9mm is harder to find even though before it was easy.
And my Sig p230 throws the brass so far, that I only recover 2 out of 10 of the tiny .380.
And .32, I gave up on reloading those a long time ago! Sill looking for the first one that ever ejected!LOL
Now 9mm is harder to find even though before it was easy.
And my Sig p230 throws the brass so far, that I only recover 2 out of 10 of the tiny .380.
And .32, I gave up on reloading those a long time ago! Sill looking for the first one that ever ejected!LOL
wild cat mccane
New member
Suggestion?
Go with the smallest. LCP or ish.
My pics of the LCP vs the P365. The larger 380s approach CM9/P365 sizing. Either weight or thickness killed those 380s for me.
https://thefiringline.com/forums/showthread.php?p=6721033
For me, the LCP does what others don't: small and light.
Meh
Go with the smallest. LCP or ish.
My pics of the LCP vs the P365. The larger 380s approach CM9/P365 sizing. Either weight or thickness killed those 380s for me.
https://thefiringline.com/forums/showthread.php?p=6721033
For me, the LCP does what others don't: small and light.
Meh
My first centerfire pistol was a Walther PPK/S in .380 ACP, which remained my primary carry gun until very recently. As of this Summer I have started carrying a Ruger LCP which is significantly smaller, lighter, and cheaper. I've also begun carrying a Smith & Wesson SW40VE during colder weather simply because I can and just in case I should encounter anything that the LCP can't handle.
The LCP goes with me literally everywhere now because it's just so thin, so small, and so lightweight that there's no valid reason or excuse not to have it in my pocket.
The LCP goes with me literally everywhere now because it's just so thin, so small, and so lightweight that there's no valid reason or excuse not to have it in my pocket.
tarhealcracker
New member
If you are going to look at small .380s do look at the Beretta Pico in .380. I have had mine for a few years now and it's a quality built flawless shooter that minimizes the usual drawbacks of extra small pistols.
Oh yeah. The price is right.
Oh yeah. The price is right.
My wife has the P238, and i have the Kimber Micro . Both are outstanding shooters and conceal very well. My micro is just a tad lighter than our p238. Felt recoil they both feel identical. Accuracy is also identical between the two. The P238 will have a slide locking thumb safety, the Kimber's identical thumb safety only locks the trigger and does not lock the slide. The Kimber fits my hand slightly better than the P238. I give a solid plug for either.
My wife and I have his and hers 238s. Hers is in her purse, mine gets used once or twice a week as a pocket pistol, when IWB with a larger gun doesn't work. They shoot remarkably well for such a small pistol. The trigger isn't particularly light, but it is nice and short, smooth, and fairly crisp.
My other .380 is a Beretta 84. Nothing close to being a pocket pistol, but a nice shooter and silky smooth like most Berettas.
My other .380 is a Beretta 84. Nothing close to being a pocket pistol, but a nice shooter and silky smooth like most Berettas.
AgedWarrior
New member
Okay...why?
Cowboyfromhell
New member
My lgs has a S.A. 911....how do these compare to the Sig p238?
lapetrarca53
New member
Love my .380's! I've got a 380EZ, LCP II and a SCCY CPX-3.
The LCP II is a great gun but, not much fun to shoot. My favorite is the SCCY. It's a high quality, well made gun at a great price!
I shoot them enough to make it worthwhile to reload.
The LCP II is a great gun but, not much fun to shoot. My favorite is the SCCY. It's a high quality, well made gun at a great price!
I shoot them enough to make it worthwhile to reload.
Do it
I can't speak for smaller .380s (which are the norm) but my G42 is most definitely my favorite handgun to shoot. My dad and I put some work into the trigger and now, after a little take-up, it breaks clean with little force. I shoot great groups with it compared to full sized handguns with rapid follow up shots. Recoil is nonexistent if you're used to gripping the small frame, especially with a pinky extension on the magazine. The balance of weight and recoil is ideal.
That being said, out of the box, the trigger was *heavy* and my accuracy definitely suffered. Double action only autos like the LCP will be at least as bad and their tiny sights don't help. A friend of mine visiting from out of state loved my G42 so much he ordered one on gunbroker and then later was disappointed that it didn't behave the same.
It's pretty much what you'd expect from a Glock. It's a reliable, smooth shooter with awful sights and a trigger that needs some love if you want it to be a real shooter. (the sights were so bad that the channel in the rear sight making the notch was embarrassingly crooked along two axes) If you want a real pocket pistol get something else. But if you want something to play the role of a 21st century PPK that's concealable but with the feel and functionality of a much larger gun it can't be beat.
Random aside: there's a Hickok45 video where he reviews the G42 and at the end they slow-mo him shooting a soda bottle. If you step through it frame by frame you can see, first, the delay between firing and the bullet arriving on target. Second, his sights come back to level and stick 2 frame after bullet impact. That's exactly how it feels to shoot this gun. I haven't felt that with larger 9mms or with smaller .380s.
I can't speak for smaller .380s (which are the norm) but my G42 is most definitely my favorite handgun to shoot. My dad and I put some work into the trigger and now, after a little take-up, it breaks clean with little force. I shoot great groups with it compared to full sized handguns with rapid follow up shots. Recoil is nonexistent if you're used to gripping the small frame, especially with a pinky extension on the magazine. The balance of weight and recoil is ideal.
That being said, out of the box, the trigger was *heavy* and my accuracy definitely suffered. Double action only autos like the LCP will be at least as bad and their tiny sights don't help. A friend of mine visiting from out of state loved my G42 so much he ordered one on gunbroker and then later was disappointed that it didn't behave the same.
It's pretty much what you'd expect from a Glock. It's a reliable, smooth shooter with awful sights and a trigger that needs some love if you want it to be a real shooter. (the sights were so bad that the channel in the rear sight making the notch was embarrassingly crooked along two axes) If you want a real pocket pistol get something else. But if you want something to play the role of a 21st century PPK that's concealable but with the feel and functionality of a much larger gun it can't be beat.
Random aside: there's a Hickok45 video where he reviews the G42 and at the end they slow-mo him shooting a soda bottle. If you step through it frame by frame you can see, first, the delay between firing and the bullet arriving on target. Second, his sights come back to level and stick 2 frame after bullet impact. That's exactly how it feels to shoot this gun. I haven't felt that with larger 9mms or with smaller .380s.