LCP alternatives

[halfmoonclip]

Long history with the Ruger LCP; mine have always been stone reliable, but they are hard to hit with, and disagreeable to shoot. Ruger stole the design from KelTec; they at least could have spiffed it a little.
So I'm considering alternatives. Had a P380 in the past, but it was a love/hate relationship. Liked the build quality and the sights, and the trigger. But it takes two men and a boy to rack the somewhat slippery slide, and the gun wants to be charged from slidelock. Can't imagine clearing a double feed.
Looked at a S&W .380 Bodyguard in a local shop; liked the build quality, the sights, and even the DAO trigger was manageable.

So what thinks the herd? Kahr P380, S&W .380 Bodyguard, or other suggestions?
I'm leaning to the Smith.
Thanks in advance,
Moon

 

[JN01]

LCP Max or Sig P365.

 

[halfmoonclip]

LCP Max or Sig P365.

Have a P365, and really love the thing. The LCP Max and LCP II both slap my trigger finger.
This needs to be smaller than the SIG.
Moon

 

[Armored farmer]

LCP Max.... definitely.

I bought this for my daughter in law.
It's a keeper....
Better sights
Trigger disgusting
Stands open on last round
10+1 capacity
Extended mag available for 12+1
Rounded contours.
I say it's a winner.....probably will be two more for Mrs F and I very soon.

 

[Lucnic]

I voted Bodyguard. It’s been dependable, conceals well, has real sights, built well. Safety is too small but I don’t use it. It’s the pistol I carry in NPE. Another I have is a Taurus TCP 380. It’s been dependable and is well built. But the sights are minuscule, almost non existent. They both disappear in a pocket. Talon Grips helps a lot with these small pistols.

 

[Big_Al]

Remington made a nice 380, little nicer shooting than my lcp. Little heavier & not as snappy

 

[BreechFace]

Glock 42

 

[halfmoonclip]

LCP Max.... definitely.

I had an LCP II, as a replacement for my old LCP...liked the more Glock-ish feeling trigger. But I had a dead trigger, which Ruger fixed. Did try a Max; liked the feel and the sights, but still had that trigger slap and pinch.
So I'm back to an LCP at the moment.
Thanks,
Moon

 

[OS/N]

LCP2 for a pocket gun.

Hellcat in 9mm for IWB. Kind of a US made glock but not as square.

Chief special always is a good carry piece and always works.

They say the LCP max is a nice carry gun but I haven't fired one. A friend that does carry one says it is pretty accurate.

 

[Pistolay]

Have a P365, and really love the thing. The LCP Max and LCP II both slap my trigger finger.
This needs to be smaller than the SIG.
Moon

I had trigger slap issues with the LCP MAX until I moved from the pad to the first crease. That said, my MAXes got to be too painful for me to shoot any more, so they're gone, replaced by a SIG P238 (soon to be 2). Wonderful soft-shooting gun, and very accurate for its size, but it's heavier than the guns you're looking at.

 

[JN01]

The Hogue Handall beavertail grip makes a big difference on the LCP if you haven't tried it yet.

 

[Armored farmer]

The extended mag for the LCP is win-win.
I've been carrying it for years. It's so easy.

 

[unclenunzie]

Tough call, but I would from personal experience choose the LCP max. I think the Prescott built LCP line was better compared to Mayodan built. But if you can get past the build quality the max handles better, shoots easier and has better features. Mine has been completely reliable in 400 rounds of JHP and ball. It is a feature-improved LCP II.

 

[JohnMc]

I had a first gen Bodyguard .380, with a laser, the mag catch was plastic. Over time, it became undependable.
I found a website which sold metal replacement ones, they were out of stock so long I just sold the Bodyguard.
I grabbed a CW380, which is ok, though the slide is hard to rack. How are the P380s?

 

[Armybrat]

My EDC is an LCP Max, but you might consider looking at the Kahr CT380.
Excellent little gun that is an easy shooter and thinner than the LCP.
Fits the hand really well.
Gifted mine to one of my sons.



In stock here…

Kahr Arms CT380 Stainless / Black .380 ACP 3" Barrel 7-Rounds

The Kahr Arms CT380 is a semi-auto, DAO pistol chambered for .380 ACP. Features include a 3" barrel, 3-dot sights, a stainless steel slide with a polymer frame, and one 7 round magazine. Get the Kahr Arms CT380 while supplies last!

grabagun.com

 

[Hugger-4641]

EC9S is not much bigger and quite often is my edc. Diamondback .380 is often my back up.

 

[commygun]

Yes, the Remington RM380 if you can find one. Little like a LCP but substantial. Restrike capability. All metal but not a pocket brick.

 

[SterlingBullet]

The S&W Bodyguard with engraved stainless steel slide I have had since 2018 has been very reliable and accurate. Very slim, a little bit larger in size. Note that most have a very long trigger pull, my copy is much less than others I have handled.

The Ruger LCP Max has everything already noted in a previous post above, the 12 round magazine adds only about 1/4“ to 1/3” to the grip, making it the smallest, lightest carry option in the industry with 13 round capacity.

I also really like the Springfield Armory 911 in 380ACP; reliable, extremely accurate, some models have both front and rear tritium night sights. Only a 7rd capacity but it is the softest shooting micro 380 I have handled, metal frame but still light. Discontinued last year but worth looking into.

With the monolithic bullets out there from Underwood Xtreme Defender or Liberty Ammunition Civil Defense delivering some extreme energy on impact, you don’t have to listen to long-time 380 naysayers about the viability of a 380 for walking-around self defense.

For some, a small, light, concealable pistol works the best for their lifestyle. My preference, I own all three, carry all three, keeping all three.

 

[cfullgraf]

I like the 380 ACP based 1911 equivalents, Colt Mustang and Kimber Micro. I guess Sig238 has fixed their early issues with the Sig 238 but I struggled with early example with mine. Since I finally got a flat wire recoil spring, it has been reliable but still a safe queen.

The Kimber Micro 9 would be a good example for more power, a bit larger than the Micro/Mustang versions.

If you are into the Glock platform, I'm not, there is is the Glock 42 and 43. My Glock 42 is extremely ammunition sensitive. In general, I'm not comfortable with the Glock trigger, they call it "Glock leg" for a reason. But many folks are happy with it.

I like a Walther PPK with its DA/SA trigger but it is a bit heavy and recoil with 3890 ACP is a but snappy due to its blow back action.

I have an S&W M&P Shield that never lkit my fire. I know, not the same as as the Bodyguard. It is not a bad pistol, but another safe queen for me.


So, what ever floats your boat. I'm sure your choice will perform well for you.

 

[toivo]

Kel-Tec P32. No, I'm not kidding.

 

[TTv2]

Does it have to be a .380? Kel Tec and Beretta .32's are good, lower recoil alternatives and the NAA Guardian and Seecamp are even smaller in size, but aren't as low recoil with the .32

 

[1KPerDay]

The Kahr is by far the best of the tiny .380s IME. Ideal trigger for carry, very small, and reliable at least in my experience.

 

[halfmoonclip]

I like many of the 1911-style tiny .380s, but I'm staying with single control defense guns. Do have a G42 and a 365, and a Centennial; the only significant control is the bang switch.
The G42 is what gets carried a lot; its simply lighter than the the SIG.
The deal is to get smaller and lighter than the G42, but with sights and build quality.
Thanks for the responses; don't stop now.
Moon

 

[unclenunzie]

I like many of the 1911-style tiny .380s, but I'm staying with single control defense guns. Do have a G42 and a 365, and a Centennial; the only significant control is the bang switch.
The G42 is what gets carried a lot; its simply lighter than the the SIG.
The deal is to get smaller and lighter than the G42, but with sights and build quality.
Thanks for the responses; don't stop now.
Moon

That's the hard part. If I could figure out how to draw the 42 from a pocket holster as reliably as a centennial it probably would get carried. I also prefer simplicity in operation - no thinking except the decision to draw and shoot, or not. I think the Kel-Tec and LCP types (and Seecamp) have a distinct advantage in the tiny auto space - the sloped rear eases the draw.

As a very strong positive for the 42, it is so easy to hit with, it's like shooting a 22. The Seecamp has a lot of advantages, but lack of sights and blowback operation make it a bad breath affair.

In production pistols I don't know of anything that fits your list, we're all stuck with compromises. Most often I belt carry a 365 type, and keep a centennial in front pocket. I have not found anything better for pocket duty.

Do you pocket your 42? If you do have you found practice draw working 100%? Just curious, not to derail here.

 

[MikeInOr]

DiamondBack DB9. It is the smallest 9mm I am able to find. I can pocket carry it in most of the same pants that I pocket carry my LCP in. Both of my DB9's (Gen 3 and Gen 4) have been 100% reliable. The 3 dot sights on the Gen 4 DB9 are considerably better than the sights on the Gen 3. A 9mm in such a light weight package is no cupcake to shoot but isn't too bad after practicing and becoming proficient with the firearm. Most small firearms I am able to get proficient with pretty quickly. My DB9 and Springfield XDs in .45acp took a fair amount of practice to get comfortable with.

My Springfield Hellcat is a much nicer gun and a much nicer shooter than the DB9 but is is considerably bigger than the DB9. I can pocket carry the DB9 where the Hellcat is too big to pocket carry for me (I can get it in many pockets but I can't get it out of the pockets quickly nor easily).

The Kahr CM9 has a better build quality and nicer feel than the DB9 but it is also too big for me to pocket carry.

Personally, I am able to hit the center of mass with my original LCP at 20 yards pretty easily despite its minimal sights. For me I feel comfortable with this for a pocket gun. The pretty nice 3 dot sights on my Gen 4 DB9 do make for more accurate shooting.