Florida Shooters Network

I can be the first to admit, in today's world, concealed carry is phenomenally advanced.
Micro-compact double stack 9mm pistols that weigh close to nothing are awesome.

But, while I am told to carry them. My heart yearns for something more elegant from years past.

Yes, my heart is after guns like the SIG P230/232, Walther PPK & PPK/S, Makarov, Bersa Thunder, Astra Constable, and Daewoo DH380.

These little blowback. 380s just scream of a different era. A time when the idea of a concealed carry pistol was single stack, held between 6rds to 8rds of ammunition, and were usually chambered in .380 Automatic.

When I started carrying, it was with a East German made Makarov in 9x18mm Mak. It served me well and I felt confident that I can defend myself with that just as well as I could with my S&W Model 642.



But I carried the J-Frame as an on-duty backup gun and the Makarov as an off duty carry gun. It just was that good. It shot great, was accurate, reliable, and slim. Recoil was controllable for being blowback and it didn't have hammer bite like the Walther PPK.

Now a days, guns like the Makarov are looked at as range oddities. Guns like my SIG P230 are looked at as carry guns that belong in a museum instead of a holster. My Walther PPK is strictly a range toy according to many shooters today and the other guns I mentioned are viewed as low dollar Saturday Night Specials by thee uninformed.



I find it funny, when I hanged up the badge. I suddenly stopped carrying my GLOCKs everyday. Now, I still love my GLOCKs. I still keep one in my nightstand and I still strap the G17 when I travel as Gun Owners of America's State Director across Florida. (Mind you, when I usually do a speaking event, I carry something flashier at the event, like a S&W Model 686 or a S&W Model 4506-1.)

But often for doing more mundane things like going to the local stop 'n rob corner store for a gallon of milk or heading out to the grocery store for some ribs and sides for a BBQ. I grab guns like the Makarov, Walther, and SIG.

I find the .380 Auto and 9mm Mak are more than capable, especially with modern defensive loads today. Yes, they're not high capacity, they're not the newest polymer framed striker fired red dot sighted future blaster, and they're not chambered in 9x19mm parabellum. But damn, don't they just make me feel warm and fuzzy.

I agree with you. My LCP II just drops in my pocket and goes with me to Publix. Yes, .380 is sufficient (as in Gold Dots); a modern .380 is about the same "power" in ft.lbs. as a basic .38 special. I really don't want to have to shoot anybody, just want to get out of a "situation", but will if I have to.

I like the P232, but I find the problem with SIGs is getting parts once they discontinue a model. Was going to trade a 9mm (9x19) on here to get a P232 for my wife, but she changed her mind. I forgot, and lost the name of the person, as I'd be tempted to do it for myself.

My LCP and wife's LCP II are fantastic modern belly guns and easily do what my Seecamp LWS-32 and Beretta 21a did in the past. But the SIG P230 is large enough to comfortably engage targets at further distances.

My first carry weapon was a Jenning J-22 pistol. I used to carry it while fishing for snook and tarpon at night in some unsavory places. I know it was a cheap pieces of $h!t but one I had was totally reliable with CCI Minimag ammo. Few months later I picked up a "J" frame model 38 and started carry that in a ankle holster and pocket holster. Today I usually carry a S&W model 642 or the Ruger LCP II in my pocket.

My favorite is still a Colt Pony - terrific pocket carry.

I'm inclined to agree with your premise. My first carry gun was a PPK bought new in 1967 (yeah I'm that old). Once I found hot loads it ran reliably (of course with the tracks on the web of my hand). My current EDC is a modern sticker fired double stack, but there are times when I go old school - like walking the dog - and nothing beats an old school J frame. I still have and shoot the PPK and take it with me (with my badge/creds/LEOSA cert) when I need to go to restricted states. ARX and Honeybadger ammo work well in it.

I love my PPK just wish I could find ammo, not at an ass rapping price. LOL

I had a PPK for a while but gave up and sold it when I couldn't find any JHP ammo it would feed 100%. I had a Sig 230 for a while and that pistol was very reliable and accurate...but too big for 380ACP. A have a Hungarian made South African Police pistol in 380ACP I got few years ago was 100% reliable but the pistol has a nasty recoil. More recently I picked up a used Bersa 380 for cheap and that pistol feed anything 100%. I don't carry a 380ACP but the Bersa will occasionally sit in my glove compartment on trips.

I have been known in the "past" to carry a Beretta Model 70 .380 acp
Past is a very subjective word

I thought I might carry the Sig P232 and bought one from a member here (likely the one Red was thinking about)
Remember this about Sigs. Even if parts are hard to find if your gun goes down Sig will always have parts to fix it just not to sell directly
Plus,if you join Sig Talk you can usually get a fix on parts as members look out for each other

So I bought it and never carried it. Even had a Sig Talk member sell me 3 extra mags and a complete parts kit for a song (like I was saying)
My P239 was not that much heavier and 8+1 9MM so I sold the p232.

The P232 is one of the very best shooting 380 pistols ever but as OP said the newer micro 9MMs has more ammo and more punch