gunshow...

[snatchel]

Alrighty y'all I need some imput STAT.

At the gunshow today I was in the market for a pocket 380. I am not really big on the peashooters, but they definately have their place. The idea is to get one, then when my wife gets her CHL let her carry it. Until then, I want it :) Worst case is I love it, keep it, and end up getting her one as well.

Anyway. I found 2 little handguns I really liked muchos. I've been sitting here reading reviews on both of them and just can't decide which, so I wanna ask my fellow board members which they have, which they prefer, the specifics! What do you love/hate? What have you heard? What has been your experience. Definately want a laser built in because well.. it is a pocket gun and I dont expect great sights. Here are my two choices:

S&W Bodyguard .380
Ruger LCP with Crimson Trace

I have shot neither, only held them. Honestly, they both felt great but the Smith definately had lot more to hold on to. Both can easily be pocketed, so size wouldn't be an issue with either. While we are on the subject, What ammo do y'all carry in your .380's for defense? And pocket holster opinions. I know this is a lot, but any imput at all would be helpful! Thanks guys...

[G26ster]

A forum search for +380 +ammo yielded 2200+ responses. All the info you asked about is there.

[snatchel]

A forum search for +380 +ammo yielded 2200+ responses. All the info you asked about is there.

got the same idea myself. Problem is that all the ammo is great.... I ws just curious as to which have been tested in either of the handguns for reliability. If Bob says he has ran a hundred rounds of X ammo through his Bodyguard with no issue I will go with that. If he says X ammo has had feeding issues, I will stay away from it.

[SewTexas]

I have the LCP with Laser grips, from everything I've read here it doesn't have a problem with ammo....now, I might have missed something, It's pretty new and I'm relying on memory, but....maybe that can help a bit?

[Teamless]

S&W Bodyguard .380
Ruger LCP with Crimson Trace

I went through the same thing you are going through now.
it took me about 3 months to decide on my pocket .380.

I looked at the TCP, LCP, P238 and the SW Bodyguard .380.
held them all, felt them, looked at what i thought were the pro's and con's.

In the end, I did end up with the SW Bodyguard .380.

Why did i choose that?
Holding the TCP and LCP, both obviously very similar guns, they just felt a bit too small in my hands, to the point that i didn't think I would be comfortable grabbing and shooting without the perception (to me) of losing control of it.

The P238, I loved the feel of it, but for pocket carry and not having a decocker, I decided against it.
However I would love to eventually get a gun like it, but it would be a "wish list" gun and probably strictly IWB carry due to the hammer (yes others may pocket carry it and in the end, I might, but I don't want that to be my only option with it)

The SW Bodyguard .380
it felt better in my hand than the TCP/LCP did.
I did like the built in laser - but would have preferred the laser action like the Crimson Trace, but oh well, I can deal with the side button on the Bodyguard.

For your thought process on the LCP, unless they have changed the slide lock, the slide does not lock open after last shot, if that makes a difference to you.

Let us know what you finally decide, and happy shopping

[snatchel]

Teamles, Glad to hear I am not the only one that has gone through this. LoL. The fact that S&W slide locks back is a huge advantage for me. Like you, the LCP and P3AT both just felt... so small in my hand that I didn't really feel confident. The Bodyguard isn't much bigger, but big enogh to make a difference. The laser is really the biggest issue for me. The LCP button is WAY more convenient that the bodyguards, but I dont know if that is something that I could deal with by just practicing. Ugh...decisions. Either way I have time to think about it. Maybe I'll decide soon.....

[Teamless]

Maybe I'll decide soon....

thats what I said, and it took me 3 months LOL (also waiting for the right gun show price)

Shooting the Bodyguard: the laser on mine shoots about 5 inches high at 10 yards, but the iron sights were dead on.
When shooting steel drop targets, without the laser, it was bang bang drop drop, Nice!

The downside the Bodyguard (and I dont know if the P3AT, LCP or TCP have this) but the Bodyguard has a internal hammer. When you pull the trigger you can see it in the back of slide, so it is a long trigger pull.
This gun would NOT be a good range gun to shoot tons of rounds, but as I said, it was way accurate with the iron sights.
I found, once I got past about 20 shots with it, and were shooting back to back shots, that I really forgot about the long pull.

The long pull does do a good thing (at least for me), it makes me get my trigger finger properly on the trigger - on the pad of the finger, about 1/4 of the way from the tip, instead of nearer to the joint. going from the Bodyguard to my XD9SC, my shooting got better, at least for a moment when I used proper trigger control -

[torolimon]

Is your wife an experienced shooter? I don't recommend the Ruger LCP for a new shooter because it has a very long, hard trigger pull. The small weight of the LCP helps when your carrying it all day but it makes the recoil harder to manage.

[The Annoyed Man]

Kahr CM9. A little bit more money than the LCP, and just a touch bigger (but not much bigger), and in 9mm. Plus P rated to boot. Completely disappears in the pocket, and a LOT easier to shoot than either the P3AT or the LCP. More accurate too.

MSRP is $565.00, but nobody pays MSRP. I wouldn't be surprised if you could find one in the $400-$500 range.

[SQLGeek]

In addition to TAM's suggestion, if you're not married to the .380 caliber, you might want to take a look at the LC9 also.

[snatchel]

TAM, I was checking out the Kahr's at the gunshow today too. Definately an option, but still just a tad too big for my pocket comfort. I actually stuck one down my pocket and the seller looked at me crazy like I was stealing it. Awkward moment solved by a short conversation, and he moved me down a few feet to the keltec/lcp/bodyguard section.

I daily carry a G26/G36, so I am fully aware of the sacrifices of moving down to a .380, but I need something that is cake to carry in dockers and such. Dont get me wrong, the G26 is a breeze in a hybrid holster, but it would just be nice to have options.

Is my wife an experienced shooter? No. A novice for sure, but she is a heck of a shot :) She actually shoots target as well as I do almost, and I have had YEARS of practice and training in the Navy SO community. I dont see trigger pull being a problem though, with practice this can be dealt with.

Still leaning toward the bodyguard, but I just cant bring myelf to forget about the LCP. The only downfall is I have heard of a lot of teething issues with the bodyguard. From what I understand, this was solved in the later serial number models, but I am not certain.

[atxtj]

Kahr CM9. A little bit more money than the LCP, and just a touch bigger (but not much bigger), and in 9mm. Plus P rated to boot. Completely disappears in the pocket, and a LOT easier to shoot than either the P3AT or the LCP. More accurate too.

MSRP is $565.00, but nobody pays MSRP. I wouldn't be surprised if you could find one in the $400-$500 range.

I agree, I have a PM9 that I find so easy to carry in a crossbreed minituck that my pocket gun (Seecamp lws380) almost seems redundant. While I love the Seecamp, I actually put it in my back pocket Friday and then pulled it out and put it back in the box, the PM9 is just that easy to carry, why not carry it instead. Don't get me wrong, I LOVE my Seecamp, and it does its job dutifully, but the Kahr is just as easy to carry most times.

PS, if your looking at a super discreet 380, take a look at the LWS380, a bit more cash, but well worth it.

[A-R]

I've had an LCP with Crimson Trace laser for a couple years now. Never had any problems 'cept for that early recall (which was a minor annoyance). It goes bang every time and is reasonably accurate with the laser (the gun itself has little "bumps" for sights - nearly worthless). It doesn't fit my hand perfectly, but with the mag extension (which is really a ring-finger extension, not a pinky extension - pinky still hangs off the bottom) I can make it work.

If I was buying new today I would take a long, hard look at the S&W. I've held a few and really like the grip/feel/ergonomics better than the LCP. Also the iron sights are "real" sights and are miles ahead of the little bumps on the LCP slide. That said, the laser activation button is not nearly as intuitive as the CT upgrade for the LCP. Almost makes me wonder if the S&W even needs the laser. If they came out with a BG380 with no laser at $100 less street price I'd be all over it.

I've even thought about selling my LCP/CT and getting a S&W but just can't bring myself to part with a gun that has been flawless and is the easiest gun to carry that I own - if I can carry nothing else, I can at least carry Elsie Pea.

As for ammo, after some amateur testing on a few makes (see here viewtopic.php?f=23&t=32400&hilit=milk+jug+ammo" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;) I'm a firm believer in Hornady Critical Defense for these pocket .380s. I've since tested (even less scientifically) some Speer Gold Dot and it was OK, but not as good as the Hornady.

Lastly, for pocket holsters I strongly recommend two - depending on which style you like best:

http://pocketholsters.com/" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

http://www.frontiernet.net/~akim/" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

Mika's (the second one above) is my current go-to pocket holster for both my LCP and J-frame revolver (and also have one I use sparingly for baby Glock). His design is ugly (that's a compliment for a pocket holster) but it simply works - the fabric material he uses inside works perfectly to prevent the gun from sticking to the inside of the holster (a common problem with leather pocket holsters, which sometimes are drawn with the gun).

[BrianSW99]

The Bodyguard has dovetail sights, so it should be possible to change them out for night sights down the road. I also found that I was much more accurate with the iron sights than the laser. I don't think it's that the laser is that far off as much as I think for some reason I tend to pull the gun more when focusing on the laser than when I'm looking at the sights. If I really worked at keeping the gun still when using the laser I could get fairly decent accuracy.

Brian

[sugar land dave]

LCP for my pocket carry, even though I comfortably carry and shoot a Rock Island 1911 Double-stack. When I go to the range, the LCP goes also, as does my Ruger P95DC. I shoot them all and practice with them all. I really enjoy carrying the LCP. I can stick it and its pocket holster in jeans or dress slacks. I've carried it in sweats and in shorts. It should feel small; it IS small.

The LCP probably won't feel small to many women. They generally have smaller hands and less grip strength. I do tend to think small j-frame revolvers perform better for women due to magazine loading and slide racking being more difficult for quite a few women. These are some thoughts that I have if you were thinking the pocket pistol might become your wife's protection.