TexasCHLforum.com

surprise_i'm_armed wrote:.380's, IIRC have 95 grains of powder and are cute bullets.
.45's have 230 grains of powder and a greater ability to create a
significant wound channel due to the fat bullet.
These stats point to a greater chance of the BG's threat being stopped
with a .45.

SIA

Correction, the .380 is a 95 grain bullet versus the .45's 230 grain bullet. The powder weights are considerably smaller than that.

1. 6+1 reliably fed rounds of .45 ACP beats 7+1 finicky fed rounds of .380 ACP
2. Glock beats Bersa
3. 26.99 oz. Glock (loaded) beats 20 oz Bersa (UNloaded)
4. Glock parts availability beats Bersa parts availability
5. Number of Glock dealers beats number of Bersa dealers
6. Glock customization aftermarket beats Bersa customization aftermarket
7. Bersa MSRP $300 beats Glock MSRP $655.00 (but nobody pays retail, and you can buy a Glock 36 at the gun shows for under $500)

Looking at gunbroker.com, I see Bersa Thunder .380s with "buy now" prices of $304.95 - $320.00, while Glock 36 prices are running from $549.99 to $659.00.

The Bersa, and most other .380s will distract an attacker, but unless your first shot is immediately fatal (unlikely), it may not be enough gun. The .45 ACP is not a guarantee of instant incapacitation either, but it is far more likely to have that effect than a .380 will.

I own two .380 pistols myself - a very nice example of the Colt Government, and a Keltec P3AT (both ends of the price spectrum) - and neither is anywhere near as reliable, even feeding FMJ, than any of the pistols in .45, 9mm, .40 that we've owned. In fact, I don't carry either of the .380s anymore. When I need a tiny pistol, I go with a 5 shot 642 in .38 Special. It is a more powerful round in a more reliable package, and it conceals very well.

Like Excaliber said, what is your life worth to you, and why are you carrying a gun? Those are the two main questions you have to answer for yourself - and to each his own, by the way - in order to make your decision as asked in your OP.