NAA Guardian 380 vs Ruger LCP

[mclynn1229]

I am looking to buy an everyday pocket carry. I want something a little higher quality than the keltec and something cheaper than the seecamp. I really like the look of both of these guns but the LCP is unproven and none of the local gun shops carry the guardian so I have never held one. Wondering what people think of these two guns?

 

[camper]

I carry my 380 Guardian daily and have put over 400 rounds through it since purchased new in Jan 08. Have not had any failures with the pistol. Yes, it is heavier than the KT or LCP, but that reduces recoil in my opinion. I carry either IWB or front pocket. Had a KT, have never had an LCP, but if someone gave me a choice of carry at this time, I would stay with my NAA. It is a well made pistol and NAA stand behind their products. Check the NAA web site. www.naaminis.com.

 

[mclynn1229]

Thanks for the info Camper. If I got a guardian I think that I would want to get the custom guttersnipe sights do you know what you do to get those or the cost?

 

[camper]

Click the customer service link on the NAA site. Prices are listed there. Also, check the NAA message board and search there where you will find comments from those who have had it done..

 

[MICHAEL T]

Guardian weights more than some 38 snubs . has a terrible trigger Get the Ruger or a KelTec.
I went to buy a Guardian but after feeling the weight and trigger I passed and bought a KT Glad I did .
My KT trigger measured 7.9lbs not bad for a little DA auto.

 

[rantingredneck]

I have had two Guardians, one in .32NAA and one in .380ACP. I sold the .32NAA a few months ago to a TFL member. I just shipped the .380ACP today to a THR member. Both fine guns to be sure.

When I got the .380 I stopped carrying the .32NAA and it had to be sold. When I got my LCP, I stopped carrying my Guardian .380. I don't keep safe queens.

The LCP is easier to carry and IMO the locked breech design gives less recoil than the blowback Guardian. Sure, fit and finish on the Guardian is better, but for a drop in your pocket and go anywhere gun the LCP wins.

I owned a KT for awhile and did not like it. Too rough on the hands, too roughly finished. The LCP is what the KT could have been with a little more attention to detail.

 

[RyanM]

Used to have a .380 Guardian. It's considerably heavier than a Kel-Tec, but also a bit smaller dimensionally.

NAA Guardian:
4.75" x 3.53" x 0.93"
6+1 capacity
18.7 oz. empty

Ruger PCP:
5.16" x 3.6" x 0.82"
6+1 capacity
9.4 oz. empty

Seecamp
4.25" x 3.25" x 0.91"
6+1 capacity
11.45 oz. empty

So the Guardian is about 3/8" shorter, but about double the weight empty. And of course, the Seecamp is even smaller still.

My Guardian was reliable as long as it was kept clean, however, the extractor was a joke. It just plain would not extract anything, let alone hold a round to the breech face. With a round pressed to the breech, there would be about 1/20" of clearance between the extractor hook and the rim. If you got a failure to fire or something, you'd need to point the gun up while racking the slide, and hope gravity pulled it out. If not, you gotta stick something down the barrel.

Also no ejector, it would rely on the next round in the magazine to eject, so the last round would sometimes stovepipe. That's actually intentional, though. The stovepipe jam tells you when the gun's empty.

Still, it was reliable when clean. The extractor was never an issue, but it didn't exactly give me any warm fuzzies.

If I had to do it all over again, I'd save up the extra money for a Seecamp. Twice the price of a Guardian, triple the price of a Kel-Tec, but I'm betting it's worth every penny.

 

[benderx4]

I also was looking at the same two guns you're considering. After reading countless testimonials, debates, reviews, and opinions concerning those guns (and the KelTec as well), I bought a: (drumroll please)

Seecamp LWS32

 

[JBB]

I went looking for a pocket pistol this past weekend at a local gun show. The Guardian was on my list of possibilities with the LCP at the top. I also looked at a P3AT (again) but the crappiness of the finish kept me from buying a KT again. Forget the LCP for now, only two at the show and way, way overpriced. The Guardian is a very well finished gun, but I only found one at the show and it was selling for retail price and was a bit too heavy for my purposes. I ended up with a used Beretta Tomcat (I know, I know, its a .32 ACP) but I fell in love with the little bugger and it will do fine for when I can't carry a bigger gun. I held back a few bucks and I guess I'll get on the LCP waiting list at my local shop. The Ruger is a really nice looking and feeling little gun.

 

[HisSoldier]

My Guardian has never failed me, if the Ruger is anything like the Kel-Tec there's no comparison. My Kel-Tec failed within 100 rounds, needed work for a stupid design flaw, the trigger pin worked it's way out. The Guardian will be something you can be proud of 75 years from now, I have doubts about plastiguns in that area. The Kel-Tec is addictive because it's easy to carry, from then on it's just a matter of when will it fail again. I hope the Ruger is better designed and built.

 

[lvcat2004]

I don't know anything about NAA, and I have handled both the LCP and Keltec P3AT, and went with a P3AT and am very happy with it. LCP is basically a P3AT clone, and the finish was tad bit nicer, but make no mistake, it costs about the same, and it's DEFINITELY NOT significantly better...you get what you pay for.

Having said that, I don't carry a pocket 380 for the looks...it needs to be reliable/durable, and so far, I have had zero FTF or FTE out of my P3AT with several hundred rounds on my 2nd Gen. P3AT, and there are people who have fired thousands with no problem.