That’s what the expert said. We joined his American Shooting Association, but without any weapons it’s hard to participate, and since the boss took back his .22 I can’t see buying one just for grins when I need more to qualify.
I really think a .38 snubbie is right, since my hubs wants a .357 and we can share ammo, I think. I also was told to try a Bersa 380...not sure...I should have gone to the ladies shoot in Austin and tried all the weapons there. Maybe next time. I just want to not be afraid. Even on the range, when someone isn’t pointing ‘down field’ I get all panicky. Guns jam. Fairly often.
Okay, I'm mostly kidding. On a serious note, I'll say that firing a snubbie isn't that much fun in any caliber. I have short, medium to small diameter fingers and a somewhat broad hand. That's a pretty good hand for holding a snubbie, and even I don't find .38's comfortable to shoot. Shooting a .357 through a snubbie is miserable. As a handgun for concealed carry, snubbies are nice, but they aren't much fun to shoot. If they aren't fun to shoot, practicing can become something of a chore rather than a recreation.
That's why I have the .22 and the snubbie. When I go to shoot, I mostly shoot the .22. Shooting the .22 allows me to practice my stance and practice holding a gun steady. I'm not a good shooter by any means, but I enjoy the .22. I try to always take the snubbie and shoot a box of ammunition just to get practice on the gun that I'd likely be using if I were threatened.
In terms of a home defense gun, a .357 with 4" or 6" barrel is better. The 4" barrel is better for home defense, but the 6" barrel makes the gun more fun to shoot at the range using .38 rounds in particular. The .357 rounds are still loud from the 6" barrel, but they aren't nearly as rough as they are in smaller guns.
I don't remember the Bersa .380 being all that nice a gun. When I was following guns closely, they were more of a budget gun for people who couldn't afford something better. If I were in the market for a little automatic, I'd look at something like a Smith and Wesson 9mm. They make an MMP (or some similar initials) in 9mm. I've fired the compact version of this gun. This gun felt good, and I could hit the target fairly well from the beginning.