a comparison of my (3 ).380 autoloading pistols

[joepistol]

After a range trip in which I tested the 3 .380 cal pistols I own, I thought I'd write a report of my experience with them.

My first disclaimer is.. my accuracy results should NOT be considered an in depth evaluation of each pistol's inherent accuracy.
IN the hands of a more skilled shooter, (or ANY other shooter) the results may / would / could be - very different.

my results are the results of MY shooting with these pistols, on one day, with 1 batch of ammo.

only other disclaimer I'll make is my pistol shooting "skill" seems to have degraded from weeks /months ago.
Not sure why, but the accuracy shown by the hits on the targets were almost NOT included, as I have shot these pistols
with greater accuracy in the past..(just not on this night)

Next a little background on the pistols; First some info the about the Taurus model 58
The Taurus PT-58 is closely modeled on the Beretta Cheetah. They are both scaled down versions of the Beretta & Taurus mod. 92, but are chambered in .380, instead of 9mm.
Though smaller than a model 92, they are not mouse gun small. The model 58 has an aluminum frame, & features a 12 rnd, dbl. stack magazine, so it's a 12+1 capacity .380
Weight: 18.7 oz Barrel Length: 3.25″ Action: SA/DA Length: 6.125″

here's a link to some info & photos: https://www.gunsamerica.com/digest/u...-taurus-pt-58/
though my pistol is identical in appearance to the pistol in the article, the performance of my pistol differs greatly from that tester's experience.

My mod. 58 has been flawlessly reliable with ANY ammo it's been fed. In all the years I've owned it, it's never had a failure to fire or eject cases...
with the exception of my post yesterday, on the Federal ammo misfires.
here's a pic of it disassembled..note barrel is NOT attached to the frame: https://i.postimg.cc/W1mqf9Km/IMG-0617.jpg

[joepistol]

Next up is the CZ-model 83 :https://i.postimg.cc/m2HH7Zy5/IMG-0621.jpg

The CZ-82 is a compact semi-automatic pistol made for Czechoslovakian military service in 1983, using the 9x18mm Makarov round. A civilian export version is the CZ 83, is chambered in .380 caliber
Both are compact, single/double-action, semi-automatic pistols with a conventional blowback action. This type of action allows the barrel to remain solidly fixed to the frame, resulting in improved
accuracy over pistols with pivoting barrels. The low bore axis of the Cz. 83 provides for less muzzle rise and quicker follow-up shots. Both the frame-mounted thumb safety and the magazine release are ambidextrous.
The Cz. 82 was the first service pistol to feature both these features. The bore is chrome plated, which gives it three advantages: longer barrel life, resistance to rust from the use of corrosive ammunition,
and ease of cleaning. Another feature of this pistol is the use of polygonal rifling in the barrel bore.
The all-steel CZ-83 is a "tank" of a pistol , it weighs a sturdy 1.76 pounds (unloaded) This pistol also uses a 12 rnd dbl stack magazine.
Length is 6.8 in Barrel length is 3.8 in Grips are made of plastic, the only "flaw" of it's design, IMO.
Replacement grips are hard to find, expensive to order ( from Europe) ,but as my pic posted above shows,,a little skateboard tape can help a lot!

.
Here's a pic of it in pieces: https://i.postimg.cc/Y2VF4LYF/IMG-0622.jpg

Unfortunately, production of the CZ-83 ceased in January 2013 when CZ began focusing on compacts and subcompacts that use the CZ-75 design.
The .380 ACP CZ-83 is available on the used market and relatively easy to find. However, most owners are unwilling to part with their .32s, and may be difficult to locate.

[joepistol]

The 3rd pistol is a Sig Sauer 232..
https://postimg.cc/w7Fvxr8S

The SIG P232 is a double action (SA/DA), blow back operated, fixed barrel, autoloading pistol with a single stack 7 rnd.magazine,retained by a heel clip.
This P232 features an aluminum frame & has a wide, smooth-faced trigger. It's length: 6.6" Barrel length: 3.6"
From the operator's perspective, the P232 is one of the easiest to use autoloading pistols on the market. The only fly in the ointment is that the slide is difficult to pull back. This is a common complaint with blow back pistols, as only the mass/inertia of the slide and the power of the recoil spring keep the breech closed when the gun is fired, so the spring must be heavy. One suggestion is to cock the hammer before attempting to pull back the slide.
That way you are not fighting the recoil spring and the hammer spring. (Both are substantial in the P232.)

some good info on the 232 is found here, https://chuckhawks.com/sig_p232.htm
EXCEPT the pistol he's reporting on is the all SS version (which I wanted to buy but couldn't find for sale, anywhere)
the all SS version has the heavier all SS frame, instead of the aluminum frame.

here's a pic of mine, apart: https://i.postimg.cc/9Mg7Yrkv/IMG-0613.jpg

Imports of the SIG Sauer P232 to the United States, and of spare parts and magazines, were discontinued in July 2014.


I found it of interest that all 3 of my 380 pistols are no longer being produced. Production ceased on all 3 pistols years ago.

[joepistol]

I set up 3 targets, set out the 3 pistols, with 5 rds loaded in each magazine .
I rotated from one pistol to the next, after firing the 5 rds @ each target.
repeated for the entire run of test shooting.

Ammo used was my hand loads..Bayou 105 gr polymer coated bullets ,using Shooter's World Clean Shot powder.
All rds fired on 1st attempt. All 3 pistols functioned perfectly, re: chambering, firing & ejecting fired cases..of my hand loads.
All 3 pistols ejected the empty cases all over everywhere. Always amazed @ how far 380 cases are thrown.

https://i.postimg.cc/gJyzHJ0G/IMG-0625.jpg

It's clear from the Target pic, I shot the CZ-83 more accurately then the other pistols.

I had a smaller target, that of a head, that I used to fire @ with the Federal 90gr. JHP rds .
Shots were fired from the CZ-83... these were the Federal JHP's that actually fired when tried.
https://i.postimg.cc/WzKHDmPz/next.jpg

[joepistol]

An update :
Found an old target , stuck inside one of my reloading manuals.
Offering evidence that I have shot these pistols more accurately in the past.
It shows the (better) accuracy potential of my Sig 232 than my last outing with it.
https://i.postimg.cc/MKfxhRf9/DSCN7155.jpg

this target was shot with a different powder , maybe a lighter load ?

[Garymac]

Never considered the 9mm makarov a 380 but you're right. Therefore I also have 3 380s, none as exotic as yours. Mine are an LCP, a S&W 380EZ (for the wife) and a Makarov.

Without range testing I'm pretty sure the EZ is the most accurate since it actually has see-able sights. I rarely if ever shoot the Makarov. I seem to recall that it's Polish but I could be wrong without checking. It came with a holster etc. I bought it back in the day when they were cheap.

[joepistol]

as I posted about my CZ, when researching it, what I found was the CZ-82 chambered for the 9mm Makarov ( 9 X 18 ) was designed/ developed 1st.. for use by Chec police & military. The same pistol chambered in 380 was for export ( to USA) They made MANY more for the European chambering.
After some years, these were replaced by the military, & later by the police depts. that used them,
and a flood of CZ-82's in 9mm Makarov hit the used gun market.
Many made it to the USA, and surplus ammo for it followed. The ammo was quite inexpensive ( while it lasted).
Much like the Ak's & SKS's in recent years were very cheap when first imported, along with cheap ammo for them.
Good deals, if you got in on them early.

[Garymac]

as I posted about my CZ, when researching it, what I found was the Makarov was designed/ developed 1st.. for use by Check police & military.
The same pistol chambered in 380 was for export ( to USA) They made MANY more for the European chambering.
After some years, these were replaced by the military, & later by the police depts. that used them,
and a flood of CZ-82's in 9mm Makarov hit the used gun market.
Many made it to the USA, and surplus ammo for it followed. The ammo was quite inexpensive ( while it lasted).
Much like the Ak's & SKS's in recent years were very cheap when first imported, along with cheap ammo for them.
Good deals, if you got in on them early.

Interesting....and I still have a couple hundred rounds of Mak ammo stashed away somewhere.

[balrog006]

snip

Imports of the SIG Sauer P232 to the United States, and of spare parts and magazines, were discontinued in July 2014.

snip

Joe

Not doubting your info or challenging it’s accuracy-but I’m curious if you have a source for this info? I have a Sig P232 in SS and while I do have a couple extra mags for it and I was able to find a lot of springs and spare parts on clearance a few years ago, it’s fairly disconcerting to know that no further parts or components are available in the future if anything were to happen with it…

[joepistol]

not sure of the accuracy of anything I find on the internet, but think I found it here: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/SIG_Sauer_P230


Discontinuation

Imports of the SIG Sauer P232 to the United States, and of spare parts and magazines, were discontinued in July 2014. Although the P230 and P232 are known for reliability and accuracy,[6] market competition had increased with the proliferation of smaller, lighter and less expensive pistols chambered for the .380 ACP cartridge.[7] The P232 and other SIG Sauer products manufactured in Germany were banned for export by the German Government, due to unlawful foreign arms sales by the U.S. State Department to the Colombian Defense Ministry.[8]


added: good thing you've got a few spare mags, they're both hard to find & expensive.