LCP VS LCR/380 ACP VS 38 SPL muzzle energy

[slabuda]

Been hashed out a few times already but after looking at these I think I have a tough choice ahead
:
38 spl
http://www.remington.com/products/ammunition/ballistics/results/default.aspx?type=pistol&cal=10

380 ACP
http://www.remington.com/products/ammunition/ballistics/results/default.aspx?type=pistol&cal=7

Comparing ONLY the golden sabers is the 64 ft lbs of energy all that big of a difference if can smell the guys breath?
I also looked at Speer's website and the ballistics match close enough between those as well.

The LCP is a bit smaller/lighter and seems to hide slightly better in a pocket than does the revolver. And this will be carried in very light shorts in the summer.

Think I need to see if I can stock up on the 380 golden sabers. 380 isnt easy to get but is getting much better.


Hard choices coming soon for em I think.
Does anyone have both and shoot +p from the LCR? Can you compare recoil/muzzle flip between the two. WHat about trigger pull, I hear the LCR is sweet but what about the LCP?

 

[saturno_v]

The 38 Special produces just few ft/lb of more energy than a 380 but it doeas so with a 158 gr. bullet vs. a 90 gr. slug for the 380...so, all else being equal (barrel length and bullet construction) the 38 Special will penetrate more because of its superior SD (the caliber is the same)

The you can have a 38 Special +P which develops even more muzzle energy

So yes, I think the 38 Special is overall a bit better stopper...that said I don't know how much the 38 Special lose out of a 2" barrel and, conversely, how much energy the 380 give up in a barrel shorter than 4"

 

[OldMac]

Check out the Box of Truth for informal comparisons

Chapters 26 and 27 are interesting comparison of the .380 and .38
www.theboxotruth.com/docs/theboxotruth.htm

The LCP is so small and flat it is easy to carry. It is easy to shoot but not well beyond 5 yards since it doesn't have sights as far as I can tell. Spare mags are tiny and easy to carry as well.

The .38 snub is slightly harder to conceal but much easier to shoot accurately for me. Extra rounds are also harder to carry.

Ammo price is about the same. Ballistics are close. LCP is the pick if I could only have one. As Fall and Winter arrive, it will get a rest.

 

[slabuda]

Yea it will be for when I smell their breath. Hope it never comes to it, but rather something than leaving the .45 at home in the summer.

 

[tom357mag]

I do have an LCP , and yes the sights are a bit hard to get use to but I can consistently group @ 4" @ 9 yards. With that being said the LCP is a point and shoot gun. I installed the nitesiters on my LCP and not only in the dark but in the day they bring the sites up , as for carry you can't beat it you really don't even know its there. If you want some more info on the LCP go to www.elsiepeaforum.com. Lots of good folk over there with an abundance of knowledge

 

[Gtscotty]

I was faced with just the same question a couple of months ago, and settled on the LCP. I really wanted the LCR, and will probably get one some day, but when it came down to it I decided I wanted something for pocket carry, and the LCR was just too big for me. I imagine the LCR is probably a lot easier to shoot, as the LCP sights are really small. As someone stated previously, the LCP is more or less a point and shoot pistol. If your main concern is carry-ability though, I think the LCP wins out handily.

 

[slabuda]

Gtscotty--Think I agree. Compared the two side by side today. The LCR is noce and would be great in a IWB holster, but I want pocket carry for light nylon/wicking cargo shorts.

I think I could carry that thing in running shorts!! I can get boxes of golden saber at this minute. But its a bit $$ to shoot for practice/break in. If I can find WWB or similar I thik i will have my FFL order me one. He is currently checking on priced for me now.

Just thinking if I really want (need?) the laser grips.

So....who has the LCP and the crimson trace? Is it big difference out to 7-10 yrds? I dont think it would be at 3-5 however. How much difference is it with those for concealability? I plan on something like the desantis nemisis holster.

 

[MCgunner]

I carry my 17 ounce Taurus 85SSUL in a pocket just fine. The LCP is a lot more compact, though. The LCR would be a fine pocket gun, don't see a problem. I really prefer the .38 for the better penetration AND expansion. The jello results I've seen with .380, if it expands, suddenly it doesn't penetrate well enough. The new Hornady Personal Defense might be a bit better.

I carry a subcompact 9 most of the time, +p, 410 ft lbs with a Hornady XTP 115 grain JHP at 1262 fps. It is 14 ounces and slightly smaller in my pocket than the Taurus. It's a Kel Tec P11. The PF9 and single stack Kahr are even more pocketable, but I like the firepower of the P11 and it's very accurate and very reliable and I shoot it well so I stick with it. I know the .38 will get the job done, just that the little 9 just makes more sense. I do carry the revolver a lot, though, stainless, better when I'm out fishing and that. I need an LCP, had the hots for a while, but sorta chilled on it. I don't want to be tempted to carry it instead of my 9. LOL It is a light, compact little toot. Just don't get the warm fuzzies from the .380 caliber. I know I could put it where it's needed and I sure wouldn't wanna be shot center mass with even one round of it, I just like the 9 more.

 

[Gtscotty]

I have never tried the crimson trace offerings for the LCP, but i imagine they would probably improve your ability to accurately fire in the 7-10 yd range.... not that it is hard to keep all rounds in the COM at that range with just the sights. I use a Desantis Nemesis holster for carry and like it a lot, it keeps the pistol oriented correctly in my pocket and was fairly cheap to boot. The Nemesis holds the LCP pretty snugly, I don't think there would be room for a crimson trace laser sight in the stock holster. Perhaps Desantis (or someone else) makes a version especially to fit with a laser sight attached.

 

[dairycreek]

I own and shoot both the LCR and the LCP. Of course ballistics play a significant part in the kind of ammo one chooses. However a bottom line consideration is shot placement. The old aphorism, a BB in the boiler room is better than a bowling ball in the butt, certainly applies here.

Small guns such as the LCR and the LCP are a lot of fun but they are not easy to learn to shoot well! In my personal experience it takes significant directed practice to learn to shot these little guns really well. By directed practice I mean, you really got to work at it. The ammo with the most superior ballistics is less than useful if you cannot place the shot where it needs to be.

So, which ammo do you shoot best in which gun is the real question and IMHO deserves a lot of thought and practice to find the real answer.

 

[rcmodel]

Comparing ONLY the golden sabers is the 64 ft lbs of energy all that big of a difference if can smell the guys breath?

LCR = 5 rounds of .38 Special. (5 x 265 = 1,325)
LCP = 7 rounds of .380. (7 x 200 = 1,400)

No rule says you only get to shoot one shot.

rc

 

[D!rty H@rry]

if you get some of the hotter .38special loads it is a good bit more powerfull round.

your call!

 

[KBintheSLC]

Not an enormous difference in energy, but I would bet the 38spl is more effective in the real world purely based on the use of a much heavier bullet. 158g 38 +P packs a pretty nasty punch... I consider it a full-service caliber, as the 380 is still sort of a sub-caliber.

 

[OregonJohnny]

I own a S&W 642 (same size and weight class as the LCR) and just recently bought the LCP. For me, caliber and energy wars went out the window, because I just really wanted something that was comfortable in the pocket. I'm 6', 175 pounds, and wear fitted clothing, nothing too baggy. (I'm not a believer in the theory that a person should adjust their entire wardrobe and lifestyle to accommodate the most powerful handgun they can conceal.) While the 642 can go in my pants pocket, it feels like a baseball in there. The LCP feels like a flat wallet, and just simply conceals better. Bottom line, for pants/shorts pocket carry for a person with an average or thin build, the LCP is 100% more comfortable than a 5-shot .38 revolver. In a jacket pocket, I'll take my 642 every time.

 

[NMGonzo]

The guy behind the gun has to be a better stopper, not the calibre.

 

[167]

.38 is a more capable round, the 110gr +p DPX and 135gr +p Speer Gold Dot (short barrel version) are both known to expand well and penetrate deep enough. As far as I know there isn't a .380 round that will do both, not even the new Hornady FTX.

That being said, an LCP will be easier to conceal. But have you thought about some other small handguns in 9mm? Kel-tec has some that come close to LCP size. Might be something to consider. You don't have to go with Ruger do you?

 

[jad0110]

With proper ammo selection, either will work as long as you do your part. Though in colder climates when people tend to layer more, the penetration difference between .380 and .38 Special widens enough that many will shoot FMJ in .380 in winter months. Heck, some shoot FMJ regardless. Don't be concerned with ft-lbs of energy, the human body won't know the difference anyway. It will know proper placement and sufficient penetration however.

Of greater importance is which feels better to you, assuming you'd be comfortable carrying either. If you can actually get out and shoot them before buying, that'd be the best option, but perhaps not doable.

Between the two, I'd personally go with the LCR because I shoot small revolvers TONS better than small autos. The grips are so freakin tiny on the Kel-tecs that I'm always afraid the gun is going to fly out of my hand and hit me between the eyes. And though the LCR may be a bit bigger and not as comfortable to pocket carry as the LCP, I find the prominent grip of my S&W 642 to be much easier to find and grasp in a hurry than the itty bitty handle of the LCP and Kel-Tec equivalents. And the rounded, streamlined enclosed hammer of the little wheelgun makes drawing smoother and snag free.

But YMMV, I just posted this so you could see my thought process.

 

[atomd]

.38 is a more capable round, the 110gr +p DPX and 135gr +p Speer Gold Dot (short barrel version) are both known to expand well and penetrate deep enough. As far as I know there isn't a .380 round that will do both, not even the new Hornady FTX.

That being said, an LCP will be easier to conceal. But have you thought about some other small handguns in 9mm? Kel-tec has some that come close to LCP size. Might be something to consider. You don't have to go with Ruger do you?

The .38 has the advantage of the +p rounds....which is where it really makes the difference. The non +p stuff? That doesn't exactly impress compared to the .380. While the Keltec PF9 is a super small and slim 9mm, it's still not going to pocket carry in the front pockets of some people's jeans like an LCP/P3AT will. Fully loaded, it's over 50% heavier...the P11 is double the weight. They're a good alternative..something to look at for sure, but they are sort of in a different category in my opinion. The more options the better.

 

[scythefwd]

LCR = 5 rounds of .38 Special. (5 x 265 = 1,325)
LCP = 7 rounds of .380. (7 x 200 = 1,400)

No rule says you only get to shoot one shot.


RC - isn't that a bit dishonest? Shooting a man with 5 rounds of .38 sp (1325) is going to have way more effect than shooting him with a .223 (1282) regardless of how close those energies are. It won't be anywhere near what getting shot 5 times simultaneously would be like but it would be worse than getting shot with 1 round that only has that much energy.