lcp or pf9 ?

[cridertj]

I was looking at the ruger lcp 380 and the kel tec pf9 9mm for a carry weapon and was wondering what you all thought of these two guns. I was also looking at holsters and I am not finding much for the kel tec any one know were I might find some?

 

[stalkingbear]

You have to compare apples to apples-.380 vs .380, not 9mm vs .380. There's many choices MUCH better than Kel-Tec for 9mm, such as the excellent Rogrbaugh, Kahr, and others. In comparing both Ruger and Kel-Tec in .380s, the Ruger wins hands down. In fact, tregarding the recall on Ruger LCPs, Kel-Tec has exactly the same issues BUT Kel-Tec never admitted to this flaw, much less addressed it with recall to fix this issue. Ruger has always been quick to recall ANY issues-percieved or real-most of the time without any of the malfunctions even happening to customers.

 

[lanternlad1]

9mm over .380 every time.

Ammo is twice as powerful, easier to find, comes in many more varieties, and is much cheaper. Nuff said.

 

[-v-]

Kel-Tec. A Ruger can be short-stroked which results in a light primer strike/ failure to fire. The newest Kel-Tecs do not have this flaw, thus no worries about a light strike and a *ping* instead of a *Bang!*. Otherwise, the two guns are exactly identical, have nearly the exact problems, are equally reliable, and are nearly interchangeable.

As for .380 vs 9mm...well carry what you are comfortable with. For the .380 I would recomend using only ball or TC/FP ammo. With the 9mm you have a lot more choice in ammo.

 

[tblt]

Ruger LCP

 

[SHOOT1SAM]

My buddy has had both the Ruger LCP and the Kel-tec .380's. He loved the Kel-tec but is a huge Ruger fan, so when the LCP became available, he bought one and traded his Kel-tec for something else......before even firing the Ruger. There were 2 things that he really liked about the Ruger: #1 was that the slide locked open after the last shot and the Kel-tec doesn't; #2 was.......the smoother finish, which makes the LCP very slippery in the hand-that thing slips & slides all around-a problem he did not have with the Kel-tec. He now wishes he hadn't been so hasty.

As far as the PF-9, I have no personal experience with it, but I absolutely loved my P-11. Stone-cold reliable, accurate, easy-to-carry.

I do believe that if you compare it to the Kahr, the Kahr will be heavier, but have an oh-so-buttery smooooooth trigger.

When comparing the PF-9 to the Rohrbaugh, keep in mind that the Rohrbaugh can only fire standard pressure 9mm ammo, which is nowhere near as effective as +P, and requires pretty frequent spring changes. These 2 issues may have been rectified, but I'm not aware that they have.

Many people like to dump on Kel-tec, but IMNTBHO, they have been around long enough to have proven themselves, and they have established themselves as one of the most innovative forces in the firearms industry.

Sam

 

[ChuckB]

There's many choices MUCH better than Kel-Tec for 9mm, such as the excellent Rogrbaugh, Kahr, and others.

True, but perhaps the OP has a financial limitation that leaves Kahr and Rohrbaugh out of the equation.

Chuck

 

[okespe04]

How will you be carrying the weapon? If it is going to be a pocket pistol get the LCP. I like mine so much I traded in my NAA .32 and am keeping the LCP. If you are going to holster the weapon get a 9mm or bigger that you can carry comfortably.

 

[jocko]

v

u can't short stroke the new lcp rugers that have been upgraded.

I'll take the lcp any day over the kt's..

that being said, I will take my kahr PM9 any day over any 380, and yes I can pocket carry my PM9 24/7 and hav efor over 2 years..

 

[jocko]

innovative forces in the firearms industry. WOW!!!!!

 

[skeptiq]

I have not fired either, but have been hemming and hawing over this issue as well and I am choosing the Kel Tec. My reasons may be a little silly, but I would rather not add another caliber ammo to my shopping list. Reliability is not an issue with either, I like the feel of the Kel Tec (it's comfortable in my paw), and I feel a little more comfortable with the 9mm round (although the .380 is a very capable round).

JM.02

Good luck and I don't think you'll be disappointed with either...

 

[t3rmin]

I LOVE my Kel-Tec. Love my Rugers, too. I don't think you could go wrong with either, but all else being equal, go with the larger caliber.

 

[cridertj]

Thanks for the info is the pf9 small enough to be inside the pocket and taken out easy enough? I usually carry my xd 45 or 40 but there are places and times it is hard to carry iwb so I am looking for a 380 or 9 for a back up that I can put in pocket when I need to. With things the way they are I cant get a 500.00 gun. I also believe bigger is better and a 9mm should be the lightest cal for self defense but like I said I would have my xd's close so I am more concerned abut the ability to carry in pocket or very small holster

 

[Dr_2_B]

Crider, I don't know your height & weight. I'm 6 ft about 190 lbs. Once I got the PF9, I no longer saw any reason to carry my P380. I can carry the 9 in my front pocket in a Mika holster and it is marginally more visible than the 380... but not so visible that anyone would ever notice. I'll gladly trade for the extra power of the 9mm.

I can't draw it quickly from a jeans pocket, but Dockers, cargo pants, suit pants, and slacks (what I call pants that are a step more dressy than dockers) give easy access for a quick draw. The Mika and the Nemesis holsters grip the fabric of your pocket to keep the holster in place as you draw the weapon.

Only reason I'd recommend the Mika over the Nemesis is that the Nemesis is one-size-fits-all. The Mika is custom made so it rides a little smaller in the pocket. Still, I wouldn't hesitate to carry the Nemesis.

BTW, I've never had one hiccup with my PF9 and I have been impressed with its accuracy. Fairly sharp recoil. Reminds me of a 40 caliber recoil.

 

[Dr_2_B]

Hey Crider, I'm in Indy

 

[presspuller]

In fact, tregarding the recall on Ruger LCPs, Kel-Tec has exactly the same issues BUT Kel-Tec never admitted to this flaw, much less addressed it with recall to fix this issue.

Really? When did this happen? When did the KT become flawed? or rather what is wrong with it now? What needs to be fixed?

There were 2 things that he really liked about the Ruger: #1 was that the slide locked open after the last shot and the Kel-tec doesn't;

The slide does not lock back after the last shot on the LCP. It is a manual lock.

 

[firinginfenton]

9mm over 380 any day!

Easy answer 9mm.
Holster, smart carry works for anything. http://www.smartcarry.com/

 

[GunLvrNLearner]

I havent fired my LCP in a good while,but i think the guy up there is wrong,i never recall the slide locking open after last round,i am almost certain it doesntbut maybe my mind is failing me

 

[SHOOT1SAM]

jocko:innovative forces in the firearms industry. WOW!!!!!

Yes indeed, jocko.

Let's start with the PT-380--what the Ruger is a knockoff from.

The PLR-16

The PLR-22

The p-32, which revitalized the .32 acp cartridge, as far as manufacturers like Cor-Bon, producing much hotter loads than previously.

The P-11, which had .40 S&W and .357 SIG conversion units, discontinued only because too many who had them were prone to limp-wristing and thinking they were malfunctions. Mine in .40 was extremely accurate.

The SU-22 carbine

The SU-16 carbine & variants

The Sub 2000 carbine

The RFB, which is a little behind schedule.

And let's not forget the KFB folding bayonet accessory for the SU-16 carbine.

And oh yes, the PF-9- a single stack pistol, something the company's fans had been asking for, proving that they will listen to their customer base.

Can you show me another company, especially one as small as Kel-tec, that is this innovating???

 

[SHOOT1SAM]

I stand corrected by presspuller and GunLvrNLearner:

I meant to state that he liked the fact that the slide could be locked open, not that it locked open after the last shot. Thanks for catching that guys.

Sam

 

[jocko]

for sure lets not forget the kfb folding bayonet, wow, talk about innovative.

RFB is only 2 plus years behind on coming to the market. wow, yup ur dead right.

 

[okespe04]

Imitate then innovate that’s how things have been getting better and better for centuries. Even if the LCP is a blatant copy of the kel-tec at least they put a better finish on it.

 

[SHOOT1SAM]

jocko: for sure lets not forget the kfb folding bayonet, wow, talk about innovative.

RFB is only 2 plus years behind on coming to the market. wow, yup ur dead right.

Oh no, jocko,

ur dead right.

Of course, Kel-tec should have rushed the RFB to the market, instead of working out whatever it is holding up its production.

And again, ur dead right. Kel-tec is the ONLY comapny in the history of firearms manufacturing to unveil a prototype and then not get it to the market in an extremely reasonable time frame.

However, you didn't answer my question. Your distaste of Kel-tec and your sarcasm aside, can you direct us to ANY other firearms manufacturer that has been as innovative as Kel-tec in, oh let's say, the last 15-20 years?

Sam

 

[SHOOT1SAM]

okespe04: Imitate then innovate that’s how things have been getting better and better for centuries. Even if the LCP is a blatant copy of the kel-tec at least they put a better finish on it.

okespe04,

I don't dispute your first sentence, nor even fault it; that's how it has been, is, and will be, because it works and we all benefit from the improvements.

The second part of your post goes back to my original reply. That better finish makes my buddy's LCP squirm all around in my hand, something his Kel-tec didn't. I'm not disparaging the LCP, just pointing out my experience between it & the Kel-tec, which makes me wonder if the Kel-tec's "rough" finish isn't somewhat intentional.

Sam

 

[wherestheham]

Carry the PF-9 daily. It is a great gun and has fired aprox 250 rounds with no problems.

However, It had rough edges when bought new that had to be filed down with a dremmel tool. I also do not like the cheap plastic sights and no availability of night sights.

The gun is extremely easy to conceal and accurate enough considering its size.

I would recommend it to a friend.