Anyone shoot .380?

[oldman45]

I am considering buying a .380 for the beginners I work with that have never shot a handgun before or else have had limited exposure to handguns.

True being told, I have never shot a .380, never held one and never had any connection with those that have. I have been using a S&W model 422 to let beginners use and they work their way up to a .38sp, a .357, a .40 and then a .45acp. They get to fire revolvers and autoloaders so they can decide what is best for them. Right now, I am working with three ladies in my office that have husbands that rather I work with the ladies.

The .380 seems like a happy medium between the .22 and the .38.

Forgive my ignorance but I souold love to here the opinions of those here that has experience with the .380. I am also wanting suggestions as to which to buy. My LGS is offering me a used Ruger in great shape for $224 OTD.

I might ask for a comparison between the .380 and a .32 or a .25 as I already own guns of those calibers.

 

[Guate_shooter]

WRONG caliber for beginners IMO.

99% of the 380's in the market are uncomfortable to shoot, they have A LOT of felt recoil to the operator since they are micro guns and makes most females not want to continue to shoot. The only 380's that I have found to be "ok" to shoot is the PPK, Sig P238 and believe it or not the Taurus Millenium since its a large sized frame.

All the other "pocket" rockets are pretty painful to shoot, might as well buy a 9mm like a Glock 19/17 and let them move up from a 22LR into a 9mm.

 

[maadi47]

I owned an LCP and got rid of it because .380 does recoil some in the mouse guns. My wife's Sig 238 however is a blast to shoot. I would suggest getting something like a Walther pk380 that has more weight to it or the Sig 238.

 

[highstandard40]

I have always held the belief that you should start an inexperience shooter with a 22LR. Teach them technique and let them build confidence, then move up to a centerfire.

 

[Spent Brass]

I like my .380, but it is not suitable for a beginners caliber. The small mouse guns are snappy and have significant felt recoil and muzzle rise. If you don't grip properly you may even drop it. I'm with Pablo on a .22 then a full size 9mm then off to the bigger calibers and smaller frames. A mark III or a p22 are good pistols to learn the absolute basics on.

 

[bigoo7e]

WRONG caliber for beginners IMO.

99% of the 380's in the market are uncomfortable to shoot, they have A LOT of felt recoil to the operator since they are micro guns and makes most females not want to continue to shoot. The only 380's that I have found to be "ok" to shoot is the PPK, Sig P238 and believe it or not the Taurus Millenium since its a large sized frame.

All the other "pocket" rockets are pretty painful to shoot, might as well buy a 9mm like a Glock 19/17 and let them move up from a 22LR into a 9mm.

+1

With that being said I would personally stick with a 9mm or 38spl that doesn't have a lightweight frame, the more weight te less they should feel the recoil. To the OP I am I'm North Bossier up near Benton, I have a Kel-Tec P3AT you are welcome to shoot if you want to feel the pain, lol! It's not as bad as my XDs or other smaller guns I have shot, but for a female shooter that is new to shooting I think a little small lightweight .380 would be a major turn off for any new shooter, not just women!

Peace,
Evan

 

[Grandpa23]

I absolutely love my Ruger SR9C. It has good weight to it, yet somewhat compact. A comfortable shooter. You can't go wrong with a Glock 19 either.

 

[aroundlsu]

I start off new shooters with 9mm. Very little recoil, the ammo is cheap, and it's got a nice impressive bang that makes people realize it's a very deadly weapon. .380 ammo is expensive, most .380s are not good pistols to train someone with, and the recoil isn't different than 9mm. The only good thing is the .380 guns are usually cute and non intimidating. But that's not what I want people to be worried about.

 

[trigger643]

WRONG caliber for beginners IMO.

99% of the 380's in the market are uncomfortable to shoot, they have A LOT of felt recoil to the operator since they are micro guns and makes most females not want to continue to shoot. The only 380's that I have found to be "ok" to shoot is the PPK, Sig P238 and believe it or not the Taurus Millenium since its a large sized frame.

All the other "pocket" rockets are pretty painful to shoot, might as well buy a 9mm like a Glock 19/17 and let them move up from a 22LR into a 9mm.

Ditto. What he said ^^^

I've owned and carried PPK, HsC and P230... These are guns and a caliber for the proficient. I wouldn't put a beginner on one.

 

[Scott.Thornton]

Pretty much what everyone else here has said. My starter off handgun for new shooters is my beat to hell and back Mark III target. Builds up confidence since it is so accurate, doesn't build bad habits from flinching. Second is usually the glock 17 for the same effects.

 

[Tx_oil]

My wife has a Browning BDA .380--in reality it is a Beretta 84, rebadged as a Browning--and it is the best behaving .380 I have ever used. It is an all steel semiauto, double stack so it has a wide frame and the heft along with wide grip make it much less snappy and unpleasant than the polymer pocket wonders.
Along with the previous posters, I would not start a newbie out on a .380... but if you DO shoot one, I HIGHLY recommend the BDA.380/Beretta 84 models.

 

[Guate_shooter]

I like the ISSC M22 as a starter, they look like a Glock & feel like a Glock so once you put a Glock 19/17 in their hands is very easy to transition from one to the other.

Plus the Rugers are too heavy IMO, my 6 year old had problems with it due to the weight his shoulders would get super tired. Now that we switched to the M22's he enjoys shooting a lot more.

 

[rrussotwo]

WRONG caliber for beginners IMO.

99% of the 380's in the market are uncomfortable to shoot, they have A LOT of felt recoil to the operator since they are micro guns and makes most females not want to continue to shoot. The only 380's that I have found to be "ok" to shoot is the PPK, Sig P238 and believe it or not the Taurus Millenium since its a large sized frame.

All the other "pocket" rockets are pretty painful to shoot, might as well buy a 9mm like a Glock 19/17 and let them move up from a 22LR into a 9mm.

This ^^^^ 100X

I always start people off with a heavy .22lr then move them to a heavy .38, then a full size 9, full size .45, compact 9, and finally a subcompact.

I just recently went through this and after we got to pocket guns, my buddy's wife's face told me that she hated the pocket .380 more than the Glock 26.

Her favorite was the .22 followed by the full size Tanfoglio 9mm. The rest she disliked until we got to the hated pocket pistols.

 

[rrussotwo]

I like the ISSC M22 as a starter, they look like a Glock & feel like a Glock so once you put a Glock 19/17 in their hands is very easy to transition from one to the other.

Plus the Rugers are too heavy IMO, my 6 year old had problems with it due to the weight his shoulders would get super tired. Now that we switched to the M22's he enjoys shooting a lot more.

This is a good idea, as would a Smith and Wesson M&P .22.

 

[Bayoupiper]

My wife has a Browning BDA .380--in reality it is a Beretta 84, rebadged as a Browning--and it is the best behaving .380 I have ever used. It is an all steel semiauto, double stack so it has a wide frame and the heft along with wide grip make it much less snappy and unpleasant than the polymer pocket wonders.
Along with the previous posters, I would not start a newbie out on a .380... but if you DO shoot one, I HIGHLY recommend the BDA.380/Beretta 84 models.

I also had a BDA.

Great gun, but even with the added weight I'd start somewhere else.


One of the guns I carry daily is an LCP.

I've put around 300 rounds through it and it's still a pain in the ass to shoot.




.

 

[dustyk70]

My wife has a DB380 and she would rather shoot my Glock 23 .40. The .380 for the most part is a 10ft. wepon. Most are hare do hit what you are aiming at unless you are close. I think that not being able to hit anything would be more discouraging to a new shooter than felt recoil. But the little DB has quite a bit of that (like a firecracker). Hope this helps. Try to get an acurate gun. Everyone wants to hit what they are aiming at.

 

[oldman45]

I have some Glocks I let people shoot on ocasion. The 9mm is a 19.

As I stated initially, I begin the new shooters, not just the females either, with a .22 lr. The shooter get a lot of time with the .22 as they learn about the gun and not just how the trigger works. As they progress in comfort, they progress in size. I figured the .380 would fill a gap in progression. It may be I need to consider a heavier .380 in a standard size.

Now being sexist, ladies seem to want a smaller gun in their purse. They do not seem to like the heavier, larger guns. My wife has a gun purse and she can carry or shoot larger guns but she carries a .25 auto based on size of the gun.

 

[340six]

I bring my Ruger MK2 22lr for new shooters and single six. Then have them shoot the 45acp 1911 or Ruger revolver in 45acp both with light hand loads.
Shooting my 380 Mustang and PPK are cannons as they are so small for the factory cartridge

 

[LACamper]

Add another +1 for not going with a light weight either .380 or .38. 9mm either in too light a gun.
I've always wanted a beretta 84. They just feel right. Shame they're not 9mm.

There's something to be said for how easy a 1911 is to shoot well. I've let beginners go from .22 to my .45 with no problems before. Loaded with reasonable ammo perceived recoil is not that much more than a glock 9mm due to the extra weight of the gun.

 

[Armnhammer]

My girl transferred from the ruger sr22 to the sig 238 fairly well. She's really small and doesn't like my glocks. To wide of a gun. She now shoots the kahr cm9 well to.