The times they are changing can be applied to the modern world of .380 pistols. Or maybe, the phrase, what’s old is new again works better. I’m not quite sure. Pick one because I need to get to the point. The .380 ACP market used to be one of pocket pistols like the KelTec P3AT and Ruger LCP. Before that, it was the market of the FN M1922, the Walther PP, and the Colt M1908. It seems like the modern .380 ACP market is taking a step back in time and evolving into a series of larger guns.
The .380 ACP Is Getting Bigger
Simply put, the new .380 pistol market is one that’s growing, and I mean literally. We are seeing bigger and bigger .380 ACPs for a number of reasons. The most notable that a lot of people have taken a liking to is the Beretta Cheetah 80X series pistol. This new handgun harkens back to the 80 series of compact Beretta pistols but is a fair bit more modern than the old-school pocket pistols.
Yet, it’s still a .380. While the Cheetah got a ton of exposure at SHOT, it wasn’t the only larger-than-pocket pistol .380 ACP. Ruger also released the Security-380. This is a compact pistol, but it’s no pocket pistol. It packs 10 to 15 rounds, is roughly Glock 26-sized, and delivers a handful of gun. Speaking of Glock, their G28 is basically a Glock 26 chambered in .380 ACp. It’s a bit bigger than their previous G42, and in terms of the top parts it’s nearly the length of a Glock 43 Slide.
Past the Glock series, we have the famed P365 now chambered in .380 ACP. The originator of the modern, larger-than-pocket pistol .380 ACP comes from Smith and Wesson. The S&W EZ series premiered in the .380 ACP. Although you might argue that the Walther PK380 started things, it wasn’t super successful and didn’t kick things off over a decade ago.
Why Are .380 Handguns Getting Bigger?
That’s easy. It’s because they are supposed to be. The .380 ACP, as it was designed by John Moses Browning, was designed for compact firearms but not for pocket pistols. The original .380 ACP was the Colt M1908, which was fairly large. It’s roughly the length of a Glock 19 but a little bit thinner due to its single-stack nature.
Putting the .380 ACP into smaller and smaller pistols may have worked, but it was never a great idea. Shooting guns like the Ruger LCP has never been fun or easy. They have harsh recoil, and that recoil makes the gun want to fight its way out of your hand. Obtaining fast follow-up shots isn’t easy, and shooting with a single hand can be a literal pain. While guns like the LCP were really easy to carry, they were never great fighting guns.
A big reason why these bigger .380 ACPs are becoming so popular is that they are very easy to shoot. The .380 ACP isn’t as powerful as the 9mm by any means. If you take a .380 ACP and put it in a gun that’s 9mm sized, you get a very soft shooting and easy-to-control firearm. The Security-380, the Cheetah 80X, the S&W EZ, and many more are very easy to shoot.
They are downright pleasant to shoot. An amateur shooter could easily shoot one of these guns and control it. While it’s 9mm sized, it doesn’t pack anything close to 9mm recoil. These guns can be easily shot quickly with total control, even with amateur shooters or those with weaker hands. For that role, these guns rule.
The New Face of .380
I’ve never cared for those micro-sized .380 pocket pistols, but I love the new generation of .380 pistols. They are providing shooters with easy-to-control and easy-to-shoot options that aren’t too tough to carry. It’s breaking barriers for disabled shooters or physically weaker shooters and allowing more and more shooters to carry in confidence.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR:
Travis Pike is a former Marine Machine gunner who served with 2nd Bn 2nd Marines for 5 years. He deployed in 2009 to Afghanistan and again in 2011 with the 22nd MEU(SOC) during a record-setting 11 months at sea. Travis has trained with the Romanian Army, the Spanish Marines, the Emirate Marines, and the Afghan National Army.
He serves as an NRA-certified pistol instructor and pursues a variety of firearms-based hobbies.
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