lobo9er
Member
ruger lcp or kel-tec 380 any big difference besides 50 bucks.
ruger lcp vs kel-tec 380
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trickyasafox
Member
I recently went through this process with my mom- she went for the LCP. However, the main difference for her, was the grip. I concede the LCP is a more comfortable gun to hold- and it comes with 2 base plates. The slide lock is a moot point for me, as it does not engage on the last round anyway.
Both are serviceable guns. If I were buying- I'd get the kel-tec and save a few bucks- but for my mom- the LCP was the right choice.
Both are serviceable guns. If I were buying- I'd get the kel-tec and save a few bucks- but for my mom- the LCP was the right choice.
The fit and finish of the Ruger is superior. The slide stop is the biggest reason to get the LCP for me. When I got my LCP it was $10 more than the P3AT. It seemed like ten dollars well spent.
If you understood how to do various clearance drills it would matter to you. When clearing a double feed the typical process is to lock back the slide, strip the magazine, work the slide a few times, re-insert mag, and charge the pistol.
The absence of a slide stop makes clearing a double feed much more difficult. Even more so for one handed clearances.
If you understood how to do various clearance drills it would matter to you. When clearing a double feed the typical process is to lock back the slide, strip the magazine, work the slide a few times, re-insert mag, and charge the pistol.
The absence of a slide stop makes clearing a double feed much more difficult. Even more so for one handed clearances.
MICHAEL T
Member
BG going to wait while you do all that with your LCP RIGHT!!!! These are close up pistols 10 yds or less Yes they will shoot further but I think might be hard to make SD case at 25 yds.
I have 4 KelTecs 3 in 32 for wife and daughters and mine in 380 . I prefer the KelTec I think Ruger is over rated Its a KelTec copy and other than the grip it still basically a KelTec 1 gen gun They seem to have all the 1st gen problems from reading about them . The fluff and buff, similes and other Gen 1 KelTec troubles. When was the last time KelTec had a major recall.
valorius
member
I've owned a Kel Tec P32 and a Ruger LCP.
The LCP is a far higher quality version of the P3AT. The difference in quality between the two when you're holding them in your hands side by side is striking.
Here is a pic of my CT equipped LCP:
The LCP is a far higher quality version of the P3AT. The difference in quality between the two when you're holding them in your hands side by side is striking.
Here is a pic of my CT equipped LCP:
M2 Carbine
member
I have both.
I've had the KT P3AT since they first came out. The P3AT had a few early problems but it is OK now.
The LCP has been suprisingly reliable and accurate. The LCP might fall apart tomorrow but so far it is the best small pocket .380 of the five brands I own.
I've had the KT P3AT since they first came out. The P3AT had a few early problems but it is OK now.
The LCP has been suprisingly reliable and accurate. The LCP might fall apart tomorrow but so far it is the best small pocket .380 of the five brands I own.
ROGER4314
Member
I've had two KelTec P3AT's and two Ruger LCP's. I don't see a lot of difference in them except for the better finish and slide lock on the Ruger, For one reason or another, I've carried the KelTecs more and have about 100,000 miles of concealed carry on the two pistols. Lately, I'm carrying the Ruger for no particular reason.
Ammo tests were important with all four of my pistols as there are a few rounds the pistols are not happy with. For carry, I use the Federal Hydra Shok 90 grain Personal Defense round. I've never had a malfunction in any of the four pistols with that ammo.
Flash
Ammo tests were important with all four of my pistols as there are a few rounds the pistols are not happy with. For carry, I use the Federal Hydra Shok 90 grain Personal Defense round. I've never had a malfunction in any of the four pistols with that ammo.
Flash
You are right learning to clear malfunctions is a worthless skill
First, if one is well practiced he or she can preform various clearance drills more quickly than those unfamiliar with them realize. Of course there are situations where one may not have time to clear a malfunction. There are however situations where on might well be able to clear a stoppage, knowing how and being able to is vastly superior to not even having the possibility. I'll take having it my bag of tricks over not any day. My LCP is mostly a BUG (I don't view it as an adequate primary for a number of reasons and would only use it as such when there is TRULY not another option) so the likelihood of a double feed shutting it down in a defensive situation is pretty freaking remote but I still like being able to clear one.
When was the last time the made changes and left the problem guns to be repaired on a case by case basis?
If you let most people handle, break down and inspect an exemplar of each and choose which they could take home I think most people would pick the Ruger provided they did not have weird emotional attachments to one of companies. That is how I made my choice.
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Houser52
Member
I have a Kel Tec P32, P3AT and a Ruger LCP. Out of the three the fit and finish of the LCP is better.
Of the two brands I like the grip of the Kel Tec much better. They have sharper checkering and much easier to hold onto. The grip of the LCP has nice checkering but is smoother.
All three guns have shot without any malfunctions of any kind.
Of the two brands I like the grip of the Kel Tec much better. They have sharper checkering and much easier to hold onto. The grip of the LCP has nice checkering but is smoother.
All three guns have shot without any malfunctions of any kind.
Ok, sorry for being blunt. What I meant to say was::banghead:
It's not that I disagree with what you said.........it was the way that you said it.
I once had a Kel-tec and was not enamored of the particular level of quality control that was exibited for the actual barrel and other issues. I have since liquidated said firearm in lieu of a Ruger LCP which meets with my standards.
Bettah?
I agree the Ruger is the better of the two. I've had range time with both, friend has the LCP as her carry gun.
They both.... feel like toys to me to be honest.
If I really had to choose, I like the Taurus. At least the slide has an indicator that you fired the last round - the slide actually stays open!!!!
The others..... I was like, ***???!!!
Just my humble opinion... YMMV,
Jonathan
They both.... feel like toys to me to be honest.
If I really had to choose, I like the Taurus. At least the slide has an indicator that you fired the last round - the slide actually stays open!!!!
The others..... I was like, ***???!!!
Just my humble opinion... YMMV,
Jonathan
gordy
Member
p3a3 rules, first made, not a copy.
As ruger has done in the past ruger did again. copied a great gun to make money. I have a p3a3 and a friend has a lcp, One is a great firearm and one is a clone firearm, The feel of the ruger is not as pleasing as the p3a3. The trigger is no way near as good as the p3a3. The p3a3 is smaller in all ways. and the ruger has had a drop problem. You can all say it has been fixed, but I would not trust them.
I like to see the hammer on my p3a3 move when I pull the trigger. True double action. Not stricker fired.
As ruger has done in the past ruger did again. copied a great gun to make money. I have a p3a3 and a friend has a lcp, One is a great firearm and one is a clone firearm, The feel of the ruger is not as pleasing as the p3a3. The trigger is no way near as good as the p3a3. The p3a3 is smaller in all ways. and the ruger has had a drop problem. You can all say it has been fixed, but I would not trust them.
I like to see the hammer on my p3a3 move when I pull the trigger. True double action. Not stricker fired.
Dunno about a copying a "fine" firearm. The P3AT I shot look like it needed improvements. Mag didn't fit clean (the base of the mag just didn't look like it fit right). The overall finish left something to be desired - and this was a new gun!
Did the Ruger take the P3AT idea, yeah, but they fixed it!
IMHO
Did the Ruger take the P3AT idea, yeah, but they fixed it!
IMHO
valorius
member
Gordy: The LCP is not striker fired- it has a hammer, it is a near exact clone of the Kel Tec, but with better materials and fit and finish, and a limited function slide lock.
Ruger needs to get on the ball and offer an improved model with a full function slide lock and real dovetailed night sights. I'd buy one in a heartbeat.
Ruger needs to get on the ball and offer an improved model with a full function slide lock and real dovetailed night sights. I'd buy one in a heartbeat.
chieftain
Member
I guess I had a weird emotional attachment.
When I lived in Florida and ole' George up in Cocoa started making Kel-Tec's many of bought them. A) to help a local boy. B) it was easy to drive over to the factory and get them fixed. (I am from Melbourne. Just down the street, so to speak)
Now I live in Arizona. Don't know the folks running Ruger these days, but they are just bit further up the street to Prescott, to get them fixed.
It is one of the secondary reasons I use a Dillon press. Just drive over to Scottsdale and get the parts or get it fixed.
Just a big side reason to live where I have lived. Cape Canaveral area of Florida, Brevard County has always had a lot of gun types and companies. Here in Arizona they have a lot of gun folks too. I do try to buy local when it is practical.
Just my way.
Fred
When I lived in Florida and ole' George up in Cocoa started making Kel-Tec's many of bought them. A) to help a local boy. B) it was easy to drive over to the factory and get them fixed. (I am from Melbourne. Just down the street, so to speak)
Now I live in Arizona. Don't know the folks running Ruger these days, but they are just bit further up the street to Prescott, to get them fixed.
It is one of the secondary reasons I use a Dillon press. Just drive over to Scottsdale and get the parts or get it fixed.
Just a big side reason to live where I have lived. Cape Canaveral area of Florida, Brevard County has always had a lot of gun types and companies. Here in Arizona they have a lot of gun folks too. I do try to buy local when it is practical.
Just my way.
Fred
I actually had 3 Kel-Tec's, 2 P32's and a PLR16. With the little pistols the thing that really got to me was the barrels looked like the rifling broach skipped all the way down the barrel leaving notches in the lans of the rifling. Very not-good.
ccsniper
member
been thinking about getting one or the other for a while now.
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