Hey everyone, I haven't read a lot about the 2013 LCP, so here is a little write-up with pics. Sorry if this is old for some of you. For those of you who don't know, Ruger silently updated the LCP in 2013. The main upgrades are new sights and an improved trigger.
For some context, I've been carrying my father's P3AT over the past year or so. I decided that I wanted to move to my own 380 and had the LCP on my list of replacements. After dry firing an LCP, I was sold.
I paid $300 out the door at the 1500 for a new LCP from ZX Guns. It included 1 magazine, 2 magazine floor plates, and a zippered soft case. One floorplate is flat, while the other is extended; the extended floorplate is not very comfortable in my hands and awkwardly pushes my pinky underneath. I'll be sticking with the flat for my pocket use. Here is a comparison:
I'm fairly certain that Mecgar makes the LCP mags, as they almost look identical to Keltec's magazines. Can you tell me which one is for the Ruger or Keltec? Notice the almost same ".380 Made in Italy" markings:
I've discounted the LCP in the past due to it's trigger pull...a similar problem on the P3AT. I noticed that both had extremely long, hard trigger pulls. This complicates shooting with the miniscule sight radius. The new trigger is awesome, though. It is very crisp. Although it is heavy, the travel is very short compared to the P3AT and breaks fairly quickly. To confirm, I asked my roommate (who doesn't shoot), to try both. He said, "[the Keltec's] trigger feels like it is going on forever. However, [the Ruger] definitely feels crisper. I like [the Ruger] a lot more." I feel that the trigger alone will make a huge improvement in shooting ergonomics/shot placement. Ruger shortened the hammer travel and you can see this by looking at the hammer. Notice the Ruger's hammer position versus the P3AT's (which should be a similar position to an older LCP):
Another huge improvement are the new sights. Instead of the super low profile sights, they have drilled the notch deeper, giving a more distinct V shape. It also appears that the Ruger's sights are slightly taller, but that could be an illusion. At any rate, the sights are noticibly better than the P3AT's (and older LCP). It is a lot easier to draw a sight picture:
As far as weight goes, the LCP does feel slightly heavier than the Keltec. It is not a big difference, however. I don't have the stats in front of me, but I believe there is a 1 oz. weight difference between the two. I think this might be because Ruger used a different, possibly thicker plastic. The difference is noticeable in the hands; the Keltec feels almost toyish and flimsy (it's a little unerving to squeeze the side and the frame bends). The LCP feels solid in the hands and the thumb cutouts on the side feel more comfortable. When looking at the plastic thickness near the barrel, the Ruger looks noticeably thicker. I think it'll hold up better:
Overall, I've been happy with my Keltec. It has been light, has held up to 700+ rounds without fail, and carries well. With the previous LCP version, I didn't think the LCP's price premium was justified. However, I think the newer model changes all of that. If I were in the market for a pocket .380, I think the $50 premium is absolutely worth it.
Thanks guys and let me know what you think! I will try to follow up once I actually shoot it, lol.
For some context, I've been carrying my father's P3AT over the past year or so. I decided that I wanted to move to my own 380 and had the LCP on my list of replacements. After dry firing an LCP, I was sold.
I paid $300 out the door at the 1500 for a new LCP from ZX Guns. It included 1 magazine, 2 magazine floor plates, and a zippered soft case. One floorplate is flat, while the other is extended; the extended floorplate is not very comfortable in my hands and awkwardly pushes my pinky underneath. I'll be sticking with the flat for my pocket use. Here is a comparison:
I'm fairly certain that Mecgar makes the LCP mags, as they almost look identical to Keltec's magazines. Can you tell me which one is for the Ruger or Keltec? Notice the almost same ".380 Made in Italy" markings:
I've discounted the LCP in the past due to it's trigger pull...a similar problem on the P3AT. I noticed that both had extremely long, hard trigger pulls. This complicates shooting with the miniscule sight radius. The new trigger is awesome, though. It is very crisp. Although it is heavy, the travel is very short compared to the P3AT and breaks fairly quickly. To confirm, I asked my roommate (who doesn't shoot), to try both. He said, "[the Keltec's] trigger feels like it is going on forever. However, [the Ruger] definitely feels crisper. I like [the Ruger] a lot more." I feel that the trigger alone will make a huge improvement in shooting ergonomics/shot placement. Ruger shortened the hammer travel and you can see this by looking at the hammer. Notice the Ruger's hammer position versus the P3AT's (which should be a similar position to an older LCP):
Another huge improvement are the new sights. Instead of the super low profile sights, they have drilled the notch deeper, giving a more distinct V shape. It also appears that the Ruger's sights are slightly taller, but that could be an illusion. At any rate, the sights are noticibly better than the P3AT's (and older LCP). It is a lot easier to draw a sight picture:
As far as weight goes, the LCP does feel slightly heavier than the Keltec. It is not a big difference, however. I don't have the stats in front of me, but I believe there is a 1 oz. weight difference between the two. I think this might be because Ruger used a different, possibly thicker plastic. The difference is noticeable in the hands; the Keltec feels almost toyish and flimsy (it's a little unerving to squeeze the side and the frame bends). The LCP feels solid in the hands and the thumb cutouts on the side feel more comfortable. When looking at the plastic thickness near the barrel, the Ruger looks noticeably thicker. I think it'll hold up better:
Overall, I've been happy with my Keltec. It has been light, has held up to 700+ rounds without fail, and carries well. With the previous LCP version, I didn't think the LCP's price premium was justified. However, I think the newer model changes all of that. If I were in the market for a pocket .380, I think the $50 premium is absolutely worth it.
Thanks guys and let me know what you think! I will try to follow up once I actually shoot it, lol.
