Our department never allowed us to carry a back up weapon. Many of us could never understand why. Guns are tools. Tools can fail. If my firearm failed in the middle of a gun fight, what can I do, surrender? Show pictures of my family and hope the bad guy won’t kill me? It took a near death of a fellow officer for my department to concede to its members demand for a back-up weapon. Their old argument that all of us carry the same Glock and can use each others magazines in case of an ammo replenishment or bad weapon failure didn’t sit well with most members. So administration told us to choose a back-up gun.

We could have any caliber Back-Up Gun (BUG) we liked as long as it was a .380—and it was on the approved list. As a group, we were upset that the administration treated us like teenage girls asking for the car on a Friday night, tossing us the keys to Mom’s economy car. But we weren’t complaining. We’d moved mountains and watched a brother officer’s near death experience to get an approved BUG.

I chose the Ruger LCP .380. If I shared the list of .380s approved by my police department the discussion of each weapon’s pros and cons here on TTAG would be hotter than my Glock barrel after an extended training session. Brand fans of other .380’s can debate me on that decision below or argue amongst yourselves. As far as I’m concerned the Ruger LCP is perfect.

Ruger sub sub-compact ticks all the right boxes. The BUG is lighter than a Police Academy movie (9.4oz). It’s compact (5.15” long X .82″ wide). It’s a little bigger than a smart phone, and a whole lot smarter when you need it.

I also carry the Ruger LCP off duty. As fanny packs went out of fashion about the same time as big hair (at least outside of Long Island), and With two small kids, I don’t feel comfortable keeping a larger gun close to my hip (police retention paranoia), I’ve always wanted a self-defense gun I could put in my jean pocket or khaki shorts.

The rigid Ruger slips into my pliable yet sturdy De Santis holster like . . . Anyway, once holstered, the system fits perfectly into my 5.11 work pants.

I have no problem shooting this gun. With its 6+1 capacity, I found it easier to qualify with the Ruger than my Glock 22 and Glock 27. We qualify shooting 48 rounds from various yards. I went 48 for 48. The only problem: with the heavy trigger pull, I limp-wristed the gun. Once. After sending some 100 rounds downrange.

In the end, my administration buckled under the pressure. They saw the light (muzzle flash not God). Gratefully, I chose the Ruger LCP .380 as my back-up gun and off-duty carry piece for its size, accuracy and reliability. Although the LCP’s unproven in combat, the Ruger’s range performance gives me confidence that I now have a life-saving option should the worst come to pass. Which, believe me, it does.

[Chris Fusaro’s a supervisor for road patrol and an adjunct instructor at the police academy. Please click here to follow Chris’ Tweets.]

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91 COMMENTS

    • The .380 list was:

      Kel-Tec
      Ruger
      Kahr
      Smith and Wesson Bodyguard

      The Karhr was a fine gun, I was looking for mid-range price but quality. They will be adding new guns to the list. I’ll keep you posted!

      • I’ve been meaning to rent the bodyguard and lcp from my local range and give them a test but every time I’m there it seems like the owner has some new toy to show me. Last time it was an auto ordnance semi auto tommy gun, so needless to say I ran a few boxes of ammo through that instead of checking out something more practical.

        • The Bodyguard and Diamondback have both been added recently and as of now the men and women that have them like the feel of it when they shoot it. In fact the Diamondback breaks down just like our Glock 22’s.

          • Easy breakdown is always a plus, especially after reading about Ralph’s trials and tribulations breaking down the p290. I think the only thing that breaks down easier than my Glock 27 is my M9 or possibly my AK.

      • Chris- Is there any particular reason the Bersa Thunder .380 didn’t make the cut? Was it ever mentioned or considered?

        • That would be my question, too. I love the Bersa, although it is fairly big compared to more modern designs.

  2. Looking at conceal carry weapons now. The Luger is nice, but after firing my wifes P238, I know where my money is going. something just feels right about a minni 1911 made by Sig Sauer. Lots of bang for your buck, no pun intended. Solid metal frame, tritium sights, after market extended magazine availability, and again…its made by Sig.

    • Quick word in your ear: if you carry the mini-1911 SIG, then get rid of all your safety-less handguns and go 1911-style all the way. You need to switch off that safety in an emergency. Make sure you will.

      • Good point. My CCW instructor made a similar one: All of your handguns should operate in the same manner. One question: I chose the holster for my pocket-carry LCP so that it covered the trigger but still allowed access to the stock/grips. Do you need to cover the safety on a pocketable 1911? If the answer is yes, does someone make a holster that does so while still allowing you to grip the gun to pull it out? If the answer is no, then I’d be worried about carrying it in my pocket.

        • I don’t see why you’d need to have the safety covered. Having the trigger covered is the only thing you should be concerned with.

          • Agreed on both counts.
            My primary duty gun and off duty gun are both Kimber 1911-pattern .45s
            My back up and off duty pocket gun is a Colt NiteLite 1911-pattern .380.

            All functions and controls are the same, all the time.

            That said, I do have a P3AT, due to the clip that I can wear inside the waistband with a tucked in shirt. It’s a special-duty firearm for those times when it is nearly impossible to hide anything else.
            There’s nothing wrong with special-duty firearms filling a unique niche, as long as you recognize that your chance of problems with the draw/fire process goes up.

      • I actually made that decision myself. 5 out of my 6 handguns are 1911 or 1911 style handguns including my P238 and number 6 is going to get sold. I can pick up a Glock and try to sweep off the non-existent safety.

      • Or keep any current DA/SA handguns, switch all of them to condition three carry, and practice the Israeli style draw technique.

    • My wife did an insane amount of comparison, borrowing peoples compacts, talking to people at the Pistol range, online study and the like.
      She decided on the P238 over the Ruger, S+W bodyguard, Keltec, Diamondback and a few others in the supercompact class. Her other Pistol is a CZ83 so she is used to the safety but RF makes a good point.
      An acquaintance did one mod to the Ruger to make it far more palm friendly for range time, less felt recoil and more comfort with handling, Wolff replacement spring pack for the recoil spring it takes a good bit of the bite out of the pocket pistol. It makes a huge difference where the Sig has so little felt recoil I do not even loose sight picture. Although the Sig was not perfect out of the box and we had to send the mag back for replacement it has broken in very nicely (I cant shoot it well without the Sig 7 shot extended mag) Although the Ruger and Bodyguard were high on the potential list.

  3. Based on your qualifying score, you have obviously figured out how to shoot your LCP accurately. Help out a fellow LCP owner who can’t: How do you sight the tiny thing? Using the almost non-extant “sights?” The top of the slide? “Through” the slide? Point shooting? Please don’t say “Practice, practice, practice.” I practice, but I can’t figure out how to aim the little bugger. Reliable as can be, by the way.

    • Thats the bad thing about these conceal carry pistols. Such a short sight, because the entire thing is so small. We aren’t accurate unless we are close to the target. Which is fine by us since this is a defensive gun. Still…we plan to put a laser on the thing. I doubt if were pulling it out in real life, that we are going to be sighting it in and trying to get sight picture.

    • In law enforcement your BUG is your last defense. More than likely it’s going to be used in close combat if it’s your last resort is to use it. In a sense, it’s my Alamo. I’m not too worried about the sights or the laser.

      But for good shooting purposes its all about posture:
      Locating your dominate eye
      Your stance, feet placement. Think Weaver stance or Isoceles
      Holding your gun. You can buy extenders for magazines or the pinky extender. Look at the picture of my LCP at top of article; you’ll see the pinky extender.

      For sighting utilize your dominate eye.
      To find your dominate eye:
      -Place both hands out in front of you. Face palms out extend both thumbs out like reverse L’s, bring your hands together sliding one thumb behind the other.

      -Slanting your index fingers in as if your making a triangle. Then slowly bring your hands to your eye level. Which ever eye has the triangle hole covering it, like looking through a telescope is your ,dominate eye.

      Breathing, breathing, breathing

      You should use the tip of your index finger to squeeze, not pull the trigger

      And of course:
      Practice, practice, practice.

    • Like you, with my older eyes and astigmatism I was concerned about sighting the LCP anywhere but on the range. A solution that has worked quite well for me is a Crimson Trace laser guard.

    • I put a dallop of white appliance touch-up paint on the front sight and it worked wonders. I’m in my mid 60’s and seeing these sights, absent the white paint, was not happening. Once I applied the paint, available at your local hardware store, my LCP ate the center out of a man sized paper target at 3, 5 & 7 yards.

      Best,
      Ken
      LEO
      1968 – 1997

  5. Great post! While most people like to get in caliber wars, I strongly believe that the best gun is always the one you have on you. The .380 you carry 99-100% of the time beats out some amazingly tricked out and expensive show stopping .45 that you don’t carry because of weight or concealment issues. I have an LCP as well and end up carrying that the most in the summer time but if I’m able to conceal my M&P9, I’ll carry that. In the end, these are just tools. Be smart and watchful of your situation so you limit risk from the get go. Thanks again for the post.

    • Thee Ruger is a good gun. The new ones have a laser with it but again in a combat situation the last thing I’ll be doing is using the sights or laser.

  6. Just wondering: With all the people carrying pocket .380s, and the LCP being the most popular, as far as I know, are you sure it’s “unproven in combat”? I mean, maybe not in a military sense, but surely they’ve been used a bit around the country by now, by police and/or civilians? I’d love to see some info on that, but have no idea where to look.

  7. I carry this gun everyday as a back up to my 26. I’ve noticed that after a couple of hundred rounds the trigger has smoothed out quite nicely. Great little bug.

  8. The LCP was modeled on the Keltec small pistol(name escaped me right now) which has been responsible for many successful self defense actions. If you are looking for something slightly more reliable (and something that hits harder) take a look at Ruger LCR 5 Shot 38 revolver. It’s a polymer revolver that has a lot less kick than a normal j-frame revolver does.

    • Thats good re the. 38 for BUG/OD carry. I retired from NYPD in 1988 I carried a Smith model 10 and a model 36 in an ankle rig as well as a model 49 weakside pocket. I also carried the. then unauthorized speedloaders in my strong side pocket. In retirement I favor revolvers for ccw

  9. You can pick up some good .380 +P ammunition from Buffalo Bore online. It could give your LCP a little extra “oomph.” I am praying for your safety. Take care.

    • I just bought an LCP and the owners manual specifically warns not to shoot plus p ammo. I use Buffalo Bore for my SIG 238 and it is a great round.

  10. My dept had the same illness, took the near death experiance (lost part of his hand) of a K9 handler and his dog shot by a 9mm holding bankrobber against the depts madated .357 and no speed loaders. Speedloaders looked too “militant”. Admitedly this was some time ago but it took another two years before we could carry a semi auto on duty.
    I have the LCP in the same pocket holster. two points: had to file down the mag release button kept releasing the mag in the pocket otherwise. Can’t say its a good main carry gun for off duty when help is NOT a radio call away. Kahr P9 or P40 at leaset with two spare mags. Overkill? I have walked into to two gang homicides in the NW in ten years. LCP would not have been my fifth choice for situations like that. Excellent BUG but go IWB for a harder hitting gun brother.

    OH and check that ammo you choose for function!! My LCP is very finincky about ammo as the chamber seems very tight. Will not function with white box for instance…

  11. I have shooting buddies that have almost all of the current crop of tiny .380s. So I have got to shoot all of them. One day, we shot all of them. Just passed them back and forth. The best is of course, the Sig 238. Just a tiny 1911, so it felt the most comfortable to everyone. But it is expensive. The Kahr is good to most people, but it is also rather expensive. And many people have a problem with the Kahr company. The Diamondback felt good, but was completely unreliable with hollow points. My Kel-Tec actually shoots better than both the Diamondback and the Ruger copy. And it doesn’t seem to care what you feed it. The Ruger has way too heavy of a trigger. Like 3lbs heavier than the Keltec. And it is long. Which may not be an issue in the intended situation for these guns. I would think if I had to decide again which to buy, and had the money, I would get a SIG. But my second choice would be my laser equipped Keltec.

    • I think the perception with Kel-Tec in law enforcment circles is that they are not reliable. It doesnt help that they come in a varity of Skittle colors.

      • The reality is that they ARE unreliable. For regular people who would find it nice to have a gun as a just in case it’s ok to have a gun with a hammer spring that breaks often or terrible fit and finish resulting in extensive breakin and service. Police need something that’s reliable. Not just something that’s cool looking and easy to carry. Unfortunately man in law enforcement do carry kel tecs and every time I read something to this effect, I wonder if they’ve ever shot one or shot one moderately to see it fail. I’m Ann former p3at owner, so I paid my $300 to earn my .02

        • .380? Really? Well I guess its better than “nothing”( of which it really is!) funny, but so many officers and sheriffs that decry having “big guns” wouldn’t think twice to say “NO” to a Ruger full size semi auto in 9mm/.40/.45 on duty, but want to carry a PUNY excuse as their “last resort” gun???? I guess the idea of carrying the WIDE VARIETY of compact 9mms, .40s and .45s that aren’t much bigger than this “9mm lite”( and which could be beneficial to carry in conjunction with their duty weapons same ammo) doesn’t make sense.

          but then again, we have a generation of “civilian first, cop second” officers and deputies out there who see a firearm as another piece of uncomfortable weight tot be carried around. As for me? carried a S&W model 36 for years, loaded with 125 gr SJHP + P. Its no bigger than the palm of my hand, next to nothing in terms of weight, goes into my front pocket. recently upgraded to a compact Glock .40 cal- even smaller and can accept full size Glock mags- problem solved, from a TRUST WORTHY platform

          http://www.gunreports.com/special_reports/handguns/Ruger_LCP_problems_spent_cases_rim_tears_Kel-Tec_P-3AT_ejector423-1.html

      • The reality is that they ARE unreliable. For regular people who would find it nice to have a gun as a just in case it’s ok to have a gun with a hammer spring that breaks often or terrible fit and finish resulting in extensive breakin and service. Police need something that’s reliable. Not just something that’s cool looking and easy to carry. Unfortunately man in law enforcement do carry kel tecs and every time I read something to this effect, I wonder if they’ve ever shot one or shot one moderately to see it fail. I’m Ann former p3at owner, so I paid my $300 to earn my .02

      • The reality is that they ARE unreliable. For regular people who would find it nice to have a gun as a just in case it’s ok to have a gun with a hammer spring that breaks often or terrible fit and finish resulting in extensive breakin and service. Police need something that’s reliable. Not just something that’s cool looking and easy to carry.

    • Sean is right. The Ruger 380 DAO trigger is not only too heavy, it is way too long. I have been a longtime fan of Ruger weapons and I do own the 380, but I find it very uncomfortable to fire. I think its primary virtue is its light weight and ease of concealment. The laser is useless in daylight of course, but I think the pistol is reasonably accurate — even with the dreadful trigger pull and excessive recoil.

  12. You mentioned getting a laser; I’ve got a Crimson Trace on mine, and I like it. Especially that when you squeeze the grip, the light comes on: no buttons to reach for and push.

  13. Wife carries an LCP in the summer. she loves it and is very accurate at 5-10 yards. (2 inch groups)

  14. A friend showed up at the range this morning with a new LCP and a few boxes of ammo. He let me put a few mags through it and in my opinion it’s an excellent pistol. It was much easier to shoot well than I thought it would be, considering its small size and tiny sights.
    I’m somewhat baffled by the complaints here about it having a heavy trigger. I found the trigger to be quite good. It’s a long DA pull, as expected, but it’s silky smooth with no stacking and a good, comfortable pull weight that I didn’t find excessive at all.
    A quirk that we found amusing is where it throws the brass. My friend wanted to collect it so I was watching where it went. I was looking to his right but not seeing it land. It took several rounds before I realized the brass was going over his head and landing behind his left foot.

    • YES! I forgot to mention the brass and the discharge. Make sure you wear a tight t-shirt.

  15. Ya Chris they do. The firearms – equipment board (of which I am a member, but consists mostly of SWAT Cops) tests and votes on each one added to the approved list. SWAT beat the heck out of my P9 before approving it and Kahrs in general. Interesting the KelTec 3AT was just approved but it has to be at least 2nd generation. Can’t say we are mired down any longer the board just approved 1911’s for uniformed duty carry as long as its off the list of approved manufacturers in .45ACP. Oh and you have to pass the shooting quals with at least 90 % of possible!

  16. You can pick up some good .380 +P ammunition from Buffalo Bore online. It could give your LCP a little extra “oomph.” I am praying for your safety. Take care.
    ____________________________

    Are people shooting souped up ammo in the LCP? The LCP manual warns NO +P. I myself did shoot a bunch of Buffalo Bore +P’s in my LCP before they came out with their new manual forbidding it. They worked fine but kicked like a mule, but doable, and didn’t seem to hurt the gun at all, but maybe I was lucky, and you wouldn’t want to keep on shooting them in such a tiny gun.

    The LCP is the ONLY pocket auto I’ve ever had – and I’ve had a lot of them – that is reliable. The magazine sometimes used to pop loose in my front jeans pocket, so I filed down the mag button and that fixed it. I’ve done the same on various pocket autos.

  17. Great post about the LCP. I am a Ruger fan so I am biased. But I have carried two LCP’s I love the gun. I carried two so I don’t have to reload. I just recently purchased an LC9 which I haven’t shot enough to know how well I like it but so far so good. It is very similar to the LCP just bigger…with a safety. I have been pretty accurate with it so far and it is comfortable in my hand…better than the LCP. But I can’t get away from the size of the LCP it is perfect in the pants the way I carry it. A while back I got a Ruger SR9c which is nice but a whole lot bigger than the LCP or LC9. I really like the SR9c but for summer use the LCP (or maybe the LC9) is my choice.

    Rob Drummond
    Hillsboro, NH

    • I’m thinking about getting another LCP. I’ve heard that gen2 LCP has better sights (although still small) than the first LCPs and the trigger has been improved to some extent. I’ll more than likely get another.

  18. I was really happy to find your post. It is a very well-written piece with a clear opinion. I have been torn greatly between the Ruger and the S&W Body Guard. I hear awful reviews on the take down lever and the laser being hard to use. But in all honesty I love the look of the Body Guard over the Ruger. Now I know that the perp won’t exactly take their time to say “Hey there, that sure is a swell looking firearm pal. Great Choice” So If you would ever be able to compare to the bodyguard I’d love some information. I found a body guard here for $389 and a Ruger for $339. As you can see i have a close yet far enough price range to reconsider the two. I’m just asking in all honesty which one would you choose?

  19. I purchased my LCP on 9/12/11 and after 300 rounds sent it back for failure to extract, 3 times in 300 rounds. Ruger replaced the slide and I took it out for a function test. One hundred rounds one more fail to extract (the empty case stays in the chamber jamming the next round in the mag against it forcing the slide to lock partially open). The malfunction was cleared and the gun was field stripped and cleaned. On the next trip to the range I could not get through a single mag without several failures to extract. After 20 rounds I gave up. The gun has been returned, again, to Ruger. I’ve asked them to replace the gun so we’ll see what happens.

    I’m a retired LEO who has had to use deadly force during my career so absolute reliability is non negotiable. I’m posting to urge all that carry the LCP to function test it extensively before carrying it. Mine has had over 400 rounds through it and keeps getting worse. Best to all LEO’s and be safe.

  20. Just got my lcp w/ ct 10-28-11. Out of the box at 30 feet the laser was 4″ high and 5″ left (I was shooting 4″ low and 5″ right). Easy fix w/ allen wrenches supplied. Within 40 rounds I was grouping inside a baseball or slightly tighter (I’m not a very good shoot). I really had my doubts about a .380 mouse gun. I FREAKIN LOVE this gun. You don’t know it’s there. When you “can’t” carry a gun, this is the gun you carry! If you want a ccw at all times buy the lcp w/ ct, learn the long trigger pull and you won’t look back.
    BTW I was shooting 90 grain PMC ammo about 50 degrees at 2,300 ft elevation. This is an incredible ccw.

  21. I love my LCP and I highly recommend the Hunter 2500-2 holster. It’s thin, it’s leather and it conceals the outline of the gun.

  22. I have carried my Ruger LCP for about a year and a half and I find it to be a great all around conceal carry gun. It has been very reliable and even influenced a few others to buy and carry one.

  23. you probably know this already but just in case, you need to try this! get a #13 pound recoil spring, the difference will amaze you i promise, it cuts the recoil considerably is more controllable and makes follow up shots much easier.
    i use to hate shooting mine, now i don’t, some friends at the range have told me they had problems with certain ammo and now it eats anything you put thru it, and the brass falls 2 os 3 feet next to you instead of 20 feet somewhere unknown.

  24. the only thing some people find troublesome is that it makes it a little harder to pull the slide back and lock it, i personally dont have any problem, for what i understand the lcp comes with a #9 spring to make it easier for ladies to pull the slide, allowing the slide to slam back against the frame when shooting giving you that painful recoil. let me know how it works for you my friend. you will thank me later, LOL!

  25. I’ve been looking for a secondary and I think your article just made my decision for me. Thanks for sharing, sir!

  26. I bought an LCP last June and I have put about 2000 rounds thru it since then. I love the gun, but I have had the head of the take-down pin snap off 3 times. Ruger has sent me replacement pins every time, but they haven’t improved the design of the pin. Has anyone else had this problem? I can’t believe it is happening only on my gun.

    • When taking the pin out try pushing the slide back just a small amount to release the pressure off of the pin. You might be doing this. Hope it helps.

      • Thanks for your input. I do know about the need to push the slide back slightly to relieve pressure during takedown pin removal. The pin isn’t breaking at this time. It is breaking off right at the point where the larger diameter is reduced to the smaller diameter to provide the detent for the spring retainer. The failure is occurring sometime during the firing of the weapon. I don’t know what loads the pin is subjected to, but it seems either too brittle or else that step needs to be less abrupt. I have had this failure 3 times now, during which time I have put about 2,000 rounds thru it.

    • David,
      My LCP is at Ruger as we speak for take down pin replacement. This is the second time I’ve had to send it back to Ruger for repair. I love the LCP and miss it right now. Can’t wait to get it back. It’s the best little pocket gun on the market. I’m thinking about ordering a few extra take down pins from Ruger and rotating pins after one or two range sessions. Might relieve some of the wear on each of the pins. Until I get my LCP back, it’s S&W 637 time. This is a great firearm but it is heavier for a true pocket gun.
      “Long live the LCP.”

      • Thanks to responding to my question. I have ordered spare pins, and I haven’t had a breakage in quite a while, but that might be because I haven’t been shooting that LCP as much lately. The pin failures are more a nuisance than anything else, because the pin doesn’t fall out, and the gun is still operable. It’s just that when you disassemble the gun, you have to push the pin out from the other end.

  27. Got an LCP for my wife. Good little gun for what’s it’s made for.

    I guess I always get a little puzzled with folks who complain about accuracy past about 7 yards. My question is always, “do you really want to shoot somebody 25 yards away?” i wouldn’t want to go to court with that…

    • Is anything TRULY 100% – Reliable? My desire would be to find (have) 100% reliable in an auto; but No Matter how great something normally performs, there could be that odd chance of failure with an auto.

      Short of a dud round, I think the Only sure thing is a wheelgun.
      But a J frame 38, although great (for its size), IS still bigger than the mini 380’s or 9mm.
      The sig p 238 is nice, just wish a bit closer in price to the LCP.

      I saw a write-up that said the CEO of Ruger stated the LC9 was created to answer the call for those requesting an LCP in 9mm.

      I WISH the LCP COULD BE HAD IN 9MM
      instead of the bigger (though slightly) LC9

  29. rugar lcp 380 the mag release is right under my thumb so when i fire it i also release the mag – my son in law has one and he has the same problem-i could not hit a full size ground hog hog with my one shot at 50 feet. you have to realy pull the trigger hard to cock it so for me it is not a smooth action. every one says how great it is but this is just my feelings thank you

  30. Just found your site – very helpful! Just bought my first pistol – the Ruger LCP. As a first time female gun owner, I find it almost impossible to lock the slide. I can pull the slide back, but to lock it? I’d need a third hand! Any suggestions?

    • Make sure you use a combat rack (support hand over the top of the gun, pull back, release). If it’s still too difficult, try bringing the gun close in to your body and lower it to belly button height. All should be done using an UNLOADED GUN or SNAP CAPS before attempting with cartridges. All safety rules apply: muzzle facing a safe direction, keep your hands away from the bit where the bullets come out, etc.

      • I can open the slide okay, it’s getting that little lock button up while holding the slide open. Even my hubby said it is worse than his LCP. Any way to adjust the little lock button so that it moves a little bit easier?

  31. I will never purchase a KelTec pistol again ! The first gun was replaced with another one by KelTec because of malfunction problems, jamming etc., and I had been using different quality ammo too. The 2nd gun also had too many jamming problems, and KelTec replaced the 2nd gun with another new gun. The 3rd new gun had just as many malfunction problems as the 1st and 2nd guns. No more KelTec
    guns for me ! Too many problems with KelTec !

    • Were you building up to something, or did you just have to get that off your chest and couldn’t save it for a relevant article?

  32. Going to a cc class in November.Its been a long time since carried concealed.Ihave been wanting one of the compact pistol for about 3 years.I chose the lcp.It is accurate enough at 7 to 10 yards and easy to conceal.I have purchased a belly band holster and a cell phone holster for different seasons and clothing.Limp wristing will definitely cause a stoppage with it,that happened to my wife twice.I wrapped 3 pieces of 1 inch bicycle tubing around the handle for better grip and to shield the mag release button a little.Will report more when I actually start carrying it

    • Bicycle tubes, yep they come in handy, slippery knife handle, pistol grip. I wrapped a piece over my NAA .32acp Guardian You are dead on about limp wristing, LCP owners who complain their LCP jams are more than likely limp wristing.

  33. The LCP is still taking a big chunk of the .380 pocket gun market. In fact the improved sights and the SS slide model, has got me thinking of picking up another LCP.

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  35. Chris, any thoughts on the new Ruger LCP Custom? Wouldn’t mind seeing a review with the new upgrades from ruger. Looks like better sights and trigger.

  36. I bought a Kel Tec P3AT in 2008. The Kel Tec was a nightmare. Right out of the box I spent 5 months shipping the gun back and forth to FL. Finally the gun came back shooting well. Over the years the P3AT was plagued with failures. The head sheared off the guide rod. The take down pin broke. The exactor and ejector broke. Finally in 2013 Ruger updated the LCP with decent sights, a rounded slide and a better trigger. I bought the newer Ruger and ditched the Kel Tec. I shoot hundreds of rounds without a malfunction. The only ammo I have had problems with is Freedom Munitions 100gr Flat point FMJ. The FM case is about 1/4inch shorter than most 380 cartridges. We tried the FM ammo in three different LCP pistols. None of the pistols were reliable with the FM ammo.

    My LCP has been so reliable and trouble free my wife got a Ruger LCP Custom that is a joy to shoot. The LCP custom actually fits her tiny hands, she shoots it well. If you have no problems racking the slide the Wolff 13lb recoil spring and +10% firing pin spring are a worthy upgrade.

  37. I have to chime in. I have an LCP 380 and it is dead on accurate at 25 yards. Feeds flawlessly, is ultra- concealable in a wallet holster, and one need only watch ballistic gel tests on YouTube to see it’s penetration ability. Considering it is likely to be used at around 10 feet, it is more than adequate as a bug. Recoil? No problem. The mag extension allows all fingers on grip. I got 2 for 16 bucks. Don’t take my word for it. Fire an LCP and then the $239 price tag will amaze you. Ruger makes solid reliable firearms. Used to be chunky, but now ultra concealable. Great weapon.

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