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Reviews? Experiences? I'm looking for a small, Texas summer friendly gun that won't leave me wishing I had brought the Glock. I like the way it feels in my hand, the weight, and I think it's pretty, but I quickly learned you can't buy a gun based on pretty (hence the ugly, useful, Glock). So what can you guys tell me?

...I carried one for several years as a backup...I believe that you'd be better served with a 9mm at least that small..the round would be more effective than the .380...the PPK has a difficult trigger compared the the new mini-9s...the Kahrs are the ones I'd look to...and their service seems great, too viewtopic.php?f=23&t=43350" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

speedsix wrote:...I carried one for several years as a backup...I believe that you'd be better served with a 9mm at least that small..the round would be more effective than the .380...the PPK has a difficult trigger compared the the new mini-9s...the Kahrs are the ones I'd look to...

I rented Kahr's .380 and it was okay, but not worth the $700 price tag. I didn't love the way it felt in my hand, and for $700, I need to drool. Does the PPK come in a bigger caliber?

...no, but you might be surprised at how concealable and comfortable the Ruger P95 is...can't recommend the more recent 9s by Ruger...I carry a P90 and a GP100 3" backup daily under a pocket T with bluejeans IWB at 11:00...comfortably...cannot do the same back on or behind the hip without a coat...

Lil' Girl Big Gun wrote:Reviews? Experiences? I'm looking for a small, Texas summer friendly gun that won't leave me wishing I had brought the Glock. I like the way it feels in my hand, the weight, and I think it's pretty, but I quickly learned you can't buy a gun based on pretty (hence the ugly, useful, Glock). So what can you guys tell me?

You might not have noticed, but there is also a "Ladies Only" forum: http://texaschlforum.com/viewtopic.php?f=58&t=40228" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

I only mention it as another resource. Who knows, you might get very different answers there than you would here. Anyway, it might be worth checking out if you haven't already done so. Us dudes aren't allowed to play there.

We watched Dr. No (again) last week. Is the .380 the version they said was "like a brick through a plate glass window"?

Thanks! I'm a member of the ladies only forum, but I wanted a more broad set of opinions. That 's why I posted here instead.

I hope the mods don't mind, but I am going to suggest another site as well as this one. It's the blog "Girl's Guide to Guns". Natalee is very informative about these types of things from a woman's perspective. Also has all the girly stuff like fashion on it.

Lil' Girl Big Gun wrote:Thanks! I'm a member of the ladies only forum, but I wanted a more broad set of opinions. That's why I posted here instead.

No problem. I just didn't know if you were aware of it or not. Welcome, by the way.

As to your original question... I'm not a huge fan of the caliber, so perhaps I'm not the right person to ask. But I will offer this: I personally find the .380 caliber to be a pretty snappy little round to shoot. In a very lightweight pistol like a Kel-Tech P3AT or a Ruger LCP, I find it to be not much fun to shoot - not intimidating - but just not much fun because the recoil in a light gun makes me bark my knuckles on the trigger guard.... ...stuff like that. If I were going to carry a .380 as a primary carry gun, I would want one with more weight than those two pistols, and perhaps a little more size to them, making them easier to get a grip on and shoot well.

I know that probably doesn't help you much, but that's what I've got right now...

If you're going to go with something like the Walther PPK, I'd recommend the Bersa Thunder .380 instead.

The Walther has a reputation for having sharp edges that catch you in a painful manner, most notably the back end of the slide rails during cycling. The Bersa, while the same shape and size as the Walther, does not have this problem, and has a considerably better trigger.

We used to own a Bersa thunder 9mm compact pro...traded as son as we could based on the jams every 2 bullets so bersa is already out of the question. I say once junk always junk.

In the small 380 category, I think the S&W Bodyguard 380 would be worth a look. I've shot several different small 380s, and used to own a PPK, and I've found the S&W to be the most comfortable to shoot out of all of them. The PPK really hurt my hand after just a few rounds, but no problem with the Bodyguard. I think its also a nice weight for pocket carry. The PPK could fit in a pocket, but I didn't find it to be very comfortable there due to the weight.

skullface1313 wrote:We used to own a Bersa thunder 9mm compact pro...traded as son as we could based on the jams every 2 bullets so bersa is already out of the question. I say once junk always junk.

What brand of ammo were you using? Sometimes that has something to do with it.

I love the PPK, but, if you might be partial to the .380 round, look into the Walther PK380. It's a bit over 20 oz. So it takes the cartridge well. Easy slide to rack, not much recoil and it's pretty accurate, as well. Not snappy and relatively reliable. I recommended one to my dad (who is in his 80s) because of the easy features, but we opted for a 12 gauge for home defense.

Well, we went to the local range and rented it. The hubby put a magazine through it and told me I didn't like it. I was mad he wouldn't let me shoot it until I saw the giant red welp on his shooting hand. Guess it's back to shopping. Or might just stick with what I have.