Carrying Concealed, Need Advise on Compact Gun - LCP .380?

CNC WHEEL GUY · #1 04-01-2008, 08:06 AM

It's been a while since I carried. I use to carry my Beretta 9F 9MM, but it was big and bulky. Like the gun and it is very reliable, but don't like the huge bulge it leaves in my clothing when carrying.

I saw that Ruger just came out with a .380 LCP. The gun looks nice, compact and simple. I believe Ruger to be a very reliable gun and for the price, I think it could be a great buy. The compact size looks perfect to carry concealed. Is a .380 to small of a gun to have good stopping power?

Any advise is welcomed!

Thanks!

-Denis

jmorris · #2 04-01-2008, 08:46 AM

I carry a Beretta 22LR, (use to carry a 22 short Beretta) people say if you shoot someone with it they'll take it away and beat the S__t out of you. I reply,if I shoot you in the face seven times what are yougoing to do?
Small calibers are not a body shot gun.Shoot for theface and neck. Most gun fights are close range (7' or less) so hitting your target in this area is not difficult.
My 2 cents.

galtjunk · #3 04-01-2008, 09:42 AM

Find a Beretta in .380 if you like that caliber.
I have an old 84 that I like to carry.
I am not real fond of Ruger automatics other than their .22's. I do like their revolvers in any caliber.

pulpsmack · #4 04-01-2008, 09:54 AM

All handguns are vastly underpowered for the task of neutralizing a hostile attacker, so my doctrine has always been simple: always carry the largest/most powerful "man-size" cartridge you can confidently control. Man-sized cartridge = .38+P, .357 Magnum,9mm, .40 S&W, .45ACP. All those mouseguns make excellent shorts/pocket carry platforms, but they are terrible primaries. Your CCW is the weapon you use at the range most often (or you are doing something wrong) and those "shot never carried always" weapons are the ones that will get you in trouble. The only time these have any sort of value is as a backup or for those rare times when you absolutely face mouse gun or no gun at all (i.e., jogging).

As for .22, hey, we all have our own margin of whatwe are comfortable, but for ME, carrying 22LR as a primary is truly insane. Granted, .22 has killed more than one or two people, and has even been used by assassains. Nevertheless, committingmurder where you ambush a victim and dump three into his temple and fending off two attackers who surprise you in a self defense scenario,are as different as night and day. Since we have no use for the first situation, the .22 has no practicality whatsoever. In addition, the 22LR is notoriously unreliable in an automatic in terms of ignition, feeding, and extraction.

Whether .17 .22, 25, 32, 380, orthe man size cartridges, there is a radical difference between ruining your attacker's night (including killing him), and stopping the SOB before he truly ruins yours. My advice is to look into at least a .38 revolver or 9mm compact and leave the .22 for the range.

CNC WHEEL GUY · #5 04-01-2008, 10:10 AM

Quote:

ORIGINAL: pulpsmack

All handguns are vastly underpowered for the task of neutralizing a hostile attacker, so my doctrine has always been simple: always carry the largest/most powerful "man-size" cartridge you can confidently control. Man-sized cartridge = .38+P, .357 Magnum,9mm, .40 S&W, .45ACP. All those mouseguns make excellent shorts/pocket carry platforms, but they are terrible primaries. Your CCW is the weapon you use at the range most often (or you are doing something wrong) and those "shot never carried always" weapons are the ones that will get you in trouble. The only time these have any sort of value is as a backup or for those rare times when you absolutely face mouse gun or no gun at all (i.e., jogging).

As for .22, hey, we all have our own margin of whatwe are comfortable, but for ME, carrying 22LR as a primary is truly insane. Granted, .22 has killed more than one or two people, and has even been used by assassains. Nevertheless, committingmurder where you ambush a victim and dump three into his temple and fending off two attackers who surprise you in a self defense scenario,are as different as night and day. Since we have no use for the first situation, the .22 has no practicality whatsoever. In addition, the 22LR is notoriously unreliable in an automatic in terms of ignition, feeding, and extraction.

Whether .17 .22, 25, 32, 380, orthe man size cartridges, there is a radical difference between ruining your attacker's night (including killing him), and stopping the SOB before he truly ruins yours. My advice is to look into at least a .38 revolver or 9mm compact and leave the .22 for the range.

Do you have a recommendation for a sub compact or compact 9MM? Ruger just came out with the SR9 that looks slim, but a bit long.

spankustang · #6 04-01-2008, 10:33 AM

Went to look at the new LCP.380 and they didn't have any yet!!
The wife carries a KelTec P3AT. I have shot it a few times. Seems to small for me. I carry a Sig P229 (.357 SIG) in a MTAC iwb holster. Big gun, but the holster conceals it perfectly!!

The 9mm is not much more powerful than a .380
I would look for something a bit more powerful

Gunsmoke · #7 04-01-2008, 10:41 AM

If you looking for something good to carry I just bought a gloc 26 40 cal awesome light not bulky at all really it was for my wife when I was buying but decided to keep it for me for the scooter you know

stich · #8 04-01-2008, 11:05 AM

I carry a Springfield XD .45. compact. Very good stopping power. It's a 4" and conceals nicely. Actually has less recoil than a .40 cal. and bullet doesn't travel as far. I've become pretty proficient with it and to me it's the right gun for CCW. I do agree that you should carry what you're most comfortable with.

Tuceaux · #9 04-01-2008, 11:05 AM

How about the Kel-Tec PF-9 9mm ? Not quite as small
as the .380 but still small, single stack and light.

Rebel Ryder · #10 04-01-2008, 03:57 PM

Quote:

ORIGINAL: spankustang

The 9mm is not much more powerful than a .380
I would look for something a bit more powerful

take that as an opinion only. true ballistic scientific data prove otherwise. bullet technology has advancedfavorably for these "smaller" calibers. the majority will confirm that .380 is absolute minimum for sd. more likely 9mmas min.
above anything else u want a gun that bangs at every pull. so w/that said a revolver or sub-compact glock are my recommendations.