Aces High Bulletin Board
General Forums => The O' Club => Topic started by: eagl on April 09, 2013, 11:02:45 PM
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Anyone have any experience with the Ruger LCP 380?
I haven't had a chance to shoot it but I handled the LCP and a sig P238 today. I liked how the Ruger felt but I've heard that the recoil is brutal. The ruger is half the price of the sig. I don't plan on shooting it much, just enough to get accustomed to it and figure out where the bullets go when I pull the trigger.
Also, anyone use the recluse pocket holsters? If so, which one do you use and which one would you recommend?
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I've shot the LCP. Didn't like it.
I wouldn't describe the recoil as brutal, just difficult to manage; or put another way, hard to hold onto. I found myself having to re-fix my grip after every shot, and I don't have large hands either, more on the small side to be honest.
I have also shot the Diamondback .380 it's nearly as small as the Ruger but has a "meatier" grip which I found it to be a bit more manageable but still difficult for me. Also the DB has better sights IMO. You should check it out if you can. I decided that neither was the gun for me... just too small.
Personally, I'd like to try the Springfield XDs .45 but haven't had a chance to yet.
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It does have a little kick to it. It's not a range gun that you'll want to be shooting all the time. They have a terrible trigger IMO, with a long pull that I dont like (even though that's the only safety). Comes with almost non existent sights. A good friend of mine has one though and is love with it, and carries it everyday. I'm with saggs though it isn't for me.
Personally, I'd like to try the Springfield XDs .45 but haven't had a chance to yet.
You'll fall in love and end up spending the money on one... Or that's what I did anyway. As soon as it hit my hand I had to have one. It's now my main carry. I believe Springfield is coming out with a 9mm and a .40 s&w version of the XDs soon if they aren't out already.
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Try a Makarov, in 380 or 9x18, nifty little pistol, without being TOO small..
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Try a taurus pt738. Trigger pull is ok. recoil is very controllable. Remember this caliber is a short range, last ditch effort of self protection. its not meant to have a 4 or 5 inch barrel. its strictly up close and personal. i carry it because its small and fits in my waistband nicely. Remember your best defense is being aware of your surroundings and having a mental plan of what you will do in a certain situation.
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Anyone have any experience with the Ruger LCP 380?
I've had one for a few years (bought one right after the initial recall). Even though it's only a .380, it's quite unpleasant to shoot because it weighs so little. Important to use your first finger joint on the trigger, else you'll get pinched during the recoil. It's double action only, so it has a long trigger pull. It isn't meant for shooting at anything much beyond ten or fifteen yards, and at those distances it will keep a respectable group (not that I'm capable of shooting a respectable group, you understand, but the problem is me and not the weapon). If I was looking for a fun gun to take to the range and shoot, this would not be my pick.
However, you don't buy an LCP as a shooter, you buy it so that you're carrying something (marginally) more lethal than your pen. And for that I highly recommend the LCP. It fits very neatly in my right hip pocket and I literally carry it everywhere. Sitting on it all day is not uncomfortable for either me or the gun, it weighs less than my wallet, and Blackhawk (and probably others, by now) makes an effective little sheath that keeps it from sliding out of my pocket and holds back the lint. Size 2.
Long ago a law enforcement man I respected said that if you were going to carry, it was important to carry all the time. I agree with that. I carry the LCP all the time, because even my Kimber Ultra Carry .45 is too big to cart around every day.
- oldman
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I've had one for a few years (bought one right after the initial recall). Even though it's only a .380, it's quite unpleasant to shoot because it weighs so little. Important to use your first finger joint on the trigger, else you'll get pinched during the recoil. It's double action only, so it has a long trigger pull. It isn't meant for shooting at anything much beyond ten or fifteen yards, and at those distances it will keep a respectable group (not that I'm capable of shooting a respectable group, you understand, but the problem is me and not the weapon). If I was looking for a fun gun to take to the range and shoot, this would not be my pick.
However, you don't buy an LCP as a shooter, you buy it so that you're carrying something (marginally) more lethal than your pen. And for that I highly recommend the LCP. It fits very neatly in my right hip pocket and I literally carry it everywhere. Sitting on it all day is not uncomfortable for either me or the gun, it weighs less than my wallet, and Blackhawk (and probably others, by now) makes an effective little sheath that keeps it from sliding out of my pocket and holds back the lint. Size 2.
Long ago a law enforcement man I respected said that if you were going to carry, it was important to carry all the time. I agree with that. I carry the LCP all the time, because even my Kimber Ultra Carry .45 is too big to cart around every day.
- oldman
What he said.
My wife loves hers and keeps it in one of these https://www.guntotenmamas.com/cgi-bin/commerce.cgi?preadd=action&key=GTM0070 (https://www.guntotenmamas.com/cgi-bin/commerce.cgi?preadd=action&key=GTM0070)
I don't have a problem with it (small hands, here) after attaching the optional floor plate for the magazine that it came with, but all of my friends with larger hands hate it.
When I got it for her, it had a reasonable price tag. It feels like a cell phone in your pocket. The sights are lacking, but it is not a target pistol. They do offer a laser sight, however, if you are into that kinda thing.
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Ruger LCR in .38 +P is a fine pocket gun.
Not the most pleasant to shoot, but it's not unbearable. I also have an inherent mistrust of micro semi-auto's so for me, light frame revolvers will always have an edge.
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Ruger LCR in .38 +P is a fine pocket gun.
Not the most pleasant to shoot, but it's not unbearable. I also have an inherent mistrust of micro semi-auto's so for me, light frame revolvers will always have an edge.
I agree.
Perhaps I am old-fashioned, or I listened to my grandfather too often.
I offered my S&W .32 to the wife, but she claimed it was still too big.
Rule #1, if you don't like it, you won't carry it. I got her what she liked. :devil
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Thanks for the words. Yea, the issue for me is that if it doesn't fit into a pocket I probably won't carry it.
The Blackhawk pocket holster is a simplified version of the recluse pocket holsters. I really like how the recluse ones look but they're like $50-$60. Not terrible for something I'd carry around all day but still a lot.
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Old man and others pretty much covered it. I consider it a belly gun. Good for arms reach and a little more but not much more because of the really poor sights and terrible trigger. The only really good redeeming feature is the light weight and size. The pocket wallet style holsters are good to keep it from "printing". Recoil wasn't that bad to me especially when compared to an airweight revolver and +p loads or a 357 in it.
To me this is a true pocket gun for times when how you are dressed won't really conceal anything larger. Better to have this than nothing but it's a real bugger to shoot well at anything over 15 yards.
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I believe Springfield is coming out with a 9mm and a .40 s&w version of the XDs soon if they aren't out already.
Check out the youtube videos first before buying a XDS. A few video's have reported problems with bolt not kicking all the way back.
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Check out the youtube videos first before buying a XDS. A few video's have reported problems with bolt not kicking all the way back.
Yes, even mine has this so called "issue". When you have a round in the chamber and a full magazine if you bump the front of the slide on anything or pull it back some, it comes out of battery and will not return with out a slight push on the back of the slide. It will cause the firing pin to strike off center, with a light strike and will not fire. That being said I've never had the issue come up with out me first instigating it (manually pulling the slide back a touch before the shot). I've never had a fail to fire or eject with the little gun otherwise. I think the biggest problem with them are the pansies shooting them don't know how to hold on to a pistol, and the slide isn't going fully back into battery on the second shot.
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The LCP-380 is a pocket gun. Pocket guns are designed to be easy to conceal and comfortable to carry, everything else is secondary.
I have the LCP and it does what it is expected to do. It fits in my pocket with very little weight, it shoots a little better than crap, and to my surprise is fairly accurate for short distance. I know some use their middle finger to pull the trigger, but I found I don't need to because I have had no trouble hanging on to it with a two finger hold.
If you are looking for a pocket gun for personal protection then I think it is one of the best out there. If you are looking for something to take to the range and shoot a bunch rounds, or for home defense, then you need to get another gun.
My Opinion
Fred
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Check out the youtube videos first before buying a XDS. A few video's have reported problems with bolt not kicking all the way back.
The only video I saw of an XDs failure was 100% attributable to limp-wristing. It was a small-framed girl that was having failure to go into battery on the last round of every mag. The guy filming picked it up and fired of 5-6 mags with no issue at all.
All that tells me is it's not a gun for small people... and I am definitely not a small people. :cool:
I've been carrying the XDm compact 3.8 in .45 (IWB in a White Hat Holster) for a a couple months now. It conceals well, is super comfortable, and I've put over 1,000 rds through with 0 failures. So while I am intrigued by the XDs, (a pocketable .45 is just cool) I think I will just stick with it's "big" brother for now.
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I looked at the Ruger LCP but in the end went with a Baretta Nano (9mm). There's some great reviews on the Ruger LCP. I like this guy's the best:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QrE371hU8m4 (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QrE371hU8m4)
He has a ton of gun reviews on his channel which I think he does a great job with.
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I looked at the LCP and the Sig you mentioned. The Sig is sweet, but as you said, $$$. The SA/DA is nice.
Like the others, I also didn't like the tiny sights and long pull either.
I went with the S&W 638 w/ the shrouded hammer. I love it for carry.
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Two LCPs in the house. One is mine, one the wife's. As others have said, they do what they are designed to do: be extremely concealable and effective at very short range. They work. The sights are non-existent. I have a lot of handguns and it is by far the easiest to carry concealed without fuss.
If I were to change, I'd probably go the the Kahr .380 as the sights are way better and it carries about the same. A friend has that and we've taken both to the range and swapped out. We both shoot the Kahr better. It is more expensive though.
In the end though...I see no need to change. It's a short range easily concealable pistol for pretty cheap. The Kahr is no 25 yard gun either.
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Just to throw out another option other than Ruger or Sig in this category, have you looked at the Seecamps at all Eagl? A lot of guys I worked with carried them as their secondary or tertiary pistol backup, and SWEAR by them. They are expensive, at least the .380 is relatively speaking at 800$, but the .32 can be found for under 500$ USD on the net from time to time.
For a tiny pocket pistol you can't go wrong with that Sig, the Ruger, or the Seecamp IMO, it just comes down to cost, how it fits/shoots for you, and personal pref.
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I haven't looked at the seecamps. To be honest I am also a bit price sensitive and will be until I can sell my house in Texas. The Ruger LCP is the right size for what I need it for, since I simply don't think I would habitually carry anything larger than that. I did look into the Nano, but it's large enough that I wouldn't carry it. I don't plan on using this for plinking or range fun... I have a full size beretta 96FS in .40 that is fun to shoot, plus a nice .22 browning buckmark that is really fun too.
My main concern with the LCP was to find out if it had a bad reputation for anything. I thought about getting a kimber solo but then read dozens of reports of them being very sensitive to ammo type, so that pretty much removed it from consideration. The LCP can be had for well under $400, and a local shop offered me one for $365 assuming it doesn't sell before I can get down there with the required paperwork. No .380 ammo available at the couple of gun stores I've checked so far though, so it'll be an expensive hammer until I can locate some ammo.
I really wanted 9mm or .40, but they're pretty much all big enough that I probably wouldn't carry them.
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I haven't looked at the seecamps. To be honest I am also a bit price sensitive and will be until I can sell my house in Texas. The Ruger LCP is the right size for what I need it for, since I simply don't think I would habitually carry anything larger than that. I did look into the Nano, but it's large enough that I wouldn't carry it. I don't plan on using this for plinking or range fun... I have a full size beretta 96FS in .40 that is fun to shoot, plus a nice .22 browning buckmark that is really fun too.
My main concern with the LCP was to find out if it had a bad reputation for anything. I thought about getting a kimber solo but then read dozens of reports of them being very sensitive to ammo type, so that pretty much removed it from consideration. The LCP can be had for well under $400, and a local shop offered me one for $365 assuming it doesn't sell before I can get down there with the required paperwork. No .380 ammo available at the couple of gun stores I've checked so far though, so it'll be an expensive hammer until I can locate some ammo.
I really wanted 9mm or .40, but they're pretty much all big enough that I probably wouldn't carry them.
Funny as it sounds (I am not in a rural area), our local hardware store owner has his FFL. I picked my wife's LCP up for < $300 (for Christmas of 2011)
Can't find .380 ammo in Texas? :uhoh
Someone is stocking up...
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I looked at the Ruger LCP but in the end went with a Baretta Nano (9mm). There's some great reviews on the Ruger LCP. I like this guy's the best:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QrE371hU8m4 (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QrE371hU8m4)
He has a ton of gun reviews on his channel which I think he does a great job with.
Yea, Hickok is one of the few Youtube channels I subscribe too. I like that he actually shoots and haves fun, so many people try to do reviews just sit at a table and yammer on.
He's a pretty decent shot as well. [understatement]
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Yea, Hickok is one of the few Youtube channels I subscribe too. I like that he actually shoots and haves fun, so many people try to do reviews just sit at a table and yammer on.
He's a pretty decent shot as well. [understatement]
:lol
I sure as hell wouldn't want to break into that guy's house.
eagl, the LCP doesn't have a bad reputation that I know of. It was a strong second choice of mine before I decided I'd rather carry a 9mm. It sounds like it's the perfect firearm to fit your mission. For $300.00 you can't go wrong, either!
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The last one they had sold right before I got to the store. They had a Taurus TCP there but I know nothing about it, so I put down a down payment on the next LCP they get in stock.
Anyone have any info on the TCP? It's $30 cheaper and comes with 2 mags instead of just 1 mag. It looks very similar, maybe a tiny bit bigger and the corners aren't as rounded. I think I like the LCP better but the TCP might be a viable alternative if the store can't get the LCP in stock in a reasonable time.
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The last one they had sold right before I got to the store. They had a Taurus TCP there but I know nothing about it, so I put down a down payment on the next LCP they get in stock.
Anyone have any info on the TCP? It's $30 cheaper and comes with 2 mags instead of just 1 mag. It looks very similar, maybe a tiny bit bigger and the corners aren't as rounded. I think I like the LCP better but the TCP might be a viable alternative if the store can't get the LCP in stock in a reasonable time.
I looked into it but the reviews, at least the ones I read, left much to be desired. Many seem to have issues with it failing to eject the spent shell especially when shooting a hotter load. On the other hand, there's many out there that say they love it.
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Yea, the reviews and forum posts seemed split 50/50 with people loving/hating their TCP/LCP. The LCP seems a bit more rounded off and the one I held seemed to fit my hand, so I'm going with that for now. If I hate it I'll see if they'll let me exchange it for a TCP since the TCP is cheaper.