LouisianaMan
Well-Known Member
The .380 tends to be snappy in recoil because, traditionally, it utilized the blowback system--and was the most powerful cartridge to do so, generally speaking. In other words, it's essentially top-end within its design envelope. That's a decent hint. . . Once you make the gun heavy enough to dampen that snappy blowback action, you can make it a locked-breech design strong enough to use 9mmP, and paradoxically that tends to feel smoother than the weaker .380.
I owned 2 Beretta 84's and liked them, but my wife hated them as feeling too rough. She preferred steel-frame .38 snubs! The only .380 I've kept is a Remington 51, a semi-locked breech design last manufactured in 1927. FWIW, it weighs 21 ounces.
I join with others in believing that most .380's are going to be unpleasant for beginners.
I owned 2 Beretta 84's and liked them, but my wife hated them as feeling too rough. She preferred steel-frame .38 snubs! The only .380 I've kept is a Remington 51, a semi-locked breech design last manufactured in 1927. FWIW, it weighs 21 ounces.
I join with others in believing that most .380's are going to be unpleasant for beginners.