Due to the increased numbers of concealed carry holders, lots of renewed interest has been generated in the .380 ACP as a convenient carry option. New models are appearing almost daily? Why? The demand placed on the industry from new shooters buying handguns at record numbers to protect themselves from the crime and anarchy gripping our country. Who can blame them?
Newcomers to firearms must first overcome the fear of the noise and recoil, not to mention developing the hand strength required to operate this strange new device safely. Those are all real concerns for new shooters, and they make the .380 caliber an easy choice due to its mild exhibition of those traits. .380 pistols are also small in stature, making portability easy. Their size notwithstanding (when compared to other choices) they can provide a viable option for self-defense.
.380 ACP
The .380 ACP (9×17mm) (Automatic Colt Pistol) is a rimless, straight-walled pistol cartridge that headspaces on the mouth of the case. It was developed by firearms designer John Moses Browning. It was introduced in 1908 by Colt in its (then new) Colt Model 1908 pocket hammerless semi-automatic blowback pistol. It has been a popular self-defense cartridge ever since. The .380 ACP has been known by other names, including .380 Auto, 9x17mm, 9mm Browning, 9mm Corto, 9mm Kurz, 9mm Short, and 9mm Browning Court. However, it should not — under any circumstances — be confused with .38 ACP.
The .380 ACP has experienced widespread usage since its introduction in the United States (1908) and Europe. It was adopted by the armies of at least five nations as their standard pistol cartridge before World War II. Additionally, the popular commercial models, such as the Walther PPK, were popular with civilians and a certain ‘British Agent’ who popularized it.
While the .380 ACP is considered by most to be a moderately-powerful pistol round, it is compact and light. Admittedly, it has a relatively short range and less stopping power than other modern pistol cartridges. However, depending on the load, it nonetheless remains a popular self-defense cartridge for shooters who want a smaller, lightweight pistol with manageable recoil. The .380 ACP is slightly less powerful than a standard-pressure .38 Special. It uses 9mm (.355) diameter bullets. The standard bullet weights are generally 80-, 85-, 90-, 95-, 100-, 115-, and 120-grain, though 90-grain is the most common.
I was no different that anyone else and 9mm and .45 ACP were the ticket until the reality of carrying daily settled in. Then, something smaller looked like it might be a better choice. Admittedly, in the old days…, crime was not as bad, and I weighed the odds. My activities rarely, if ever, took me to high crime areas.
As a civilian, the chances of me getting hit by lightning were better than me having to use a gun for self-defense. I decided that I shot well enough that a .380 might just be what the doctor ordered. Now, the year was 1974, and the Gun Control Act of 1968 was in full affect. So, all small, concealable handguns of foreign manufacture were restricted from entry into the U.S. What to do, what to do?
Browning
At that time, I was a good and consistent customer of the local sporting goods shop, Canoga Sporting Goods and had ingratiated myself to the owner. He knew of my quest and called to let me know he had what I was looking for — even though I was not yet aware of what it was. It turned out to be a Browning (always a sign of quality) Model 1910/22 Semi Automatic Pistol that had been altered for importation after passage of the Gun Control Act of 1968.
That semi-automatic pistol had target sights a flared, thumb-rest grips added, a longer barrel, and a new designation — 1910/71. I, of course, could not resist it. It was my first .380 ACP. It was stylish and fit perfectly in my “man purse.” I even liked the grip safety, so it assumed number one position as my EDC.
The gun shot well. The only thing that I did not like was the thumb safety. It was a flat, round disk that was difficult to operate. So, off it went to Master Pistol Smith Jim Hoag for him to work his magic. And, he did! Hoag tuned the action and fabricated a new safety. I carried it that way for many years. It was comfortable to shoot, with mild manners, and surprisingly accuracy. So, maybe the target appellation was correct.
Walther
Having been a fan of the James Bond 007 franchise, I took notice of the pistol he carried — Walther PPK. The thought of me being as cool as 007 had crossed my mind. I thought it would behoove me to investigate acquiring one. At my favorite gun emporium of the day, I was informed that because of the good old Gun Control Act, PPKs were as rare as “unobtainium.” However, they did have the slightly larger, but still cool, new PPK/s in stock. I’m sure I don’t have to tell you what happened next, so here is a little history.
In 1930, Walther released a smaller version of the PP, which it called the PPK (Polizeipistole Kriminalmodell or “Police Pistol Detective Model”). It featured a shorter grip, barrel, slide, frame, with reduced magazine capacity. The PPK was more concealable than the original PP and more suited for plainclothes police, intelligence agents, and undercover work. So much so, that during World War II, PPKs were issued to the German military, Luftwaffe, and various police agencies — including the SS and Gestapo.
Following World War II, the Allied powers prohibited all arms manufacture in Germany. Given the lack of production capacity combined with the prohibition of manufacturing, Walther decided to grant licenses to produce its various products. In 1952, Walther licensed production of the PP series pistols to a French company, Manufacture de Machines du Haut-Rhin, also known as Manurhin.
Manurhin made the parts, but the pistol was assembled either at Saint-Étienne arsenal (marked “Made in France”) or by Walther in Ulm (marked “Made in West Germany” and having German proof-marks). In 1978, Ranger Manufacturing of Gadsden, Alabama was licensed to manufacture the PPK and PPK/S. These versions were distributed by Interarms of Alexandria, Virginia. Currently, they are produced at its U.S. manufacturing plant in Fort Smith, Arkansas.
The firearm is a double-action/single-action with a decocking safety. It operates in the following manner. The external hammer is cocked by either thumbing it back or when the slide is pulled rearward to chamber a round. Pushing the safety lever downward releases the hammer and rotates the firing pin block into position to separate the hammer and spring-loaded firing pin. Moving the safety lever upward takes the gun out of safe mode and allows the pistol to be fired double-action by simply pulling the trigger.
The slide moves rearward with the energy of the cartridge case as it is pushed to the rear. This happens due to the expanding gas created by the ignition of gunpowder. This blowback action ejects the empty case and re-cocks the hammer to allow the following shots to be fired in single-action mode. The slide remains open once the last cartridge is fired.
As mentioned, the Walther’s popularity in the U.S. was based on the Bond series. However, here is a little something not everyone is aware of. Initially, Bond was woefully under-gunned with a .25 ACP Beretta Model 418 semi-automatic pistol that he carried in a shoulder rig. On the advice of British firearm expert Geoffrey Boothroyd, who felt, “this sort of gun was a lady’s gun, and not a really nice lady at that,” author Ian Fleming re-armed Bond with a Walther PPK in its original 7.65 mm Browning (.32 ACP) chambering.
Fleming was grateful for Boothroyd’s advice and replied to him in a letter. Fleming wrote, “As Bond’s biographer, I am most anxious to see that he lives as long as possible. I shall be most grateful for any further technical advice you might like me to pass on to him.”
Prior to the Gun Control Act of 1968, the PPK was imported into the United States without restriction. The gun came in a sturdy cardboard box embossed with a faux-lizard-skin surface. Also included were a factory target showing a five-shot group, owner’s manual, spare magazine, and brass cleaning rod. The PPK/s is another example of a firearm being designed by Government fiat. Under the GCA legislation, a pistol intended for import had to earn a minimum number of points for various “sporting” features.
The PPK failed to qualify. Size, weight, and magazine capacity issues resulted in the GCA prohibiting the PPK from being imported — it was an ounce too light and carried too few rounds in the magazine to satisfy import restrictions.
In order to continue PPK sales in the United States, Walther overcame the restrictions by developing the PPK/S, which teamed the frame of the PP with the slide and barrel of the PPK. This added 1.8 ounces, 0.2-inch height, and an additional round in the magazine. Therefore, it met import requirements and allowed the PPK/S to be legally imported. It is presumed that the “S” added to the PPK designation stands for “sporting,” which was the intention of the restrictions.
The PPK’s prominent placement in the James Bond franchise, and other spy films, has contributed greatly to its high visibility and popularity. Among its millions of fans, The King himself, Elvis Presley, owned two PPK/S pistols — one was gold-plated and intricately engraved, while the other featured a nickel finish with ornate engraving on the slide, frame, and portions of the grip. The grip included his name, Elvis’ trademark “TCB” (Taking Care of Business), and lightning bolt.
It is easy to like the PPK/s because it is an all-steel gun, built tank tough, absorbs recoil nicely, and settles in your hand. It’s double-action/single-action works well for concealed carriers who are uncomfortable with cocked and locked. I found the ones that I have owned to be very accurate with more than acceptable sights for a carry gun. I carry mine with a round in the chamber. After decocking takes the gun off safe, I rely on the double-action pull as I would with a revolver. Easy peassy!
Colt
The third, and possibly my favorite, .380 is a Colt Mustang Pocketlite Plus 2. As you must know, Colt has been in the .380 pistol business since the introduction of the cartridge with its “Automatic Colt Caliber .380 Hammerless” of 1908. However, in 1983, Colt introduced the Colt Mark IV Series 80 Government Model – .380 Auto. This pocket pistol was similar in appearance, but not design, to the Colt M1911.
The Government Model .380’s obvious difference is that of being scaled down to 78 percent of a full-sized M1911 Government Model. In 1988, the Mustang Plus II was introduced with a longer grip frame. The Mustang Plus II derived its name from holding two more rounds than the original Mustang.
The semi-automatic, single-action, recoil-operated Pocketlite has an aluminum frame. It copies the lines of a miniature Combat Commander, including the rowel hammer. The pistol is small, a mere 11⁄16-inch wide, 4 inches tall, and 5 ½ inches long. It weighs 13.7 ounces (unloaded).
The finish of the frame is brushed matte. Its grip angle and controls follow those of the M1911, with some differences internally. The tang is an integral beavertail that keeps the hammer and recoiling slide well away from the shooter’s hands, even with a proper high grip. Stocks are black checkered plastic, with a silver-tone Rampant Colt escutcheon on each side.
It is of a locked-breech design (many .380s are blowbacks) and has two lugs on the 2 3/4-inch barrel that engage corresponding recesses on the underside of the slide. Under the barrel, a kidney-shaped cut guides barrel travel around the slide stop. Lockwork is of the Series 80 style. There is a passive firing pin safety system to prevent an accidental discharge, should the gun be dropped on its muzzle.
An internal extractor is fitted inside the ejection port on the breech face’s right. The aluminum trigger is anodized black and grooved on its front face. The average trigger pull weight is about 6 pounds, 11 ounces. Mounted on the frame’s left, behind and below the trigger, is the magazine release in the familiar M1911 position.
The body of the detachable, box magazine is of steel, as is the follower, The baseplate protrudes slightly, providing a rest for the ring finger, as most will only be able to get two fingers on the frame below the trigger guard. The tensioned left-side-only manual safety blocks the sear when pressed upward into the “on” position. However, it still allows the slide to be manipulated when the hammer is cocked.
As I said earlier, it has become my go to when a .380 is part of my load out. Primarily, because it is very light, comfortable, and surprisingly manageable to shoot despite its small size and light weight. Because of its excellent grip frame design, its short single-action trigger, and good manners it makes an excellent choice for a new shooter —especially the ladies. Try one. I guarantee you will like it.
Stay safe, train often and practice, practice, practice!
Do you have a favorite .380 carry gun? Share your choice in the Comment section.