Need something smaller than my Kahr CW 45acp , it's comparable to some 9mm handguns .
So thinking a 380acp for warm weather carrying in safe [hopefully safe] daytime places . So ?

Ruger LCP 380. Way under $500 and probably the most reliable.380 out there.

Sccy cpx3. Cheap accurate and holds lotsa shots.

Always packed a G17 24/7, and picked my attire around it. Have carried it in summer in non-permissive environments without issue.

Dad has a Ruger LCP he likes a lot.

I use a KelTec .32 as a backup(I call it my eye socket gun) and it works well, although I am looking into a small revolver for that role due to likely contact distance use.

Have you considered a different holster? Alien Gear makes good ones that hide stuff like crazy. My buddy packs a S&W 645(full size steel frame) in one and it damn near disappears under his T-shirt. I truly have never seen a reason to carry a less effective system due to a seasonal requirement, a different holster or different clothes, sure, but not a different gun. YMMV.

+1

Glock 42

Kahr P380 all the way

how bout a 9mm?
ruger LC9S or the pro

That would be my second choice, behind the Ruger LCP .380

I'd go Ruger LCP II followed by the Glock 42. May even consider a Bersa.

There are good and bad reviews on the most expensive to the lower end pistols - makes it hard to decide .

Was thinking about a Sig p-365 but a lot of bad reviews .

Pistol guy at Ranger Firearms recommended getting a Kahr cw 380 - - that way i'd be perfectly familiar with it since it's just like the 45acp only smaller - quite a few bad reviews ''on video'' so can't decide .

OldGreyWolf , I have some brand plastic IWB holster and a cheap nylon Uncle Mikes [do use it at my hunting lease] - I don't use either around town i carry the cw45 in the waist of my pants . The IWB's i've seen seem to reveal a firearm more than my way of carry . I'm no holster expert & haven't tried a lot of them on . Around here nobody seems to carry anything except low end stuff .

Got rid of my Ruger and replaced it with a Glock. The Ruger can’t even compare in my experience.

Shoot them both.




P

Sig 238 SAS. Sized appropriately. Great sights. Great little shooter for me.

Can’t go wrong with the Sig P365 if you wont a small reliable pistol of that size. Better than probably any .380 currently available. I carry mine everyday, every where.

As far the bad reviews, you can find those on any handgun out there. Every one that I know personally that has one has NEVER had a problem with one. Myself included.
And several members on here have put several thousand rounds through one. In my personal opinion, it’s the best all around carry gun for its size and caliber. 13 rounds of ammo in a very accurate and reliable package of that size is hard to beat for a true concealment package. Not to mention great sights and a great trigger too.
The Ruger LCP .380 I mentioned above get carried as a BUG.

A Sig P238 is a great 380 auto. If you want a bit more power, the Glock 43 in 9MM is a good option too.

Ruger LCP II. The II is worth it as it has a much better trigger and several other "fixes" to the original. Recently picked one up for $249 so well below your budget.

I've become quite fond of my Sig P365. Can't really beat the Ruger LCP for size.

I've been impressed with my G42. I push 100 grain pills over 1,000 feet per second and it eats them all day long and it is still comfortable to shoot.

For a small easily concealed 380, I like the Beretta Pico.

Yes. Definitely the II

Better trigger.
Lock open on empty.
Slide grooved front and back.

Also, get the +1 magazine. Minimal weight/size penalty and much easier to grip.

The best .380 is a P365

RM380.

I've HAD a lot of 380 pistols. I KEPT the Ruger LCP Custom as it was by far the most reliable, yet pocketable of the bunch, including Kahr, CZ, Walther. My wife has an earlier KelTec P3AT, and it is very reliable as well, but it's my understanding that they are kind of hit or miss in that department. I have a NAA .32 acp as well, it's an older one and is reliable with Silvertips, but heavy for size. The LCP is the way to go.

As far as a true pocket pistol goes, and a compact 380 probably falls into that category, that's something the size of the LCP, Pico, CW380, something like that. I really tried to make the Glock 42 work, as I really like it, but I carry a concealable 380 in my front jeans pocket, and the 42 was just too big.

I carry a Glock 43 most of the time, and although it's somewhat of a compromise between a pocket 380 and something like the Glock 19, I really like it's size and concealability.

Check out the Kimber.

For a true summer-time swim-trunks pocket-rocket, the only choice is the Ruger LCP not II version.

If you don't really need such an item, then the LCP would never be the first choice.
But if you need it, it is the only choice.

I bought an LCP a few years ago and was impressed with its dependability and my ability to hit with it. I added a Hogue slip on grip and it really changed the ergonomics of the little pistol. The trigger pull is long and it has a long reset. But you can get used to it. In fact, I don't want an exceptionally light, short pull trigger on a DAO pistol that I carry hot.

The Hogue grip is the best thing you can do for one, in my opinion. It adds a little bit of bulk to the pistol but it puts it where it's needed. One of the best aspects of the slip on grip is that it increases the thickness of the grip where it contacts the web of your hand and greatly improves the positioning of your index finger on the trigger. Basically, it increases the pistol's length of pull.

I carry it in a Desantis pocket holster. Some people will fault the Hogue grips because they say that the rubber they're made of creates drag when you pull the pistol from your pocket. But the grip area of the pistol is so small that your entire hand wraps around the grip,...so none of the grip is exposed to drag on your pocket when you bring it out.

Lots of small .380's out there today. Most of them are going to require practice to be effective with them. I think an LCP is about as good as a pocket .380 its size can be,...especially with the Hogue grip.

Meh.......
Bersa .380 combat plus 15+1
Back pocket of a pair of blue jeans and your t shirt over it...
Walther ppk clone.

Got a S&W bodyguard. Runs and runs.

I also have a .380 bodyguard. Irritates the heck out of me that I had to replace the magazine catch with a metal one from Galloway.

S&W sent me a replacement catch and spring. Catch still made out of plastic. You don't want your mag to fall out.

Get a Ruger LCP and enough ammo to learn how to shoot it.

Bought an LCP, then traded it in on a Glock 42 when they first came out.

Traded that in on a Glock 43 when they came out and am now happy.

Not much more recoil on a 9MM compared to a .380 to ME.

I can "hit" better with he Glock size pistol, and it rides in my "jammie" pocket as I type.

It's my "always on me" pistol

In an ElPaso Saddlery pocket holster, it rides in a loose fitting pants pocket or a jacket pocket really well.

Virgil B.

I found my ppk in my bosch rechargeable drill bag. lol. It wasn't lost-lost like the p-22 when I forgot about it in that shoe for over a year in the trunk.

The bersa, it's living the hard knock life now. Might be in the pathfinder next to an empty RoundUp jug.

😄😄

That's my vote too. Amazing how good a $200 pistol can be.

Half these posts should just be honest and start out with "i was reading a guns n ammo magazine down at the erectile dysfunction clinic"

bought a new LCP a couple months ago. FTE every mag for the first 50 rnds. Stripped it ; doused with CLP, ran ‘more rounds through it and it was flawless until the extractor blew off the gun after 110 total rounds.


What a POS.

What do you prefer about the original over the II?

I haven't carried anything smaller than a J frame in about 30 years, so I don't have any experience with the LCP. I have retired revolvers, though, and the Glock 42 fits fine in a front jeans pocket in either an Alabama pocket holster or Boraii Eagle. It weighs 16.2 ounces loaded with 7 Xtreme Penetrators, and I have no problem keeping A zone hits at 25 yards. (I am not sure that an LCP will keep up with this.)


I disagree with this. The Glock 42 is like shooting a .22 LR compared to my Sig P365 that weighs about 7 ounces more loaded, and which I do not consider to be a pocket gun. Although I did not do the test as a recoil comparison, I do have some video of the two guns when I did a different test that shows the difference. It's here if anyone is interested. (I also had a Glock 43 that I did not like in the pocket, either.)

Walther PK 380........?

$307 from Gun Pro + ship + FFL

do a search on link

https://www.gunprodeals.com/product-category-group/handguns

Most here know my dislike for the traitor bill ruger.

But we have somewhat gotten over that.

We own a couple of the 380s LCPs. They have never failed to fire. Accurate enough for what they are. Work well with reloads even.

Have not shot a deer outright with mine yet, but have used it to finish 2 so far.

For the TX heat I used to have to put up with, it fits in my front pocket holster or not, and just fine. Did not really show signs of wanting to rust.

Wife carries hers not in a pocket but ankle holster and a few other ways and likes it too.

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.

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...

I tend to agree with you on pocket carry. Back in the 1980s and '90s I did it a lot, but since about 2,000, I've only carried service sized guns IWB.

That said, a pocket gun is way better than no gun.

One time, back in the 1990s, I was walking my protection-trained Doberman in a nature park (wooded trails, wide open spaces, etc., and very lonely - I usually never saw another person). This park, unfortunately, attracted vagrants, since there were permanent lean-toes with hand pumps for well water in scattered clearings along the wooded trails. Anyway, I had just exited a wooded trail, and was entering a large wide open space, and several hundred yards away I spotted a vagrant type (they have a distinct look). He spotted me, and changed his direction to intersect me. Ten minutes or so later, as he approached within about 25 yards, clearly interested in engaging me for something (likely to pressure me to make a donation to his favorite cause), I put my right hand in my right pocket, getting a grip on my NAA, .22 lr, Mini Revolver, but not taking it out. His eyes, however, went right to my pocketed hand, and instead of continuing his approach, he stopped in his tracks, then changed direction and walked away.

So pocket guns are far from completely useless in all cases, but I agree that in many cases they are nearly so, and a belt carried, service-sized, handgun is a far better choice in general.

Kel-Tec pretty much invented the formula for small, relatively powerful auto loading handguns. Since then many manufacturers have jumped on the bandwagon to produce similar items.

I didn't pay any attention to the Diamondback models when they first came out. But they've been making constant improvements on their small auto loading pistols while keeping the price down.

I've been checking out reviews and videos of they're 4th generation DB9 and it seems like a very decent piece of work for the money.

They've beefed it up so it is suitable for +P, they greatly improved the trigger, and they've put a slide stop on the pistol.

If you look into how the gen 4 DB9 is constructed, there's not much to differentiate it from CCW pistols which cost a couple hundred dollars more

If it works, it works,....and there's not much mystery left about how to construct a small, polymer framed pistol that works.

I'm impressed that Diamondback has been constantly improving its little 9mm until they have a product that is competitive with some of the big name producers at a price that's keeping the big name producers honest about how they're pricing their products.

I need a grocery store run gun, like the in side the front pocket type...are any of these worth carrying?

Time to move.

Why would you say that? I was in South Dakota and soon to be Alaska...both rural areas and low on crime...however that doesn't mean I like to go unprepared. Having a gun and never needing it is far better than the inverse.

LCP. Not a 50 yd gun, but if a scoundrel pulls a knife in the parking lot it's your huckleberry.

And you'll have it with you where ever you are in anything you are wearing.

^^^This^^^

Pretty much what I was thinking, but I wasn't sure.

In a 380, for a pocket gun, the Ruger LCP II is hard to top; for something a little bit bigger, the Bersa Thunder series in whatever flavor you prefer is an excellent gun.

If you want to step up to a small 9mm, then the Sig 365 or G-43.

But the Bersa, Sig & the Glock are really not pocket guns, per se', IMO, lessen' you got some big pockets & don't mind the weight floppin' around.

MM

I carry a G26, typically, in an IWB. I just want an grab and go solution for milk and bread runs. I think the LCP is that solution.

I find the Bersa to be clunky for caliber. You can easily get a 9mm in the same form factor, so why settle for a .380?

Better the Ruger LCP for this application.

+1

I have a S&W Bodyguard that I carry everywhere; 1911 when I’m cool weather causal.

Glock 26 coming soon.

No luv for the Walther ??????????

I'd say so, but an S&W 442 would be a good option, too. Perhaps better, since you can safely just stick it in your pocket (it won't go off without an intentional pull of the trigger), and it's a bit more powerful than a .380 ACP, being +P approved.

For the winter time, usually coats have bigger pockets, and you can easily carry a snubby revolver pretty easily. For the most part I carry a full size 16 shot 9mm on my belt. Coats hide those too!!! In the summer time, I just wear my shirt out and it hides my gun pretty well. I don't pocket carry, and I certainly don't run around in a swim suit. I could get harpooned.

Exactly. One never knows.

Pocket carry is the only method I have used that allows me to have my hand in a firing grip on the gun as a pedestrian living, working and/or recreating in high crime "murder capital" urban areas (New Orleans, for one) full of sketchy characters. When the sun goes down and the streets get turned over to the night shift, and I have to get from point A to point B on foot, I’d rather be pocket carrying a .380/J frame than have a 9mm/40 S&W/.45 ACP in a Sparks holster IWB. You can’t draw down upon, or run away from, every person who starts meandering toward your personal space. I believe that General Mattis is credited with the expression: “Be polite, be professional, but have a plan to kill everybody you meet.”

Even in "safe" America, there are times when the brain sends signals that something is not right. When we leave a convenience store in suburban Denver, and my wife mentions afterwards that something was not right with the creeper who started crowding us in one place, I tell her that she must have missed me casually slipping my hand into my pocket.

I bought a little Taurus .380 mostly as an "extra". I've actually come to like this little gun. Easy to conceal, doesn't weigh much, and it goes bang every time I pull the trigger. The sights are very low, and you have to aim high to hit center mass with it, but it does what I want it to. It's stainless, so spends a lot of time in my boat too. Outside of the fact it shoots low when using the sights, I have no complaints whatsoever. It's a "belly" gun. I'd hate to have to hit something further than about 5 yards, but in my opinion, it's just for up close work.

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.

Almost,....but even the smallest 9mm pistols are big for carrying in a Desantis pocket holster. The .380 chambering is the price you pay for having a .36 caliber pistol the size of a pack of cigarettes.

In my opinion, anything larger than an LCP requires a holster.

You mean requires a belt holster. You shouldn't just carry one loose in your pants pocket, unless the chamber is empty.

While little heavy when loaded the R9 pistol can be easily carried in a pant or jacket pocket. Pocket holster positioning gun butt up is highly recommended but not needed.

Specifically, I mean an IWB holster,...preferably made of Kydex and positioned over your right kidney under one of those loose fitting t-shirts they sell for $7 at Tractor Supply and canted forward 15 degrees.

,....unless it's winter,...in which case you're holding it in your hand inside the slash pocket of your denim Carhartt barn coat as you walk along.

Winter is easy. I'll carry a fuggin' gummint model during winter.

But you don't carry the LCP loose in a pocket, do you? You need a pocket holster.

As mention,...a Desantis.

Sorry. Missed that.

For your problem, a hammerless .38 like the Smith 442 in the left coat pocket is the answer, assuming the main gun is a right hand carry. You can meet the initial threat with the revolver when wearing the coat, hopefully already in hand because you were aware of the problem before it body slammed you. If not, no biggie, you can fire it from inside the pocket if necessary. When wearing the coat, it handles things at least until you can get the main gun into action. Of course, this necessitates training with the weapon while wearing the coat and using the left hand, as you would use it if needed.

9mm vs. .380 -

.380 was good enough for James Bond

drover

Since you are looking for a "mouse gun" in .380 ACP, would you consider a .32 ACP? The Beretta Tomcat is a front pocket type semi-auto. I have one, and it is the perfect size for shorts and a T-shirt. I saw this one for sale for $425.






I also have the ultimate mouse gun, the Tomcat's little brother, the Beretta 950BS Jet Fire in .25 ACP. I feel just as well gunned with the little .25, with high velocity frangible rounds (Blue Glaser Safety Slugs,) as I do with my .32, or even my Sig Sauer P238 in .380.

Not really a problem, just circumstances you have to deal with from time to time.

Yep, a 442, a 340PD & a G27 fill my jacket pocket needs just fine.

MM

Y’all are talking about hands in your pockets a lot

If you decide to compromise in the interest of comfort it helps to create an alternate reality. Many believe that their "heightened sense of situational awareness" is perpetual and will allow them to control the circumstances of the fight.

Others just suck it up and train. Having choices is a wonderful thing.


mike r

I've owned the g42, lcp, and bodyguard. I still have the lcp. More comfortable of the 3 to carry and never had an issue. I actually liked the g42 when target shooting but my wife limpwristed the heck out of it, in fact, almost every woman I've known shoot one limpwrists them. She never had an issue with the lcp.

Buy a 9mm

Get ya one of them hot pink snow camo Ruger Uber Americans in 21 Furball.

Only up to page two on this thread but wanted to comment here.

With my LCP (original version) if I use a traditional two hand grip it shoots way to the right in a "grabitpointitshootit" scenario, but if I just use one hand it points right where I'm looking or so darn close that it's still going to make a succession of good center of mass hits. If I have time and aim with a two handed hold it is remarkably accurate on targets and definitely center of bad guy accurate out to 25-30 yards.


That's my number one criteria for any self defense weapon - does it point where I'm looking? Training is good, very good, and lots of firearms can be used well with practice, but you can never really practice for that first time to be dinosaur brain scared and shooting to save your life so I want something that helps in every way possible to get the very first round on target (plus all succeeding rounds). Mechanical reliability and bullet performance are certainly important but the main thing I'm shooting for is to get that first bullet to hit where it hurts the most and do that as quickly as possible.

Whichever .380 you buy, if you pocket carry with or without a holster be sure to clean it on a regular basis even if it hasn't been fired. Monthly is definitely not too often.

It's amazing how much lint and dust and general crap can accumulate in and on a pistol so carried. "Ask me how I know..."

Fondle a Bersa Thunder. I bought one on a whim and it just plain works. A natural pointer kinda like the Luger. I have run about 350 rounds through mine and it has not failed to fire or eject once. You might like it.

Too big and heavy for summer carry, but they're great guns, IMO.

I love my LCP and just ordered an LCP II. A 380 is a belly gun, and the Rugers always function, no matter what crappy ammo I feed them.

that chart is worth drinking some coffee and looking at. that's quite the correlation.

i'm not a licensed carrier, not now. but did just procure the basic ruger 380 to ride in the truck door.

the issue is whether to tote it in and out of the truck everyday. i don't, i leave it against better advice.

but the neighbor is close, has guns and outside lights, and his yardfull of pitbulls don't allow anthing unannounced.

Well, duh!

A private citizen engaging in self-defense has only one goal--to survive. That must always be the first criteria in any decision concerning defensive weaponry. Given that, small guns, especially a small revolver, make the most sense most of the time. Just as the buying public has made clear.

Tomcat .32ACP pocket holster . . .









Comes with a steel spring clip, if you want to wear it IWB on the right or on your belt, on the left.