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

Pocket guns, grab and go guns, summer guns, they are all a compromise. If you are at all serious about the defense of your family and/or self you will always carry, and you will choose a gun and carry method that optimizes the chances of winning a fight. No one, I repeat, no one, can predict the time or nature of that fight.

A shot timer is a great pathway to the truth, can you get off a shot from retention at bad breath distance in close to 1 second at contact distance? Can you draw and fire your weapon of choice into 6" at 7 yards in <than 3 seconds? Can you hit a 12" target at 50 yards on demand? All of these are standard drills and are achievable by regular folks that admit that reality is a bitdtch and do the work.

Almost everyone has the choice and can compromise to their hearts content, the easy and comfortable way is rarely the best way.


mike r

While I surely agree with the thrust & most of your post, try living in a northern winter, wearing a sweatshirt or similar, with a jacket or coat, carrying IWB, ('cause sometimes you gotta take your coat off) & drawing in 1 second with any size gun.

And while I'm not at all a fan of mouse guns & pretty much won't carry one, ever, that scenario is a good candidate for jacket carry with a J-frame, G-26/27 or similar. Wish it could always be a G-19 or an M&P or a Commander or something that I can hit a 12" target at 50 yards of command with but that just doesn't work.

So yes, sometimes circumstances dictate some level of compromise from the ideal.

YMMV

MM

Good post .

AMT Backup II - the choice of professionals everywhere.

Remember those? Big in the 1980s.

I never saw one that was reliable. In any caliber.

I know, I'm laughing because one rides beneath my truck seat as - a backup! - to my USP Compact. Hey, it goes BANG every time I've ever pulled the trigger on it.

Mine must have been made on a Wednesday....or I just haven't ran it hard enough to reveal it's inherent flaws

Good points made, sir, and I'd fail miserably at these drills. Time for more range work.

I used to work at a gun shop that did a lot of business with the police, and the Backup was by far their choice for a back up gun.

Being a 1911 kind of guy, I would be looking for a Colt Mustang Pocketlite. The Pony Pocketlite is similar size, but double action only and being that light, a dao would be harder to shoot accurately. I've got the stainless Government model .380 that I like, but the Pocketlite Aluminum frame would be lighter.

Good excuse, easier than practice. A G26 will get the job done, figuring out a way to carry it in the cold is not quite on the level of rocket surgery. To each their own.


mike r

This!

I "found" an AMT Backup .380 in a camper I was junking out, and it is a good little pistol for "Backup" use. Later I bought a used Backup in .45 ACP that I like a lot, also.

Mike Holmes

For the money a Ruger LCP II isn't bad at all for what you describe. Good grip with the Hogue and I prefer the trigger over the original LCP.

Sounds like I missed out on the LCP II. Mine is an early LCP and it’s no fun.



P

I don't understand people remarking on the recoil of these little pistols. Yeah,..they're a little snappy. But once you've shot the forcing cone out of a 5.5" .44 mag Ruger Blackhawk it takes a bit of recoil to impress you.

I bought a bag of brass and a big box of 100 grain cast bullets when I first got my LCP and wrung it out *good*. It bounces a little,...but it's not enough to worry about.

There’s no reason to buy a 380 really. The 9mm options got so small that you may as well get a 9mm.

If you are thinking about a Glock 42, --- get a Glock 43
The size difference is minimal and its a 9mm

I have had a Kel Tec P3AT for a long time, it has been absolutely reliable.
My grab and go gun for a quick store run, drop in shorts pocket and go---

This. I've been carrying one for years. It's been trouble free. I did replace the springs with a set from Wolff springs.

Buds has em for under $200.