Which .380 pocket pistol under $600 is best and why?

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LCP is in my pocket now, When I leave home i take either my glock 26 or my PF-9 or the 740 slim, If I go out late or into a bad area like down into certain areas of ft lauderdale or Miami, my Glock 30 goes. I always carry 2 guns, reloading takes time, I can pull my lcp wlile still firing if necessary or give it to my wife, she won't carry. To answer your question, there is no Best anything. Evaluate the concensus, try the guns out, and make your decision, it would suck if the perfect gun was $601.00. Right. Most of the guys in here like the lcp that should tell you enough to put it at the top of your list. The sig is a different weapon DA/SA . It must be carried hammer back safety on, like a 1911, my gunstore competition shooter carries a 1911 and the little sig, They both operate the same, he's a smart kid.
 
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I own two LCP's

and will probably end up buying a third for the wife as soon as she gets her permit again.
 
The LCP is an interesting pistol. When I first got mine I thought it was a dog. Lousy trigger and couldn't hit the wall if I was indoors. After enough practice I can see the trigger isn't bad at all, just takes getting used too. Long pull but a clean break. Makes sense on a gun with no safety, you aren't going to accidently pull the trigger. Once you get used to it there's no difficulty pulling the trigger smartly to the break point. Accuracy is quite good once I got the sight picture that works for me. For less than $300 this pistol is well made, and mine has been perfectly reliable.
 
I can't tell you anything about wear, I have a blued finish LCP and have only been carrying it for six months or so. I can't say that I mind holster wear on any weapon, it's just what happens if you carry one. I don't think of a firearm as a museum piece, I think of them as a tool. If you use a tool there will be some wear but the only real important property of a tool is whether it works. The LCP has pretty well proven itself to be a highly reliable pistol. If you practice and know how to handle it, it's a very accurate pistol. Add to that it's very small size and light weight and you have an excellent concealed carry gun.

In regards to the recall: http://www.ruger.com/LCPRecall/index.html?r=y
Pretty well says it all.
 
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Capp35:

I have found that the slide on the LCP will wear with daily use. My first LCP did have a little slide wear when I sent it off to IA for the night sight/slide refinish.

The IA finish is nice, comparable to the factory finish that came on it, but it too is starting to show minimal wear where the slide rubs against the rear pocket holster.

So, I'd say if a bit of slide wear is unacceptable to you then you might want to shop around a bit and buy an LCP with the chrome slide. (My Buddy did that)..

I think in one of your previous posts you mentioned that RELIABILITY is a given with the LCP (and so far my 3 have been) and coming from an old fart who has carried a concealed firearm for over four decades I'll tell you....

RELIABILITY it JOB 1 in a self defense pistol, and potential for slide wear is wayyyy down my list of priorities... :)

Heck, you can always get a slide refinished, but you don't generally get "do overs" in a life threatening situation where RELIABILITY is demanded..

Just personal opinion,

Jesse
 
So true!

But I keep my tools at home clean, shiny and organized.
I guess I am a little anal. :D

Not as worried with a $300 pistol (LCP, etc) as I would be my $1k+ pistols (my 1911s). I only use leather holsters with them.
 
I own a Diamondback 380 and the original went south and DB sent me the revised and much improved version which is a very good and flawless shooter.
Although if I was buying today after owning my PM-9 my choice would definitely be the Kahr .380 with night sights.
My PM-9 is a life time keeper and the little 380 is a shrunk down version of such.
Last, practically all these pistols when first introduced had issues but were eventually made right by the makers.
 
Like most around here I have multiple calibers and platforms, some to carry, some for the night stand then some to just shoot. No real safe queens.

My carry category is currently limited to an XD40sc and an LCP. I can beat them up and still trust them both.
 
I think a small mouse gun has a purpose for some people. The whole "why carry X when you can fit Y in an IWB holster?" or "Don't carry an X because X won't stop a rabid bear fueled by PCP!" comments are fine, but different strokes for different folks.

I work in an office. I go on sales calls. Even when in my most casual of attire I can't carry a large piece IWB...plus I don't like how it feels. So, I bring my full size pistol into my office and keep it in my drawer. In my pocket rides an LCP in a pocket holster all day long. I like that it's light, inexpensive, and reliable. Plus it's always there.

For me, anything more than the .380 on my person is a calculated measure of need to probability. With a bigger pistol, I have to weigh whether if it is worth it or not to dress the part to hide it. With the LCP, I can take it with me no matter what. So even when I'm going out with no gun...I still have a gun;) It's basically one of those "defensive" folding knives we all sometimes carry...except it shoots 9mm slugs out of it from 10 yards:D
 
Update...

Just came back from the gun show and a hard chromed LCP followed me home.
Also bought a Tucker mini holster for it.
 
Congrats ... the minute I saw you had cash and was heading to a gun show, well, I knew we'd get this kind of update. :)

I did that once and came back with two guns. :D
 
Congrats ... the minute I saw you had cash and was heading to a gun show, well, I knew we'd get this kind of update. :)

I did that once and came back with two guns. :D
I did have my eye on a Kimber Raptor, but my pocket wasn't that deep.
But my wife was proud of me, I came home with $200! :D

I thought the hard chrome would wear better than the blue/park. Any ideas if I am correct?
Love the little holster for it, but I will probably get one for my pocket also. Any recommendations?
 
my LCP ... has been flawless. I couldn't ask for more from a pocket pistol.
I could. Like night sights (or even sights), and a slide that locks back.
Maybe a slide that doesn't rust, and a gun that's fun to shoot at the range.
Wait, I just invented the Sig 238.
 
i have used both the LCP and the P238, and i definitely prefer shooting the P238
that said, i chose the LCP for carrying, as it is both smaller and lighter than the SIG, which mean i will carry it more
eventually i will have Innovative Arms add their LCP night sights and refinish the slide
http://innovativearms.com/id15.html
 
I prefer my Walther PPK/S over my Sig P238 HD, so much so I sold the Sig. Personal preference. No need to argue my choice.

This much needs to be said, any semi-auto pistol that you carry should have over 500 rounds through it, in my opinion.

I have owned semi-auto pistols that worked fine at 50, 100, and 150 rounds. Somewhere past 200 rounds the crap hit the fan, the extractor was shot the recoil spring bunched up, etc. Please, for your sake, make sure the gun is truly running right.
 
I've got a P238, awesome little pocket gun. It is larger than some of the other pistols in your list but it is by far the best of the bunch. The trigger comes a little heavy from the factory but it is easily adjusted if you can manage a pin punch. Even without adjusting it I found it was easy to shoot because of the short single action trigger pull.
 
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So, I finally got out to the range to test out my new SW Bodyguard .380.



What a great gun. It is extremely accurate for a pocket gun which is made possible by having real iron sights. The trigger is not too bad and the laser was spot on at 21' feet from the factory. I figure that it would shoot great at 25' feet also. This is fine for this gun's purposes and limitations. The gun is well made and durable. The gun has a bit of recoil but nothing anyone can't handle and not bad for a .380.


SW.jpg



I shot 3 types of ammo through it, Remington, Winchester PDX1 (personal defense) and Herter's steel-cased ammo. Between my friend and I we fired over 107 rounds. I had no malfunctions with the good ammo (Remington and Winchester), however I had 8 failures to fire with the cheap Herter's. I suspect it cheap Herter's ammo and not the gun that caused the malfunction. Because the SW Bodyguard's hammer hits the firing pin every time you squeeze the trigger (a great feature), I simply squeezed the trigger again and the round fired. So for 8 of the Herter's rounds I needed to pull the trigger twice to make them fire.



IMG_0667.jpg

21' feet, 7 shots using the laser.




IMG_0668.jpg

21' feet, 6 shots with one hand.




IMG_0666.jpg

21' feet, multiple magazines, my friend and I shooting.



I had some problems with the gun and had to send it to SW before I ever shot it. Their customer service is excellent. They emailed me a return label and when the gun came back 3 weeks later it had 2 new spare magazines with it.

I've carried this gun in my front and back pocket and love it. I also like the safety and the fact that I the slide locks back without a magazine installed.


Overall Score: A



I would give it an "A+", but because of the initial problems I cannot. I would highly recommend this gun to anyone out there as a carry gun.

I used to carry a Springfield 1911 Champion .45, but now carry this gun because I do not need a holster for it. I just throw it in my pocket and away I go, meaning I will carry more often then I ever have. (I did order a Galco pocket holster for it though, so it prints less.). I could not be happier with this gun and it is now one of my favorites and is my primary carry gun.

On a side note, my friend who shot with me and said he was fine with his SW Bodyguard .38, he now says his next gun will be the SW Bodyguard .380.


If you are looking for a pocket sized CCW, look no farther then the SW Bodyguard .380, this is the gun for you.


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I could. Like night sights (or even sights), and a slide that locks back.
Maybe a slide that doesn't rust, and a gun that's fun to shoot at the range.
Wait, I just invented the Sig 238.
Posts like this always crack me up. LOL
Comparing a gun that costs $250 or less to one that costs $550 (basic version) or more.

Fun to shoot, why? Night sights, why?
It was not designed to be a range gun. It is a sub 300 dollar pistol that is for backup/deep cover. If it shoots as it is supposed to and takes the abuse I plan to put it through, then it does its job perfectly.
It is smaller, lighter and more dependable (not to even mention all the recalls/updates) than your P238.

If I am going to spend $550-$650+ then it better be fun to shoot and have night sights.

Want fun to shoot?
Get rid of that 1911 want to be and get a real 1911. :D
I love to shoot my Kimber, Colt, and Springfield and they all will put yours to shame. But just like the LCP/P238, there is a big price difference between the two.
You need to compare apples to apples.
 
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Comparing a gun that costs $250 or less to one that costs $550 (basic version) or more.
Posts like this always crack me up.
Glad I could brighten your day.
If you recall the OP said he could not improve on the LCP.
I threw out some improvements.
Also, the OP said the best pocket pistol UNDER $600, not "around $300"
Fun to shoot, why?
Um.....so you practice with it?
Night sights, why?
Because it might be dark when you need it.
I like night sights, I'd have them on every gun if I could.

I did say somewhere that I now carry a Seecamp, and it has no sights, but I like the tiny size.
I'm not a LCP hater, I might get one some day, because it's a great gun FOR THE MONEY. Jeez!
 
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Glad I could brighten your day.
If you recall the OP said he could not improve on the LCP.
I threw out some improvements.
Also, the OP said the best pocket pistol UNDER $600, not "around $300"

I am the one that started this thread.
I did have a $600 budget, but the more I thought about it, that was too much money for what I needed if possible. I wanted something that was completely dependable, that I did not mind getting scuffed up and dirty. I thought I was going to have to spend the $600 to find that dependability. Now I know I don't have to. I can buy two of the LCP for the price of one P238.

Now you can send off the LCP to have night sights installed, upgraded barrel and alot of ther stuff. But that brings the price back up.

If I wanted something fun to shoot, I would not buy a mouse gun.

I was just making fun of you because people are always comparing features of a high dollar firearm to an inexpensive firearm.
The extra features are what makes it cost more! LOL

Like I said compare apples to apples.

That being said, would I want a P238? Sure!
It is a good pistol, but does not meet my needs at this moment.
I am also waiting till there are no more updates.

Take this all in jest.
Its a forum, and we love to debate.
 
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