what .380 do you recommend for self defense?

308nato wrote:Thanks for all the info here as my wife just got a Bersa .380 sunday.
We went to the range and tried it out and she really likes it.

Awesome! Those are nice pistols for the money. I have one myownself but just to cheap to buy an .380 ammo for it to shoot.

Yeah the shop I bought the gun at had some Aguila fmj at 26.00 a box of 50.
I am really going to do some serious shopping around.

The mission of the 2nd Squadron, 2d Stryker Cavalry Regiment is to deploy rapidly to a designated contingency area and conducts operations to support regimental operations. On order, the Squadron would then redeploy and train for future operations. Prior to its reorganization as a Stryker Brigade Combat Team, the 2nd Squadron, 2nd Armored Cavalry Regiment's mission was to, on order, rapidly deploy and conduct reconnaissance and security operations anywhere in the world, prepared to fight upon arrival and Win
TOUJOURS PRET always ready second to none.

Thanks for reminding me tower, I saw the crest.

Those are supposed to be really nice pistols...remember, shoot it a lot to break it in and so she's used to it.

I'll bet soon they'll come out with a 9x18mm model....

2HOW wrote:The mission of the 2nd Squadron, 2d Stryker Cavalry Regiment is to deploy rapidly to a designated contingency area and conducts operations to support regimental operations. On order, the Squadron would then redeploy and train for future operations. Prior to its reorganization as a Stryker Brigade Combat Team, the 2nd Squadron, 2nd Armored Cavalry Regiment's mission was to, on order, rapidly deploy and conduct reconnaissance and security operations anywhere in the world, prepared to fight upon arrival and Win
TOUJOURS PRET always ready second to none.

Thanks for reminding me tower, I saw the crest.

You're welcome, Jan. :) It's been awhile since I've seen a synopsis on my old unit. Thanks for reminding ME!
Most of my experience was in recon,vehicle identification and combat operations on a platoon/squad level.
Also, as infantry (much like your own training) we were fully conversant with over 51 different American weapons systems, including crew served weapons, various anti armor and anti personnel mines, as well as various weapons of the warsaw pact nations. Anywhere, anytime.

For those of you who wonder what it looks like right before the SHTF, it looks something like this:


Hey, .308, I also have a bersa thunder380. I traded a .32 caliber p3at for it so a nice older gentleman could have a light, concealable pistol for his wife to carry.
I like it. it shoots straight, is comfortable and easy to carry. I don't much care for the .380 caliber though. I'm probably going to sell it, along with another pistol and pick up another .45 RIA Tactical....why?
MY wife loves .45's..specifically, she loves her .45 baby desert eagle. When she's running around with me while I climb towers, she carries an Iver Johnson Pony..I have gone over it with a fine toothed comb and can find no fault with it. after a quick trigger tune up it shoots as pretty as it looks :) I want to see if she'll carry that one instead.

You probably wont find fault with the IJ Pony because it is a Star Model D...I don't need another caliber to stock ammo for but I'd take one of those...

Rebranded Variants: the Colt Pony, Iver Johnson .380 and FI Model D
FIE version of the Star model D .380 pistol

In the middle 1970s, Colt decided to offer a .380 auto, and chose to partner with Star instead of making their very own gun. The gun (to be called the Pony) was to be assembled in the US, presumably by Colt, from a Star DK slide & associated internals, with a U.S. made frame. Some reports specify steel, but if this is a DK, the frame should be alloy. Part of the US manufacture and frame was due to the 1968 Gun Control Act, which placed restrictions on importation of small handguns.



For some reason, after this product was announced, the Colt/Star partnership was dissolved and very few Colt-branded guns seem to have been sold. Iver Johnson bought the U.S. manufacturing rights to the gun, and sold a number of them. Apparently quite a few frames were made in anticipation of the Colt deal, as all the early Johnson serial numbers start with "CPA" (Colt Pony Automatic). It is also possible that some slides were made in the U.S. by Iver Johnson (some manufacturing marks and methods vary), but all the small parts were Spanish imports by Star. Iver Johnson also made at least one commemorative edition based on the Model D Pony, for a US Border Patrol anniversary in 1994; these all have "USBP" serial number prefixes.
Colt model Pony with original box and warranty card

This gun was also sold under the Starfire name, though I am unclear if this was a pure Star pistol with the requisite modifications to be allowed under CGA '68 or was simply another brand under the Iver Johnson banner. All of these guns are identical to the DK models discussed above. FI also sold the model D as an FI-made gun (Firearms International, not to be confused with FIE), with the model D designation. No Star branding or importation marks appear, so this may also be a related endeavour where an essentially Star pistol is sold under another name entirely. There are some reports of FI selling the import-marked version as the "Garcia Model 30" as well. This appears to be the same gun, just marketed differently, and presumably (due to the importation) made by Star and simply imported.

This particular flavor has a SN that starts with IJ.
I wasn't too familiar with it aside from the way it was built.

Being a .380, most pistols of that caliber us the blowback method in order to cycle.
This pistol actually locks and uses recoil to cycle. this results in higher muzzle velocities and more reliable operation. the higher muzzle velocities result in better penetration. :) I like that part.
SHE likes it because it's "pretty".

Oh, I meant that Star made them under contract for IJ...

ronryder wrote:Star made some decent weapons, not designed for thousands of rounds, but certainly reliable enough for average self defense use of two or three times a year practice session.

Maybe I missed a few Star designs but the one's I seen, shot, and own are tanks, well made tanks at that.

Tower I like that PONY 380 nice looking pistol.
My wife has tried all my pistols,45 gov to much recoil,Baretta92fs grips to big but shoots good with it
CZ rami 9mm to heavy.
the Bersa fits her hand very good and the main thing is she likes it

yep..that's the most important thing about a pistol, especially for a woman. If she likes it, she'll be more inclined to carry it on a regular basis.
I also got the bersa for my wife to try out..turns out she likes the pony and a ruger LCP. Until they get that one straight, she'll carry the pony I guess.
have you found a holster for her or does she purse carry?
I bought a Don Hume holster for my wife because she rarely carries a purse..at most she carries a clutch.