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What is your pick for accurate .380????


Chili Ron

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Howdy,

My sis is looking for a pistol says her .380 isnt accurate.

I have very little experience with these Just not my thing.

She wants a 9mm but I have a very strong feeling an accurate .380

would make her happy as she is fairly allergic to recoil

Anyhooo.

Accurate .380 pistol and as long as we are at it....

Accurate .380 ammo too.

Assuming we ever get outta this ammo weirdness.

All hep appreciated an thanks aheadotime pards.

Hope you ALL are doing well with this virus thing.

Whats worse than covid 19? Biden 20....I couldnt resist....

Best

CR

and by accurate I mean at least a three inch group at 15 yards.  or

at least say how you measured accuracy.  thanks.again..

 

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380 accuracy is a size issue. Majority of pistols are tiny and hard to handle. Browning has a 1911 380 I’ve been wanting it’s about 2/3 size so be better fit for hand. As ammo quality is best but right now anything you could find. I use Remington and Winchester bulk for practice and no problem with accuracy.

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4 minutes ago, Doc X said:

 

Was going to make the same suggestion. And for 9mm the p938.

Yeah. My 938 is always with me, and Very accurate.

 

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I love my Sigs, but I will suggest the S&W EZ .380.

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29 minutes ago, Utah Bob #35998 said:

Yeah. My 938 is always with me, and Very accurate.

 

Very accurate? It's a freaking tack driver! But is is a little gun, so short sight radius. Accuracy with this firearm is largely a factor of  the shooter's mastery of the fundamentals.

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38 minutes ago, DeaconKC said:

I love my Sigs, but I will suggest the S&W EZ .380.

I'll second that suggestion for a .380, it is a nice gun.

 

For carry, I prefer about a 4" barrel, longer interferes with car seats (or has to ride higher than I like) and shorter is well, no advantage for me on most days.

 

I'm not a big fan of .380, but getting 9mm today night be harder and more expensive. My big gripe with the .380 is really not the round, it is that so many firearms chambered in .380 seem to have problems. Consider that anecdotal, and I have no reason to believe this is true for this new Smith.

 

Since it is for a lady, I suggest she read this review at the Well Armed Woman site:

 

https://thewellarmedwoman.com/blog/smith-and-wesson-380-ez-3-1-womens-gun-review/

 

And as far as being only for ladies (marketing)... The original semi-auto "Lady Smith" (Model 3913) was a hit as a backup gun for law enforcement. Later versions dropped the "lady" designation, so keep your eyes open for a used 3913; lady mark on it or not, it is the same gun. They do have a couple known problems and parts are difficult to find, but if you find a low-round-count example, it is also a nice carry gun.

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2 minutes ago, John Kloehr said:

I'll second that suggestion for a .380, it is a nice gun.

 

For carry, I prefer about a 4" barrel, longer interferes with car seats (or has to ride higher than I like) and shorter is well, no advantage for me on most days.

 

I'm not a big fan of .380, but getting 9mm today night be harder and more expensive. My big gripe with the .380 is really not the round, it is that so many firearms chambered in .380 seem to have problems. Consider that anecdotal, and I have no reason to believe this is true for this new Smith.

 

Since it is for a lady, I suggest she read this review at the Well Armed Woman site:

 

https://thewellarmedwoman.com/blog/smith-and-wesson-380-ez-3-1-womens-gun-review/

 

And as far as being only for ladies (marketing)... The original semi-auto "Lady Smith" (Model 3913) was a hit as a backup gun for law enforcement. Later versions dropped the "lady" designation, so keep your eyes open for a used 3913; lady mark on it or not, it is the same gun. They do have a couple known problems and parts are difficult to find, but if you find a low-round-count example, it is also a nice carry gun.

Most of the problems with the 3913s were hard wear on the recoil springs. Swap em out with Wolff ones regularly. And yeah, those are some sleek little guns.

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55 minutes ago, John Kloehr said:

Very accurate? It's a freaking tack driver! But is is a little gun, so short sight radius. Accuracy with this firearm is largely a factor of  the shooter's mastery of the fundamentals.

Its the only small handgun I shoot 8" plates with. If I was a lot younger I'd shoot 4" plates. It is an amazing gun. I sold the Kimber micro 1 day after I got the SIG. ;)

 

 

 

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2 hours ago, Utah Bob #35998 said:

 

The Kid has one of the stainless models.  Gorgeous little thing.

 

The gun's built like a swiss watch and in my opinion is more accurate than it has a right to be.   ;)

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Another plus 1 for the Sig P238. I have one, and so does the wife (hers is the purple with purple pearl grips).

Both are great shooters. Wife also really likes her Glock 42. They seem to be a little better shooters than the

Bersa .380. But have to say. It's not bad either. Keep it in the old work truck.

If going 9mm. Another vote for Sig. Have a couple of the P938s. Liked the first one so much. Had to get another.

Carry it or the Glock 43X.

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There are a lot of good choices ... Sig, SA, S&W, Kahr, Colt... But to want 3" groups at 15 yards...and I assume that's not a Viced up pistol, I have no suggestions.

 

Do folks that want this kinda accuracy understand that the "bad guy" ain't standing still?

 

Phantom

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8 minutes ago, Chickasaw Bill SASS #70001 said:

it seems everyone compares every 380 , to the Bersa line 

 

  CB 

 

 

I have had a few of them and they have all been pretty good for a cheaper little gun.

Not as good as the Sig. But for the money it's not bad. But would sure pick the Sig 238 or Glock 42

over it in a heart beat. 

Wife loves her P238. It depends on where and how she is carrying as to if she takes it or the G42.

Bersa just stays in the old farm truck.

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Here a pic of my Sig Sauer Model P238.  Very popular with the women because the slide is easy to operate.  Amazing how accurate it is for a small pistol.  Reliable.

 

Sig Sauer (SAS) Model P238 in 380 Auto.

mJH4lP.jpg

 

N2XGvh.jpg

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37 minutes ago, Hardpan Curmudgeon SASS #8967 said:

 

The Kid has one of the stainless models.  Gorgeous little thing.

 

The gun's built like a swiss watch and in my opinion is more accurate than it has a right to be.   ;)

It is, though to compare it to a Swiss watch ignores all of the German over-engineering that went into the gun. Like trying to ignore the over-engineering  that goes into a Mercedes...

 

Anyway, this post compared with the OP, where the complaint is the existing .3980 is not accurate enough...

 

Whether a Sig 238 (.380) or a 938 (9mm), go rent either one (the 938 is a bit snappy in recoil). If your sis is not accurate with either of these, then it is not the gun, it is her shooting fundamentals.

 

And to repeat what I said earlier, these are small (mouse) guns therefore have a short sight radius. with that understanding, either of these two Sigs present an excellent test of shooting fundamentals.

 

The fundamentals that matter here most? Certainly sight alignment and trigger control; those two are high on any list. With the 938 more than the 238, squeezing the trigger (avoiding recoil anticipation) is important, shots drifting lower as the box of 50 rounds gets lighter is a strong indicator of recoil anticipation.

 

Also, a realistic expectation of accuracy is important. With any of my carry guns, a box of 50 rounds give me a 2" wide by 6" tall ragged hole at 7 yards, with a few outlier shots. That is excellent for relaxed shooting.

 

In a stress situation, expect to  at least double the pattern size and at least double both the number and the variance of outlier shots.

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1 hour ago, Crooked River Pete, SASS 43485 said:

I am going to suggest the Bersa, little larger than most .380's but mine has been 100% reliable ( I have about a dozen different half boxes of .380 around here from trying to find ammo it wouldn't shoot) fixed barrel seems to give it better accuracy.

That is one I forgot about. A lady friend of mine got one and loved it.

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4 hours ago, Utah Bob #35998 said:

 

4 hours ago, Utah Bob #35998 said:

Yeah. My 938 is always with me, and Very accurate.

 

My wife loves her 238 and my every day carry is the 938. Both take practice to master (as do most things) but on a 10 yard range at an 8 inch paper plate my wife will have maybe two off the target out of fifty. She will usually be firing with a decent pace, not truly slow but with multiple double taps mixed in. My 938 has tighter groups but I attribute that to my practice more than anything. Neither is particularly unpleasant but like most small guns both take some focus to control the recoil.

Can’t go wrong with either IMHO.

Regards

 

:FlagAm: :FlagAm: :FlagAm:

 

Gateway Kid

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I carry a Colt Government .380.  It's as good as it gets, but they don't make them any more.  I'd suggest finding a really well kept used one and don't settle for the alloy frame model (Pocket Lite?) nor the shorter version (Mustang?).  Put a steel spring guide and trigger in it and it will last forever.

 

For ammo I choose the Hornady 90 grain Critical defense loads.  They are accurate enough at self defense ranges (still need to put in a batch of practice) and they hit like 1970s vintage 9mm Parabellum round.  (Lots of new technology involved.)  Recoil with this combo is very controllable and comfortable. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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Howdy,

I think she has a springfield Armory .380.

But I have not shot it or even seen it as she lives over 400 miles from me.

I too have a .380 they dont make any more. Dont tell her as she will want it.

She wants my Marlin too. haha.

I looked around the web and didnt find good accuracy compare.

Given the current retail situation it may be a while before any purchase.

She did find 3 boxes of ammo she stashed in her car last Christmas.

She is in a very active club and probably will try the Sig.

They are getting ready to winterize everything in sight.

Best

CR

 

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2 hours ago, Phantom, SASS #54973 said:

There are a lot of good choices ... Sig, SA, S&W, Kahr, Colt... But to want 3" groups at 15 yards...and I assume that's not a Viced up pistol, I have no suggestions.

 

Do folks that want this kinda accuracy understand that the "bad guy" ain't standing still?

 

Phantom

Yeah. Shoot center of mass at a silhouette and forget about 3” groups. It’s not a target pistol.

 

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Another SIG P238 carrier/fan/shooter here.  Great little piece.  Mine is a HD (all stainless) version.  It has a little more weight for a little less recoil.

 

A "serious" .380 would be the SIG P230 or P232.  Larger.  DA/SA, with decocking.  As worthy of being a primary carry pistol as any .380 can be.

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