Seecamp LWS-380 for DEEP Concealment

[Walkalong]

hardly ever cleaned and oiled it

But you did, which is what I said, you have to clean and oil them. I have never had another gun that could fail so miserably to even get the trigger pulled as I have the Seecamp if neglected. Neglect it and it can fail. Open one up and look at the internals and you may lose a little faith in it as well. Crudely filed rough parts. (Maybe new ones are better these days.)

So, my warning with them is to be sure not to neglect them. And also all the lightweight .32s and .380s have made them a tiny player in the market compared to the days when they couldn't make them fast enough and they sold for over manufacturers suggested price. I no longer carry mine, it's just a fun nostalgic toy.

There are lighter options today. There are better built options today.

 

[Jeb Stuart]

But you did, which is what I said, you have to clean and oil them. I have never had another gun that could fail so miserably to even get the trigger pulled as I have the Seecamp if neglected. Neglect it and it can fail. Open one up and look at the internals and you may lose a little faith in it as well. Crudely filed rough parts. (Maybe new ones are better these days.)

So, my warning with them is to be sure not to neglect them. And also all the lightweight .32s and .380s have made them a tiny player in the market compared to the days when they couldn't make them fast enough and they sold for over manufacturers suggested price. I no longer carry mine, it's just a fun nostalgic toy.

There are lighter options today. There are better built options today.

I hear ya Brother.

 

[cal44mag]

My choice for a deep cover gun is a SIG P238 in 380 acp.

Bigger than a Seecamp, but smaller than an LC9.

Very easy to shoot. I got good groups the first time out when I got it. Shot it single handed both strong hand and weak.

Recoil not a problem. Very nice night sights.

But heavier than some.

 

[mavracer]

But you did, which is what I said, you have to clean and oil them

No what you said is cleaned and oiled "regular" I wouldn't call my actually field stripping my gun 2 or 3 times in 10 years exactly regular. I definitely wouldn't have called my gun finicky about being cleaned and oiled when it would go months between shooting and years between cleanings.

 

[Walt Sherrill]

No what you said is cleaned and oiled "regular" I wouldn't call my actually field stripping my gun 2 or 3 times in 10 years exactly regular. I definitely wouldn't have called my gun finicky about being cleaned and oiled when it would go months between shooting and years between cleanings.

Have you ever detail-stripped your Seecamp?

I wonder if the build quality has changed over the years, as at least one of the guns described in this discussion mentioned some pretty poorly finished parts internally, and THAT could make a big difference is functionality for guns carried in the pocket and not cleaned regularly.

 

[98s1lightning]

My choice for a deep cover gun is a SIG P238 in 380 acp.

Bigger than a Seecamp, but smaller than an LC9.

Very easy to shoot. I got good groups the first time out when I got it. Shot it single handed both strong hand and weak.

Recoil not a problem. Very nice night sights.

But heavier than some.

View attachment 829139

I just tried a colt mustang, not as good as the sig for sights and stuff but, for carrying up front, I might as well have my p30sk. I'm really after the smallest gun possible without safeties and has a heel mag release. I don't plan on pocket carry so I think I'm gonna order the seecamp 380. I'll have to find out for recoil myself, there's videos of women shooting them on YouTube along with other men in 380 with no mention of recoil being too much. Yes they are shooting the 380 not 32.

Thanks for all the replies.

 

[98s1lightning]

It will most likely ride at 1 o clock in a covert carrier clip as long as it's not too rough on the body with no leather to seperate it from myself.

 

[BigBlue 94]

Have you ever detail-stripped your Seecamp?

I wonder if the build quality has changed over the years, as at least one of the guns described in this discussion mentioned some pretty poorly finished parts internally, and THAT could make a big difference is functionality for guns carried in the pocket and not cleaned regularly.

My Kahr framed NAA Guardian is basically a copy of the Seecamp. The internals are nicely finished. Lint doesnt stop it. My two complaints are the heavy slide pull and heavy trigger pull. But being DAO, it has a stiff trigger by nature. Mine is a 32NAA, which is a necked down 380 case. It'll fling a 60 gr projectile at 1200 fps, out of a 2.5" barrel and 70gr at 1000.

It's also heavy enough that if you run out of ammo, it makes a good club

 

[mavracer]

Have you ever detail-stripped your Seecamp?

Yes, and maybe you're right about the quality over time mine looked like a Swiss watch internally. Mine was purchased in 96 when there was a 2 year backlog.
Most companies have started putting final QC on the customer anymore if Seecamp has fallen into this it's a damn shame.

 

[chicharrones]

To further complicate matters, there's a big difference in felt recoil between a small blowback gun and one with a locked breech -- the LWS-380 is a blowback design. Blowback guns typically have a more robust (and generally more painful) recoil than locked breech models of the same caliber. That doesn't seem to be a concern for you.

Yes, yes, yes. A super small blowback .380 is going to be interesting when lighting it off. And if it slips a bit in your hand when recoiling, it will likely not extract and eject an empty cartridge.

My only comparison in pocket autos are my NAA Guardian .32 ACP, Taurus TCP732 .32ACP, and Remington RM380. Plus several Ruger LCPs due to many friends of mine owning them.

The Seecamp inspired little blowback Guardian is the hardest to shoot consistently and has more felt recoil than any in my list above. That's with .32 ACP! I can only imagine the same size blowback gun in .380 ACP.

Also, as I alluded to earlier, if that little .32 ACP Guardian slips even the slightest in my hand when recoiling, then I get the effect of a limp wrist failure to eject. Considering I can barely grip the gun, and the blowback action needs a stiffer grip than a comparable locked breech gun, well there ya go.

Of course, I'm not saying not to get a small .380 blowback pistol. Just be prepared for what it's going to be like shooting it.

 

[MedWheeler]

When I was in the market for a pocket .32, looking at a NAA (a "poor man's Seecamp") led me to the P32.

Still, I'd love to run across a Seecamp in .25ACP. Maybe even one in .32, but I doubt I'd carry either very often since I already have the Kel-Tec. I just crave a quality, well-crafted, all-steel gun.

 

[Walkalong]

No what you said is cleaned and oiled "regular" I wouldn't call my actually field stripping my gun 2 or 3 times in 10 years exactly regular

Fair enough, but when I recommended cleaning oiling I natural added regularly.

Unfortunately these pics don't show the roughly filed parts. Mine is definitely nowhere near Swiss watch quality inside. When it failed, it would not come close to pulling the trigger, couldn't even get the hammer to go halfway back, and after seeing the internals, I completely lost faith in it.

Crud gets in the works from firing it, so keep it washed out with gun cleaner and re-oiled often.

I definitely wouldn't have called my gun finicky about being cleaned and oiled when it would go months between shooting and years between cleanings.

I am glad yours worked/works better than mine did.

time mine looked like a Swiss watch internally. Mine was purchased in 96

I do not know when mine was made, but something made in prison is more like it for mine.

 

[mavracer]

I sold mine when KS passed concealed carry as I figured I'd always be carrying something more substantial and didn't care if I printed. Regretted it fairly quickly. Now the roll is filled by a LCP or Beretta Bobcat.

 

[Walkalong]

In .380 the Beretta Pico my FIL gave my wife is pretty hard to beat. Lighter and easier to conceal simply for that property alone. The Seecamp is no longer an option for me.

But some folks want heavy, even in a tiny gun, so the Seecamp has that going for it.

 

[Walkalong]

Regretted it fairly quickly.

I know the feeling, with different guns of course, but I know the feeling.

 

[Good Ol' Boy]

I think everyone over at the "Subcompact February through March Shoot" thread would be tickled pink if some of you guys with these ultra tiny vest pistols put some entries in. I know I would.

I dont have much to add other than the SC and NAA teeny guns seem to be "neat" being all metal, but I dont know if I'd want to shoot one, and I know for fact that for me personally I wouldn't carry one for SD.

That being said I've been very tempted a couple of times just for the neat factor.

 

[usp9]

I always carried my Seecamp LWS32 lubed with Militec 1 and Eezox, both dry lubes. Never had any problem with dirt or lint in the many years I carried it. As for the machining quality, mine was made in 1987, when they were virtually hand made with lathe and files and hand tools. All of the parts that needed finishing were finished and those that didn't were sometimes rougher, but that didn't impact the reliability one iota. Reliable as the sun over the 29 years it was carried.

 

[98s1lightning]

I picked up my brand new lws 380 today in a factory sealed box. I took it home, 2 hits on a snap cap and the trigger assembly came apart inside the gun!!!!!!!! I was not happy. I spent some time studying the mechanics of it, I am a mechanic and machinist. I called seecamp to tell them about my problem, my trigger was machined too deep in one area by 0.025", or a combination of other allowances made this a problem. Since the trigger could slide side to side it come out of the draw bar. The lady at customer service was OK to deal with, she told me a few time when I send it in they will probably just bend the draw bar and that will fix it. I told her the draw bar is fine it's another issue, she said send it in and reminded me again it was prob just the draw bar. I see why the draw bar can be a problem but that's not it. I ended up getting a tiny brass washer 0.025 thick and fitting it to space the trigger to its correct location and fix the problem. I put a few rounds through it and it runs fine. I'm not sending it back, its not worth the time, possible cost, and risk of getting bent parts back. Overall it's a cool gun, but I can't recommend it; a pistol that does not function out of the box is not acceptable. I plan on keeping it, but really really hope I never have to rely on it, and that's my decision. It's just a little better than having no gun.

This is not intended to be a bashing of the seecamp company, just my experience. They were OK to deal with on the phone and were willing to get it back to them and fix it.

My best advice for someone considering one, is, it's probably not going to be what your expecting. Like others have mentioned the normal operations of handguns is out the window. You can't rack the slide with mag out on this, or even TOUCH the trigger with the mag out (this can render the gun inoperable). But it is cool and it is better than nothing. Buy at your own risk.

O yea, I can't recommend the covert carrier clip if you plan on shooting a lot, it's very uncomfortable during recoil. More of a convenience of carrying, inconvenience when firing.

I'll check back after I put some more rounds through it.

 

[Bottom Gun]

Are the newer versions running okay with a wider selection of .32 ammo or is it still Silver Tip recommended?

My .32 has run fine with everything I've tried in it so far. I've used Silvertips, Hornady XTP, and have recently started using the Lehigh Defense Xtreme Cavitator rounds.

I don't know how old mine is but I bought it used about 12 yr ago.

 

[98s1lightning]

I would like to mention that the Whalley Precision Company producing these Seecamps has, so far, GREAT customer support. I have to give them that. I have not had any warranty work performed by them, but I would venture a guess that if I had to have it done they would take care of me.

 

[98s1lightning]

Even though my Seecamp shot great today and I was very impressed, I have decided I will be selling it. After I spent time loading for it and another field strip to clean and oil I've concluded it is just not for me.

Onto the next adventure...