Ruger LCP

Thanks everyone for the input it has been helpful. CDR the problem with the PPKS is that I couldn't hit anything with it. I got it new and tried break in procedures but that gun never shot accurately which surprised me. I expected better and that's why I've always been skeptical of the round and not the gun. We'll be shooting at least once a month and I'll be out more often. I think the LCP is the right gun for this application, close quarters and not a lot of room to carry so it will work for her. She learned to shoot back in the day when working at a sheriffs department in her hometown and I hear that she surprised the sheriff and more than a few deputies in competition. We do keep 9mm and 40 pistols around the house as well as a 12 gauge or two. It is a sort of crowded neighborhood with a very busy street on one side. I thought I'd thought this out but clearly there are several points of view I'd not considered.Thanks again.

HB
 
Work it out

Takes some range time to become proficient with the LCP. That little sucker is a handful recoil wise.

That said it is a superb carry piece. I must admit my G19 has been relegated to nightstand duty, since the LCP found it's way to my pocket.
 
You gotta work with any hg to familiarize yourself with it. ..gotta know what ammo it likes & what it doesn't & stay away from what it doesn't. There are plenty of aftermarket accessories for the LCP to make it more manageable. You can get extended mags for a longer grip to fit the hand better and pinky extensions like the Pearce Grip (there are others) can work well too. Slip-over grips are an option. But above all you gotta work with your hg. ..can't ignore it then expect to know how to use it or even expect it to even work should the need arise. But, even though I own the LCP, I'd much prefer she went with something like the S&W M&P Shield 9mm in her situation. Why compromise when you don't have to?
 
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heavybarrel said:
Morning everyone,

I carry an S&W SD9VE but she preferred something smaller and bought a Ruger LCP that will be carried around her ankle. Good price and I like Ruger but worry a bit about the .380 auto it uses. It will be very up close if needed and I wouldn't want to get shot by one in any case but I wonder about the stopping power. Will it also be enough for a home invasion problem? Is the LCP reliable? I've watched a couple of YouTube videos and it looks pretty good. My brother has the 9mm version and I like it but you can probably tell that small pistols are not my specialty. Opinions? Thanks.

HB
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I owned a LCP and carry a Glock 42 often..look at this ammo..it 'tests' very well(I now, tests, gel, etc), often on par with HP 9mm..benefit is not getting 'clogged' by clothing

Lehigh/Underwood Xtreme Defender(NOT penetrator)

LCP Pretty snappy for me..I got a Hogue grip and 'low recoil' guide rod spring..

My LCP was VERY reliable with just about anything. .380 gets a bad rap but it is a fine defensive round.
 

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Much of what you're asking is very subjective. "Will it be enough?" can't be answered. You can point so someone who collapsed from shooting himself in the foot with a .22, and someone who was shot in the chest with .357 magnum and kept fighting. As vague as it is, the common advice to carry the biggest caliber that you can shoot well and regularly train with, is good advice to me. I've had two pocket pistols, S&W Bodyguard and Beretta Pico (still own). I liked both better than the LCP, but shoot the LCPII better than either -- it's the lighter trigger and overall shape of the gun, I think.

I shoot none of them as well as even a P365, and my hands are on the small side. Tiny guns are just hard to shoot, period. If I point my Walther PPS out straight and blast off 5 rounds at 5 yards, I get a surprisingly good group without aiming. If I try the same with a pocket gun, it at least doubles, if not more. Very, very easy to pull off target.

Anyways, if size is the driving factor, it's probably a good choice. If she can carry larger, even in .380, a larger framed gun would be better IMO.

The Glock 42 seems to be in the magical space for me, size-wise. It's still very small, slimmer even than the 9mm options, but I can shoot it surprisingly well. Perhaps that is a good compromise?
 
And not to rain on the parade but my experience has been that smaller caliber semi-auto HGs in general tend to be more persnickety than larger caliber ones. Smaller springs; finer tolerances; they just gotta be more finely tuned to run at all. I've shot all kinds of 9mm HGs & all but one were totally reliable. ..can't say the same for my .380 LCP.
 
MrBot said:
And not to rain on the parade but my experience has been that smaller caliber semi-auto HGs in general tend to be more persnickety than larger caliber ones. Smaller springs; finer tolerances; they just gotta be more finely tuned to run at all. I've shot all kinds of 9mm HGs & all but one were totally reliable. ..can't say the same for my .380 LCP.
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And the Beretta Pico is just that, finely tuned to run right. I have two that just keep running like a sewing machine. Thousands of rounds and no flaws. Remarkable little well made Pocket guns. I just like to hold them and admire them.

https://imgur.com/gallery/cbuqy5C
 
I carry a gen 2(Not LCP II) every day in a Desantis Nemesis. I had a Pico, couldnt get used to the grip. I believe the LCP is 2-3 oz lighter than the Pico, making it more comfortable to carry. This is my second LCP, both of which have been super reliable.
 
Three things Carl said need correcting.

1. There are a million bigillian LCPs in the world. Let's cool it with this talk that the chassis is fragile. That's not true.

Additionally and whats noteworthy here, your mention of the PICO chassis being interchangeable is true. But you miss that Kel Tec created the changeable chassis system. As the LCP is a copy of the P3AT, you too can remove the LCP chassis with just a push of the pins. I know. I've done it.

2. Underwood is a boutique loader because it isn't FN (Winchester), it isn't Vista Outdoors (Speer/CCI/Federal), the Freedom Group (Remington/Barnes), Hornady. Underwood and boutique loaders don't make their own bullets. They don't make their own cases. They buy bullets from Speer/Federal/FN/Hornady, buy cases from all over, and load it to their pressure and FPS. That's it. That's pretty dang boutique and a very insignificant foot print on the US ammunition market.

3. That's cool you don't recognize that +P .380 doesn't exist. You know who does? FN (Winchester), Vista Outdoors (Speer/CCI/Federal), the Freedom Group (Remington/Barnes), Hornady. Vista alone makes almost all the US ammunition and is the Salt City plant operator that provides all the DOD ammunition.

Those companies recognize ammunition at SAAMI specs. That's cool that Underwood doesn't. Wonder what they know that Vista doesn't?
 
wild cat mccane said:
Three things Carl said need correcting.

1. There are a million bigillian LCPs in the world. Let's cool it with this talk that the chassis is fragile. That's not true.

Additionally and whats noteworthy here, your mention of the PICO chassis being interchangeable is true. But you miss that Kel Tec created the changeable chassis system. As the LCP is a copy of the P3AT, you too can remove the LCP chassis with just a push of the pins. I know. I've done it.

2. Underwood is a boutique loader because it isn't FN (Winchester), it isn't Vista Outdoors (Speer/CCI/Federal), the Freedom Group (Remington/Barnes), Hornady. Underwood and boutique loaders don't make their own bullets. They don't make their own cases. They buy bullets from Speer/Federal/FN/Hornady, buy cases from all over, and load it to their pressure and FPS. That's it. That's pretty dang boutique and a very insignificant foot print on the US ammunition market.

3. That's cool you don't recognize that +P .380 doesn't exist. You know who does? FN (Winchester), Vista Outdoors (Speer/CCI/Federal), the Freedom Group (Remington/Barnes), Hornady. Vista alone makes almost all the US ammunition and is the Salt City plant operator that provides all the DOD ammunition.

Those companies recognize ammunition at SAAMI specs. That's cool that Underwood doesn't. Wonder what they know that Vista doesn't?
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Yes millions of LCP's out there and millions of owners that hardly even shoot them on a regular basis. I bet a large part of that number, do not even shoot these guns more than a 100 rds a year.
Hardly wrong there Wild Cat. I bet I have owned more LCP's than you have a shot thousands of rounds through them. I know them very well. And I can tell you for a fact that frames crack, rails split and on and on. Many pictures on this.
No I did not miss that the Keltec frame can be interchanged. I own a P32. What Underwood and Lehigh know more than that Vista Outdoors etc. is that there is a market for higher pressure in the 380 and do not focus on producing millions of rounds in bulk.
And get off the nonsense that higher pressure ammo does not exist, or can be made to shoot safely. It is there, it does it's job very well. And they are designing better bullets for that caliber all the time.
If you have spent any amount of serious time shooting the 380 then you would not be so narrow mined about the ammo. Get over the Sammi specs for that caliber. And again, MAYBE they need to include it. Why haven't they?????? My God, it has become a very popular round. Maybe they should get off their butt and get with the Program.
And for God sake man, get out and actually shoot some of the Boutique ammo.

And NO I will not cool it about the frame cracks simply because you say so. I had too many fail and that is a fact! A light weight aluminum frame polymer pistol shot in a little gun is a huge explosion taking place. It is not hard to figure out. Obviously you have not shot a LCP very often.

Sorry if I sound a little upset. But I love shooting and the Pocket gun and Micro 9mm are my niche. I love them, appreciate them and know their limitations. Not to mention a whole lot of money on the guns and ammo during the past decade.
 
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The whole non-SAAMI +P boutique ammo thing boils down to maketing hype. They have carved out a niche in the market for people who actually believe their hyoe that by adding the +P moniker their 380 ammo somehow now makes up for not being 9MM Luger. Are they actually loading ammo over the recognised pressure? Probably not. Most likely taking it to the very edge unlike reputable major manufacturers who allow a bit of a cushion.
Or they just don't care about standards established by the industry because they are so much smarter than the people who have researched ammo pressure, and performance for many years.
 
Again you cannot read. I did not say they designed the actually bullet. I believe Lehigh might have. Now here is the thing. You are giving advice that can destroy a firearm or get someone hurt.

When had my first LCP many years ago, I called and talked to a Tech at Ruger. The first thing he did was ask me if I had been shooting Plus P ammo. I knew the limitations of the firearm and knew that hot ammo will crack one. We had a long discussion on the subject.

Now here is a fact, you like the word Boutique because it is a way of disparaging any specialty maker of ammo or Bullets, like Barnes etc. There IS plus P ammo and saami not listing the 380 does not mean it does not exist. I swear I cannot understand why you cannot figure that out. And It is hardly marking hype. That is from people that do not shoot on a regular basis and have not seen results.
And here is a FACT some Pocket guns can handle the higher pressure ammo. I have ammo that the Beretta Pico and Kahr I will shoot that ammo out of. I WILL not attempt to do this with a LCP. Been around the block too long and know the limitations.

Folks, if your gun is NOT rated to shoot Plus P DO NOT DO THIS!! PERIOD! Please do not listen to this nonsense that simply because SAAMI does not list it, it does not exist.

Underwood, Lehigh, Buffaloe bore are specialty munitions makers. Call them Boutique fine. But for Gosh sake take the time to learn the difference. By the way one of my favorite 380 rds is PrecisionOne Plus P. And I have both, the Plus P and the standard. For this guy to try and tell me there is no difference is total BS. And I do not shoot the Plus P out of my LCP.
 
There IS plus P ammo and saami not listing the 380 does not mean it does not exist.
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So totally, and completely wrong.
The +P designation is a SAAMI designation. Anything that is not on their specific list of +P loadings is either over their recomended standard of pressure, or used to hype ammo to make naive people think it some super round.
Bassically, ammo marked +P is either one of the limited cartridges listed by SAAMI, or a lie!

The reason that Ruger clearly states to not use +P ammo in an LCP is that there is no recognised pressure rating for +P 380, and therefore Ruger has no idea of what the chamber pressure in any ammo claiming to be +P is.
Maybe the boutique loaders should list the chamber pressure for their claimed +P ammo. But then people who bothered to look it up might find out what a lie it may be. Or they can decide how much pressure over the industry standard they are willing to put through their gun.
 
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Cheapshooter said:
So totally, and completely wrong.
The +P designation is a SAAMI designation. Anything that is not on their specific list of +P loadings is either over their recomended standard of pressure, or used to hype ammo to make naive people think it some super round.
Bassically, ammo marked +P is either one of the limited cartridges listed by SAAMI, or a lie!

The reason that Ruger clearly states to not use +P ammo in an LCP is that there is no recognised pressure rating for +P 380, and therefore Ruger has no idea of what the chamber pressure in any ammo claiming to be +P is.
Maybe the boutique loaders should list the chamber pressure for their claimed +P ammo. But then people who bothered to look it up might find out what a lie it may be. Or they can decide how much pressure over the industry standard they are willing to put through their gun.
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This is my understanding as well. There may be hotter than standard 380 loads out there, and they may even be marketed as +P, but they can't technically be +p because there's no such standard in existence.
 
Another small handgun to consider is the Kimber Micro 9. It’s a 9mm, lighter and smaller than a Walther PK and mine has been 100% reliable.
I have a Ruger LCP and I carry the Micro 9 most of time
 
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