380

[BehindBlueI's]

My dad can rack the Makarov .380. Large slide, lots of grip area, you can cock it prior to racking to reduce tension on the slide. He's got bad RA and his previous gun, a Bersa .380, he struggled with. I taught him to rack that one by holding the rear sights on a table's edge and then pushing down on the pistol.

 

[eric001]

At least look into the Walther PK380. Not the smallest 380 out there by any stretch of the imagination, but the slide is a breeze to move and the trigger is reasonable, unlike many of the smaller 380s with heavy triggers and/or heavy slides. Because of its size, it's not snappy either--should work well in older hands. Several of the older folks I know also like external thumb safeties, which this one does have.

 

[88E30M50]

At least look into the Walther PK380. Not the smallest 380 out there by any stretch of the imagination, but the slide is a breeze to move and the trigger is reasonable, unlike many of the smaller 380s with heavy triggers and/or heavy slides. Because of its size, it's not snappy either--should work well in older hands. Several of the older folks I know also like external thumb safeties, which this one does have.

This is my recommendation as well. Easiest slide to rack I've ever felt

 

[Voldemort]

This is my recommendation as well. Easiest slide to rack I've ever felt

Megga Ditto's here, they stole my thunder..

 

[VERT]

We had a PK380, it was my wife's first gun. Very easy to rack the slide, very soft recoil, very accurate. She liked the little gun as a shooter. But it ate more costly and hard to find ammunition. Plus it was very picky about what ammo it would run. Frustration clearing the ammunition related double feeds soon set in. The slide mounted safety and lack of a slide stop only added to the frustration. So when 380 ammo was all but impossible to find we traded in the gun and a Big Ol box of boolits on a SW1911 in 9mm. That gun has been rock solid reliable and easy to run. Unfortunately the same little .380 found its way to another lady we know and continued its finicky ways. That specific gun was sent back for a broken ejector (after 8 rounds) and should now be mechanically good to go. I see other PK380s come through the club with the same issues. They simply run on some ammo and not all ammo.

The manual slide mounted safety and lack of a decocker is a less the ideal system for novices. It is fine on the range but not so great in practice.

For the record I have yet to see a .380 make it through a basic personal protection course without a malfunction. People argue with me about this telling me their pocket rocket is reliable. I have no doubt those guns exist. But I have yet to see one go over 100 rounds in a single setting without a malfunction. That includes the Glock 42 and Colt mustang clones like the Sig P238. I have seen some Sig 230/232 and Beretta 84s that seemed to run good. But 24 oz 380s that are no longer imported are not really on my radar.

 

[russc2542]

I've run 150+ rounds in a session in a Beretta 84FS without malfunction (actually, never had a malfunction in the under 400 rounds before we sold it) but for being only .380, it recoils hard (straight blowback). Add in a fairly stiff recoil spring and that the open Beretta slide offers little purchase for cycling (and lots of space for biting if racking overhand, as my wife found), probably not a good one for this situation.

If you don't mind something on the cheap side, the Chiappa MC14 isn't bad, it isn't great either though. It's a fraternal twin/clone of the 84FS. Conventional slide gives better purchase and softer recoil spring make it much easier to rack (my 98lb wife has no trouble racking it) but it's picky about ammo. Something about the feed ramp shape causes some rounds to stick halfway in (tap the slide and they ride home... maybe the recoil spring's too soft? Also note that my wife's malfunction rate is more than double mine, no doubt due to her hand/wrist strength) and the finish isn't stellar. Trigger's pretty good for the price of the gun in my short experience with firearms.

One that's caught my eye that I want my wife to look at sometime is the Walther CCP. It uses a gas-delayed blowback like the HK P7 (which is on my list but probably not what the OP is looking for). supposed to be a real soft shooter, easy to rack but eats 9mm. Downside is when you do shoot it, the cleaning process isn't the exact same process as every other gun out there. Oh, and disassembly requires a few extra digits to hold the frame, hold the slide, then use a tool to unlock the slide from the frame.

 

[looney2ns]

The Glock 42 is a sweet shooting gun. It's very sweet shooting with Hornady Critical Defense ammo. A few part changes and the trigger can be improved upon.

I'll get flamed for this, but if a female can shoot the gun well, doesn't mind the recoil, and it's reliable for her, the ability to rack the slide is a minor issue. They most likely would never be doing emergency mag reloads. If she has someone to go to the range with, and load it up for practice and for use after practice. So be it. YMMV.

Flame on.

 

[Amishman44]

My mother decided she wanted a handgun to carry with her on her daily walks (she lives in the country and walks the back roads) and, upon discussion, decided that the Ruger LCR in .22 WMR was the better choice for her...simply 'pull + point-n-shoot' capability...no slide or safety to bother with...and excellent penetration ability.

 

[DRob]

Technique. I've showed this to a couple of our female friends who had trouble racking a semi-auto slide. Rather than pulling the slide backwards, simply hold the slide with the weak hand and push the frame forward with the strong hand. They found it much easier.

 

[SwiftStorm]

I would second the Sig P238. It is an easy to shoot pistol and my daughter has zero problems racking the slide.

Still, I would try to find out why she is against a revolver.

 

[VERT]

The Glock 42 is a sweet shooting gun. It's very sweet shooting with Hornady Critical Defense ammo. A few part changes and the trigger can be improved upon.

I'll get flamed for this, but if a female can shoot the gun well, doesn't mind the recoil, and it's reliable for her, the ability to rack the slide is a minor issue. They most likely would never be doing emergency mag reloads. If she has someone to go to the range with, and load it up for practice and for use after practice. So be it. YMMV.

Flame on.

I will only flame you because of your mentioning females. A male can just as easily have problems running a slide. But I get your point. A Medium sized 9mm service pistol holds 15 rounds. That is 3 times the capacity of a small revolver and double the capacity of most .380s. Short of clearing a malfunction there is not much reloading.

I would rather have a quality 9 shot .22 revolver then a pocket .380. You guys want something to flame, I just lit the match.

 

[Bfish]

I will echo Vert on the 42 and P238 suggestions. I would like to contribute that even a brand new P238 is one of the easiest slides to rack that I know of, especially on a small pistol. It's worth a look with the given issue.

 

[Cameramonkey]

I've run 150+ rounds in a session in a Beretta 84FS without malfunction (actually, never had a malfunction in the under 400 rounds before we sold it) but for being only .380, it recoils hard (straight blowback). Add in a fairly stiff recoil spring and that the open Beretta slide offers little purchase for cycling (and lots of space for biting if racking overhand, as my wife found), probably not a good one for this situation.

If you don't mind something on the cheap side, the Chiappa MC14 isn't bad, it isn't great either though. It's a fraternal twin/clone of the 84FS. Conventional slide gives better purchase and softer recoil spring make it much easier to rack (my 98lb wife has no trouble racking it) but it's picky about ammo. Something about the feed ramp shape causes some rounds to stick halfway in (tap the slide and they ride home... maybe the recoil spring's too soft? Also note that my wife's malfunction rate is more than double mine, no doubt due to her hand/wrist strength) and the finish isn't stellar. Trigger's pretty good for the price of the gun in my short experience with firearms.

One that's caught my eye that I want my wife to look at sometime is the Walther CCP. It uses a gas-delayed blowback like the HK P7 (which is on my list but probably not what the OP is looking for). supposed to be a real soft shooter, easy to rack but eats 9mm. Downside is when you do shoot it, the cleaning process isn't the exact same process as every other gun out there. Oh, and disassembly requires a few extra digits to hold the frame, hold the slide, then use a tool to unlock the slide from the frame.

Now that you mention Chiappa, The Rhino is impressive. When I shot a 357 frame loaded with 38 and 357 rounds alternating, it switched between a soft shooter an a solid thump to the palm. No appreciable muzzle rise due to the fact they fire the bottom cylinder instead of the top.

I will only flame you because of your mentioning females. A male can just as easily have problems running a slide. But I get your point. A Medium sized 9mm service pistol holds 15 rounds. That is 3 times the capacity of a small revolver and double the capacity of most .380s. Short of clearing a malfunction there is not much reloading.

I would rather have a quality 9 shot .22WMR revolver then a pocket .380. You guys want something to flame, I just lit the match.

FIFY and I dont blame you. If it werent for the higher rate of ignition failures of rimfires, I wouldnt look down my nose at a 22WMR. They are impressive for a rimfire.

A 22 in the pocket is better than a 45 in the safe!

 

[VERT]

I will echo Vert on the 42 and P238 suggestions. I would like to contribute that even a brand new P238 is one of the easiest slides to rack that I know of, especially on a small pistol. It's worth a look with the given issue.

Don't echo too hard. I just got done writing up an outline for an upcoming class. I was tempted to say no .380s period. But I recognize that the Glock 42 and Sig P230/232 would meet the requirements for an adequate gun to complete the course. The Sig P238 maybe/maybe not. We had a 938 in a similar course and it was quickly swapped out for a Glock 19. There's just not enough gun and safety to grab on those little buggers. Plus the barrels are so short there is no energy left out of an already anemic cartridge.

Remember the the video of the police chief in Kentucky that shot himself at the gun counter. I heard the whole account from someone who knows that guy and lives by him. Also a police officer and trainer. The round hit his middle finger and deflected 90 degrees. So not enough energy at point blank to severe a finger. Similarly I have seen FMJ .380 deflected by binder clips and I own target stands with a .380 Bullet not even fully stuck into a pine board. I know BBI has mentioned seeing .380 ball go through a femur but my experience says no to .380 in anything less then a 3.25" barrel.

 

[bigretic]

Sig P238. My wife can function the slide with ease. It is the only one she does not have issues with.

 

[Leadeye]

Savage 1917. Lower left.

 

[NHT3]

I will only flame you because of your mentioning females. A male can just as easily have problems running a slide. But I get your point. A Medium sized 9mm service pistol holds 15 rounds. That is 3 times the capacity of a small revolver and double the capacity of most .380s. Short of clearing a malfunction there is not much reloading.

I would rather have a quality 9 shot .22 revolver then a pocket .380. You guys want something to flame, I just lit the match.

I tell every class I teach (taught one today), accuracy is the key.. If you are recoil sensitive and must use a 22, it's not my first or second choice but better a 22 exactly where you want it than a .40 in the wall. I still suggest that they avoid the revolvers because they are difficult to shoot accurately for nearly all new shooters.
Certified Glock & M&P armorer
NRA Basic pistol instructor[FONT=&amp] /[/FONT][FONT=&amp] RSO[/FONT]

 

[VERT]

I tell every class I teach (taught one today), accuracy is the key.. If you are recoil sensitive and must use a 22, it's not my first or second choice but better a 22 exactly where you want it than a .40 in the wall. I still suggest that they avoid the revolvers because they are difficult to shoot accurately for nearly all new shooters.
Certified Glock & M&P armorer
NRA Basic pistol instructor[FONT=&amp] /[/FONT][FONT=&amp] RSO[/FONT]

You are no fun. Where's the fireworks.

 

[foszoe]

Beretta model 86. It has a tip up barrel.

Finding one is the hard part. Especially one without an inflated price. Been trying to locate one and an 81.

OP have your aunt watch these. It's technique not strength. Push pull etc the LET GO! No need to be gentle.

A gun is built to handle an explosion. It doesn't need coddled .

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XSiOq_uvCmg

*

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9Q8ZRlkdWVc

*

 

[GlockDoc]

Thanks, I'll forward both of those videos to her. I'm also going to look in to the vickers for the 42. I still hold out hope that I can get her talked out of 380.