380 Caliber Gun - To follow up on our discussion of the benefits of the .380 ACP for concealed carry, in this installment of our Pocket Pistol Series, I compare six popular .380 micro pistols. The details are in the video below, or scroll down to read the full article.
By my count, there are less than 16 unique models of .380 ACP pistols in production today. And that's not including the various colors and configurations and other variations of each model. Almost every manufacturer has at least one .380 rifle in their lineup. And the simple reason is to buy the guns. They are fool-proof and cheap, and in the last decade they have risen to become some of the most popular guns for concealed carry.
380 Caliber Gun
Over the past couple of weeks, I've spent a lot of time at the range with .380 handguns, and today we're going to take a look at how some of these models compare to each other. I can't spend time with every .380 on the market, so this is limited to a selection of six of the most popular models. If you've ever thought about picking up a .380, even if it's not something I've covered, this should give you an idea of the different models available and what features to look for.
Sccy Industries Cpx 4 Rd .380 Acp, 2.96\
I am limiting this review to the best pocket-sized micro pistols. The Glock 42 is the largest gun on the list and seems to push the limits of this size category. So for today, I'm not thinking big guns like the Smith & Wesson Shield EZ, or old, heavy designs like the Walther PPK/S. It's not that these guns are wrong, we're just out of focus on modern handguns.
The models I'm looking at today are the Glock 42, the Sig Sauer P238, the Kahr CW380, the Smith & Wesson Bodyguard 380, because almost half of all .380s made in the US it. Are from Ruger, we have two. Of their micro pistols: the LCP Custom and the LCP II.
Before we get into it here, I want to offer one big caveat about .380 pocket pistols in general: they all suck. If I say that one of these is really good, you should know that it is compared to other cell phones. I say this because of all the new guns we have to choose from, the semi-autos are the least likely to do it when you really need it. Semi-automatic pistols can be very reliable, but the smaller they are, the more prone to errors, especially in real world combat situations.
If you fish a gun out of your pocket and you end up holding the gun, or you fire the gun while moving your hand back to prevent someone from grabbing it - these kinds of things it induces bad behavior. Most of these handguns have mechanical problems - quality control issues often arise because of their size and attachments. So, if you're going to carry a pocket sized .380, you need to make sure it's fire tested, clean, well lubricated and well seasoned in criminal activities.
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Bell is a close relative of the .380 show. 42 released in 2014, and at first, many people were confused because it was bigger than most of the competitors in the product category that was considered above all for at least. But that's exactly why this gun is, in my opinion, the best .380 you can buy. A pocket that swells like a normal size. It's not a bad gun to learn for the beginner shooter and if you shoot at a higher level, the 42 is just as easy. It takes less mental effort to operate one of these well compared to smaller .380s or micro 9mm pistols like the Glock 43.
For most people, the G42 will be too big to carry in a pocket, but I think it's perfect in a small holster like this Raven Concealment Vanguard. You can carry it in your belt, but it is smaller than the belt buckle. I reviewed the Glock 42 for our blog in 2014 and since then I've added a set of Trijicon HD night sights. Because of the small reduction and the large front clock, it is like the soft mode of the mobile phone.
This gun has thousands of rounds through it and I have never had a problem with my hands, but I have seen it choke a few times when I let inexperienced shooters test it. It seems to be very sensitive to anything less than book grabbing. So the Glock 42 does a lot, but still suffers from the same problems that all pocket-sized designs.
Sig Sauer changed the P238 in 2009 to represent the retired Colt Mustang of the 90's. It has a 1911-style design with a single-action trigger and manual safety. This one has a left-collar safety, but Sig also offers ambidextrous versions. There are other 1911-style .380s on the market that are similar to this one. Colt brought back the Mustang a few years ago, and Kimber and Springfield Armory had some input on the unit.
Ruger Lcp Semi Auto Pistol Compact 380 Acp 2.75\
The P238 is smaller than the Glock 42 but is the heaviest handgun on our list at 17.2 ounces loaded. Like the Glock, the P238 is very easy to shoot, thanks to low recoil, short and light, and great night sights. The film is easier to rack than most other smaller .380s that favor shooters with less grip. But for a number of reasons, it's not a gun I'd be quick to say for concealed carry.
For less experienced shooters, manual safeties are often a problem because people often forget to use them. They have no safety when they carry a gun or forget to leave it when they want to shoot. Both of these mistakes can be fatal, so if you have a gun with a safety, you have to practice until you can disengage when the sights are on target and trigger again when it comes from a common target. It happens without conscious thought. In addition to this, the P238 safety relay is not a good design. It is placed too far back, because it is difficult to control well with the connection with the thumb if you do not break your shot.
Safety aside, the P238 seems to have a serious reliability issue. But unlike the Glock 42, it's usually not a problem with the user. The P238 runs very well for us, but I had one a few years ago that couldn't get through a whole box of .380 ammo without two or three feed failures. In talking to other P238 owners and shooting instructors who have seen many of these guns come out of their classes, reliability issues are common, even by pocket standards. You may end up with someone who works, or you may not.
Kahr entered the .380 market in 2010 with the P380. Three years later, they followed up with a more expensive entry-level version called the CW380 and this is what we tested. Basically, the gun is the same but the CW380 comes with smaller sights and only one magazine.
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As with all Kahr pistols, it has a striking design with a trigger that is compatible with two month action. It's not the cheapest or lightest .380 on the market, but it's not far off. Cheaper than a sig or bell.
Of the six guns I tested, this was the only one that really impressed me. At different times over the years, I have owned three different 9mm Kahr pistols and I have never really warmed up to any of them and never really shot them. We used a Kahr CW45 for some of our ballistic gelatin testing and it was one of the most disappointing and unreliable guns I've ever shot. So I had low expectations for the CW380, but it turned out to be a great shooter. For the size of the gun, it is easy to roll. It's not as smooth a shooting experience as a Sig or Glock, but it doesn't have the quality you get with cheap pocket .380s. I love you
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