Your thoughts on which 380 pocket carry

[WildBill]

Rich? Buy a Kahr.

How about a Rohrbaugh?

I talked to a gun dealer in Houston about it. He says he talked with the company and it was meant for people like Ambassadors, and not to always be taken to the range. Apparently the gun is only good for a couple hundred shots before it starts to crack.

That's a scary thought.

I have a "high-end" 380 ACP, the Sphinx 380AT. It is a little too big for pocket carry unless you are wearing cargo pants. It is very reliable and build to last and has a capacity of 10+1. Too bad they are so hard to find in the US.

[ELB]

This:

I love my Seecamp LWS380. It's absolutely tiny compared to my pm9. .... Having said that, most of the other small .380s are big enough that concealment wise, there's not much difference between them and the smaller 9mms.

My thought is the one advantage to a .380 round is that you can build a minimalist gun around it that is very very small, and can be carried in ways that small 9mm's can't. Seecamp, Keltec P3AT, Ruger LCP are in this category. They are very flat, fit in small pockets, shirt pockets, neck holsters, etc.

Other .380s like the Bersa, Walther PPK, etca, as noted by many above, are pretty much the same size as a small 9mm, so while they are good guns (I have read many positive reviews of the Bersa in particular) I don't see the point in carrying the .380. Unless you are really sensitive the the recoil difference between a small 9mm and a PPK-sized .380.

Ergo, my advice for a .380 is the Keltec, LCP, or Seecamp.

The Rorhbaugh interests me greatly, but I don't want to cough up the money for it ... they seem to run $1000 and up, last I looked. I would think a 9mm in that size pistol would be quite a handful, but I haven't had a chance to find out for myself.

I like snubbies as well, but they do not compete with the LCP, P3AT, or Seecamps for size and weight. I see them as in the category of small 9s. They give up a round or two to the small 9 semi-autos (altho I have a six shot Colt), and the cylinder adds some bulk, which is awkward in ways. However, they are good for multiple shots with the muzzle pressed up against something, and with shrouded hammer they are good for multiple shots from inside a pocket, neither of which are small things.

Having said all that, I have not found any clothing arrangement that I wear that does not let me carry a Browning Hi Power. I sometimes carry the snubby or the P3AT to have a backup in and a very accessible place (like the pocket my hand is in), but the primary carry gun is always the Hi Power.

[ELB]

Rich? Buy a Kahr.

How about a Rohrbaugh?

I talked to a gun dealer in Houston about it. He says he talked with the company and it was meant for people like Ambassadors, and not to always be taken to the range. Apparently the gun is only good for a couple hundred shots before it starts to crack.

Interesting.

This is what John Farnam had to say about his R9 Rohrbaugh in one of his emails to students back in 2008:

Eric Rohrbaugh, of Rohrbaugh Pistols, examined my copy of the R9 and found
it to be within factory specifications and eminently serviceable, after
digesting 250 rounds of +P 9mm ammunition, mostly DPX and PowerBall. Although
Rohrbaugh doesn't recommend +P ammunition for this pistol, I assured him that was
ALL I ever shot in it! I am not concerned about shooting +P ammunition
through my R9, not that I ever was! I consider it a very acceptable backup gun.


John mentioned in another email that he didn't expect the R9 to last as along as other pistols, given its small size compared to the cartridge power, but his guess was "less than 10,000 rounds," not two hundred. Rohrbaugh does recommend replacing the recoil springs every 200 rounds.

Pocket pistols are not meant to be range guns, just backup guns.

[WildBill]

Rich? Buy a Kahr.

How about a Rohrbaugh?

I talked to a gun dealer in Houston about it. He says he talked with the company and it was meant for people like Ambassadors, and not to always be taken to the range. Apparently the gun is only good for a couple hundred shots before it starts to crack.

Interesting.

This is what John Farnam had to say about his R9 Rohrbaugh in one of his emails to students back in 2008:

Eric Rohrbaugh, of Rohrbaugh Pistols, examined my copy of the R9 and found
it to be within factory specifications and eminently serviceable, after
digesting 250 rounds of +P 9mm ammunition, mostly DPX and PowerBall. Although
Rohrbaugh doesn't recommend +P ammunition for this pistol, I assured him that was
ALL I ever shot in it! I am not concerned about shooting +P ammunition
through my R9, not that I ever was! I consider it a very acceptable backup gun.


John mentioned in another email that he didn't expect the R9 to last as along as other pistols, given its small size compared to the cartridge power, but his guess was "less than 10,000 rounds," not two hundred. Rohrbaugh does recommend replacing the recoil springs every 200 rounds.

Pocket pistols are not meant to be range guns, just backup guns.

This makes a lot more sense. Changing springs afer only 200 rounds is a pain, but if that's what he recommends, then who am I to disagree? I hope that for the price he charges, they include several replacement springs.

[atxtj]

My Seecamp 380 has the same spring replacement interval (200 rounds), that little slide is really flying and the recoil spring takes quite a beating. It does include a spare as well. I have one spring I shoot with and one I carry with, just swap them out before and after a range trip.

[atxtj]

This:

I love my Seecamp LWS380. It's absolutely tiny compared to my pm9. .... Having said that, most of the other small .380s are big enough that concealment wise, there's not much difference between them and the smaller 9mms.

Other .380s like the Bersa, Walther PPK, etca, as noted by many above, are pretty much the same size as a small 9mm, so while they are good guns (I have read many positive reviews of the Bersa in particular) I don't see the point in carrying the .380. Unless you are really sensitive the the recoil difference between a small 9mm and a PPK-sized .380.

The wife has a PPK/s and I'll tell you, I'd much rather shoot the pm9 over it. Being blowback operated the perceived recoil is much heavier than the Kahr. The Seecamp is down right evil . A couple mags through it and I'm good.

[FL450]

the Rugar LCP does not lock back after last round, they chose simplicity. The Tarus TCP I believe does lock back aftet the last round. That being said my occational carry is a LCP Gov Perry addition.
go to the http://www.elsiepeaforum.com" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false; forum for more in-site.

[MadMonkey]

Love my LCP... it's in my pocket every time I leave the house, either as my primary (for a food run or something along those lines) or as a backup when I have time to dress for the occasion. No buyer's remorse here, I shoot it well, it's tiny and light, and feels good in the hand.

OP: Shoot all the pocket autos you can, figure out which ones work best for you, make a list, then decide how much you want to spend, which one looks prettiest, etc. and buy it. Don't get too bogged down in user reviews before you even get to the range to try them out, everyone is different.

[flechero]

I have a kel-tec 3AT and a PF9 (and a Jframe) and while you can pocket carry the 9 and the 38 with certain pants, there are MANY situations that I can't get away with anything more than the 3AT. I hate that fact but it is a fact... a .380 in the pocket beats nothing, every single time.

Don't let others talk you out of your choice without doing some serious investigation into your wardrobe options.

[Teamless]

I have a Smith & Wesson Bodyguard .380.
Is it the best gun out there? Absolutely not.
However, when it is not practical for me to carry my Springfield XD9sc in my Crossbreed, I enjoy being able to put my Bodyguard .380 in my pocket.
I have looked at the LC9 and the Kahn CW30 (I think that was the name) and while they were smaller than my XD9sc, they were still too long for some of my shorts pockets.

I looked at the Ruger LCP and Taurus TCP, neither felt good in my hands

I have had my Bodyguard .380 for about 6-8 months and do NOT have any buyers remorse.

When I go to the range, I usually shoot 1 mag of .380s, just to keep up with the feel of it.
Is it a gun I would want to shoot 50 - 100 rounds at a time, no, not at all. But shooting a mag or 2 is perfect for my needs with that weapon.

As others had commented, get a wheelgun. I have looked and feel that in some of my shorts they would just be too thick, until I lose about 20 lbs LOL.

[68Charger]

Nothing about a Sig P238? Wow..

I love my miniature 1911. They have tons of holsters for it and are extremely reliable. Shoots everything I have fed it so far without any hiccups.

[Seabear]

Well, all I can do is tell you my story. I had an LCP, it was very dependable, and never failed to go bang. It was pocket carried as well as OWB at times. I got a wild hair up my keester and decided I didn't need a .380 so I sold it. I mistakingly thought the PF9 would be a better choice. Well, as others have mentioned here, the PF9 is not as pocket friendly. I also have a Taurus 605 .357 snubby with a bobbed hammer, it doesn't make a pocket gun for me either.

I really enjoy carrying my Kimber Ultra II Stainless either in a KingTuk or an OWB in a Galco kydex. SOmetimes when lighter is needed the PF9 takes over. However, on rare occasions, I have had to admit that the only thing that would "really" work is the LCP. Soooooo, I bought another one from a forum member. Haven't had the chance to shoot it yet, so it's still in the box. It's a "Coyote SPecial" and almost too pretty to carry, the main thing is that I know now that there is a niche for such a weapon.

I had to get rid of it to realize the need for it, but I have one again. If you think you need it, you probably do. So buy it.

[Topdog77c]

Thanks for all the good ideas. I think I will go out and try a few to see how they feel. Will keep you updated. Also will not limit the choice to just the 380.

[NordicTexan]

Look at the S&W bodyguard 380. Its very nice for the front pocket and a good shooter for the small 380. Both my brother in law and I have one and like them.

[gigag04]

I regularly pocket carry a Kahr P380 when I'm off, and keep it is a BUG while I'm on duty. It gets dirty, maltreated, and banged up regularly but always works. Few micro 380s can say that.