.380 for the wife

[Trick Pony]

I need to get a concealed carry pistol for the wife. She doesn't like revolvers and she pretty much has her heart set on a .380 as she doesn't like the recoil of a 9mm or anything bigger in a small pistol.
I've been doing a lot of reading and it seems that a lot of the sem-auto .380 pocket pistols are crap and unreliable (Taurus, Walther PPK, Sig P238, etc). Either that or they have a horribly hard and long trigger pull that makes them hard to shoot accurately, especially when coupled with a really short sight radius.
She has been shooting since she was a child so I am comfortable that she can handle an auto vs. the simplicity of a revolver.
I was thinking of getting her a Kahr P380 but she actually likes the way steel or alloy frame guns feel better than polymer.
She also wants it to be fairly thin.
I am not too worried about price as I believe it's important to buy the best gun possible for this purpose since it could mean life or death.
Bersa, Magnum Research, CZ, and Sig P232 are some others that I am looking at. Any suggestions based on actual experience shooting these?
TIA

[ELVIS]

ive had a bersa .380 for 15+ years and it always has gone bang. i also have had a lcp for a couple of years and its been just as reliable.

god bless.

[Venix]

My GF carries a Micro Desert Eagle and loves it. Hates to shoot it, but loves to carry it.

[ThreeFingerPete]

My p238 ran flawlessly and was an excellent firearm. I only sold it because I hate .380. If they made a 9mm, it'd be on my hip in a heart beat.

[Marss]

My P238 has been flawless also. Its the early ones that had the issues. Our Ruger LCP has been completely reliable too. The P238 is a better shooter though, but I'll lay $ on you never knowing how long the trigger pull is on the LCP, or how much recoil there is on a larger caliber if you ever have to pull a pistol to defend yourself.

[helosailor]

The Bersa Thunder 380 CC is my 380 of choice. Comfortable in the hand, small enough but not too small, reliable, and accurate. I had one a while back and sold it, regretted it and recently got another one.

[Trick Pony]

Thanks for the input, guys. I am going to take her to a gun shop so she can hold some of them to narrow down the choices.

[helosailor]

Thanks for the input, guys. I am going to take her to a gun shop so she can hold some of them to narrow down the choices.

If you're anywhere near the east side of Ft. Worth, go to Winchester Gallery, they have some to rent, including the Bersa. http://www.winchestergallery.com/ind...=10&Itemid=127
If you're near 360 in Arlington/GP, give Nick a shout at Great Southwest Gun, they have rentals too, but I'm not sure what all they have. http://www.greatsouthwestgun.com/

[kingjason]

The Bersa Thunder 380 CC is my 380 of choice. Comfortable in the hand, small enough but not too small, reliable, and accurate. I had one a while back and sold it, regretted it and recently got another one.

Love mine. I had the regular one and it was great but sold it because the CC is way better on your pocket and has a couple of extra goodies. LOL Way more reliable then the PF9 I use to carry.

[ARIX]

I bought a Taurus Pt-58 off a board member here and like it really well. It is a steel frame double action. The only thing is I can't find any after market stuff for it. Laser grips for instance. I have seen some for around $500 on gunbroker that can hold 20 which is something I may be checking into soon.

[bigmuskie]

I have a Smith&Wesson BodyGaurd 380 semi-auto. I haven't had a single issue with it. It's reliable, and you're spot on with accuracy, or maybe it's just me.