Pocket .380 advice

R

Roland Thunder

New member
I have a Kahr PM9 that I carry in my pocket in a DeSantis Holster. I am thinking of selling it and getting a .380 that I can pocket carry. Yes, I realize that the .380 would be a step down in stopping power but if I go through with it I m willing to accept the trade off of stopping power versus comfort and the fact that I probably could shoot more accurately a pocket .380 than a pocket 9mm. Can anyone suggest a .380 that can be pocket carried. I would prefer something that is double action.

As mentioned above, I am only considering this, I haven't decided for sure.
 
Last edited:
I'm interested too. I have a cm9 and a seecamp 32. The seecamp is a great pocket pistol but I would like a 380 that fits my jeans. I'm thinking maybe the kahr cw380.
 
Ruger LCP seems the obvious candidate.

It is my choice for pocket carry and I don't worry too much about stopping power since where you hit has much more to do with that than what you hit with.
 
Lcp, cw380, or the p380.

I carried the p3At for awhile but i like the lcp better, its in my pocket now.
 
I agree with Toney. Because you have a Kahr it makes sense to stick with the brand if you like it, but I doubt you could go wrong with an LCP-C.

Of course, there is no such thing as stopping power. FMJs in .380 will provide adequate penetration to reach vital tissues, but be careful in choosing a JHP for carry, because most either do not expand reliably, or they do then penetrate inadequately. ShootingTheBull conducted extensive and good .380 penetration tests and has summarized his findings on YouTube.

Toney, why do you prefer the LCP to the P3AT? It has been claimed the former is a mere copy of the latter.
 
I have a P3AT. At long last I have it running well with ball ammo. Still haven't found an HP I would bet my life on, but I think that might be bullet weight related.

Anyhow, if I had it to do again, I would go LCP. It is just a little more slickly executed version of the design, with fewer rough edges.
 
I don't like the screw on the extractor on the p3at, a couple times not counting rds and dry firing screws up the threads and loosens it. Just slightly loose and they start having problems... the lcp has a lot better setup.
 
Pocket .380's

I am not anyone's FanBoy.However,I've had OP's same problem.A Glock42 was my solution,100% dependable! Not a LEO,but a retiree getting point A to B.Hope this may help.Good Luck!
 
I don't care for the .380. If you have a 9mm, use it. A pocket .380 doesn't have the "runway" for any bullet use except FMJ. If you buy a .380, don't waste your money on "miraculously expanding bullets", it just isn't in the cards.

Save your money and buy eitther Buffalo Bore Hard Cast +p .380 ammunition or hot-loaded FMJ. Make certain that they penetrate, and put them where they will do you the most good.
 
Another vote for the LCP; the P380 by Kahr is just too dang small for me! And I also second the use of FMJ in anything below 9mm - reliability and penetration are the name of the game here.
 
The .380 you carry beats the 9mm you left in the safe.

I'll echo the LCP recommendation; the new ones have much better sights than the first gen models. Kahr makes its own .380s, but I actually prefer the LCP (though, on the flip side, I prefer the PM9/CM9 to the LC9s; go figure).
 
I have 2 380 pocket pistols A Older (not S&W) PPK/s in a don hume pocket holster and a P3AT kelTec . Both loaded with Corbon DPX copper bullets.
In a good leather pocket holster the PPK/s isn't all that hard to carry .
I come from a time men carried real steel guns in pocket S&W or Colts were 2 most popular . We didn't have this little plastic wonders.
 
I guess I don't have a better recamendation for guns than the rest of these gentleman. I'd say they're all on the right track. Personally I'd go with the G42 if I had to carry a .380 and I'd load it with some lehigh defense extreme defense or extreme penetrator. They offer tell advantages of the fmj but from the research I've done they seem to do a bit more damage. YMMV
 
My P3AT has never malfunctioned in the several years I've owned it. I have no clear idea of how many rounds I have shot through it... 300-500? I dunno.

The LCP's I have seen look like pretty much the same gun, though I am not particularly observant.

To me, those two are actual pocket pistols. They will fit in a normal pants pocket, with a holster, and can't be seen. They don't stick out or make a big bulge.

If you get one a size larger, you have a "sort of" pocket pistol. You will probably need large pockets or need to make sure your shirt covers it or something.

Larger is easier to shoot. My P3AT is not particularly fun to shoot. But I am accurate enough with it at realistic self defense ranges, say 20 feet or less.

My larger 380's and small 9mm are more fun to shoot, but if I need a pistol that I can easily conceal when wearing light clothing, my micro 380 is my go-to choice.
 
For pocket cary you can't beat a Ruger LCP. Conceals easily in a pocket holster in any pocket. Mine is always with me, loaded with Speer Gold Dot HP. Either by itself, or as a a BUG to something larger carried IWB.
Speaking of IWB carry, I have a Kahr CM9, the lower cost version of the PM. It carries very comfortably in a hybrid style IWB holster, but when put in a proper pocket holster is a bit bulky, and more difficult to draw from a pocket than my Elsie Pea. I have found the same to be true with a friend's Glock 42 which is closer in size to my Kahr CM9 than my LCP.
 
Last edited:
I generally carry an LCP. Many carry options and generally don't require you to dress around the gun. It's pretty snappy, so I replaced the recoil spring with an enhanced one. Highly recommend that, it really tames the recoil.

Ruger is great with customer service (I own 4 Rugers including the LCP, an LCR, LC9 and SR1911). My original LCP had the spring that holds the retention pin in place fail. They sent me a brand new LCP to replace it, in record time.
 
I have carried the Kahr, the Kel-Tec, and the Ruger... all in the Desantis.

I like the Ruger the best with the laser. the Desantis keeps the laser from running down the battery and keeps the action from getting full of lint.

I get 1100 fps 90 gr Speer Gold Dot with my handloads, which is what Buffalo Bore 380 +P claims with that barrel.

This is the biggest most powerful gun that I have been able to get myself to carry all the time.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top