Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Hunter's Campfire Best 380acp compact under $500 - Fall 2019 .

Hands down would be the Glock 42. If maximum compactness is required, then go with the Ruger LCP. They are both high quality, reliable, lightweight, and compact. Just one is more compact than the other. The Glock, however, is more of the Goldilocks ideal between compactness and shootability, IMO, i.e., not as compact as the LCP, but a good bit more shootable.

If I was in the market for a pistol the size of a Glock 42 it would be in 9mm.
Once you get into that size of pistol, there's all kinds of 9mm's to choose from.

Same here. For me, it's the Glock 26 all year round, 99% of the time. One percent of the time is divided between the Glock 43 (single stack 9mm) and the S&W Airweight 442 (J- Frame, five shot, .38 Special).

There is no such beast, certainly not anywhere close to the same weight.

The Glock 43 is noticeably larger all around, upon careful inspection, than the Glock 42. Although from a distance, admittedly, they look like the same gun.

SIG P365, Springfield Armory Hellcat.

Bottom line,..a Glock 42 isn't in the same size range as an LCP. They occupy different Categories.

This. As, slim, compact, and light as you can get in a reliable .380. The II is larger, and the new features aren't needed. The trigger is fine (for its purpose) on the last rendition of the standard LCP.

There is a reason Ruger a good and inventive gunmakes pretty much cloned the Kel Tec with the LCP

They are no fun to shoot, which is it's only drawback, due to tiny size and low weight. My hand vibrates (and keeps vibrating for hours) after just a few mags full from that gun. But it's not meant for fun range trips. Mainly for pulling out and shooting an attacker at close range. Not a whole lot of expertise required, beyond learning the basics of its operation.

If one does not want a knockoff there is always the original Kel-Tec P-3AT.

No it aint
Still in the factory box I bet.
I know you like that pistol!!!

You got more handguns than carter has pills.
LOL!!!!
Im gonna get another for my xmas present.
Khan/ wife dont know it yet..
Might even get it sooner.

For me, I have to spend range time with a handgun to learn where it hits in a "grab and fire" situation,...especially the micro pistols.

Of course, if you've got time to get a perfect grip on the pistol, position your trigger finger perfectly, acquire perfect sight alignment,...typically one can learn to place shots pretty well.

But I want to know where it hits when I pull it and point it.

Prior to buying a 43, I laid a 43 and a 42 side by side, and tried fitting both in my front jeans pocket, then tried putting both in back pocket, then stuck each one in my belt. I decided there was not enough difference between the two as far as what I wanted. Both were too big for a true pocket pistol, and if I was going to wear one on my belt, why get a 380 when the 9mm was only a smidgeon bigger.

Fair point.

Also a fair point. For the front pants pocket, I would also prefer the LCP to the 42.

Kahr. You already know its big brother

When I bought the LCP I was choosing between the LCP and the Kel-Tec PF9 (9mm),..and I was leaning towards the PF9 until I placed both of them in my pocket

The PF9 was and is a very compact 9mm. But even the PF9 was too big to be a pocket pistol for me.

Anything larger than an LCP and I'm using a IWB holster,...and if I go to that, it's going to be a 9mm,..or maybe even a compact .45.

I'll allow that the LCP could have much better sights without bulking up the pistol too much. The sights on the original LCP are pretty much useless in a high stress situation,....very hard to find. I just sight down the top of slide when I practice with it.

Ruger increased the size of the sights on the later variants of the LCP and the LCP II. But I don't think they're much better.

I guess I've participated in this thread more than typical because I've been giving serious thought to getting a dedicated CCW. I pocket carry the LCP and I bought a Kahr CT9 to be a CCW. The Kahr is a very slim single stack pistol with a long grip. It's a very decent CCW but it seems to me that a long, slim grip is more difficult to conceal than a shorter, slightly fatter grip.

I've been checking out some of the new generation 9mm's and I like the SIG P365 and the Springfield Armory Hellcat. because of their short, relatively slim grips housing double stack magazines. I also like the XDS in .45 even though it's a single stack, 6 shot pistol. I like the grip safety on the XDS because of it's type of action and trigger.

All of this. Ruger LCP Mk I with the longer trigger pull. Outstanding hitability.