Intrigued by .380

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Kirkmcpaterson

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Since i am stuck waiting for my LTC, i am just doing more research. With warmer weather coming and my wife already letting me have 2 firearms (before i have bought my first), i thought it may be good to have a small carry handgun and something larger (m&p 9c) for the home.

To get a feel for .380 i was going to go the range with hopes of renting a S&W bodyguard. But the range does not have one. Will a Sig P238 give me a good idea of what to expect? How will it differ from the bodyguard?
 
The P238 will be spoilage compared to the bodyguard, which has a 5 mile long trigger pull on it. Also the Bodyguard should be the newer one, the original gun with the laser is a steaming piece of shit. [laugh]

She's letting you have? this thread isn't going to end well... I can hear it now.. [rofl]

-Mike
 
I don't think shooting the Sig will give you the slightest idea of how the BG will feel and shoot. Totally night and day. If you shoot the Sig and like it, you will be very disappointed with the BG.
 
drgrant said:
She's letting you have? this thread isn't going to end well... I can hear it now.. [rofl]

-Mike
Click to expand...

Hey, we share the money. If she came to me asking for 2 purses, i would just say no....well maybe before she said i could have 2.

Maybe i will need to do more research. I liked the bodyguard because of the laser and most of all, the price
 
Kirkmcpaterson said:
Hey, we share the money. If she came to me asking for 2 purses, i would just say no....well maybe before she said i could have 2.

Maybe i will need to do more research. I liked the bodyguard because of the laser and most of all, the price
Click to expand...

Always remember the golden rule, " tis better to beg forgiveness than to ask permission"
 
There are people who are intrigued by scale model airplanes and cars, so I suppose it stands to reason someone would be intrigued by scale model ammunition.
 
had a bg on order for 6 months---luckily for me, it never came in and i moved on to 9's.

if you're set on .380, save more money and get the sig. or a kahr.
 
Last edited:
Rob Boudrie said:
There are people who are intrigued by scale model airplanes and cars, so I suppose it stands to reason someone would be intrigued by scale model ammunition.
Click to expand...

[smile] it was one of the reasons I purchased a Colt Government Model .380 back in the mid '90s. The scale to the 1911 was a selling point; more so than the Mustang and the Pony.
 
PM sent, I will let you shoot my bodyguard, it is the no Laser version but is the newest model. You should never decide on one gun by the price. But despite all the bad hype surrounding the bodyguard, I like mine and it is always in my pocket.
 
I had a bodyguard 380 with laser, it's the only gun I've hated and sold. The trigger was the longest pull ever. Absolutely horrible to shoot, nice looking gun but no fun at the range.

Take a drive down to mass firearms school, they have the Glock 42, bodyguard and the p238 to rent. You could try all 3 and make sure you pick the one you like. I have the Glock 42 and it shoots far better than a bodyguard. I've the 938 which is the 9mm version of the 238 and it's now my summer edc. But it's twice the price of the bodyguard.
 
If you buy a gun for self protection, it really does not matter what the trigger pull is. What matters is how well you can conceal it, if you are able to carry it most of the time, if it will get snagged in your clothing if/when you have to use it, and if the gun will go bang !
If the shit hits the fan at 3 ft distance it really does not matter what the trigger pull is. All that matters is that the gun is there, and you can get to it.
No question that the Sig is a much better gun, but a 380 is a tool for a specific purpose. Self defense. It is not a target pistol, it is not meant for combat. It does not even matter what the recoil is.
 
If you're going to be getting something larger for the home, and plan on carrying a pocket .380, why not buy a full size pistol for the house? I'm guessing you are going to be taking it to the range regularly, and most people shoot full size pistols better. While I own an SR9c, I keep the SR.45 in the bedside safe.

Having said that, my edc is a Kel Tec P3AT, and I love the portability of it. Slides easily in my front pocket and disappears. I take it out once a month at the range, to make sure I can put all the shots on a paper plate at 7 yards, and back it goes. It's not fun to shoot, but it's easy to carry.

I shot another club member's Sig 238...and it was a pleasure to shoot. Super accurate, light recoil, and beautiful to look at. Having said that, I'm not sure I'd want to carry it in my front pocket like I do the KelTec...I don't like that that light single action trigger is only held back by the thumb safety. I like a long DA trigger between the business end of my pocket carry and my two best friends.
 
I have never shot the Bodyguard or a 238 so I guess my input is not exactly what you might be looking for.

If you are going to look at a Sig then you owe yourself to check out a P938. I have shot a P938 and they are real nice guns. They are 9mm instead of 380 however I feel that is a positive and not a negative. Recoil is very controllable. The only reason I didn't buy the P938 is my hands are larger and it seemed too small.

Next also check out a Shield 9 instead of the Bodyguard. The Shield is much better than the Bodyguard in many ways. The Shield is small and easily carried. My wife shoots one with no issues. The Shield 9 is my standard carry gun.

- - - Updated - - -

RImike said:
and the P938 is twice the gun of the P238
Click to expand...

+1
 
Kirkmcpaterson said:
Since i am stuck waiting for my LTC, i am just doing more research. With warmer weather coming and my wife already letting me have 2 firearms (before i have bought my first), i thought it may be good to have a small carry handgun and something larger (m&p 9c) for the home.

To get a feel for .380 i was going to go the range with hopes of renting a S&W bodyguard. But the range does not have one. Will a Sig P238 give me a good idea of what to expect? How will it differ from the bodyguard?
Click to expand...

No, a P238 will not shoot the same as a Bodyguard. They are very different guns.

As for a small .380, I don't see the point. For pocket carry I use a Kahr PM9. It is not much bigger than most .380s, it fits in my pocket, and it has a much better cartridge.
 
can of worms: I have both a 9 and a 380.....I put the two cartridges next to eachother on the table and I really don't see the big difference. I really don't see dropping a big dude cold in his tracks with my 9mm while he's coming at me with a machete......and he continues to keep charging at me after I shoot him with a 380. <shrug>
 
PaulR said:
can of worms: I have both a 9 and a 380.....I put the two cartridges next to eachother on the table and I really don't see the big difference. I really don't see dropping a big dude cold in his tracks with my 9mm while he's coming at me with a machete......and he continues to keep charging at me after I shoot him with a 380. <shrug>
Click to expand...

I would not expect a 90gr .380 to perform similarly to a 147gr 9mm.
 
fencer said:
I don't think shooting the Sig will give you the slightest idea of how the BG will feel and shoot. Totally night and day. If you shoot the Sig and like it, you will be very disappointed with the BG.
Click to expand...

No Doubt, BG is like driver a car without power steering vs with. I own the BG because I liked the size, plan on dumping it at some point now though. I've shot the P238 it was so much better. I mean like going to to strip club at 11Am on a Tuesday VS 9pm on a Saturday better.
 

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