Ruger LCP .380

[ElsiePeaRN]

I find it hard to believe that no one has started a thread on this, but my search turned up empty, so I thought I'd start one.

My husband got me a Ruger LCP for Christmas. I have not yet been able to shoot it, as I'm awaiting my LTCH. It fits nicely in my hand, is light, suits my short fingers well, and should be very easily concealable. I know there are differing opinions as to whether a .380 is adequate for personal defense, but it would seem a .380 is better than nothing, all things considered!

I am curious to hear other's experiences with this pistol!

 

[J10]

My coworker and i carry them 24/7 and love them. Great little guns. Like you said, it isnt the most powerfull gun but it is very concealable and comfortable for all day carry in a pocket or itw holster. Never had any problems with them.

 

[DustyDawg48]

I had the pleasure of shooting my father-in-laws over the Christmas break and I think it's everything it's been made out to be. It is ultra concealable and pretty accurate for a gun that small. It may not be an all day shooter like a full sized version but running a couple of mags through one isn't a bad experience at all. The trigger is long and heavy but I don't think you'd actually want anything shorter or lighter in a gun that could be carried in your pocket! Overall, I'm impressed and have added one to my 'wish list'.

 

[redbaron]

I don't have one yet, but I think they are a nice little piece and I plan to add one to my collection soon.

 

[shibumiseeker]

Actually we've had several threads which talk about it, it's just that Ingo's search function doesn't seem to like 3 letter searches.

I have one and I like it just fine. I just picked up a pocket holster at the 1500 that makes the whole gun look like a wallet and has two cutouts so you can shoot with the gun in the holster.

I've got a couple hundred rounds through mine and haven't had any issues. Formerly I'd been carrying it in a thin holster in my front pocket. It also makes a good jacket pocket gun.

 

[MagillaG67]

It's a nice little gun. The sights suck(Not very good past 15 feet) It's quite snappy & has no 2nd strike capability. But for the price & concealability. I couldn't pass it up. Much better choice than a KelTec.

 

[DocBoCook]

It's a nice little gun. The sights suck(Not very good past 15 feet) It's quite snappy & has no 2nd strike capability. But for the price & concealability. I couldn't pass it up. Much better choice than a KelTec.

What do you mean by "It's quite snappy and has no 2nd strike capability"? And how hard is the trigger pull?

 

[slmlrd]

I just bought the kel tec at the 1500. I haven't had a chance to shoot it yet. From what I have read online I don't think there is any difference between the two.

 

[Dog1]

I have had some range time with one...it left me underwhelmed.

 

[dice dealer]

I have 2. Carry one as a back up myself and my wife carries one ,
Great guns , And yes they will do the trick .

Of course Many "Internet EXPERTS " will tell you that a .380 Is a waste of time .

I carry a Beretta .380 as a primary and the LCP as a back up ,
But I am no "Internet Expert "
I just sell guns for a living ...

 

[shibumiseeker]

I just bought the kel tec at the 1500. I haven't had a chance to shoot it yet. From what I have read online I don't think there is any difference between the two.

The LCP has a manual slide-lock and its fit and finish is better. I have both and I think the Ruger is worth an extra $10-20, but not much more than that.

 

[Cemetery-man]

I have one in my back pocket as I type this. I carry it daily in an Uncle George wallet holster. Don't worry what you hear about sights, long trigger pull, etc. It'll do just what it's intended to do when and if you ever need it. A great little point-and-shoot SD pistol.

I will agree it has a hearty little sting and is hard on the hand after a couple of boxes of .380. Best thing I did to remedy this was to get one of the new design Pachymar LCP slip-on grips that have the bulging sides. Fits the hand much better and helps eliminate some of the "sting".

 

[Fishersjohn48]

You may have already found this forum judging by your name but if not here you go. Anything and everthing about these fine little guns. And yes, mine is with me most all of the time.

Elsie Pea Forum - The #1 Ruger LCP Owner Forum and Information Source

 

[slmlrd]

From what I saw at the 1500 the price difference seemed to be about $50. That's why I went with the Kel tec.

 

[ElsiePeaRN]

Actually we've had several threads which talk about it, it's just that Ingo's search function doesn't seem to like 3 letter searches.

I have one and I like it just fine. I just picked up a pocket holster at the 1500 that makes the whole gun look like a wallet and has two cutouts so you can shoot with the gun in the holster.

I've got a couple hundred rounds through mine and haven't had any issues. Formerly I'd been carrying it in a thin holster in my front pocket. It also makes a good jacket pocket gun.

Ahhh.. I also tried searching "Ruger LCP" but got 4,000 hits on everything Ruger :o) Thanks for the explanation. Glad you're liking the LCP! I can't wait to shoot it!

 

[ElsiePeaRN]

I have one in my back pocket as I type this. I carry it daily in an Uncle George wallet holster. Don't worry what you hear about sights, long trigger pull, etc. It'll do just what it's intended to do when and if you ever need it. A great little point-and-shoot SD pistol.

I will agree it has a hearty little sting and is hard on the hand after a couple of boxes of .380. Best thing I did to remedy this was to get one of the new design Pachymar LCP slip-on grips that have the bulging sides. Fits the hand much better and helps eliminate some of the "sting".

I actually have an Uncle George holster on order! And I'm checking with my local gun shop for the Pachymar grip. If they don't have it/can't get it, I'll order that too :o) With the economy the way it is, I try to buy local whenever it's in the least bit practical. I don't mind paying a little bit more to do that. It seems like I'm on track! That's reassuring.

I've already noticed how long the trigger pull is. I've been oracticing sighting and dry firing. I read somewhere someone mentioned the "heavy" trigger. It doesn't seem all that heavy to me, just llooooong. But then, I'm very inexperienced, so it could be heavy by comparison to others. I'm also considering putting some paint on the sights, as they are pretty small :o)

Thanks!

 

[ElsiePeaRN]

You may have already found this forum judging by your name but if not here you go. Anything and everthing about these fine little guns. And yes, mine is with me most all of the time.

Elsie Pea Forum - The #1 Ruger LCP Owner Forum and Information Source

Yes, thank you, Fishersjohn I did find it! I expect to find LCP fans at an LCP site, so that's why I wanted to know what a more rounded audience thought of it. I'm happy to hear no one has posted here bashing it!

 

[Slapstick]

I have 2,one is flawless, over 400 rounds and not one problem the other is a "Jam-O-Matic" that can't make it though a magazine without a failure to eject. On the problem one I've replaced the extractor, spring, plunger, cleaned up the ejector/slide lock and polished the rough edges. Still fails to eject.

That's when I decided to tear both completely apart and I think I found the problem. The one that jams, the hole for the take down pin/barrel pin is drilled about a 64th of an inch lower than the one that works perfectly. I guess it's allows the barrel to tilt just enough that the spent shell is getting caught on the next one in the magazine causing the failure to eject.

Now you may wonder why I'm writing all of this but if you field strip your LCP and look at where the take down pin goes, if the hole is drilled completely through the bottom of the slide rail then you should be go to go. If the hole is drilled just under the bottom of the slide rail then you may have a problem with failure to ejects. If I had a camera I'd post a pick but unfortunately I don't. The one that shoots fine I like, the other is going back to Ruger for repairs and then I'll have 2 I like. Anyway, my advice is put a couple of hundred rounds thought it before trusting it if you're going to carry it.

 

[Mad Man]

I've carried .380's for years. First an older Bersa Model 85 double stack that I bought new in 1991 and replaced it with an LCP a year ago. Both have been flawless and have had plenty of rounds throught them!!! Practice, practice, practice as shot placement means all the difference! My Elsie resides in an Uncle Georges as well and can easily go from rear to front pocket depending on what I'm doing!

 

[shootinghoosier]

From what I saw at the 1500 the price difference seemed to be about $50. That's why I went with the Kel tec.

The difference between the two varied depending on which vendor tables you were at during the 1500...I was actually scouting around for the LCP in olive drab green for a buddy and while I didn't see any green ones in the entire place, I saw prices for new black LCPs ranging from a low of $269 up to a high of $399. I guess that just demonstrates the need for comparative shopping at gun shows.