I've never had or shot a pocket pistol like a Kel Tec or Ruger LCP. I've heard they can hurt to shoot, or at least they're not too fun. How does it compare to something like an LCR shooting 38 special non +p?

I pocket carry a S&W 642 in 38 spc +P on occasion. It doesn’t hurt to shoot at all.

This ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^

With some decent grips; who cares if it bulges a little in the pocket, depending on pants / shorts.

I'm not much of a fan of mouse gun semi's.

MM

Just recently took my old Kel-Tec P32 to the range. I got through two mags full, and the upper web of my hand was so badly cut by the slide that I stopped shooting it. They are last ditch guns that are not fun to shoot.

The Ruger LCP (I have one of those, too) is also no fun due to the extreme recoil of the .380 ACP from such a tiny gun. I have the original one, not the new one, which is larger.

I never found my S&W .380 Bodyguard uncomfortable to shoot, per se. My advancing hand arthritis does make it harder to shoot accurately

My current pocket gun is a .38 LCR and I like it a lot. To carry or shoot

I have a Keltec 32 cal. right after I bought it they came out with the 380.
I don't think they are uncomfortable to shoot, just hard to hold onto

Me either. I've pocket carried my NAA Mini Revolver (.22 lr) far more than either of my mouse autos.

I've got a KelTec .32. It's never cut me. Easy to shoot.

I've got a Ruger LCP, the original model, and that's never hurt me. Never cut me. Not painful to shoot at all, although I've never shot more than 50 rounds through it in a session. Extreme recoil? No.

If you remember what a pocket pistol is for, the lack of range comfort makes sense.

Far too many man-boys badmouth pocket guns because they are difficult to shoot, but I think it is mostly because few man-boys carry concealed. And man-boys mostly like to play dress up on their pistols, and pocket pistols are too single-focus.

For example, my favorite pocket pistol is the Kel Tec PF9 and it takes some work to get used to. But once mastered, it gives a very concealable, ultra-lightweight 9mm weapon. I've shot J-frames, Shields, and SCCY, but I keep the PF9 in my pocket. I own lots of other pistols that are more fun at the range, but I mastered the PF9 to enjoy convenient concealed carry.

So does it hurt? Hell yes, especially with +p.

Well, naturally, I didn't mean that a son of Krypton would have any problem with either of them.

The .32 caliber cartridges, and .380 are not bad most of the times. A 9mm and .38 Special in very light guns can get a little rough. I've got a Taurus 605 2" in .357 Magnum. It's not fun with full power loads.

Well I don't know about the Keltec 32, but shooting my Smith & Wesson 340 PD with full House 357 Magnum loads will bring a tear to your eye!

I think the title of this post is somewhat misleading. Even the light weight 38's LCR, 642, 442, etc aren't uncomfortable to shoot. Point is with good grips they are controllable.

The little semi's aren't uncomfortable to shoot, BUT they do move around in your hand so it's difficult to shoot well. They have to virtually be readjusted in your hand after every shot if you want a consistent grip.

My Kahr 9mm is really to shoot. It's a little snappy, but not too bad considering it is a 9mm.

I reckon how a handgun fits your hand matters more than folks think. I have short fingers, so mouse guns don't bite me.

My suggestion is to practice with the pocket guns in the manner you are likely to use them- the gun and 2-3 reloads. If it draws blood, make adjustments between you and the gun. If it is simply uncomfortable to shoot, grit your teeth and work harder.

I will likely never own another J frame. After switching to small autos, I won’t be going back; especially now that I can have a hi-cap small auto. I’ll take my 12 rounds of .380 over 5 rounds of .38 Special every day of the week. The pistol conceals better, carries better, its lighter, I can shoot it faster and more accurately, I have much better sights, more ergonomic grip, and better sights. Reloads are faster, hold over twice the ammo, and easier to carry.

My current pocket gun is the LCP MAX. I think Ruger just plain hit the ball out of the park with this one (and I’m not much of a Ruger guy); the pistol is very well thought out. For me the biggest improvement is the ergonomics. I have found a pocket handgun I don't hate to shoot.

How many rounds have you put through your LCP MAX so far? How did it shoot and which ammo did you try ?

I’ll probably pick one up soon to go with my original LCP and LCP II in 22 lr. I handled one at my LGS the other day and was impressed with the feel of it in my hand and it’s size for the # of rounds it will hold.

Hollow points were Gold Dots, and Hornady (can't remember which), and Federal (again, don't remember which). FMJ from Fiocci, and Winchester. Just over 400 rounds through it so far, no problems.

Have a SIG P938 9mm.

Shoot 147 gr. std. pressure.

And while the muzzle energy is down a little compared to the lighter/faster offerings, it is pleasant to shoot, extremely precise, and has similar to superior terminal performance.




GR

LOL

I bet; never shot a 357 in mine nor do I intend to.....................that would be sheer self flagellation, I think.

MM

I shy away from little revolvers. My hand size is 2x/giant.

Ditto.. I have a few Kahrs in 9mm and most are sized to fit the 'pocket pistol' description.. No biggie - ya just gotta get used to the action..

Good deal. Thanks for the reply

It depends upon the firearm. Once had a SS AMT in .380....painful to shoot! Have shot quite a few rounds though a Ruger LCP 9mm, and Kahr CM 9mm.....both were very pleasant to shoot! memtb

The most miserable little pistol I ever shot is the Hungarian PA-63 loaded with combloc 9x18 ball. I'll take my j frame and +P 38s over that SOB any day.

About as much fun as a root canal.

My daughter carries a Kahr 9mm; it's a delight to shoot. I have always thought Kahr was outstanding in the ergonomics department.

I’ve got several S&W J frame 357’s. I mainly shoot 38 specials in them. But I have shot 357’s in them also. I would not call it fun but it’s doable. My experience with a LCP was not fun. To small for my hand to grip. Felt like a fire cracker going off in it. I also have a Sig 938. It’s a little better than the S&W’s. Hasbeen

For me, very uncomfortable to shoot. I too have big hands and can't hold onto them. Can't shoot them accurately either. My dad picked up an American Derringer in 45 Colt/410. It was fired by him exactly one time, lol! When asked if I wanted to try it, I said "that's okay".

My LCP II is a breeze to shoot and I have big hands.

My Glock 42 is like shooting a .22 LR. I could shoot it all day long. I didn't like the LCP Max because it cannot hold a candle to the Glock in terms of accuracy or rate of fire. (This may be peculiar to me, because the trigger is so different than everything else I shoot.) I also started developing a blister on my trigger finger after 40 rounds. I also didn't like shooting aluminum framed J frames, but I could manage in .38 Special. Accuracy at 25 yards suffered, though, and I didn't shoot more than I had to.

Have a P3AT. For a cheap tiny gun, it's surprisingly accurate.
And damn hard to shoot well. No way I could get good, quick, accurate,
shots under pressure.

It's not painful to shoot. But it's..difficult? Hand cramping, more recoil
than you would expect from a 380. So I've never fired more than a few
magazines at a time.

The G42 is about as soft shooting as any .380 I’ve owned, far easier to shoot well than a J frame for me.

I’d step up to a Sig 365 for a micro 9mm that works 100%. It’s a little snappy but softer than a G43X to me.

That's a completely different animal. Most folks find the 42 pleasant to shoot, me included. But it's a little large to be considered a true pocket gun. If fact, it's so large that most folks just go with the 43 instead, and get 9mm power in a nearly equally nice shooting gun that's just a hair larger.

I hear that a lot. My 42 is my pocket gun. I didn't like the 43 in the pocket. I got rid of both 43s. I sold one after I got a Sig P365 and traded the other toward my second Glock 42. I realize that people can differ on that.

No. You must agree with me.

Seriously, though, it's been a while since I shot my 42. I think I will plan to do some shooting with it soon. Got lots of FMJ .380 ACP collecting dust.

Been carrying an original lcp for past few months & I forget it's there sometimes. As far as comfort it's not bad, but I'm not at the range target shooting either. It's a belly gun, just to get somebody off of you

I agree with this ^^^^

My original LCP is in 380 of course and it is not uncomfortable to shoot at all. But with the caveat that I have never shot more than a magazine full at a time.

drover

I have a 38 derringer, a Diamondback. Not too bad for a few shots and I can put both where they need to be out to 50 feet or so. It is easy to carry in a pocket and like all pocket pistols will eat holes in your pants. I don't concealed carry all the time anymore but ease of carry means a lot in a pocket pistol. I much prefer something in a holster.

First version LCP.
Was a snappy little bastard.
Shot well but was kind of annoying.

One way to tame em, is to shoot those light weight ARX bullets. But they hit lower.

I ditched my LCP which was very easy to conceal and went Sig P365.

Its comfy but doesnt hide as easily.

I run an innertube material wallet and the LCP would slide in back pocket under the wallet......stayed put, but would come out easy when done on purpose.

Pretty sweet setup. But also a .380.

So i said screw it and went w 9mm since I also carry a full size. The LCP sure was convenient. Just not enough power or capacity.

The P365 is in a paddle holster.

I am most comfortable shooting revolvers, and until a couple of years ago I had never shot a Sig of any flavor. Then my buddy brought over his P365 and let me shoot it for the first time and I was simply amazed with the accuracy and shoot ability.
Yep, got my own, now.

You'd likely have had the same reaction if your friend's gun was an S&W Shield Plus.

Or a full-size 1911, which like the Shield is not exactly a pocket gun.

While not quite the same, I do have a Shield .45 which I like, but there was just something different about the 365.



Have one of those, too, which my wife bought me for our anniversary a few years ago. Totally different beast but it also is very nice and a great shooter.

what i carry depends on the time of year and outside /indoor temp. my favorite pocket pistol is a derringer 410 3 inch / buckshot ammo its nasty to shoot but this pistol will get the job down .

Recoil is very subjective.
I've had several aluminum and scandium Smiths.
Unless I put huge grips on them, (which would defeat the purpose of a pocket pistol), the recoil of the gun would always drive the bottom of the trigger into my trigger finger.
I started putting a BandAid on the trigger finger for range trips.

The females I've had shoot the lightweight guns never like them at all.
For most people, who won't put in consistent range time with them, a J frame is a bad choice.
Most people will never get proficient enough to make accurate hits regularly with a lightweight revolver.

I love revolvers, but my only two now are a Smith .22 and a .22 WMR.
They are more pleasant to shoot.

The .380 LCP can be uncomfortable to shoot, but never as painful as a Airweight or Airlight revolver.
As always, your mileage may vary.

See if you can rent the gun to shoot that you intend to buy.
May save you some heartache later on.

+1 for my Ruger LCP Custom (ie, with red aluminum trigger). It is not painful to shoot at all. I did put a Kidd extra strength recoil spring in it, and this obviously helps but I really did not need it. Like the quote above, I do not shoot more than 50 rounds in a session due to ammo availability/cost. My LCP really likes the Barnes brand all-copper bullet ammo.

I put a Hogue Handall slip on rubber grip on my Ruger EC9s and it made a big difference. Not that it was all that unpleasant to shoot before.

Ron

I on the other hand have shot several hundred rounds through mine and never cut myself.

Mike

The Kel-Tec P32? Huh! No matter how I gripped it, I couldn't stop the slide from swiping against the top of the web of my hand. Just sawed away at my skin. Doesn't matter much, considering its last ditch defensive role, as I don't intend to spend afternoons plinking with it.

Just shoot a couple.

LCP II in .380 is F U N to shoot. I have the +1 mag which allows the pinky finger to get on the grip.

I shot a friend’s subcompact Glock in 9mm. Still fun, but no pinky to add control. Felt like I might drop it.

Neither one is uncomfortable from recoil in the least, IMO.

I enjoy shooting all of my pocket guns but I do find them to be snappy. I usually try to bring one with me each range session and shoot it for a bit at the end. I like to try to run enough ammo through them that I feel comfortable and proficient, without hurting my hand an extended LCR session taught me not to be make a ful range day of the pocket pistols. Of course with the price and availability of ammo they aren't coming out as much as they used too.

i kinda like derringers the 9 mm is easy to carry and shoot , my 410 / 3 inch with buckshot has nasty recoil like a 460 S.W. , derringers are much easier to hide in the pocket . what i carry depends mostly on time of year and what clothes i have on , rather its cold or warm.

The s&w bodyguard in 380 is easy to shoot and can be concealed as well as anything.

The 938 is a bit more to hide, but is great to shoot and tosses a 9mm well.

The 43 isn't bad, but the 43x sees much more daylight than my 43.

The bodyguard is actually probably one of the few pocket pistols that I feel like I can do a range day with. Very nice shooting and they used to be priced very cheaply.

I am the only person that carries a Colt Govt. 380. No probs.

I had one of the first ones that came out back in the (what was it?) 1980s. I liked that little gun, and it shot great. Large and heavy enough not to hurt when you shoot it. I used to carry it around in my back pocket.

Yep, I have a stainless Colt Government .380 that I like a lot, but at 22 ounces, it got replaced for a carry gun for a Scandium frame 9 ounce 12 loaded S&W 337PD .38 Special shooting +P. The Colt is more fun to shoot with that longer grip, but the S&W hits harder from both ends.

keltec p32 with hogue grip sleeve.
naa bugout1 22lr with cv revision grips.
i have put 4-5 hundred rounds through each. both are reliable, comfortable, effective at bonafide defensive distances. i don’t “do” recoil.

i also have a taurus pt25ply and naa guardian 32acp. they work too but i truly prefer the above two.

I had a 605 for awhile. Felt like a stick of dynamite going off in the hand with 357 loads.