WV Hunter

Thanks for all the feedback so far. I'll start doing some more research.

Anyone use the Ruger LCP .380? Only reason I ask, local Gander has it on sale for $179 and I have a pretty decent gift card. I have not held one yet. From what I've read, its obviously not a high dollar, high quality gun...but gets the job done.

Oldtimr

While a .380 is better than nothing, I want something stouter than that if my life may depend on it. For a gun you are going to carry for protection, price should not be one of the foremost reasons to buy it. You will only have to buy it once, buy the best you can afford and handle a bunch before you buy one.

Nomercy448

I carry an LCP daily, as does my wife. We have 2 Gen 1's, a Gen 2, a Gen 2 "Custom," and just picked up an LCP II (Gen 3). The ones on sale currently are Gen 2's.

For the sake of a better trigger and better sights, do NOT buy a Gen 1 original LCP. Nothing wrong with them, but the new Gen 2 trigger and sights are well worth it. The low price models running around now have all been Gen 2's, except for a few remnant FDE and stainless slide Gen 1's.

I'm a guy who catches the specific words people use, so I'll get this out of the way first. When a guy says a pistol is "not high quality," most people would read that to imply the pistol is rather low quality. While the Ruger LCP is, in fact, low cost, it's not low quality. It's a polymer frame, which is inexpensive, but it's as good of quality in manufacture as any Glock, S&W, or Sig polymer gun I've owned. I won't get drawn into a debate with someone who holds the belief all polymer guns are low quality, as such a position is just foolish, and only a fool will argue with one - which I am not.

The LCP Gen 2 has a much better trigger than the Gen 1, and much better sights. Firing timed fire, my wife prints under the palm of her hand at 10yrds, and when firing unlimited time slow fire, she'll ding our 50yrd 10" gong about 80% hit ratio. With my Gen 2 Custom (hideously tall dovetail sights on top and a galloway trigger), I shoot a little tighter group, but don't do as well as she on the 50yrd gong.

I tend to carry my Gen 1, simply because I carried it for a long time before the Gen 2 ever came out. I'm cutting a holster now to start carrying my LCP II (Gen 3).

Even when I carry something else, I carry my LCP as a BUG.

A lot of folks do poo-poo the .380acp, and I can't say they're completely wrong, but they're not right either. In college, I was foolhearty and wanted to make a point, so on a year when our hunting laws were in flux, I took a whitetail doe with a Walther PPK/s .380acp. Short shot, under 20yrds, and she ran AND I the bullet stopped at the inside edge of the far ribs, but she died, not so different tracking job than when bow hunting.

If there were a 9mm as small as an LCP, I'd carry that instead. But there isn't. I also have an LC9 and LC9s, which are about 3/4" taller and longer, as well as a Glock 43 which is an inch longer and a half inch taller. There just isn't a 9mm in the same size class. With the LCP, I can basically drop it into any clothes I could ever wear (I can even wear it while jogging in shorts with no shirt), whereas with the LC9 or G43, that LITTLE BIT of extra size does mean I have to change the way I dress to conceal them appropriately.

The Hogue Grip for the LCP is well worth it. It's a tiny pistol, and the concave sides of the grip are difficult to manage since I only really get about a finger and a half on the grip. Adding the grip sleeve really helps anchor it into my palm so fast fire is possible without it moving around and losing time re-establishing my grip.

SecondChance

I have a LCP Gen 2 with laser sight and love it. I just bought my lady friend a Taurus Curve and like that as well. She didn't like my LCP for a CCW and had a Taurus 380 previously as a CCW, but didn't like the trigger at all. So I bought her a Curve and she likes that much better. I carry my LCP as a BUG as well in my pocket with a soft holster. I carry Winch PDX and Horn Critical Duty rounds in it and a spare mag. Neither of us have any issues with any of them. I have had her do drills with shooting from inside a jacket pocket to CQB drills. I keep her to no more than 7yds. Exactly what the weapon was designed for.

CalHunter

Based on the above 2 posts, I'd say go for that Ruger if it fits you well. As for .380 ammo, check out the Hornady Critical defense 90 grain FTX ammo. It's almost as good as the 9mm ammo. Here's a link so you can see some of the ammo testing by caliber.

http://www.luckygunner.com/labs/self...llistic-tests/

super_hunt54

While being big has it's advantages (not many tend to get aggressive towards men of my stature) it does have it's drawbacks. The few that are stupid enough to get aggressive towards me are dangerously stupid or at least near my own size. While the .380 isn't my own personal choice (haven't seen one yet that wouldn't get lost in my gorilla hands) it is plenty adequate to get a bad guy off you. And with today's bullet technology and ammo choices, it has plenty of umph at personal defense ranges. "Stopping power" is generally a misnomer. Without a head or spinal disconnect, not much out there will drop anyone in their tracks if they have their adrenaline up or coked or methed up. Even with my big ole .45's I surely wouldn't expect a single shot to eliminate an aggressive encounter. That's what I practice triple tap (2 to center mass and one to the head).

uncle matt

I couldn't agree more. I would choose S&W Shield 9mm over the LCP. Much more solid firearm. Use your Gander bucks for ammo to get familiar with your new pistol and a holster. You won't be wasting any money.

Last thought is find a range with rental pistols and maybe they will have the pistols you are interested in available for rental.

uncle matt

The Hornady critical defense is about as hot and good as you are going to get in .380 but it really can't be considered almost as good as 9mm. Here's a formula I use.

diameter x weight x velocity / 7000.

9MM (9mm = .3543)
.3543 X 115 X 1250/7000 = 7.27
.3543 X 124 X 1200/7000 = 7.53
.3543 X 147 X 1038/7000 = 7.72


.380 AUTO (.380)
.380 X 90 X 1000/7000 = 4.88

Nomercy448

Matt - what is the minimum Taylor Factor (the formula you use) for defense cartridges? I can stack up energy numbers against your 9mm to show it's inferior to a .357sig, and then further the Sig is inferior to a .40 (Taylor factor), which itself is inferior to a 45, which is inferior to a .44mag... But we started with a 9oz pistol which is easily managed and ended up at a full frame revolver weighing nearly 3lbs with recoil said to be the maximum manageable limit for most shooters... All with 5 simple numbers...

The entire .380 vs 9mm, 9mm vs. 45, 45acp vs 44mag debate structure is flawed. You can always stack the cards to show the more powerful cartridge is more powerful...

What isn't readily told by these numbers, is the minimum requirement for killing the affected target. Nobody is surprised to be reminded a 9mm is more powerful than a .380 - but it's not really pertinent when a .380 is "enough".

Sometimes a bigger hammer is needed, sometimes a bigger hammer is just heavier and harder to swing.

Jenks

The Russians, East Germans, Poles, etc. all used the 9X18 Makarov as a police and military arm for a long time and it is hardly more powerful then the .380. Agreed, the more powerful calibers will do more damage and will serve at longer ranges. But in a CC size firearm the .380 is about all most folks want to shoot. I once had a Beretta Minx in .22 short(swapped it off, darn it). I would not want to be on the receiving end of that, let alone a .380.