Walther

[fcboos]

New to CHL. Was thinking about buying a Walther® PK380 .380 ACP Pistol to replace the PT-140 that I'm carring now? any suggestions?

[fcboos]

Also what would be a good ammo to carry?

[Middle Age Russ]

Welcome to the forum and welcome to having your CHL. Pretty universally, you will hear folks say carry the biggest gun you can readily conceal in the most powerful cartridge you can shoot well. I am sure and I have heard that the PK380 is a fine pistol, but I prefer 380ACP in a smaller, "pocketable" format and 9mm (and above) in less pocketable sizes.

[Salty1]

Welcome to the Forum, Walther makes fine products, and you will hear many opinions on just about everything on forums, some are logical and others.... well you get the idea. From my perspective a 380 is the minimum caliber I would consider and no where near the top of my list, it is not the gun your thinking about but the caliber I have an issue with. Consider the price of 380 ammo in your decision, 380 is on the high side which could reflect on how much you practice, as a CHL holder you have a duty to be proficient and skilled with your handgun. There are a lot of small 9mm's on the markets and more being made. Get peoples opinions, but do not weigh too heavily on them, do more research and make an informed decision based on your requirements and how you plan on carrying, remember this is about you and what will work for you....... Good Luck.......

[A-R]

What is YOUR reason to want to switch?

I don't own nor have I shot either gun. But based on knowledge of both here's quick bullet points:

- Walther 380 is thinner, likely lighter
- Walther 380 fires much weaker caliber - but if you're having trouble controlling the .40 accurately perhaps 380 is solution to this
- Walther brand name has better reputation, but if your particular Taurus .40 works flawlessly reputation goes out the window.
- prices are roughly similar - sub-$400 new

Do any of these points highlight reason youre considering change?

Lastly, why step down from .40 all the way to a relatively large .380? Plenty of 9mm in same size and price range (Taurus 709 and Ruger LC9 instantly come to mind). 9mm is more powerful round AND cheaper to buy than .380

Anyway, welcome to forum. Fill in blanks and we can likely help you more.

[karder]

I am a huge Walther fan and I own a PPK and a TPH, both of which are great. I looked at getting the PK380, but ended up not buying it due to the fact that it is a bit big compared to some of the other .380 and 9mm on the market. There are some really cool 9mm out that are perfect for CC, and I would advise anyone looking at a .380, to at least take a gander at some of the subcompact 9s. Then again, I am a big believer in buying what you want, and if you want the PK380, then you should scratch that itch.

[NordicTexan]

I have the Walther P22 ( which I really like) which is almost the same size as the 380. I agree with the comment that it is bigger than some of the other 380's on the market. For myself I ended up with the S&W Body Guard 280.

However, I did get a chance to shoot the Walther PPS. I really like it, and its very thin width makes it easy to conceal and its a available in 9mm. For a thin gun I would really like to get my hands on the new Springfield XDS. I don't think thats going to be much different in size than the PPS.

[68Charger]

Or you can always go with Sig's P238. They're also making a P938 with a tad bit longer barrel but same format in 9mm. Just giving you options. Though, the .380 caliber ammo is kind of pricey (compared to 9mm). If you want to shoot often at the range, I'd invest in a 9mm. Just giving my 2 cents.

P238: (.380)
http://www.sigsauer.com/CatalogProductD ... itron.aspx" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

P938: (9mm)
http://www.sigsauer.com/CatalogProductD ... ewood.aspx" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

Oh.. and welcome to the forum.

[fcboos]

Thanks for the reply's. Will look into the sugestions that were given. The main thing is I want a true safety due to having kids in the house. Just feal better with having a saftey.

[texasmusic]

Lock the guns up where they can't get them. A safety switch on a pistol it possibly the worst line of defense when it comes to children and firearms.

[AEA]

EMP 9mm is the answer to your quest.

[A-R]

Lock the guns up where they can't get them. A safety switch on a pistol it possibly the worst line of defense when it comes to children and firearms.

+1,000

[fcboos]

Lock the guns up where they can't get them. A safety switch on a pistol it possibly the worst line of defense when it comes to children and firearms.

The guns are locked up and all have triger locks. Just a bit of piece of mind when Im carrying....

[Divided Attention]

Just my 2cents, never place your confidence in a mechanical safety. The most important safety is the gray matter between your ears. I totally understand your concern about small children. Your comment about "while carrying". Make sure your holster is secure and covers the trigger and you develop amazing habits about where your gun is at all times.

I would also suggest answering any questions your youngsters have about your guns, instill how they should never touch them unless an adult (maybe mom or dad only) are present, let them touch them while they are verified empty or apart i.e. cleaning etc to take away the curiosity and mystery that is what usually what gets them in trouble.

You might want to look over the Eddy Eagle program offered by the NRA - great information in my mind about teaching munchkins about gun safety.

Wish you the best, that is my 2cents and it is likely not worth a 10th of that.

[texasmusic]

Lock the guns up where they can't get them. A safety switch on a pistol it possibly the worst line of defense when it comes to children and firearms.

The guns are locked up and all have triger locks. Just a bit of piece of mind when Im carrying....

Understood. A lot of us have differing opinions on safety's. If it gives you peace of mind then by all means get one with a safety. Seriously. Make sure you get a holster fitted to the specific gun as well.

My 2 cents from handling the PK380 are that it looks/feels like a oversised P22. It has a similar extractor and feel. I've never fired one so take my opinion for what it is. Walther can make a solid gun... I have a PPS which has been more reliable and accurate than Glocks I've owned. No safety on the PPS though. My opinion on the PK380 is almost totally focused on the extractor, it looks exactly like the bent wire extractor on the P22. It just doesn't seem like a part that is designed to withstand use.

I would opt for a 9mm as they are more common, M&P should make a compact model with manual safety and you also have 1911 clones in 9mm which will have a manual safety as well as a grip safety.