Ruger LCP 380ACP

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I ordered my wife one from PSA for her CCW. She had some difficulty racking the slide on one at the gun shop, but hopefully it will loosen up after a few range sessions. I’m also considering buying An LCP for myself as a pocket carry. PSA and Buds have them for $169. They were double that price only a year or so ago. Do any of you have any experience with these small CCW in 380 acp? If you’re in the market for a hand gun, it seems to be a good time to buy.
 
I have a S&W PPKS in 380 ACP reasonably accurate and the slide is not hard for me at all. But my wife has some Arthritis issues and for her I got a S&W Model 60 in 38 Special which is much simpler for her and has more stopping power. She shoots it amazing well.
 
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I dont care for the trigger on the LCP. My brother has one. I have a Taurus TCP and I feel the trigger is nicer. Either way, you cant go wrong for a self defense pistol.
 
The J frame 638 Airweight is plan B for her. She likes the simplicity of it. I'm planning on taking the LCP to the range a few times and if it doesn't loosen up enough for her, I'll use it as a pocket carry.
 
I used to own a IO Hellcat .380 which was a clone of the KelTec 380.. which the Ruger LCP is just a refined version of..

Great size if you need to carry while jogging, but very snappy recoil and you better not miss because 6+1 isn't much against the wrong kind of dirtbag.

I now have a Glock 43 which is marginally larger but also more tolerable to shoot and in a caliber with more ammo options.
 
Recent made LCPs reputedly have what some folks consider a dangerously short trigger pull for a firearm without a manual safety. The older versions from 3-4 years ago had a long relatively stiff trigger pull. The LCP is easy to conceal and carry but it is a very snappy gun even with .380 and no fun at all to shoot and practice with. They are also pretty lightly built so if you plan to but enough rounds through it to actually be good with it I'd plan on getting a second one.

I switched to a SW M&P .380 a couple of years ago because it's just a little stronger built and runs more smoothly for me. Just slightly heavier but shoots way easier on the hand and more accurate for me personally although the trigger pull is a country mile. Have put 2k rounds through it to date with zero signs of wear or tear and maybe 2-3 FTF/FTE total. The gun allows me to reliably shoot 6 inch groups in double tap mode at 7-10 yards.
 
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It won't loosen up. Having said that..if she can't rack an LCP then not sure she could rack anything. Obviously, you could rack it ahead of time.
Still a bad plan though..she needs a wheel gun.

Not trying to be sexist but too many guys are too anxious to put a defensive firearm in the hands of their significant other without the level of training comensurate with this responsibility. Not aimed at the OP.
 
I’ve got a LCP that I’ve carried daily for several years. It’s definitely not a target pistol , but accurate enough for what it’s designed for. My wife has trouble racking the slide too, but she can shoot it fairly well. Our house gun is a Ruger GP100 357 magnum, and she’s very good with it.
 
I looked at the LCP a few years ago and could barely rack the slide myself. It was just too small for me as well.
I ended up with a Glock 42. This was before they came out with the 9 mm 43.
I'm happy with my 42 and it's my EDC. It's easy to shoot and not too snappy. Being a Glock, it is pricey. I would consider the Taurus TCP. They can be had for less $200.00.


Never mind, I see that you already have a plan B.
 
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I also have a concealed carry IO Hellcat. Works good. Bought a Diamond Back 380 that is easier to rack and hold onto but has a country mile trigger pull. Pretty accurate though.
 
Having shot a gun or 30 at the gun range, I think those pocket .380's are a poor choice for anyone on the weak side, female or male. They have nasty recoil and are harder to shoot well than heavier pistols in larger calibers.
But having a small gun that you'll carry is better than not having one on you at all. The Glock model 42 is not a pocket pistol.
There are people who own those guns and are not holstering them properly which is a bad idea since it lacks a safety.
My local gun shop, Vances, has the Ruger LCP II on sale for $229.99 and it includes a pocket holster. I'd get a DeSantis Nemesis pocket holster if I was to carry the old LCP.
 
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the ruger LCR is a good choice + comes in several flavors, + revolvers are great for anyone, very simple + most reliable. the LCR has a great trigger pull as advertised very smooth!!
 
You state that the Glock 42 is not a pocket pistol and that a .380 is a poor choice as an EDC due to the recoil. My 42 shoots very well. I can shoot 50-100 rounds at the range no problem.
I wouldn't want to try that with a LCP.

I carry my 42 in my pocket every day in an Uncle Mike's pocket holster. I can't say that I forget it's there but it does fit in jeans pockets very well.

Also, check out this video.....https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GNtPHYwcDts

These .380 rounds pass the F.B.I. 12 -18" penetration protocol.
Guess what's in my .380 right now....

A .380 in my pocket is better if I ever need it than my 9mm sitting at home.
 
Originally Posted By: TOMJ
You state that the Glock 42 is not a pocket pistol and that a .380 is a poor choice as an EDC due to the recoil. My 42 shoots very well. I can shoot 50-100 rounds at the range no problem. I wouldn't want to try that with a LCP.


While I don't own a .380. If I were to buy one, it would be either a Glock 42 or a Beretta Cheetah 13 round double stack. The LCP is too tiny for my hands. Micro pocket pistols don't interest me. But I will admit to owning a couple of North American Arms .22 Mini Revolvers. They are a cute, well made novelty.
 
Originally Posted By: TOMJ
You state that the Glock 42 is not a pocket pistol and that a .380 is a poor choice as an EDC due to the recoil. My 42 shoots very well. I can shoot 50-100 rounds at the range no problem.
I wouldn't want to try that with a LCP.

I carry my 42 in my pocket every day in an Uncle Mike's pocket holster. I can't say that I forget it's there but it does fit in jeans pockets very well.

Also, check out this video.....https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GNtPHYwcDts

These .380 rounds pass the F.B.I. 12 -18" penetration protocol.
Guess what's in my .380 right now....

A .380 in my pocket is better if I ever need it than my 9mm sitting at home.

TOMJ, My CCW instructor said the same thing only he used a 22 in his pocket vs a 45 left at home as an example. I’m not looking at the tiny 380 as a range gun but as an effective unobtrusive pocket pistol I’d be more inclined to carry than my 9 MM Shield.
 
Originally Posted By: cashmoney
Recent made LCPs reputedly have what some folks consider a dangerously short trigger pull for a firearm without a manual safety. The older versions from 3-4 years ago had a long relatively stiff trigger pull.


No they still make both variations the original LCP and the LCP2. The LCP is still a long long DAO hammer fired trigger and is very safe. The newer LCP2 does have a much shorter and lighter trigger because the hammer is pre cocked.

What a lot of people don't know is there were internal changes to the original LCP well before the LCP2 was released that significantly smoothed out the terrible trigger. Some people were calling it the LCP Gen 2 unofficially but no one knows exactly when the changes took place. So if you own the original early release of the LCP the newer manufactured versions will feel much better even though.
 
At the gun store I work at about 95% of the LCP's we sell are to men. Most women prefer the simplicity of a revolver. Preferably a hammerless so they can fire from there purse.
 
Originally Posted By: 901Memphis
Originally Posted By: cashmoney
Recent made LCPs reputedly have what some folks consider a dangerously short trigger pull for a firearm without a manual safety. The older versions from 3-4 years ago had a long relatively stiff trigger pull.


No they still make both variations the original LCP and the LCP2. The LCP is still a long long DAO hammer fired trigger and is very safe. The newer LCP2 does have a much shorter and lighter trigger because the hammer is pre cocked.

What a lot of people don't know is there were internal changes to the original LCP well before the LCP2 was released that significantly smoothed out the terrible trigger. Some people were calling it the LCP Gen 2 unofficially but no one knows exactly when the changes took place. So if you own the original early release of the LCP the newer manufactured versions will feel much better even though.
This is one reason why I bought the LCP over the LCPII. The reviewers were saying the older models with the long trigger pull were a little safer when pulling the pistol from a pocket/purse holster.
 
Originally Posted By: gman2304
This is one reason why I bought the LCP over the LCPII. The reviewers were saying the older models with the long trigger pull were a little safer when pulling the pistol from a pocket/purse holster.

One of the most important (if not "the" most important) things to practice when carrying is to ensure you can draw your firearm safely. It must be drawn(obviously) exactly the way it is carried. To me there is no way the characteristic of the trigger should have any bearing on safely.

I do carry a G42 in a DeSantis holster. I also own an LCP.
 
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