For over a century, .380 ACP pistols have served as the original compact and easy-to-carry semi-automatic defensive pistols. Thanks to the more-powerful round they use, 9mm compact pistols are now the standard-bearers in this space. However standard compact .380 ACP pistols, whether classic or contemporary, aren’t showing any signs of slowing down any time soon, especially for people who need a pistol that’s easier to handle than a compact 9mm.
Hi-Point CF 380 (MSRP: $196)
The striker-fired Hi-Point CF 380 isn’t well known for its looks or styling, but when approached from a different perspective the Hi-Point CF 380 encompasses an interesting intersection between design, manufacturing, functionality and cost. This single-stack, eight-round, direct blowback .380 ACP pistol has an affordable MSRP of $196. Hi-Point customers are still entitled to a lifetime warranty, no matter who currently owns the gun.
Walther PPK/S (MSRP $969)
The hammer-fired Walther PPK/S is by far the most classic and long-lived .380 ACP pistol mentioned in this round up. The modern Walther PPK/S is a descendant of the original German-designed Walther straight blowback .32 ACP Walther PP. By the early 1930s, another .32 ACP sub variant of the Walther PP, the then-new Walther PPK hit the scene.
The modern PPK/S also has a few tweaks over the original Walther PPK, like its stainless-steel construction, extended beavertail and the adaptation to the more popular .380 ACP cartridge. Newer Walther PPK/S pistols otherwise work identically to its predecessors.
Beretta 80X Cheetah (MSRP $649)
The hammer-fired Beretta 80X Cheetah is a modern take on a .380 ACP Beretta blowback classic, the Beretta 84 Cheetah. The 80X Cheetah’s lineage can even be drawn back to the Beretta Model 1934, the Italian firearm manufacturer’s original duty-grade .380 ACP chambered blowback duty pistol. The newer 80X Cheetah, launched during SHOT Show 2023, kept the 13-round double-stack magazine and its reliable straight blowback action just like the 84 Cheetah. However Beretta also introduced some newer changes with the 80X version. The 80X Cheetah has a redesigned frame with a straight Beretta Vertec style grip and an accessory rail in addition to an optics-ready slide, probably the first of its kind on any .380 ACP blowback pistol in history.
Smith & Wesson M&P 380 Shield EZ 380 (MSRP $459)
The internal-hammer-fired Smith & Wesson Shield EZ 380 is probably most famous for having one of the easiest to rack slides on any defensive firearm. Similarly, its recoil and handling during shooting are quite benign. The most critical factor in making the Smith & Wesson M&P 380 Shield EZ such an easygoing defensive pistol is because the engineering team at Smith & Wesson incorporated a short-recoil Browning delayed blowback mechanism into this pistol as opposed to using a straight blowback action like most .380 ACP pistols. The thing about straight blowback pistols is that their recoil springs tend to be heavier, thus more challenging to rack. For carry convenience and to keep costs down, this eight-round capacity pistol is built on a polymer frame, like the rest of the Smith & Wesson M&P product line.
Ruger Security-380 (MSRP $369)
Like the Smith & Wesson Shield EZ above, the Ruger Security-380 is a modern take on the classic .380 ACP compact pistol. With a standard magazine capacity of 15 rounds, the Ruger Security-380 has similar capacities to many compact and micro-compact 9mm pistols. Like the Smith & Wesson M&P 380 Shield EZ, the Ruger Security-380 also deviates from tradition by being built on a polymer frame. Finally, it also omits the traditional straight blowback action for a more modern hammer-fired, semi-automatic delayed-blowback system for much the same reasons as the Smith: recoil mitigation and slide-racking ease.
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