LCP (gen 2) vs. CW380

[SSN Vet]

Just over 10 years I put in for my CCW permit and purchased a poly-framed 9 light enough for daily carry. When I told one gun counter sales clerk that I didn't want to look at mouse guns because I wasn't interested in pocket carry, I distinctly remember his reply.... "you will be".

Fast forward and that man is proven right. I don't carry in the summer months because for me IWB is a literal PITA and it's too hot for cover garments (I'm not one to to run around with my shirts untucked).

After doing my research and handling several pieces, I really thought the CW380 was the gun for me, with the LCP being a close second. So after saving my pennies I was happy to see that KTP had both in stock and I could finally compare them side by side. And I'm glad I did.

Objective comparison:

CW380:
+Trigger is lighter with a more uniform pull weight.
+The bar dot sights are better.
+The slide is 1/4" shorter.
+The grip is 0.3" longer and gave a decent purchase for my ring finger.
+Last round hold open.
+easier to take down.
-The trigger has a sharp corner just above the curved surface that isn't exposed until the trigger rotates. This corner bit me while dry firing.
-Trigger break seemed to be further back.
-The slide stop sticks out a lot.
-$348

LCP:
+ Gen 2 Trigger is much improved. It seems to break sooner and did not bite me.
+The grip is 0.3" shorter, making it print less in my pocket.
+An optional mag bottom plate is included if I want better purchase for my ring finger.
+The slide stop doesn't protrude.
+$199
+0.5 oz lighter
-Trigger pull is heavier
-Gen 2 sights are much improved, but still just adequate.


Subjective comparison:
*The way I see it, this is a point & shoot @ 7 yds or less gun, so I don't heavily weight the advantage the Kahr sights have.
*Though the Ruger slide is 1/16" wider, the Kahr feels wider due to the protruding slide stop and wider grip.
*The wider grip, stiffer recoil spring and extra 1/2 oz. are reported to make the Kahr shoot softer, but again, this isn't super important to me as I anticipate that I will shoot it enough to maintain proficiency, and not much more.
*I can rack the slide on either with no trouble.
*The shorter grip makes the LCP prints less in my pocket. This is more important to me than the better ring finger purchase the Kahr has.
*Baby Kahrs still have a nagging reputation for being a picky eaters.
*Ruger has a better reputation for no hassle CS.
*Last round hold open is not important to me, as I don't intend to carry a spare mag.
*The LCP costs $150 less, and given that to me, both guns will adequately fulfill my purpose, this is a big deal.

This was the first Gen 2 LCP that I've handled, and I was glad that I gave Ruger a second look, as I walked out the door with the LCP.

I recognize that other guys have made this comparison, and giving different priority to the pros and cons, prefer the CW380. At the end of the day, it's a free country and I'm not trying to imply that one is better than the other. For me personally, money is very tight and if I feel I need more than a 7 yd point and shooter with 6 rounds of marginal potency, I have other tools for that. The goal of this purchase is to have a weapon on my person more often than I do now.

I'll follow up with further observations after I shoot the LCP, but I won't be able to make first hand comparisons to the Kahr (unless someone wants to loan me there's )

I'm inserting this graphic form los over at TFL (though I believe he is showing a Gen 1 LCP).

 

[railroader]

Nice choice on the ruger. I have a kahr cm9 and a cw45. Both are too large for pocket carry so I read reviews and went and looked at the cw380 and the lcp custom. Both are nice and small but the lcp seemed more reliable by online reviews.
At the local store they let me draw both guns from my front pocket. The funny thing is even though the lcp custom has taller sights it came out of my jeans pocket smoother. I think this do to the shape of the rear of the slide, the kahr is very vertical where the lcp is more like a 45 degree angle.
So I took the lcp home. I have only had one chance to shoot it but in ran perfect and shot to point of aim. It's a winner. Enjoy your gun.

 

[SSN Vet]

looked at the cw380 and the lcp custom

The LCP custom appears to be somewhat of a rare creature. When I said hi to my friend who works in the archery dept., he said he has had one on order for months, and they can't get them in.

 

[barnett]

i have a gen 2 and the custom. The custom is very much easier to shoot accurately. Worth the money.

 

[beag_nut]

To me, an interesting thread. I have a LC9sPro, in pocket carry (DeSantis Nemesis holster). It's larger than either the Kahr or LCP, and I don't have any problem drawing it from the pocket. It is also more powerful (9mm), and heavier. If forced to choose between the two originally mentioned, it would be the Ruger, just for reliability and service. My LC9s shoots anything, with zero hiccups. Perhaps the OP should try something like the DeSantis holster?

 

[MedWheeler]

Interesting find. Before I got to where you mentioned you bought the LCP, I thought you were going to ask us for a recommendation.

I was thinking "get the LCP."

 

[railroader]

The LCP custom appears to be somewhat of a rare creature. When I said hi to my friend who works in the archery dept., he said he has had one on order for months, and they can't get them in.

When I got mine at Sportsman's Warehouse 2 weeks ago I was fortunate. They had the gen 2 in blue, stainless and then the custom. Both the custom and the stainless were priced the same with the gen 2 blued was $10 cheaper.
Now if someone would make true front night sight that would be great.

 

[Great Scot]

I think you made the right choice!

I had a Kahr p380 that felt great in the hand, but was amazingly unreliable. Light strikes, feed jams, etc. And I tried a variety of loads and mags to make sure it was the gun. Traded it off to a gunsmith friend with a full disclosure. I picked up a Gen 2 LCP that will eat everything, slides in and out the pocket, and groups well at 10 yards. When I'm not carrying a Smith Shield or 442, I slip the LCP in my pocket. Great gun!

 

[MICHAEL T]

When you find that right pocket pistol. You keep it . I bought a KelTec P3AT 10 years ago. Its has never failed and like the Ruger easy to carry.
You did fine with the Ruger I have a CW9 Kahr and just can't warm up to it.

 

[Deaf Smith]

Got a LCP, stainless slide, shorter trigger, from a pawn shop for $161, tax Inc.

Yes, used, but not at all abused.

Works fine. I use Winchester 95 gr fmj flat points as the load. Superior hide out gun.

Deaf

 

[bannockburn]

SSN Vet

Thanks for the comparison, especially the spec. chart. Been thinking about getting another .380; just not sure what I want yet.

 

[Capt. Ct.]

Enjoyed the review sir. Very well done.

 

[Tirod]

I choose the Kahr but I find no fault in the way you worked thru the decision. I wish more would make that kind of effort but having bought firearms on impulse or because Brand I understand how we get some that have more expectations unmet than we first realize.

Enjoy.

 

[SSN Vet]

I have to be a very patient and careful buyer, as I have three kiddos and many other things competing for limited resources.

I haven't regretted purchasing a gun since my first pistol (an Auto Ord. 1911 jamo-matic from back in the days when Numrich owned the brand). And now that I do hobby 1911 smithing, I regret that I traded it in.

 

[bgw45]

I started pocket carrying with a LCP. A friend had a "big bang" with his. After seeing what was left of the LCP I sold mine and purchased a CW380. IMHO the Kahr is much easier to shoot than the Ruger. So much so that I bought a CM9. I'm 6'1" and can carry the CM9 easily in a front pocket. Mine have been reliable and reasonably accurate.

 

[orionengnr]

I have owned three LCPs so far; first one when they came out in late 08. Sold each of the two Gen 1s, and recently bought a Custom after quite a bit of looking and waiting.
I also own a CW380, and have for around two years.

IME:
--I paid about $300 for each, so the cost is a toss-up.
--The Kahr has a much better trigger. Maybe my Custom needs more break-in, but the trigger is horrible in comparison to the CW380.
--The LCP (all three of them, actually) is utterly reliable and does not care one bit what you feed it. This is a quality that is not to be taken lightly.
--I shoot the Kahr better, even though I probably have 5-6x more rounds through the 3 LCPs. No real surprise, considering the trigger.
--They are very comparable size and carry-wise.
--I do value the last-round hold-open, more as a standardization/training item than as a real-world consideration.

In summary, neither is for sale, but to be honest, neither gets carried either.

I have a kahr cm9 and a cw45. Both are too large for pocket carry

LOL...really? A PM9 has been my pocket carry go-to for over ten years. I am 5'9" and 145 lbs.
If you are wearing "skinny jeans" a PM9 may be too big for pocket carry. For any other pants, the PM9 is a piece of cake, and I have pocket carried a P45 as well (same size as the CW45.)

 

[railroader]

I have owned three LCPs so far; first one when they came out in late 08. Sold each of the two Gen 1s, and recently bought a Custom after quite a bit of looking and waiting.
I also own a CW380, and have for around two years.

IME:
--I paid about $300 for each, so the cost is a toss-up.
--The Kahr has a much better trigger. Maybe my Custom needs more break-in, but the trigger is horrible in comparison to the CW380.
--The LCP (all three of them, actually) is utterly reliable and does not care one bit what you feed it. This is a quality that is not to be taken lightly.
--I shoot the Kahr better, even though I probably have 5-6x more rounds through the 3 LCPs. No real surprise, considering the trigger.
--They are very comparable size and carry-wise.
--I do value the last-round hold-open, more as a standardization/training item than as a real-world consideration.

In summary, neither is for sale, but to be honest, neither gets carried either.


LOL...really? A PM9 has been my pocket carry go-to for over ten years. I am 5'9" and 145 lbs.
If you are wearing "skinny jeans" a PM9 may be too big for pocket carry. For any other pants, the PM9 is a piece of cake, and I have pocket carried a P45 as well (same size as the CW45.)

Your pockets must be bigger than mine. I usually wear Wrangler jeans that make pocket carry tough with my cm9 which I carry IWB in an Alien holster. Now if I want really small I have a seecamp I pocket carry.

 

[Tirod]

At an honest 5'5" the LCP in a Nemesis was observable on me, and the CW380 can be, too. But the reality is that a lot of cell phones are carried front pocket, along with wallets now so the modern trends cover up the tells. There are a lot of square prints out there.

Some of us have much higher thresholds on what constitutes printing - I just bought a Pistol Wear Trump Card for vehicle and travel use but I see it's printing in various postures. It's why the Mercharness was invented to pare down the tells of carry. I may yet fit a holster to some paracord to reduce that issue. Same thing with pocket carry, your 9mm may print less than my .380 - we are all different and some designs cover things up better than others.

We'd have the same disparate findings over which jeans fit each other better - I currently prefer Wranglers over Rustlers and find the ones which offer stretch to be a serious improvement in comfort - same as the 5.11's and tactical pant users report. So it goes with CCW of various size guns and what we carry them in . YMMV.

As for the slide hold open I prefer it on a number of counts. First is familiarity in use - and if you shoot a firearm more at a range in practice then the slide hold open makes the experience go better. You get more comfortable with that gun which increases confidence and shot placement becomes better. Second, there is no guarantee a gun will be a one magazine answer - but I do see and understand the statistic that most CCW uses are a 3-3-3 experience and a second mag is rarely if ever needed. But when a second mag is the preferred choice, then having a gun that speeds the reload with less possible difficulty and reduced malfunctioning is the better choice. I don't want to be forced to rack the slide on a reload - any more than I want to be forced to cycle the bolt on an long arm. It's the same issue with the AR15 vs AK47, the BCG hold open makes for a quicker and less problematic reload when you do need it.

If someone's confidence in having only a three shot conflict is certain than I won't try to dispute it - for those who are open to the challenge it can be demonstrated easily enough if you have enough magazines. Load one round each in ten mags spaced on a table, try loading and firing in the weapon of choice with slide hold open vs without, shooting for accuracy and best time. Most of us will shoot better and quicker with a slide hold open than compared to a gun that must be racked to chamber the round every time. It's not meant to be anything other than a demonstration of the difference - and an experienced shooter could win the contest - but for those of us with less ability or financial funding who can't afford the expense to get really good the slide hold open is the better answer.

Gun features and ergonomics can result in a shooter with less training and experience having the advantage in armed conflict and I'm not inclined to prefer a harder to operate gun in the situation. Since the preferred weapon for an opponent in the more extreme situations are those similar to or used by police, then a firearm equal to theirs would be preferred when I need one but can't be seen to have one.

Ruger just needs to step up and make their slide hold open work for the last shot. They did all the other work and expense to include it but didn't make it coordinate with the magazine, you have to wonder why.

 

[railroader]

With me I'm not so much bothered with printing with pocket carry. My concern is with getting the gun out of my pocket quickly and cleanly. My jeans are tight enough that larger guns like my CM9 don't leave a lot room for my hand in the pocket too.
Now with smaller guns like the CW380, LCP380 and my seecamp there is actually room for my hand and the gun to come out smoothly. This is important when seconds count. As for the last shot hold open the LCP doesn't have it but neither does my seecamp so I will need deal with it. I do carry a spare mag too.

 

[Prince Yamato]

If you choose to wear tight jeans, look at the ones that are 98% cotton / 2% elastane (generic spandex). It's what most skinny jeans and comfort fit jeans have in them now. The are a little hotter in summer because of the synthetic, but they have flex to them, which makes getting into pockets much much easier.

 

[SSN Vet]

I've had the new LCP (Gen 2) out to the range twice now, with Win. white box 95 gr. FMJ (with the flat nose) and it has been 100% reliable! Next time out I'll try 90 gr. Hornady Critical Defense.

Yesterday, I put all 7 shots into an 8" paper plate at 50 ft. Which, imo, is pretty darn good for a mouse gun.

I've been hemming and hawing about holsters. I'm just over 6' and 225, but I'm pretty lean from the belt down and most of my pants are not very baggy, so I want to add as little width to the overall package as possible for pocket carry. All the padded pocket holsters look like they'll add at least 1/8" to each side, so I'm hatching plans to make my own pocket holster, that will only add ~1/16" total to the thickness and will keep the gun in an upright position.

I came across a video on YouTube of a guy installing a clip draw in his LCP and the light went off in my head... as I have a clip draw in my box of pieces and parts that I used to use on my PT-111, before I got hooked on pancakes. And since it will cost me nothing, I'll try the clip draw on the LCP and see how much of the tail end of the gun is exposed.

I'm also considering SneakyPete's solution. Most of these cell phone style holsters are ridiculously large, but Pete's LCP version is about as small as possible for this style carry.

As for the last round hold open debate: I can count to six (even under pressure) and since I already sling shot the receiver on every semi I own anyway, I've yet to miss the last round hold open.

So far I'm happy with the decision.

 

[SSN Vet]

I installed the clip draw on the LCP last night and think that this may be a good solution.

It adds very little to the thickness of the piece and when slipped in my pants at 4 o'clock, it only leaves ~1/2" of the butt end of the slide and even less of the grip exposed and the normal blousing of a tucked in polo style shirt covers that right up.

I can only see the piece if I bend over and to the left.

I'm going to give it a trial run with an empty pipe and see if I can get used to it.

 

[jmorris]

Most of us will shoot better and quicker with a slide hold open

The fastest method I know of is to not run the firearm completely empty before changing the magazine.

 

[SSN Vet]

After a couple trials with the clip draw, I'm finding 1 o'clock a comfortable option.





Pulling up on my shirt reveals very little



The clip leaves only ~1/2" exposed and the normal blousing of my shirt easily and completely covers this. Seated or standing or bending over or walking, it is very comfy