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

I never suggested that the 42 and the LCP occupy the same size range. They definitely do not. By the same token, the 365 and the 42 do not occupy the same size range, either. I have both. The 365 is 5 ounces heaver unloaded, and it is a fatter gun overall when competing for limited pocket space. A magazine dump with the 42 is going to be a lot quicker than shooting 7 through the 365. If I carry pocket, it is the 42. If I carry IWB, it is the 365.

The Hellcat is too new for me to have gotten my hands one one. I suspect that it is going to be wider overall than the 365, and that the grip circumference is going to be greater with Hellcat. But, I will find out for sure sometime down the road.

I think the decision of LCP versus Glock 42 depends on the following considerations: (1) recoil/follow-up time; (2) comfort; (3) 50 +/- fps velocity difference; and (4) ability to shoot at distance. The considerations are similar to .380 versus 9mm, but the OP asked about .380.

Head to head reviews on YouTube indicate that the only dimensional difference is that the Hellcat is like a fifth of an inch longer in slide. Same grip circumference, same slide width.

I haven't seen anything with calipers yet. I am skeptical. Look at the distance between the frontstrap and backstrap of each. I also suspect that the amount of overall space taken up by gun is going to be greater with the Hellcat when all is said and done. The distance difference appears largely accounted for by the extra length of the Hellcat beavertail, which is pretty minor. We'll see. I certainly am interested in the gun.

Me too.

Whatever you choose, practice until you can run a Bill Drill in <3 seconds on demand, every time. That is a pretty basic and realistic standard for self defense. I suppose that it could be done but I have never seen anyone achieve it from a pocket carry w/ a subcompact or snubby unless they started w/ a solid grip on the weapon.

If the goal is to save your life in any circumstance remember that you do not get to define the nature or set the time of the fight. Comfort and convenience follow far behind consistent performance for serious people.


mike r

I just decided on the P365 after checking out several in that class and talking first hand to a few owners that I consider knowledgable. To a man, they all loved their P365's.

That said, my neighbor has the Ruger LCP in .380 and thinks a lot of it.

You can get both. You will not regret having 7 rounds of .380 Surprise that you can slip into a shirt pocket.

Yes, there is no limit.

I have no experience with 380's but a guy who runs a local auto repair shop got himself a Ruger LCP .380 and really likes it. He's not into guns much, and this is his first, but he really likes it. Says he can actually hit things with it, it feels great in his hand, and works beautiful. Sounds like a nice endorsement for somebody not real experienced who might just need a reliable handgun someday in the future.

If I was going to carry a discreet autojammer it would be a Little Chitty Pistol.

Harry C.

Smaller, longer heavier trigger pull, flush factory magazine. For a summer-shorts front-pocket gun carried loaded and ready, it is more trustworthy IMO.

Other than that usage, I would not want any version of an LCP. But for that one common use for months of the year, it's the best thing going. Flatter, smoother than a J-frame.

Otherwise, the new Hellcat looks incredible, or just a G19.

Yeah, if I keep hearing good things about it, I may eventually pick one up.

PREZACTLY

Thanks for the reply.
IIRC, the std mag in the II is flush w the grip? I don’t find the slight added width to be a detriment. I do find it easier to grip along w the +1 mag makes more shootable for me. I can get three fingers on it vs. just two.

But, everybody is different and has differing needs/requirements. Neither is wrong.

Good deal! I bet you will like it a lot. It took me a long time to come to the same decision. But after 25 years of legally carrying just about everything available in a CCH, I’m very pleased with my Sig P365.

I saw a Diamondback 9mm that was pretty tiny a while back. Don't know anything about them bit I was surprised at how small it was.

Steer clear. An acquaintance bought one a few years back and it was highly unreliable. I counseled him toward a few other known reliable systems, but he had to have that diamondback because it was cheaper. Well, it was.

That sounds like a quote that I saw a few years ago: "What is the cheapest handgun I can buy to protect my life with?"

A decade or so ago, there was actually a good answer to that, i.e., a mechanically in spec, police trade-in, S&W Model 10. You could get them for a couple hundred bucks, if they had a little surface rust and finish wear. I guess the equivalent today would be the police trade-in Glock 22s that can be had for around $300.00. You can also get Italian police trade-in Beretta 92s and 82s within that price range that are perfectly serviceable.

What is with this obsession with pocket carry? I never understood it. I do not want my weapon to take as much time to draw as it takes me to get out my wallet or my keys, so why would I carry it in a pocket? Look, if you need a weapon for self-defense, it needs to be in a firing grip when it leaves the HOLSTER. Pocket carry of subcompact pistols does not allow this.You gonna pluck that little gun from your pocket with finger and thumb, somehow obtain a firing grip during the drawstroke, and slay the perp before he is on you with that knife? I don’t wanna see it.

I have more trouble getting women to carry their weapon somewhere on their body, rather than in a purse, which is the first thing a perp is going to grab. A similar problem exists in trying to get men to carry a decent weapon in a holster that allows effective defensive use. The number one rule of a gunfight is to have a gun. The next rule is be able to put it to use almost immediately. Pocket carry does not allow that in most cases, especially with very small pistols.

A good appendix holster is the best place for a subcompact pistol, at lest unless your belly is hanging over the belt. Then you gotta do something else.

Don’t carry small of the back unless you want to land on it in a struggle and break something you don’t need to. Not to mention it being impossible to access when on your back or up against a wall or vehicle.

As another poster said, if you are serious about defense of yourself or your family, comfort and convenience will be well down the list of considerations when choosing a carry weapon and method of carry.

I have carried either a G17 or a 5 inch 1911 every day for the last 25+ years, and in non permissive environments when necessary. Not everyone will care to do as I do, and that is fine. But pocket carry of subcompact pistols leaves a lot to chance when you won’t be picking the situation that requires it’s use...