LCP alternatives

[halfmoonclip]

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

Yes, I do. Autos with prominent sights are harder to draw smoothly, compared to, say a Centennial, or the really small autos. A long suffering 340SC has been my hiking gun for eons.
Pocket carry is a give and get. A gun that's always in the same place, and that can be grasped without drawing, is a real plus. It is hard to draw when seated; much easier when standing. I relentlessly use Alabama pocket kydex, which does a good job breaking the outline, while presenting the gun in a useful way.
Moon

 

[5-SHOTS]

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

This.

 

[unclenunzie]

I have Alabama holsters for an RM380, may try one for the 42. I don't like the RM380 mag releases on both sides. It would be perfect if they had stuck to the heel release of the Rohrbaugh (or Seecamp) design. Too easy to dislodge the mag unintentionally.

 

[lee n. field]

Long history with the Ruger LCP; mine have always been stone reliable, but they are hard to hit with, and disagreeable to shoot.

Do so much agree with that.

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

Based on experience with Kahr, I'd probably go with one of them, but probably the budget line CM or CW version.

Glock 42

That too.

I've done some shooting with a Bersa Thunder 380. But, that's more into the Makarov compact auto size range, and also not much fun to shoot.

 

[Pistolay]

My EDC is an LCP Max, but you might consider looking at the Kahr CT380.
How's the slide racking effort?

 

[chicharrones]

I have Alabama holsters for an RM380, may try one for the 42. I don't like the RM380 mag releases on both sides. It would be perfect if they had stuck to the heel release of the Rohrbaugh (or Seecamp) design. Too easy to dislodge the mag unintentionally.

Yep. I've dremeled my RM380's mag release buttons quite a bit to reduce that problem. The result is ugly, but it is a high finish wear pocket gun.

 

[jmorris]

I went with the EC9S once they came out.

 

[Armybrat]

My CT380 was pretty tough to rack, but not as hard as the smaller CW380.

 

[Armybrat]

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

Those are good guns too and easy rackers. I bought two to gift to family members.

 

[Wildbillz]

So I carried a LCP for a long time. Moved up to the Glock when they came out with the 380Acp one. But it was just a bit to big for the pocket. Tried the Glock 9mm single stack with the same results. Picked up a Sig 365 and carried that for a while (yes in the pocket most of the time, cargo type pants at work). When Ruger came out with the LCP Max I got one of them and I really like it. Ok sights and trigger. But the weight of the extra ammo is the only down side. Now if they made a Hybrid LCP with the up grades of the Max sight and trigger I think that would be a pretty fair carry gun.

Actually I think that might be what the LCPII is but I have never tried one? I didn't like the blocky look of them.

WB

 

[bannockburn]

My favorite .380s to shoot are the Colt Mustang and the SIG P238.

My favorite to carry is the Ruger LCP MAX.

 

[entropy]

My EDC/New York reload (when I carry the Gx4 also) is a Taurus TCP 738. Not a big fan of the Bodyguard 380, though this is partially due to my Bodyguard 38, and one time shooting someone else's BG 380. Never shot the Kahr .380, but the 9s are nice. No reason the 380 wouldn't be. The LCP and LCPII/Max are both good guns, too. If were getting a 365 for pocket carry, I'd get the SAS, almost did, but a great deal on my TCP 738 popped up while I was contemplating the SAS. I may yet get one, but in the mean time, I've got the pocket pistol covered.

 

[Terry G]

I don't see anything wrong with an LCP II. I'm not expecting it to be target gun or primary defense gun, just a last ditch "Get off me" gun or when dress has to be so that nothing else conceals. Mine is carried pretty regularly WITH a CZ P-01.

 

[WYO]

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.

There are a lot of good posts in this thread, and this one is an example of the dilemma. There is no free lunch. The Centennial is a much smoother gun to draw from the pocket than anything I can think of. Small guns like the LCP and even the LCPMax are small but not much fun to shoot. The Glock 42 is a bit larger and a bit harder to draw from the pocket but shoots like a dream once it's drawn, and you can shoot hundreds of rounds through it in a session and still be ready to shoot more.

I was an early adopter of Centennials for pocket carry, but they have long been retired. When I pocket carry, it is a Glock 42. It is not as good as the Centennial on the draw, but it outclasses the Centennial in terms of accuracy, including at distance, rate of fire, ease of reloading, and so on. I worked out a method of drawing from my jeans pocket that I consider adequate, and I have Ameriglo Agent sights on it that are even higher profile than the stock sights. I will sacrifice a little bit of speed on the draw to get a major advantage once the gun is drawn. For me, I prioritize performance and accuracy over some inconvenience. Also, I tried an LCPMax and just hated it. I don't have any experience with the Remington or the Kahr.

 

[The Night Rider]

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

M&P Shield.

The only reason I don't recommend a Shield Plus is because I've never fired one.

an M&P Shield is small enough to be easily concealable. Nine rounds is 9 rounds more than you'll probably ever need in self defense. A shield is an easy gun to shoot well. And it's been on the market long enough that accessories and holsters for it are readily available.

 

[unclenunzie]

Yep. I've dremeled my RM380's mag release buttons quite a bit to reduce that problem. The result is ugly, but it is a high finish wear pocket gun.

Thanks for the motivation. I just did mine, and painted it with Birchwood Casey Super Black. So customized, this is now my recommendation for a non-LCP 380

 

[halfmoonclip]

There are a lot of good posts in this thread, and this one is an example of the dilemma. There is no free lunch. The Centennial is a much smoother gun to draw from the pocket than anything I can think of. Small guns like the LCP and even the LCPMax are small but not much fun to shoot. The Glock 42 is a bit larger and a bit harder to draw from the pocket but shoots like a dream once it's drawn, and you can shoot hundreds of rounds through it in a session and still be ready to shoot more.

I was an early adopter of Centennials for pocket carry, but they have long been retired. When I pocket carry, it is a Glock 42. It is not as good as the Centennial on the draw, but it outclasses the Centennial in terms of accuracy, including at distance, rate of fire, ease of reloading, and so on. I worked out a method of drawing from my jeans pocket that I consider adequate, and I have Ameriglo Agent sights on it that are even higher profile than the stock sights. I will sacrifice a little bit of speed on the draw to get a major advantage once the gun is drawn. For me, I prioritize performance and accuracy over some inconvenience. Also, I tried an LCPMax and just hated it. I don't have any experience with the Remington or the Kahr.

WYO, you've summed up the problem exactly.
If I can't find a smaller alternative to the G42, then I'll simply stay with it.
I may give the Smith a try; sometimes that is the only way to find out. If nothing else, they have great customer service.
Moon

 

[halfmoonclip]

Thanks for the motivation. I just did mine, and painted it with Birchwood Casey Super Black. So customized, this is now my recommendation for a non-LCP 380

View attachment 1185654

Aren't these totally out of production, and without factory support? Be interesting if Ruger picked it up.
Briefly looked at one years ago, but it was apparent that Remington was going toes up.
Moon

 

[unclenunzie]

Aren't these totally out of production, and without factory support? Be interesting if Ruger picked it up.
Briefly looked at one years ago, but it was apparent that Remington was going toes up.
Moon

They are indeed out of production. When it was clear the RM380 was no longer going to be supported, I immediately bought OEM parts I felt were worth keeping as spares, springs, small parts, etc. I do wish this was a production supported model, it has an ideal set of pocket-gun features except the ambi mag release, and some don't like the assembly/disassembly pin. I seriously doubt Ruger will resurrect it and most people who want a pocket 380 have plenty to choose from.

I always liked it as an all-metal back pocket pistol. Never felt comfortable sitting on a polymer/plastic frame.

 

[halfmoonclip]

and some don't like the assembly/disassembly pin

Ah, that was the rap on them, back in the day...the pin was said to fall out at odd times, when manipulating the gun. Good move picking up spares; I've done that for the 365, and have a backup 42.
Moon

 

[Gun-Reck]

Well, if you are willing to step up to a 9mm, and can find one?

These are spot-on precise and relatively easy to shoot well.

 

[Tallball]

I went from a P3AT to an LCPII. I plan on replacing the LCPII with a CW380 that I slightly prefer.

Haven't been able to shoot the Ruger and Kahr together to compare them because I've been having problems with one of my hands and can't operate or shoot a tiny 380 properly.

That's the rub, right there. They're tiny light pistols good for unobtrusive carry, but I can't shoot them with any accuracy if/when my hands are bothering me.

I like the Kahr triggers and carry other Kahr pistols sometimes. Not everyone likes that trigger, though.

 

[halfmoonclip]

I like the Kahr triggers and carry other Kahr pistols sometimes. Not everyone likes that trigger, though.

The Kahr triggers aren't an issue; I actually like them. They're a lot like a SIG triggers; it's more of smooth stroke than a conventional 'break'. I don't stage them, I roll them through. It's the slide rack that kills me with Kahrs.
Moon

 

[halfmoonclip]

Well, if you are willing to step up to a 9mm, and can find one?

These are spot-on precise and relatively easy to shoot well.

Part of what drives me crazy; the really nicely made little guns tend to be 1911-ish, and I'm avoiding a cocked-and-locked deal. I want one control; the bang switch.
Moon

 

[WYO]

Well, if you are willing to step up to a 9mm, and can find one?

These are spot-on precise and relatively easy to shoot well.

Easy to shoot well but not with any kind of speed. I got rid of mine. For small guns in that size range, I prefer a .380.