Help with "larger" .380s - what's available - not for CCW
- Thread starter bedbugbilly
- Start date
Billy Shears
New member
The aforementioned Beretta 84/85, the Browning BDA and the Walthers are all fun pistols, but if you can find one that is relaible the Colt Govt 380 is not only fairly large, but very easy to shoot. Sometimes kind of pricey though.
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born2climb
New member
My apologies if I came across as anything but sincerely trying to help. I would rather shoot the Shield in 9mm any day over my LCP and therefore would assume no real advantage of the .380 in a larger gun versus one in 9mm.
Carry on....
Carry on....
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carguychris
New member
Very true; the reason I didn't discuss the Colt earlier is that I haven't recently seen a decent one that was even close to the OP's budget. I know that there must be slightly beat-up "shooters" out there, but my hunch is that everyone who has one is hanging onto it, as they know they won't be able to replace it!Billy Shears said:
FWIW the Colt Mustang family- which includes the Government 380- is actually based on the Star D & DK, which themselves were based on the Star S, a pistol I already mentioned.
Once upon a time, Cylinder and Slide used to offer a "Full House Mouse" - A 5" Government Model 1911 ..... in .380. If you could find one, they'd be expensive, though.
Think about the physics of what you said, born2- In guns of equal design and weight, the .380 will recoil less. Your LCP weighs less than 1/2 of what the Shield does ...... with a whole lot less to hang onto when shooting it...... The OP asked about a large sized .380 ....
aarondhgraham
New member
The Beretta is only a hair bigger than a Bersa Thunder 380,,,
The Beretta is only a hair bigger than a Bersa Thunder 380,,,
It must be some kind of optical illusion centered around the grip size.
I didn't read all of the posts,,,
But if you are looking for a fat .380,,,
Look no further than the Hi-Point in 380.
This old gal has a figure like Mae West,,,
But the one my buddy owns is a rock solid performer.
Just pointing it out.
Aarond
.
The Beretta is only a hair bigger than a Bersa Thunder 380,,,
It must be some kind of optical illusion centered around the grip size.
I didn't read all of the posts,,,
But if you are looking for a fat .380,,,
Look no further than the Hi-Point in 380.
This old gal has a figure like Mae West,,,
But the one my buddy owns is a rock solid performer.
Just pointing it out.
Aarond
.
Trooper Joe
New member
Picked up this Beretta 85 (single stack .380) last summer. What a beauty. Feeds everything and is very very accurate.
Of course, the best of them all is the Browning BDA.
Trooper Joe
Of course, the best of them all is the Browning BDA.
Trooper Joe
lee n. field
New member
It shouldn't be too hard to find a Russian Baikal Makarov in .380.
aarondhgraham
New member
Hello Trooper Joe,,,
Blasphemy my friend,,,
Utter blasphemy!
The Beretta is Sophia Loren,,,
The Browning is Glenn Close.
Aarond
.
Blasphemy my friend,,,
Utter blasphemy!
The Beretta is Sophia Loren,,,
The Browning is Glenn Close.
Aarond
.
I wanted to get a larger 380 a few years ago and I had picked up a Taurus PT58 SS. I had it a while and got distracted by something else so I sold it, a short time went by and I wanted another so I was back on the hunt. I ended up getting a Beretta 84F and could not be happier with it. It has that full size feel but is still small enough where it gets used in the CCW rotation and the wife loves it for home use with 13+1 on tap ready to go.
carguychris
New member
Aarondhgram, a slightly belated "Thanks" for reposting the Beretta vs. Bersa picture.
I cringe whenever someone writes that a Series 81 Beretta is a "large" gun, and this description seems to be repeated on this forum with some frequency. My theory is that they look deceptively large in pictures.
That said, they ARE approximately the same size and weight as a number of more recent double-stack 9mm compacts, and this is a legitimate critique if you look at these pistols from a simple Firepower vs. Size point of view. However, this criticism can also be leveled at most pistols mentioned in this thread. The Berettas are simply NOT that much larger or heavier than a Bersa Thunder, Walther PPK/S, or Makarov, and I can't fathom where people get the idea that they are.
I cringe whenever someone writes that a Series 81 Beretta is a "large" gun, and this description seems to be repeated on this forum with some frequency.
My theory is that they look deceptively large in pictures.That said, they ARE approximately the same size and weight as a number of more recent double-stack 9mm compacts, and this is a legitimate critique if you look at these pistols from a simple Firepower vs. Size point of view. However, this criticism can also be leveled at most pistols mentioned in this thread. The Berettas are simply NOT that much larger or heavier than a Bersa Thunder, Walther PPK/S, or Makarov, and I can't fathom where people get the idea that they are.
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aarondhgraham
New member
Hello carguychris,,,
Feel free to snag a download of that pic,,,
Use it anytime/anyplace you want to.
Aarond
.
Feel free to snag a download of that pic,,,
Use it anytime/anyplace you want to.
Aarond
.
DealHunter
New member
I really like the Sig P230/232 and the Walter PPs (PP-PPk-PPk/s). Thinking of getting a Beretta at some point before the prices get too high (no more new Cheetahs in the US)...
One that I didn't see listed that's pretty neat is the Sphinx AT-380M (the M version has a manual safety). It's a Swiss gun made by Sphinx Systems in the 90s (no longer made but can be found used), double stack smooth DAO w. 10/11 capacity.
.380s are fun, just wish ammo costs were lower these days...
One that I didn't see listed that's pretty neat is the Sphinx AT-380M (the M version has a manual safety). It's a Swiss gun made by Sphinx Systems in the 90s (no longer made but can be found used), double stack smooth DAO w. 10/11 capacity.
.380s are fun, just wish ammo costs were lower these days...