In the course of collecting 9mm range brass for reloading I have managed to pick up a certain amount of .380 brass as well. Factory ammo in this caliber is expensive and currently scarce, but I figure reloaded ammo would make for some fairly inexpensive plinking rounds. To that end I am looking for recommendations on a .380 pistol that would be just a plinker, not a home defense or CCW pistol. Since the size and weight constraints for CCW don't apply does anybody suggestions other than the Ruger LCP or S&W Shield? Being able to use cast bullets would be a definite plus as would good sights.
Looking to purchase a NOT CCW .380 pistol need some options.
- Thread starter PugslyCat
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Commander Quan
Commander Yellow Pantyhose
The CZ 83 was discontinued in 2012 but with a 3.8" barrel it's probably as close to a full sized gun as you'll find.
If you just want a fun gun, this guy might be the ticket. https://www.czechpoint-usa.com/vz-61-scorpion--380-auto-
If you just want a fun gun, this guy might be the ticket. https://www.czechpoint-usa.com/vz-61-scorpion--380-auto-
CZ's are awesome guns and fun to shoot, including the CZ83. You won't find many full size .380. My friend has a Walther PPK that is also a fun shoot, and inspires the James Bond imagination to come roaring out. The Sig 238 is a nice shot as well, and pretty solid, just pricey.
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- #4
I'm liking that vz. 61 Scorpion. Normally I shy away from pistols that try to look like submachine guns, but for a pure plinker this may be just the ticket. The PPK/Bond fantasy is also attractive. I'm really looking for something fun with this purchase.
The other two that I was thinking of were the Hi-Point, just because it's cheap, and the Sig P238 because it functions the same as my 1911's. Both may be way too practical for what I have in mind here.
This purchase is really intended to be a "fun" gun to go blow away a few tin cans with every once in a while, once I've built up sufficient stocks of .380 reloads.
The other two that I was thinking of were the Hi-Point, just because it's cheap, and the Sig P238 because it functions the same as my 1911's. Both may be way too practical for what I have in mind here.
This purchase is really intended to be a "fun" gun to go blow away a few tin cans with every once in a while, once I've built up sufficient stocks of .380 reloads.
Best of the bunch, hands down.... Beretta Cheetah Series
Think of it as a slightly smaller, blowback version of the Beretta 92FS. They are excellent guns, but a bit pricey. The 84F has a 13 rd mag, while the 85F has a single stack. The 86 has a tip up barrel for easy loading of the first round. They stopped importing them last year but can still be found new and used from about $4-800.
Edit- The 86's are really nice. I bought my mom one back about '04 when she got her CCW.
Think of it as a slightly smaller, blowback version of the Beretta 92FS. They are excellent guns, but a bit pricey. The 84F has a 13 rd mag, while the 85F has a single stack. The 86 has a tip up barrel for easy loading of the first round. They stopped importing them last year but can still be found new and used from about $4-800.
Edit- The 86's are really nice. I bought my mom one back about '04 when she got her CCW.
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I have a 84F in my collection that I picked in near mint condition for $550 out the door a few years ago. Super accurate with Missouri cast bullets/unique powder and a pleasure to shoot. Probably one of my favorite guns in my inventory. Made in Italia and will be sure to be a collectors item since I believe most current berretta models for the US market are produced in the beretta usa factory.
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Not practical from a shooting standpoint, even though I'm willing to shoot it as much as I want, is the original Remington Model 51. This is the best shooting, best handling .380 pistol I've ever fired and I've shot most all of them. Since they were discontinued 80 years ago (except for a parts clean-up into the 1930s) replacement parts could be a chore to find. Still, the accuracy, ergonomics and pointing qualities, and accuracy of the pistol is amazing and must be experienced to be properly appreciated. Shame the latest Remington R51 9mm which gives a nod to this pistol's design has proved to be a turkey so far.
It's a really cool design, perhaps over-built and over-engineered, with some great features that would still work in today's handgun world.
Shown with a Smith & Wesson J-Frame Model 649 for size comparison.
If it weren't for the grip panels it'd be as slim as a Kel Tec P3AT. It shoots worlds better than that pistol.
At a friendly firearms forum gathering recently, three of us brought Remington Model 51s along. All owners are big fans.
It's a really cool design, perhaps over-built and over-engineered, with some great features that would still work in today's handgun world.
Shown with a Smith & Wesson J-Frame Model 649 for size comparison.
If it weren't for the grip panels it'd be as slim as a Kel Tec P3AT. It shoots worlds better than that pistol.
At a friendly firearms forum gathering recently, three of us brought Remington Model 51s along. All owners are big fans.
I know you said you don't want to ccw, but Glock has a new .380 single stack, not very big.
Try a Hi Point they are big and ugly but reliable and an awesome warranty. Or a Bersa they are one of the most accurate pistols I've ever had.
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- #11
I'm kind of liking the Bersa. I've seen a lot of favorable YouTube reviews and handled one in a shop today. It looks like it may be a more manageable, easy to grip size than the LCP or Bodyguard.
The same can be said of the Hi-Point. I just worry about it being a cheap gun, several of which haven't been good experiences for me.
Awesome gun, I have one and it performs flawlessly. Not to mention that they can be found at sub $300 prices.
I have a Browning BDA which I enjoy firing. Well made and nice looking pistol. It is a blow-back with a strong spring which makes working the slide a bit of a pain. But it isn't very well broken in yet, either. If I were going to consider another (though I am not), I think I would want one a bit more slender in the grips. The BDA almost overfills my hand. And, because of the spring, I might consider one of the Berettas where you tip the barrel to load the first round.
New Glock .380, Walther PPK(James Bond gun 
), New Beretta Pico, Sig Sauer P238(if you want a mini 1911 style gun), Kahr P380. Bersa thunder is good for the price at around $300.
), New Beretta Pico, Sig Sauer P238(if you want a mini 1911 style gun), Kahr P380. Bersa thunder is good for the price at around $300.
Colt 1908, Walther PPK. Something about these classics really appeal to me.
Glock 42 or kahr 380
Hi Point has the best warranty in the business, they absolutely stand behind their products 100% no matter what with a lifetime warranty. So if you buy it new or used or dig it up out of the creek bank, if you have any problems (even if its your fault) send it to them and they will fix it for free no questions asked. I talked to the CEO of Hi Point at SHOT show a few years back and asked him if I If I dig up a Hi Point pistol out of my back yard or buy a Hi Point carbine and I drop it and bend the front sight will his company fix it for free. He said "They better if they want to keep working for me."
Like Zippo?
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- Thread starter
- #19
Saturday and Sunday I went around to a few shops and handled a few of the guns mentioned. About half of the store clerks couldn't understand why anybody would be looking for the largest .380 they could find without concerns about size and weight. The other half really got it when I explained that the mission was to have a cheap range day with otherwise unuseable brass I had picked up incidental to getting 9mm Luger brass.
I checked out the following, listed in the order that I think is suitable for this use:
I was not able to get my hands on a Glock 42, Beretta Cheetah, nor the Scorpion. All of which look pretty cool and useful for my purpose but I haven't handled them.
The first 5 on my list seem to all have enough size that I can grip them and decent sights, so I'm eliminating 6-9 from consideration. Except for the Hi-Point, they are all still small and concealable.
#5 is $100 more than the Bersa and I just don't like it as much. Looking at it objectively, it should do the job. Subjectively, though, it just doesn't do anything for me.
#3 & #4 on my list are definitely what I would term "prestige pieces" that I could show up with at the range feeling that I've got a really cool gun. On the other hand, no matter how much I like them, do I really want to spend $600 on a gun to utilize "junk" brass? Maybe if I want a second .380 pistol I will consider them, but for now we can strike the Sig and Walther PPK from consideration.
The Hi-Point gets to be #2 on the list due mostly to economy of it. It's the cheapest entry point into this new caliber. As a matter of fact it's inexpensive enough for me to get started shooting today and have money left over to go back for one of the other guns.
I need to do some more checking into this, but I've read online (so it must be true) the following two observations:
Size and weight aren't big concerns for this non-CCW application. The 40 S&W and 45 ACP Hi-Points are real boat anchors, period. The 380 and 9mm versions are only boat anchors when compared to other truly compact pistols, but not bad when compared to sized pistols.
As was stated by another poster, the Hi-Point warranty is second to none.
Many online reviewers have said they would love to hate the Hi-Point and label it a cheap *** but can't. It's inexpensive, relatively heavy and ugly, but accurate and dependable. For my particular application those negatives really don't apply. The only negative is that I feel the need to write five paragraphs to justify purchasing it.
The Bersa rises to #1 because I like everything about it. It's economically priced. It's large enough to grip, yet still small enough for pocket carry if I have to do so.
I checked out the following, listed in the order that I think is suitable for this use:
- Bersa Thunder
- Hi-Point CF380
- Sig P238 (with extended magazine base plate)
- Walther PPK
- Ruger LC380
- Kahr cw380
- Jimenez JA380
- S&W Bodyguard
- Ruger LCP
I was not able to get my hands on a Glock 42, Beretta Cheetah, nor the Scorpion. All of which look pretty cool and useful for my purpose but I haven't handled them.
The first 5 on my list seem to all have enough size that I can grip them and decent sights, so I'm eliminating 6-9 from consideration. Except for the Hi-Point, they are all still small and concealable.
#5 is $100 more than the Bersa and I just don't like it as much. Looking at it objectively, it should do the job. Subjectively, though, it just doesn't do anything for me.
#3 & #4 on my list are definitely what I would term "prestige pieces" that I could show up with at the range feeling that I've got a really cool gun. On the other hand, no matter how much I like them, do I really want to spend $600 on a gun to utilize "junk" brass? Maybe if I want a second .380 pistol I will consider them, but for now we can strike the Sig and Walther PPK from consideration.
The Hi-Point gets to be #2 on the list due mostly to economy of it. It's the cheapest entry point into this new caliber. As a matter of fact it's inexpensive enough for me to get started shooting today and have money left over to go back for one of the other guns.
I need to do some more checking into this, but I've read online (so it must be true) the following two observations:
- The Hi-Point 9mm and 380 use the same magazine.
- The Hi-Point 9mm pistol can use the 9mm carbine magazines but not vice versa.
Size and weight aren't big concerns for this non-CCW application. The 40 S&W and 45 ACP Hi-Points are real boat anchors, period. The 380 and 9mm versions are only boat anchors when compared to other truly compact pistols, but not bad when compared to sized pistols.
As was stated by another poster, the Hi-Point warranty is second to none.
Many online reviewers have said they would love to hate the Hi-Point and label it a cheap *** but can't. It's inexpensive, relatively heavy and ugly, but accurate and dependable. For my particular application those negatives really don't apply. The only negative is that I feel the need to write five paragraphs to justify purchasing it.
The Bersa rises to #1 because I like everything about it. It's economically priced. It's large enough to grip, yet still small enough for pocket carry if I have to do so.
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- #20
Does anybody following this actually have the Hi-Point 380 or 9mm pistols? One thing that would be a real deal breaker as far as buying one is kind of a weird preference of mine. Which way does it tend to eject cases?
Yes, my name is Paul and I'm a brass whore. Just because the 380 brass is gathered coincidental to gathering 9mm brass doesn't mean that I don't want to reuse it. After all, I did pay $2.50 a pound for it.
I briefly had a Jiminez JA9 that ejected the cases forward more than to the right. I'm talking cases landing winding up beyond a target at 7 yards. This would have made it a real pain to clean up after shooting at home and did cause me to lose hundreds of otherwise reloadable cases into no man's land at a public range. Fact that it was tossing all my cases away was more of a reason to be rid of it than my not being able to hit anything with it.
Yes, my name is Paul and I'm a brass whore. Just because the 380 brass is gathered coincidental to gathering 9mm brass doesn't mean that I don't want to reuse it. After all, I did pay $2.50 a pound for it.
I briefly had a Jiminez JA9 that ejected the cases forward more than to the right. I'm talking cases landing winding up beyond a target at 7 yards. This would have made it a real pain to clean up after shooting at home and did cause me to lose hundreds of otherwise reloadable cases into no man's land at a public range. Fact that it was tossing all my cases away was more of a reason to be rid of it than my not being able to hit anything with it.
