Posted on 07/15/2020 7:47:45 AM PDT by w1n1
These .380 mouse guns or "get off me" guns can be a good choice for personal defense. Prices vary from $200 to $700, some current full size handgun model may be a better choice to go.
But, if you’re looking for good concealment carry with a decent bite, then the .380 caliber is a good choice to consider. Before we get into the list, a quick word about .380 pocket size pistols and a pragmatic opinion.
Besides the concealment attribute, most of these pistols aren't that great. Full size semi-auto pistols are reliable, but the child size pistols are hindered with malfunctions during that melee.
While fishing to get the gun out of your pocket and wind up with a weird grip or you’re trying to create space when this 250 pound guy is hammering you from above – these are the things that tends to lead to malfunctions.
Ok, lets get to the meat of this – Here's a quick list of good .380 ACP pocket pistol for concealed carry to see if it works for you:
Upside
So the positive is that its a highly concealed gun, but you still need to be aware of deep concealment. This would make it harder to access in a stressful situation. Another upside is the caliber, I know what we said earlier about bigger caliber...Read the rest of best of .380 pocket pistols.
Besides the concealment attribute, most of these pistols aren't that great. Full size semi-auto pistols are reliable, but the child size pistols are hindered with malfunctions during that melee.
While fishing to get the gun out of your pocket and wind up with a weird grip or you’re trying to create space when this 250 pound guy is hammering you from above – these are the things that tends to lead to malfunctions.
Then why even take the time to write about it?
I purchased the Keltec a while back, wish I hadn’t. CONS: trigger pull and the darn thing jams. Yes, I have cleaned it.
My Sig P238 has been rock solid dependable, though not quite as small as my Kahr P380, which IMHO is a POS. If I were’t in CA, I would get the 9mm model.
I’ve a couple of these but have chosen to carry a beretta tomcat in .32.
.32 seems just right for this size. Fun to shoot and surprisingly accurate.
No 50 cal, no care.
I have shot a lot of rounds through S&W Bodyguard. It has not ever jammed. A person can watch a lot of “mob” videos where once a person starts shooting, the mob runs away. And maybe I got lucky and got a good one... but I would not trade my little 380 for carry and conceal.
Of the more than a hundred guns he patented, John Browning’s favorite was the little .32 auto.
When he would roam the hills around Ogden, he would carry the little .32 in his pocket.
The best gun to have is the one you have on your person. People can debate all day about what is best, but it comes down to what you have when you need it. An expensive set of 12 point sockets are best, but a crescent wrench that you have in your pocket saves the day every time. Practice shooting the gun you own and practice deploying that gun from concealment however you carry it.
Keltec P3AT here...
Light as a feather, carry it when I walk. But it has jammed on me at the range, plus it’s not fun to shoot. I think I’ve cured the jamming by only using Remington UMC 95 grain ammo AND maintaining a very strong grip when shooting. Don’t know why, but the gun likes that ammo. Gun was cheap...couple hundred bucks?
That being said, I love my Beretta 82FS, 380. But it’s not a lightweight concealed-carry pistola.
MandP Shield works for me. Was using a Bersa but it FTF too often.
I have a compact .45 that I carry all the time and I also have a little .22 automatic as a handy backup.
A .380 would be a step down for me.
or a Beretta Model 84 Nickle which shoots 14 times and is arguably the most beautiful 380 ever. I pet mine a lot however the dog sometimes gets jealous.
“Long long trigger pull to get used to”
A decent gunsmith can fix that for you.
The Kel-Tec P3AT trigger pull is terrible, and everything else about the Kel-Tec is terrible. That said, it’s perfect for its purpose, as the lightest and most concealable handgun available. Mine has never jammed, and it has a laser, essential considering that the sight-like bumps are completely worthless. Without the laser, it’s as good as any .380 to perhaps 15 feet. With the laser, it’s good to 25 feet.
Looking at a 9mm Taurus, good “bang” for the buck for a small semi auto
S&W Bodyguard 380
I guess because it fills the “better than nothing” category.
}:-)4
We have two. Little red dots on the chest work wonders for de-escalating a situation.
Writing crappy crap about crappy crap, by crappy crap writers, is what 'Am Shooting Journal' does.
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