Looking at getting a Walther P380 for EDC with my BK24

[NixKustoms]

So heres the deal. I'm wanting to get a hand gun to EDC with my bk24, but I'm not much of a gun person, so I'm asking my fellow beckerheads what they think about Walther hand guns. Another gun I'm thinking about is the S&W M&P 40. I'm leaning more toward the Walther though because of it's price point and smaller more easily concealable.

Thanks guys!

 

[bigghoss]

A someone who has spent much time reading up on the subject, as well as carrying personally and professionally (though NOT an LEO), I've come to a few conclusions based on many different sources of information.

-9mm at a minimum but it is still plenty fine for defense

-it's hard to go wrong with a glock or M&P for a semi auto

-I feel the P380 is oversized for the cartridge it fires

-invest in quality mags, mag holders, ammo, holster, and training

-any gun is better than no gun

There are two schools of thought when selecting your fist defensive handgun:

1. go take a class and try out several types of quality guns before you buy anything.

2. Buy a glock 19 and take a class. If you like it, great. If not, you can easily resell it and find something that suits you better. I'm not saying Glock specifically because it's my brand of choice. I am simply quoting actual advice I have seen professional instructors give new shooters.

 

[mrn8]

I would definitely agree that the size vs round is pretty crazy on the PK380. For that size, you're looking at it being larger than a lot of better defense-caliber handguns. It's larger (not thinner) than the Glock 26, 27, and 30. It's all-around larger than the Springfield XDS and most Kahr hanguns. It's even larger than a compact Springield XD and S&W M&P and about the same size as the 4" service versions.

If you want a 380, I'd go with the PPK or S&W Bodyguard. The Bodyguard can disappear in a pocket (front or back) and carried IWB will be easy to carry at any position. I personally carry a Springfield XDS in 45 and it's bigger than the Bodyguard, but still super-easy to carry. It's just a tad large for most of my pockets, though, so I prefer to carry it on a belt.

 

[iwouldhurtafly]

I like what bigghoss said,

-Yah any gun of any size is better than throwing rocks.
-there is an immense conflict among people who carry firearms on what is better caliber wise. The key is to find what you are comfortable with. If you are not comfortable/adept with shooting .45 then its probably not a good carry caliber. Also if your accuracy suffers because of comfort then the key element of shot placement gets thrown out the window.
-Comfort goes for shooting, carrying, and handling the firearm. If its not comfortable for you to shoot/carry/handle, then your effectiveness gets thrown out the window. What works for some doesnt work for all.
-Price has to be considered. Let me explain. You can spend enormous amounts of money on pistols, but that really doesnt make you more effective with it. No matter how high end the firearm is. Its all about your experience/training/comfort. Although sometimes you get what you pay for.
Walthers are nice, so are M&P's, glocks, and XDs/XDMs. I am a big XD/XDM advocate because its what I am comfortable with and the variety of options available.

Good luck and good on you. Sometimes the decision to carry is not considered carefully or wisely. You have to take a mature/educated approach.

 

[Chameleonbear]

I have the S&W M&P FS 9mm. It's a great gun and I can carry it no issues. Although it is a bit large so I don't carry it often. For my conceal carry I have a Ruger LC9. I love this little gun. I carry it IWB with a Gatco holster. I have put several hundred rounds through it and while I am looking at doing some little mods to it, that is cause it is me. For a Conceal Carry that is what I recommend. It only holds 7+1 however it is thinner than the glock since it is a single stack.

I will be honest, I have never fired that particular Walther that you are looking at so I can't compare the two. Of the Walthers I have fired, they weren't comfortable, FOR ME! That is the most important thing I can stress, everyone's hands/holds/preferences are different and what is comfortable for me, may or may not be for you. Best thing you can do is go to a range and pick out all the guns you are looking at and shoot with them. I knew the first time I fired the Ruger I was going to have one. Same thing with the S&W. Be warned you'll want to take an afternoon for it and do at least a box of ammo through each gun. I do a base of 100 rounds. Cause I figure with that I have an ok feel for it.

 

[NixKustoms]

Thanks for the input so far. I already carry an m&p 9 but it's on loan from family until I get my own gun. I like it a lot but I've been wanting a Walther for a while. I guess I'm looking for input on those. Are they or is it a good quality gun? I don't want something that's gonna fall apart after I put 500 round through it.

 

[trailbum]

I do not like the Walthers, but that is only my thoughts based off of one gun.
I do like the glock 26 and 19 or any glock for that matter.
Let us know what you get.

 

[acerpower]

Yep, I'd find as range where you can try out several handguns.
Lots of great choices out there, and everyone has there own personal favorite so it's best to try a few to see what fits you best.

Never handled a Walther yet, but my Bersa .380 is basically a clone of the Walther PPK.
If you have your heart set on a .380, I'd go with something smaller like the S&W Bodyguard.

I personally carry a Springfield XD9 service.
It's kind of big for concealed carry, but I carry in a IWB kydex/leather holster and can wear jeans or shorts and a tee shirt with minimal to no printing.
I'd at least try out a Glock too, cant go wrong with a Glock.

 

[Nsvens89]

I don't have any experience with that gun but it is nice looking. I just got my pistol license this past year and got my first hand gun. I got a full size Beretta Px4 storm in 9mm and really like it. They also make compact and sub-compacts in 9mm, 40, and 45. I really like the gun so far. I probably have around 600 rounds through it without any problems. One unique thing about it is that it has a rotating barrel so the recoil is more rotational than with typical semi-autos.

 

[camoninja]

The Walther is a fine handgun. If it's what you like, can shoot well and hit where aimed go for it.

 

[crimsonfalcon07]

I started with XD's, and now carry a Walther PPQ. Wow, is that a fantastic gun. The stock trigger is phenomenal, the reset is incredibly short (only a 10th of an inch), and the ergos are amazing. Walthers are excellent, although I'd go with PPK if I was going for a .380, or a PPS if I wanted something small and concealable. I don't have any issues concealing my PPQ though.

 

[Tdhurl1103]

Walther's make fine wepons. If you get it, it won't fall apart on you, they are good quality. But you may want to consider a larger caliber.

One thing that prevents me from getting anything in 380 is cost of ammo. Since the rise in popularity of pocket pistols the 380 round has increased BIG TIME in price.

I carry a G26, and I like it alot.

 

[HWF]

Walthers are good guns. 9mm is a great round. PPS or PPQ are my Walther preferences. Great ergos and very reliable.

But I much prefer glocks. If I could only have one handgun it would be a 19.

My usual Carry:

 

[FullyTorque]

For ease to carry and conceal and dead reliability, an airweight revolver is hard to beat. 38's aren't too expensive. they kick a bit so they're not good target guns.
I've heard nothing but good things about Walthers though so if you like it go for it.

 

[Lethal289]

No experience with Walthers, but I can say I've edc a glock 19 for more then 10 years now. I love that gun.

As far as .380's with my experiences, keltecs are nice for the money but problematic. I've had great experiences with magnum research and diamond back. The later is considered kind of a baby glock. My holy grail though is a colt mustang. Hard to go wrong with anything heavily modeled after a 1911.

 

[minkeyman]

Lots of good advice here. Like they said before a lot of it has to do with what feels good to you and what you find comfortable to shoot and carry. Walther makes really good guns though. I tried to find a PPQ to check out when I was buying my next carry pistol but couldn't. M&P's are incredible guns as well.

My dad carries the M&P Shield 40. That is an ideal (almost perfect in my opinion) carry gun. I would have bought that or even a fullsize M&P 40 if I could have found one.

I ended up with a FN FNS 40. Wow what a gun. The quality is impeccable and it shoots like a dream. I had a S&W SD40VE and loved it as well. It's basically a Glock for much cheaper. It was a great gun, but nothing like the FN. I would say any Walther will do you good too. Everyone I know who has shot/carried a PPK loves it. Definitely show us what you get. Here's a link to my review of my FNS.

[video=youtube;0hcXAgm-b9w]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0hcXAgm-b9w[/video]

 

[Ardrinaheireann]

I've carried a Walther PPK 380. I found it to be instantly pointable, extremely reliable, very accurate and liked that I could carry it with a round in the chamber where after the first double action shot it was a very light pull single action pistol. I carried it in situations where it was easier to conceal than my full size 1911 or Glock 26. However, I carried it years ago before many of the lighter guns came on the market. I carry a Springfield Micro Compact that actually weighs less than the Walther and is very close to the same size. When I need something more concealable and very light I carry a custom Ruger LCP (9oz and with CT Laser and is Dovetailed with custom night sights) or a Kahr 380 which is slightly heavier, but has a better trigger; both extremely concealable. Both guns have undergone significant tuning for reliability that they don't have out of the box. If I have the choice it's the Springfield I carry.

 

[ignatius]

I have owned a few Walthers and they are a quality manufacturer. If you go with the P380 it won't fail you after 500 rounds so if your heart is set on that pistol, go for it. The issue that most people have with it is size. Generally people buy and carry pistols chambered in .380 because they are compact and easy to conceal, the p380 really isn't a super easy to conceal size, compare it to the Ruger LCP or the KelTec P3AT which are also .380 cal but considerably smaller and basically will disappear in your pocket if you drop one of them in there. Some people also don't like the power of the .380 round and feel that it isn't enough for defensive carry.

I have been shooting handguns for 25 years and have a concealed carry permit, in the summer when it is warm, I carry a Kel Tec p3at in a pocket holster just about everywhere I go. However whenever I can go for a slightly bigger gun with more "bite" I carry a Springfield XD-s in .45 acp that rides in a custom made kydex holster tucked in the waistband of my pants. There are lots of choices in 9mm that are good for concealed carry and several good suggestions in this thread.


I would suggest finding a local pistol range that rents handguns and spend the money to try several and find one that is comfortable for you. Also if you buy a handgun, it probably won't be the ONLY one you ever buy, kind of like knives you decide that one just isn't enough. Good luck

 

[tcarp1911]

If you're looking to go small, here are my thoughts, from the perspective of someone who primarily runs handguns, sets people up with them, and trains with them.
-9mm. Less recoil, less expensive, greater capacity, and a great spread of options in ammunition.
-Glock 9mm or S&W M&P in 9mm
-HIGH QUALITY HOLSTER. This will probably make the biggest difference among acceptable pistols. I carry my full size M&P with no problems in a NTAC holster.

Then buy a few extra magazines and ammo. I've not set up anyone with a Glock or M&P that hasn't been happy after getting proper training. I typically run a M&P Full Size 9mm when I'm running personally owned gear, but if I were going for upmost concealability I'd run the Shield. Most people I set up go to the store with me and handle the Glock 19, 26, and 17 alongside of the M&P 9mm in Full size, Compact, and SHIELD when it's available.
Most of those people pick the M&P, though I did have one oddball start with the M&P, go to Glocks, and end up wishing he'd stuck with the M&P though he's happy with his Glocks. Regardless, once you pick your pistol get some training with it. I like Combat Focus Shooting's program, and would recommend it over most of the training I've recieved in the military, and all of the training I've recieved from the military concerning handguns.
If you're looking to go "light", I think the Shield in 9mm will be your best bet. It's on my short list. The Walter PPQ seems to have a good following as well, but I have no experience there. Just remember to get something that you're actually going to be willing to carry, instead of what your buddies(including me) think is cool.
Have fun!

 

[FAL'ER]

Just get it already, jeez bro. They're excellent pistols. I mean I don't own one of the damn things, I like larger calibers. But a .380 will usually suffice if you put the bullet where it's suppossed to go. It's not like it'll be your only gun you get, they tend to multiply. If it were me I'd get the walther .22 with the threaded end and get a suppessor for it and have a glock or similiar for defense, but that's me.