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I am looking for a .380 carry......

I don't think there's a better .380 than the SIG P230/232.Unfortunately,the alloy framed versions are no longer available new in MA.I've found mine to be considerably more reliable than my Walther and it doesn't leave railroad tracks.The newer PPK/S with the enlarged tangs are supposedly much better than the old PPK's regarding biting the hand that feeds them but I've only examined them in shops,still haven't shot one.
I rarely carry .380 though as generally speaking,if I can carry the P230, I can carry the P239 or Glock 19 or I'll just stick my Seecamp in my pocket.Blowback .380's are surprisingly lively to shoot and they're not especially cheap to shoot.That said,I think the P230 is one of the sexiest guns ever made,has been 100% reliable and points most naturally of any gun I own.I wouldn't talk anyone out of buying one if it fits their needs,just that I've found better carry options.
 
I have a Kel-Tec P11 9mm. It holds 10 rds and is the size of most .380
pistols. The real question might be "What is the smallest reasonable
defensive pistol out there?". If you want more input, tell us, why a .380?
What do you plan on doing with it? How experienced are you?

F
 
I'm about to pick up the gun that I've been looking for, for a long time.

The Colt Mustang MK IV Series 80. They are out there in MA...and if you like the 1911, then you get the bost of both worlds...almost. Of the ones that I've shot, they are great to shoot. That's why I've been wanting one...

But listen to firtree, and answer those questions first and then go from there.
 
It's slightly larger than the PPK but I find that it makes it a better shooter and it's still a small,very flat pistol.Some don't like the heel magazine release but I don't find it to be a problem at all.I'm not sure if the DAO versions are MA approved but the 232 can be configured as such.I like my 230's decocker-DA/SA as I mostly shoot like configured SIG's.The biggest difference between the 2 is that the old PPK bites the snot out of me while I've never had a problem with the 230- YMMV.
 
I had an old PPK. I loved the way it felt and looked, hated the way it tore my hand up and failed to feed/eject. I tried my friend's new (S&W) one about a year ago and went out bought one that day. With that said, I find it too heavy to carry easily (before I'd tote a PPK around I'd look at other lighter more powerful handguns). Great shooter though and made like a Swiss watch.
 
That's really weird....because I had an old PPK/S and the PPs and none of them ever bit me like everyone says. I had people that would shoot mine and they would have cuts on the web of thier hand...but I never had a problem when I got it back. And I don't have small hands.
 
C-pher said:
That's really weird....because I had an old PPK/S and the PPs and none of them ever bit me like everyone says. I had people that would shoot mine and they would have cuts on the web of thier hand...but I never had a problem when I got it back. And I don't have small hands.
Click to expand...

It's all in the grip. When I had that PPK, I was shooting mostly revolvers so I would (and still do) grip as high as I can.

The PPK is one of only three guns that ever "bit" me. The other two being a Mauser Broomhandle w/the shoulder stock attached (the hammer crushes your thumb) and a Beretta 1935 (the hammer pinches the web of my hand).
 
The Sig 230/232 is just too big and the magazine release is in the wrong place (heel of the grip). My Kahr MK9 and PM9 are smaller, they're 9mm, and they have a proper magazine release.

The Colt Govt. Model 380 is a nice little gun too. Hard to find, though.
 
There's a Star SA in .380 advertised in this month's Outdoor Message. 'Course, you need to belong to GOAL to get the Outdoor Message...
 
I've owned a Llama for more years than I care to think about. It takes down just like a 1911, and is easy to handle. It's a little bigger than a Colt Mustang, but thinner.
 
I never had a problem with my PPK/s. I wonder if the Pachmyrs I installed on it made that difference? It is German made , 1971 DOB.
 
My PPK bit me only once when I had my thumb up way too high... slide came right over the first knuckle. You can bet that I never held it THAT way again.
 
Thor67 said:
Why a .380 vs. a smaller sized 9mm or a .40? OR, even a .38 revolver
Click to expand...

In MA the sub/mini-compact 9s are virtually unobtainium (eg, Kahr MK9,
Rohrbaugh R9, etc), so if you want a small auto you're pretty much
shoehorned into a .380. A jframe revolver is good but is fatter than a
PPK is. I like the jframes as a concept, but I couldn't hit the broad side of a
barn with the 642 I had. The gun just didn't point very instincitively for
me, and I had to conciously cock my wrist when firing it in order to increase
the accuracy a bit.

One thing in favor of the PPK and the P232... the guns are certainly accurate
for what they are. they point pretty well (for me at least). The only
thing kiboshing the P232 is the fact that its too damned big for what it
does. The PPK/S suffers from this too, but not nearly as bad as the P232,
as the grips on the 232 are a lot wider.


-Mike
 
If you insist on a .380, the Colt Government model or the Colt Mustang or the Mustang +1 are all good guns. My Mustang is very accurate and easy to shoot.

I saw one for sale recently at Zero Hour Arms. They go for around $400-$500, used...a bit pricey, but worth it. Much smaller than the Sig and Walther.
 
Producer said:
I always wanted to try that SIG. How is it size, compared to the old style PPK?
Click to expand...

It's almost identical in size to the PP, but lighter because of the alloy frame. Excellent pistol, the P232.
The only two drawbacks I've found is the lack of a manual slide lock, and the gun's dislike of Federal Hydra-Shok ammo.

JT
 
drgrant said:
One thing in favor of the PPK and the P232... the guns are certainly accurate
for what they are. they point pretty well (for me at least). The only
thing kiboshing the P232 is the fact that its too damned big for what it
does. The PPK/S suffers from this too, but not nearly as bad as the P232,
as the grips on the 232 are a lot wider.

-Mike
Click to expand...

I have had a PPK/S for some time and it is the only 'pocket pistol' that I can
literally just put in my pocket, never 'prints', and its reliability with what I shoot
(hardball and Silvertips) is never in question. I love the pistol and after being
'bit' once, learned to mind my p's and q's. Other than that one time it has never
been a problem for me. I wish that I had that experience with the rest of my
hardware. In fact I have had far more egregious problems with classic wheelguns
than I have had with the PPK/S. As you no doubt can tell, I am a huge fan
of this pistol. It's not heavy, it's extremely well built, and it fits a medium
hand like a glove. Just my thoughts and experiences.

TBP
 
EddieCoyle said:
I had an old PPK. I loved the way it felt and looked, hated the way it tore my hand up and failed to feed/eject.
Click to expand...

I just traded away a Bersa Thunder Deluxe 380 and would recommend it. It's an improvement on the PPK and addresses the issues mentioned above. I mostly carry a Glock 26 instead now. Not because I think I need 9mm versus 380 -- I don't think anyone is going to continue being a threat with a couple of 380 hollowpoints in their chest. Mostly its because I liked what I was trading for, and I shoot Glocks a LOT and figured best to carry with what I'm most familiar.

have fun shopping!
Chuck
 
drgrant said:
In MA the sub/mini-compact 9s are virtually unobtainium (eg, Kahr MK9,
Rohrbaugh R9, etc), ...

-Mike
Click to expand...

I'm afraid I must disagree. Yes, there is more work to find one. You won't
get it this weekend for use on Monday, but if you look and ask around you can
find many of these. I bought a Kel-Tec P11 for under $300 a few weeks ago.
I have seen several kahrs around, though not for cheap. My opinion is that if
what you really want is a very small 9mm you can find one in MA if you are
willing to hunt for it and pay a higher price. (But a Sig sure isn't cheap either!)

F
 

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