.380s – which shoots best?
Is it a cinch to rack the slide?
Is it a cinch to load the mag?
Does the target boost your pride?
Does the recoil make you gag?
These are four main concerns Newbie has when purchasing a new handgun. Newbie wants a gun that has more power than a .22, but has less recoil than a 9mm. The .380 is generally somewhere between the two.
The .380 are normally easier to manage. This is great for all those with minimal shoulder, hand, and arm strength.
Today we’re going to discuss some merits of the Smith & Wesson .380 Shield EZ, the Sig Sauer 365 .380 and the Ruger Security .380. Right is the Ruger, middle high target is the Sig .380, and the left is the S&W .380 EZ.
Joe shot three rounds on each target and so did I. Notice that all six rounds on the Ruger right target have formed two tight groups; one group of two on the bullseye and the other four at about 10 o’clock. Two of the rounds have hit at the same place. You can see that one hole is larger where two rounds overlapped.
Not bad, huh? You’ll want your defensive gun to shoot well at about 20 feet. These targets are set at 21 feet. Few of us have a home with rooms or halls longer than 21 feet, so we want to be accurate at this distance.
Let’s look at the middle target. This is the new Sig Sauer 365 .380. Five of the shots made the target. Who knows where the sixth went? There are no tight groupings here. Does this make you turn away?
A huge difference in these handguns is that this Sig has a much shorter grip and is smaller than the others. This makes it more concealable, but if your hand doesn’t get a nice firm grip, you may not shoot as well as you’d like. The difference may be rectified with the longer 12-round magazine, which does not come with the gun. You have to order the longer magazine separately.
I bet the extended grip caused by the 12-round magazine may make up for a better showing. However, five rounds still hit the target. This ought to be sufficient to stop a threat coming at you.
The target on the left shows the six rounds from the Smith & Wesson .380 Shield EZ. Notice the grouping of three rounds right near the bullseye and two more about 10 o’clock. The last round is at about 5:30. All of these rounds will hit the critical mass of a person breaking into your house and coming at you.
Does this mean the Smith & Wesson is a better handgun?
No.
All three handguns hit the critical mass which is inside the 8-inch targets. That speaks well for all of them. But how do they shoot? How is the trigger pull? How long is the trigger pull travel? How much recoil will you get? How difficult is it to rack the slide?
We rate these issues on a 1-5 scale, giving a 1 to the easiest possible to a 5 meaning it is hard or difficult.
The Ruger has the longest grip since we put in its 15-round magazine. Joe has big hands and all his four fingers have a secure grasp. Although I have small hands, this gives me a secure hold as well. The Ruger has the highest score for grip. It comes with the shorter 10-round magazine as well.
This Ruger has a light trigger pull, but the travel of the trigger is longer than we expected.
Recoil is a 1.5-2, and ease of racking the slide is a 1. It’s really easy to rack the slide.
Summing up the Ruger, it’s good for large hands (and small), and it shoots very smoothly. It holds a lot of rounds; coming with both the 10 and the 15-round magazines. Recoil is light. Racking the slide is simple, trigger pull is light and grip is solid. We like it.
Next is the Sig Sauer 365 .380. This handgun has the smallest grip of the three, so we might not have had as good a hold on the grip as we would if we’d had the 12-round versus the 10-round magazine that comes with the gun.
The Sig, mind you, with only the 10-round magazine has a bit more recoil, but not much. We both give it a 2, versus the 1.5-2 of the Ruger.
The Sig is a micro-compact handgun, while the Ruger is compact. I like the smaller size of the Sig. I would prefer the 12-round magazine, which would give a stronger grip and holds two more rounds.
Trigger is somewhat harder and longer than the Ruger’s. Slide rack is a solid 2, versus the 1 of the Ruger.
But this is not to say you should get the Ruger instead of the Sig.
Trigger travel is shorter than the Ruger’s. Recoil is about the same as the Ruger’s.
Groupings were not so tight as the Ruger’s, but the rounds hit the target.
I firmly believe this Sig would beat out the Ruger if it had that 12-round longer magazine. Besides, I just prefer the smaller size of the gun.
Now, the Smith & Wesson M&P .380 Shield EZ does seem to be the easiest gun to manage.
Trigger pull and trigger pull travel are quite light. Recoil is light as well. Grip is longish to give better grip, but it only holds eight rounds. I find the grip a bit wide from front to back, making it a bit large for me.
Loading a magazine? Well, the UpLula has made most .380s and 9s very easy to load. However, the Smith & Wesson .380 Shield EZ has a magazine with a button. Push down the button, just like you would a .22, and it is EZ to load. Mostly.
After about four rounds, you feel the resistance of the magazine’s spring. Your pushing thumb will have a dent in it where you’re pushing the button. For me, it means after those first four rounds, I end up using the UpLula anyway.
Racking the slide is very easy and light.
Finally, which is best?
- I like the Ruger for its 15-round magazine which comes with the gun (along with the 10). Joe likes the 15-round mag for the longer grip.
The slide racks easily and recoil is light. - I like the Sig for its very small and concealable size. It’s the smallest of the three handguns. It’s not quite so easy to shoot as the Ruger, but it is still light in trigger, kick, and ease of racking the slide.
- I like the Smith & Wesson M&P .380 Shield EZ because Smith & Wesson has learned to make handguns easy to use. From easy loading to easy trigger and light recoil to easy racking the slide. Yes, this is an EZ handgun.
Coming from the box, the S&W holds 8 rounds, the Sig holds 10, and the Ruger comes with 10 and 15-round magazines.
All three handguns have light recoil, light triggers and easy-to-rack slides.
Which is better?
It’s hard to decide, but I prefer the micro compact size of the Sig.
Joe has big hands and he likes the Ruger.
A girlfriend prefers the Smith & Wesson because she says it’s so easy to use.
It all depends which works best for you.
Marj Law is the former director of Keep Wakulla County Beautiful who has become an avid shooter in retirement.
