Will a .380 pocket pistol really solve all my problems?
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Tacbandit
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No gun will solve all your problems...however, the .380 you "DO" have on you, is better than the "Super Dooper BG Stopper" that you "DON'T" have on you...and that's only if you know how to use it...
harmon rabb
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A j-frame will not go everywhere a pocket 380 will. A j-frame is too large and bulky for some pockets. A pocket 380 fits in any pocket.
More dependable? My LCP has been flawless since day 1, and I've tried to make the thing malfunction. Purposeful super limp wrist, mags of mixed jhp / hp, run it dirty, etc. I don't know how much more dependable a gun can get.
Plus you're talking 7 shots with a pocket 380 vs. 5 with a j-frame....
And if we're moving up to j-frame size, we're in the same size range as the single stack 9mm's.. and I don't think anybody is going to argue that 8rds of 9mm+p is better thn 5 rds of .38spl+p.
Seven For Sure
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I suggest the Kahr PM9 and I have one of the best 380's out there, the Kahr P380. The PM9 is the same size as a J frame, mayber a bit smaller. The P380 is much smaller, both have seven rds. on board. I'm trying some DT .380, if that stuff does'nt comfort me I'm back to the PM9 for good.
Seven For Sure
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I'm not sure which one you're talking about so heres a bit about both:
The PM9 is just slightly larger than the 380 but for a pocket gun it makes a huge difference. Biggest differences are width and weight. They are both very, very accurate. I can shoot as well with these two guns up to 20 feet as with any of my pistols and I've got a few
. The 380 has a really short barrel so it is the better pocket gun but the PM9 with it's 3" tube is an excellent pocket gun for those who don't trust the .380, maybe the best. I would love to see a 2.5" or 2.75" barrel version of the PM9. You not only get a more powerful caliber with the PM9 but bullet weight options from 95 - 147 gr. The .380 is pretty much 85-102 gr.
I never went unarmed before getting the P380 but I rarely pocket carried because my 642 and PM9 are a bit heavy. The only other gun I own that I can pocket carry comfortably is a S&W 351PD which is 12oz. loaded. There is the 340PD which is the super light .38+P/.357 but the price on those is outrageous and though I could afford one I refuse to pay that much for a J-frame. The PM9, P380 and 351PD all cost me about $550 new.
Hope that helps.
The PM9 is just slightly larger than the 380 but for a pocket gun it makes a huge difference. Biggest differences are width and weight. They are both very, very accurate. I can shoot as well with these two guns up to 20 feet as with any of my pistols and I've got a few
. The 380 has a really short barrel so it is the better pocket gun but the PM9 with it's 3" tube is an excellent pocket gun for those who don't trust the .380, maybe the best. I would love to see a 2.5" or 2.75" barrel version of the PM9. You not only get a more powerful caliber with the PM9 but bullet weight options from 95 - 147 gr. The .380 is pretty much 85-102 gr. I never went unarmed before getting the P380 but I rarely pocket carried because my 642 and PM9 are a bit heavy. The only other gun I own that I can pocket carry comfortably is a S&W 351PD which is 12oz. loaded. There is the 340PD which is the super light .38+P/.357 but the price on those is outrageous and though I could afford one I refuse to pay that much for a J-frame. The PM9, P380 and 351PD all cost me about $550 new.
Hope that helps.
Will a .380 pocket gun solve all your problems?
It won't put a new roof on your house.
It won't fix your lactose intolerance problem.
It won't make you more "regular".
But from my own experience, yes, an LCP will allow you to carry even when a slightly bigger gun is still too much to hide. It's small size and it's light 9 ounces even makes my 13 oz 340 M&P snubbie feel too big in comparison (at least for my pockets). I'm hard to please when it comes to carry comfort, and the flatness and light weight of the LCP makes it a breeze to carry. It'll never be my primary / all-year carry gun, my 340 M&P (IWB) serves that purpose) but on those really hot days, the LCP is a nice alternative.
Link: LCP vs 340 M&P
http://www.flickr.com/photos/36581241@N07/4734426458/
It won't put a new roof on your house.
It won't fix your lactose intolerance problem.
It won't make you more "regular".
But from my own experience, yes, an LCP will allow you to carry even when a slightly bigger gun is still too much to hide. It's small size and it's light 9 ounces even makes my 13 oz 340 M&P snubbie feel too big in comparison (at least for my pockets). I'm hard to please when it comes to carry comfort, and the flatness and light weight of the LCP makes it a breeze to carry. It'll never be my primary / all-year carry gun, my 340 M&P (IWB) serves that purpose) but on those really hot days, the LCP is a nice alternative.
Link: LCP vs 340 M&P
http://www.flickr.com/photos/36581241@N07/4734426458/
TexasPatriot.308
Member
if your problem is a 6'6" 300# maniac high on adrenaline and or angel dust you might want to use that .380 on yourself first.....get a .45.
Good point, but the whole reason that I bought a LCP was because in the summer heat I just wasn't able to conceal a .45. It comes down to the argument that the most effective gun is the one that you have with you. If you are able to routinely carry a .45, in shorts and a T-shirt then that's the best course for you.
harmon rabb
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While I agree with all this, there are intermediates between a full size .45acp and a LCP. The single stack 9mm's, for example. A PM9 will conceal easily IWB under a t-shirt in the summer heat.
Taurus 617 CCW
Member
I have a Glock 19 for my regular gun and a Kel Tec P3AT as my little gun. The Kel Tec is exactly what I have been looking for and for a long time. Fits perfectly in my pocket.
PX15
Member
Respectfully,
Everyone knows a 45ACP is preferable to a 380cal pistol when that 6'6", 300lb maniac high on adrenalin & angel dust, or high on anything else, comes a calling...
But everyone also knows, or SHOULD know, that a 380cal. pistol in the pocket when that wacko arrives is worth 10 of those powerful 45ACP's at home in the nightstand
because they were too large, or too heavy, or both for cc on that particular day..
No offense,
Jesse
Everyone knows a 45ACP is preferable to a 380cal pistol when that 6'6", 300lb maniac high on adrenalin & angel dust, or high on anything else, comes a calling...
But everyone also knows, or SHOULD know, that a 380cal. pistol in the pocket when that wacko arrives is worth 10 of those powerful 45ACP's at home in the nightstand
because they were too large, or too heavy, or both for cc on that particular day..No offense,
Jesse
Seven For Sure
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Ben86
How about LCP vs. Kahr p380. Is it worth twice the price to have decent sights?
I'm not sure about the LCP, somebody can comment who knows but it is worth much more to me to have a gun that is designed to hold the slide open on an empty mag both to see/feel you're out and ease/speed of reloads. All of my other guns are designed that way and I've spent a lot of time and money training with that feature. As soon as one of my guns fail in that way I know it's time for a new mag spring. I remember reading a lot of .380's were'nt designed this way. The sights are nice on the Kahr.
How about LCP vs. Kahr p380. Is it worth twice the price to have decent sights?
I'm not sure about the LCP, somebody can comment who knows but it is worth much more to me to have a gun that is designed to hold the slide open on an empty mag both to see/feel you're out and ease/speed of reloads. All of my other guns are designed that way and I've spent a lot of time and money training with that feature. As soon as one of my guns fail in that way I know it's time for a new mag spring. I remember reading a lot of .380's were'nt designed this way. The sights are nice on the Kahr.
huntsman
Member
In that situation I plan to run, I only carry a .380acp for perps 165# or less.
I really don't get why some people feel the need to trash the .380, it's like it threatens their personal view of carry firearms or something.
I chose to skip the 380 for now. Got an mk9 that I like to cc iwb tuckable or pocket, which it does comfortably. Then got a NAA 22lr for when I can't carry the MK9. I usually carry both now at the same time.
I will add that I think the 380 is a great round in fmj, and good with >>>some<<< jhp. repeat after me: C, N, S, what's that spell, CNS, CNS, CNS
Cerebro neutralized stop
I will add that I think the 380 is a great round in fmj, and good with >>>some<<< jhp. repeat after me: C, N, S, what's that spell, CNS, CNS, CNS
Cerebro neutralized stop
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trex1310
Member
If it goes off in your pocket, it might solve a couple of problems or
create a couple of problems. Just depends.
Zerodefect
member
I find the LCP's thin grip too hard to get a grip onto when I'm trying to rip it from concealment. And my keltec is far too unreliable, and hard to aim.
My Kahr p380 is small but has a better grip than the lcp. It shoots well, and i can hit small targets at reasonable ranges that my Keltec p32 only dreams of.
I use a Crossbreed minituck for CCw. No pocket holsters for me. Pocket carry prints on me, and is uselessly slow to draw from.
J-frame revolvers are allways a good choice as well.
My Kahr p380 is small but has a better grip than the lcp. It shoots well, and i can hit small targets at reasonable ranges that my Keltec p32 only dreams of.
I use a Crossbreed minituck for CCw. No pocket holsters for me. Pocket carry prints on me, and is uselessly slow to draw from.
J-frame revolvers are allways a good choice as well.
klash545
Member
i've said it before.....there is absolutely no reason to go with a 380 when there are 9mm pocket guns out there. 380 is more expensive than 9mm and much harder to find
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