Posted on 11/29/2009 6:29:41 PM PST by Jonah Hex
Time for a Sunday night gun porn vanity. Now that .380 ACP is becoming more available, I'm considering another .380 ACP semi-auto for concealed carry/range plinking. I already have a Kel Tec P3AT, but a Bersa Thunder .380 caught my eye in the local funshop the other day. An Argentinian knock-off of the PPK, it looked and felt like a quality piece for the amount (about $299).
One down-side I see is the magazine disconnect. Any input from my fellow firearms enthusiasts?
I’d rather have the Ruger LCP going for about the same price. The one I handled at the gun shop had a nice smooth trigger pull right from the factory, better than my SP101 for sure. Lightweight and compact and it’s a Ruger, they are built to last.
It’s a very reliable, fun firearm! Not as small or light as your P3AT (as you know), but will give you years of reliable service. The magazine disconnect is really not an issue; I don’t know how many times you will fire the firearm without a magazine in place. Even an empty magazine in place will allow the firearm to go bang.
Definitely a cool little gun! I’m partial to Kel Tecs (having a pair of P32s for CCW, a PF9 for colder climate CCW, a SUB 2000 for my truck/kickaround carbine, and an SU-16A for longer distance issues), but the Bersas are also great. Lower cost, very well built, reliable.
The number one murder caliber in the US is the 22LR. A 380 is plenty potent to stop an incident... I’d much rather have you throw a 380 pistol or 1911 at me than fire a 32 ACP at me, let alone a 380 ACP. Especially when you consider that it’s the same diameter and more energy than most 38 Specials (you know, the firearm used for decades to bring down millions of bad guys).
All these nattering nabobs of negativity on 380s, I ask you,if these rounds are so anemic than volunteer to stand in front one, or a 22lR, or a .17.
Interesting you should post this tonight. I’ve been researching for awhile and struggling on what hand gun to get. Made up my mind last night, tomorrow I’ll be buying a Glock 19. For me, this gun with with the proper ammunition fits my need best.
I’ve had the Bersa, the Ruger LCP and the KelTec P-3AT. All were great little pocket pistols that gave me no trouble other than the recall on the LCP, However, I sold them all to friends that made me offers hard to refuse. In their place, I picked up a KelTec PF-9 in 9mm Luger that is a relatively inexpensive, 7-shot single stack, thin and lightweight pocket rocket that is very easy to conceal. I like that gun even more than any of the .380s I had. However, IF I were to get a another .380, I personally would lean towards the Sig P238 Nitron with Rosewood grips. Its a knock-off of the old Colt Govt. 380. Thin, lightweight and easy to hide. Two big drawbacks for most folks though is the price and it is a single-action only pistol. Single action doesn’t bother me as I’ve been a Colt fan for most of my life. The price though is over $5 bills...kinda high. Nice lookin’ piece though.
I don't have a CCW permit at this time, but if I decide to get one, I see the advantages of a pocket pistol over no pistol at all.
Ran into a guy at Walmart the other night looking for .380 ammo. He had just picked up his .380 and couldn’t find ammo for it anywhere.
If you buy one locally, make sure they can get you a supply of ammo that will cover your practice for several months.
B4 u buy, at least look at the Ruger LCP. I took a chance omn the LCP and I really like it for a CCW.
And if you put one between the goblins eyes it doesn't matter what you shot it with.
/johnny
Kel Tec fans like to call the Ruger LCP the Little Copied Pistol. Take an LCP and compare it to the P3AT - the resemblances are more than coincidental...;) In fact, several people have taken parts from the P3AT and they drop right in to the LCP (the hammer/sear, the trigger, barrel, guide rod, and a few others).
As the original poster already has a P3AT, I don’t think he’s in the market for Ruger’s “interpretation” of that pistol!
For the record, I’m not anti-Ruger; I love my 22/45 Mk III pistol, it’s a verified tack driver. And the 10/22 I had for years was a blast...
The blow back action give a snappy recoil that may be irritating. Certain 9MM’s can actually have less perceived recoil in a smaller package.
9mm is minimum for a gun. .380 is something you throw at a perp and run. .357 SIG is good for a boot gun.
*****
OK - I’m not a gun guy, yet.
But, is not a .380 a slightly larger diameter than a 9mm? Isn’t a .380 = 38/100 of an inch diameter, whereas a 9mm = 9/25 = 36/100 of an inch diameter? Doesnt that make the .38 a potentially deadlier slug?
I know the size of the charge makes a big difference as well, but all else being equal, isnt the .38 bigger than a 9mm?
I’d recommend you skip the bersa. It’s an ok little gun, but there are WAY WAY better little guns on the market nowdays.
check out taurus and cz
no.
9mm, 380, 38special, 357mag, 357sig, 38super, and 9x23winchester are all nearly identical bullet diameters.
Ruger’s new products are very nice. The LCP and also that new AR 15 that uses a more reliable gas system to avoid the problems of other AR designs. The LCP looks like a bargain. Ruger’s are built to last and reliable as anything. They will never misfire even with junk reloads.
That was one thing the gun shop employee warned me about, the LCP kicks pretty hard, because of the size and weight. But, I doubt it kicks as hard as my SP101 with full-power 357’s. That thing is brutal with both recoil and muzzle blast at that level. I keep it loaded with 38 +P’s at the house. Not nearly as nasty.
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