Pocket Carry 380's

[GunLvrNLearner]

This thread is to keep us all informed on the pocket carry 380's not the bersa or walthers.

I am aware of these

Keltec and I think th cost about 280

Ruger LCP which i paid 319 i think

Kahr

Taurus TCP i saw for 279

S & W Bodyguard due out in May,price not sure


There i a Micro Eagle although i think it is too heavy to fit in with the rest of the group.


Probably others out or coming out i am unaware of as of yet

 

[HOWARD J]

Sig p-238

 

[sidheshooter]

I've got the sig as well.

Check out the American Rifleman roundup (we all subscribe, yes?)

for a decent overview (minus the seecamp)

http://www.americanrifleman.org/ArticlePage.aspx?id=2074&cid=4

 

[usp9]

Seecamp is still the smallest. Hard to come by though.


compared with a Keltec 380

pic borrowed from photobucket

 

[SOUTHPAW]

Seecamp is still the smallest. Hard to come though.


compared with a Keltec 380

pic borrowed from photobucket

Wow! I had no idea the Seecamp was that much smaller than my Kel-Tec! Manufactured in my home town too!

 

[TheProf]

Here's my take on POCKET .380s.

1. LCP= Super reliable. 99.9% in 300 plus rounds. Super concealable. The trigger pull is a bit long....but that is a good thing for pocket guns. The recoil is reasonable.

The downside is that it is hard to hang on to due to its small size. You really have to concentrate on hanging on to that grip. (Yes, there are pinky extensions...but I am concerned that it may put undue sideward pressure on the magazine and cause the gun to not feed correctly.) Once in a while, i do find that I have inadvertently activated the magazine release button while I am carrying it in my pocket. )

2. Sig P238 = Super accurate for such a small gun. It's single action makes follow up shots a breeze. It has been super reliable.......so long as you use Sig mags. If you use Colt mags (there are supposed to be interchangable)...the Colt mags are more of a "hit or miss".

Downside: You are supposed to carry the thing "cocked and locked" (its single action only). But there is no ambi safety. The safety is for right handed use only. So this gun only works in right pockets (for pocket carry). Also, unlike its bigger 1911 counter parts, there is no grip safety. I would prefer to have all the redundant safeties, especially since i am carrying it "cocked and locked" inside the pocket.
Perhaps a compromise would be to carry this gun as backup to a primary DAO gun and carry it (P238) in condition three.

3. Kahr .380 No.. I don't have this one. But if it like its bigger counterpart...the PM9, I would venture to say that it would be solidly made. It would have tight tolerances. Perhaps too tight...making it finicky with regards to ammo. And the PM9 did have issues of light strikes. So...i have no plans on purchasing its .380 counterpart.

 

[GunLvrNLearner]

What do Sig238s usually cost?

 

[shibby]

tcp has been great to me

 

[Flint Ridge]

I just got a P380 Kahr. 350 rounds through it yesterday. Breakin the first 200 rounds. At round 205 a failure. Last 195 WWB and Fiocchi without a hitch. No light strikes noted here. Will watch for it.

 

[TIMC]

I Love my little P232 but I don't really think it's a poket pistol.

 

[devildog4329]

I picked up a Diamondback DB .380 last week. So far i have only put 50 rounds through it but i love this pistol. Price was $389 +tax.

 

[WRGADog]

Kahr P380

I have owned mine for approximately 1 year. I have put about 700 rounds through the gun and it works flawlessly. I carry the P380 or the PM9 constantly. Great guns that work very well after the break in period, I had two magazine failures on the P380 on my first trip to the range. Both of the factory mags developed cracks where the side plate folds to form the rear of the magazine. Kahr immediately replaced both and I have had no problems whatsoever since then.

 

[TCOV]

I have both of the small Keltecs and they have been very reliable. In the pictures the Seecamp looks like it has a longer barrel than the Keltec even though it's smaller. Should be ballistic equal of the pocket class. Is it reliable or need certain brand of ammo like their 32acp? Bet it's a handfull. I also have an old AMT DAO Backup 380 that fits easily in a pocket and has fired every round ever loaded in it. I hear some have had problems but mine has been perfect.

 

[M2 Carbine]

Since they came out I've owned the Kel Tec P3AT and Micro Desert Eagle. I like both of them.
The MDE is especially accurate, even at such long distances as 52 yards.

Today I bought a SIG 238. When I got home I ran four magazines through it. Unless something turns up as I shoot it in the next few days I think I'll be extremely satisfied with it. It appears it will be the perfect size and weight and will be reliable and very accurate.

 

[VA27]

The Micro Desert Eagle at 15oz loaded, is the heavyweight of the 'new breed'.

But it's smaller than all the rest and only slightly larger than the Seecamp.

 

[cliffsgsr]

Checkout the Rohrbaugh R9. Size is about the same as LCP, but in a normal 9mm. Ammo is much easier to find and cheaper to boot. And balistics are no comparison. I've carried mine now for a couple years. Fits into front pocket with pocket holster no problem. These aren't cheap, $1200.00, but when you need a defense gun, you want all you can get. No hope of a laser for it.

 

[tackstrp]

the offical barrrel length on the Seecamp 32 and 380 autos is 2.1 inch. I believe teh Ket tec P3AT is 2.7 inch

 

[gearchecker]

I just traded off a Colt Mustang .380.
An awesome pistol if you can get your hands on one.

 

[Gelgoog]

2. Sig P238 = Super accurate for such a small gun. It's single action makes follow up shots a breeze. It has been super reliable.......so long as you use Sig mags. If you use Colt mags (there are supposed to be interchangable)...the Colt mags are more of a "hit or miss".

Downside: You are supposed to carry the thing "cocked and locked" (its single action only). But there is no ambi safety. The safety is for right handed use only. So this gun only works in right pockets (for pocket carry). Also, unlike its bigger 1911 counter parts, there is no grip safety. I would prefer to have all the redundant safeties, especially since i am carrying it "cocked and locked" inside the pocket.
Perhaps a compromise would be to carry this gun as backup to a primary DAO gun and carry it (P238) in condition three.

You were born with a redundant safety <hint: you have two on each hand>

I was iffy about the single action on such a small gun, but the Sig has a very positive safety that does not disengage without effort, and if you keep it in a pocket holster there is really nothing to worry about.

 

[benderx4]

If you truly want a POCKET 380, something you literally carry in your pocket, there is none finer than the Seecamp LWS380. (Desantis Nemesis works great with this little gun.)

Same goes for the 9mm, yes the Kahr PM9 is a good gun, but it sure doesn't fit in my pocket. Again, if you want the best, it will cost you - the only POCKET 9mm that I've come across is the Rohrbaugh R9.

 

[Taurus 617 CCW]

I just took my newly traded for Kel Tec P3AT out to the range yesterday and was able to keep all the rounds in the 8-ring at 20 feet. With the pinkey extension on the magaizine it was surprisingly controllable. I was expecting hand pounding recoil but it was actually manageable. Felt like shooting a Glock 27 with defense loads. I just refinished the Kel Tec in the shop last week, pic below.

 

[GoHerdGreg]

Another vote for the Sig P238.

1. It takes some getting used to, carrying cocked and locked. The safety is very positive. As long as human hands don't touch it, it's not going to go off by itself.
2. Pocket holster makes this disappear, even wearing blue jeans wherein the pocket area is thinner around the thighs.
3. Everybody who shoots mine at the range absolutely loves it. The first question after they shoot it is, "How much does this cost?" It sells itself.
4. Fit, finish, feel...all are top-notch.

I paid about $475 out the door for mine.

 

[TCOV]

Tackstrp thanks for correcting me on the barrel lengths between Seecamp and Keltec. I mistook the flats on the end of the Keltec barrel for the breech face and can see the difference after looking at mine. If the picture had shown the right side of the Keltec it would have been obvious. I see on google search there are certain ammo recomendations for the Seecamp and hardball is not recomended. Anyone know going price on the Seecamp? I have seen big variations in the price on the Seecamp 32acp. Carry a couple Keltecs and don't need extra mags for the price and buy some ammo too.

 

[oneounceload]

Seecamps in 380 have a two-year waiting list to get on the order list, partially, IIRC, due to the shortage of 380 that they use to test the gun

 

[wild cat mccane]

R9 is not comparable to the exact size of the P3AT.

I heard the same over and over and then I picked one up.

It may be marginally wider on paper than the p3at, but it is substantially wider when put it in the pocket.

Yes, on top of each other they take up the same area, but not in width. The R9 is wider by a noticeable amount.