Glock 42 or Bersa Thunder

[Brick]

I find I have trouble manipulating the 42. No matter what I do i have to strip out the mag, drop free just ain't gonna happen. But then I guess if you need to change mags in a hurry you're in deep trouble to begin with.
But I find I do like the .380 ACP caliber. It is very nice to shot, doesn't rip up my hands. I wish someone would make a piece about Colt Commander size in .380.

[raxar]

Since I'm fairly new to the handgun game, I didn't know that the Thunder was a Straight Blowback and actually had to Google what that meant. So generally speaking, a blowback 380 gun will be a jerky as a 9mm?

Its a bit more nuanced than that because it depends on the design and size of the gun. A bersa is going to be more snappy, as in a fairly quick recoil impulse.

If you don't have one yet just get a .22 pistol for range use and start shooting it a lot.

[Hodgie]

I find I have trouble manipulating the 42. No matter what I do i have to strip out the mag, drop free just ain't gonna happen. But then I guess if you need to change mags in a hurry you're in deep trouble to begin with.
But I find I do like the .380 ACP caliber. It is very nice to shot, doesn't rip up my hands. I wish someone would make a piece about Colt Commander size in .380.

[ar15jules]

The Glock is easy to maintain. The Glock is cheap to maintain. If you are into after market "upgrades" that I call "add ons", there are a metric shit ton of them. Holsters are easy to find. I say go with the Glock.

[Lynnk369]

I have a Ruger SR22 and a S&W MP22 already. I just wanted another caliber to plink with. Mix things up a bit

Thanks to all for your replies, I appreciate it.

[Ronin]

You could probably spit the difference in price and check out the Smith and Wesson EZ.

This is a good choice. Ergos of the M&P and super easy to manipulate by just about anyone. Can be found for a reasonable price if you look around.

Second option would be the RIA Baby Rock in .380. A little more weight will make the .380 less snappy. The Baby Rock seems to be well reviewed.

[red dog]

Gonna start of by saying I'm a glock guy. So take what I'm saying with this in mind. The glock is the smoothest least offensive recoiling small 380 I have shot. High capacity is not a contributing factor for a range gun. Sights are a personal choice and can be changed easily on the glock, lots of options. As previously said parts, after market accessories are plentiful. Last but not least resale value is going to be better. I have sold, shot and handled my share of Bersa pistols. They are a reasonable option if cost is the main factor. If this is not the case go with the glock and don't look back.

[Emptymag]

My wife prefers to shoot the 9mm Glock G19 over any of my three 380 ACP pistols.
Colt Pony, Kel-Tec P3AT, and one that's so old it hasn't been sold since the 70s and not worth mentioning.

Felt recoil varies by size and weight of the handgun almost as much as by caliber. A "smaller bullet" does not necessarily mean "less recoil".

Many new shooters think a small gun is easier to shoot than a large gun. My 380 Kel Tec P3AT is brutal to shoot compared to a 9mm G19.

Not my photo, but the larger Glock here is a G19 and the tiny gun is the Kel Tec P3AT (380 ACP)
Note the difference in surface area of the grips - the larger grip makes it easier to control and absorb recoil. The larger slide is heavier and helps with recoil. That tiny 380 is not fun to shoot at all.




I think you would do yourself a favor by TRYING to shoot a "larger" handgun in 9mm - it doesn't need to be "huge" - a compact model (vs sub-compact) should be fine, but give some a try if possible.
A CZ 75 is a VERY nice shooting handgun. So many choices really. I don't want to say "don't" buy a 380, but I really don't think it's an ideal choice for a range gun due to cost of ammo and questionable recoil. (it all depends on the choice of handgun)
380s used to be super popular for concealed carry - mostly because the handguns were physically smaller and easier to conceal - sub-compact 9mm handguns didn't exist the way they do now. These days, there are so many small 9mms I'm surprise anyone even buys 380s any more. The only ones you really hear talk of are the TINY ones - for concealment.

[ar15jules]

The G42 and P3AT are night and day. I agree 100 percent with Emptymag that the P3AT is unpleasant to shoot. I don't have a G42 but have fired several. MUCH more comfortable. Not G19 comfortable, but not unpleasant.

[Emptymag]

The G42 and P3AT are night and day. I agree 100 percent with Emptymag that the P3AT is unpleasant to shoot. I don't have a G42 but have fired several. MUCH more comfortable. Not G19 comfortable, but not unpleasant.

Absolutely.