That would be the original Ruger LCP.
The model II has a better trigger for shooting targets.
The original long pull DAO pistol is perfect for safe pocket carry close combat. IMHO
Can you point to a smaller, more powerful pistol?

Not smaller but the Kahr CW380 is pretty nice.

Agreed. the Kahr CW380 as all Kahrs has a very nice, smooth, and predictable DAO trigger. Personally, I don't carry smaller than 9mm so the Kahr PM9 is my EDC. The Kahr triggers are just so much better than those on the LCP's or BG380's.

How are they price wise? I think they are more expensive.
Are they worth it?

You can generally find the CW380 for around $300. Personally, I think they are priced fairly given the overall quality and reliability I have experienced with Kahr products. Others may beg to differ and that's fine. I'm just saying that I would gladly pay $50-75 more for a Kahr than a BG380 or LCP.

When I'm not carrying a Sig P290 IWB, there is a Remington RM380 in my pocket.

In various tests comparing small pocket pistols, the one that seems to always come in first place in the Rohrbaugh .380. However, with a price tag of $1200, I think I'll stick with my Ruger LCP.

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Pack light and cinch tight.

I've seen original LCPs advertised recently for $200 new!

They are the ultimate pocket rocket in my opinion. Not an expensive option either.

I had a CW380 in my hands today, very well built, imo, a quality piece. About 300 as stated.

I've been carrying a LCP since they came out and can't complain. It's been 100%. Breaking in my new S&W 69 last weekend I figured I'd practice with the LCP. No problem hitting 10" plates at 15 yards.
Been wanting a single stack 9mm for a while now and have come to realize the Kahr CM9 is about the only pocket sized one. Maybe this Christmas.

I realize that we're talking about a pocket pistol here, so reliability is paramount. I don't care much about trigger pull, ergonomics or accuracy beyond 10 yds.
Does that change your opinion?

My search for pocket guns ended four years ago when I got my LCP.

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Music/Sports/Beer fan

My LCP has been 100% reliable for years.

I'd put either of these two in my pocket any day - before anything else.




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Pass it on.
Mark

Even though the fit and finish is much better on the LCP, I do not think it would be in existence today if they had not had the Keltec to copy. I really like my LCP, but I think Keltec should get most of the praise.

Remington bought Rohrbaugh and their .380 is essentially the same gun for much less $$$. Joe

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Wisdom chases me; I'm faster

The Rohrbaugh was available in 9mm too. I doubt that Remington will bring it out in 9mm., and if they do it would probably cost lots more.

And, I doubt that Ruger paid Kel Tec anything, not saying that they had too.

The LCP 1.5 (original shape, better trigger pull) is the best pocket pistol I've tried so far. I haven't shot a LCP MkII yet, but I noted in the AR review that they thought it recoiled more than the original.

Somebody mentioned the Sig 290. We have a 380 variant in the house and it is just a little too bulky to go in a pocket for my build. Shoots great, though.

The BG380 is an ergonomic disaster as far as the trigger goes. I'm baffled that S&W haven't fixed the design yet. Maybe they have given up on the pocket 380 market, leaving it to the LCP and the Sig 238.

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Release the Kraken

I can tell you that the magazine has enough room for 9mm, a spacer is used for the 380. They may never make it in 9, but the frame is certainly capable.

I like my Sig 938.

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Even older, even crankier....

Beretta 21-a

I like my PPS 9mm a lot. It fits in my pocket fine. I think any black centennial j frame is the ultimate pocket gun.

Personally, I like (and own) the LCP custom.. in my little ol opinion it's got the best trigger and sights of all three (original and LCP 2).

I carry it most often now a days... front pocket or back depending on what I'm wearing.

Ruger hit a home run with the LCPs...

On a side note, I have owned others like the Micro Desert Eagle and the Sig P238 both which are over twice as much.

I don't pocket carry, but long trigger resets and I don't get along in simulation drills. The P238 is my rarely carried micro, though I prefer DA/SA actions.

I'm with A10: Sig P938.

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I've still got it made.

I have tried the Sig P238 in 9 mm as best I recall but not .380. It shoots nice, appears well made, and is a handy size but I decided I did not want to carry it in a state of readiness I was comfortable with and did not want to have a safety.

The Beretta Nano (9 mm) also shoots well, appears well made, and is a relatively handy size but seems too top heavy to me. Has anyone tried the Pico (.380 caliber)?

The first generation LCP (.380) and LC9 (9 mm) shot fairly well for me but I had trouble with the sights as I remember. They appeared relatively well made, and the size and balanced were very nice. I think it was the sights that kept me away. The newer versions seem to have better sights.

I also tried the Kahr CM9 (9mm) and its slightly more expensive near-twin the PM9 and one of their .380 iterations (I believe it was the P380). They shot the best for me and the sights worked best for me, appear well made, and the size of either is handy for pocket carry. I ended up with a CM9.

Since then I've tried a Glock 42 (.380) to see if it was good enough to replace the CM9.. It is a really nice shooter and it's a well made firearm but it did not seem to offer any advantage for me over the CM9 other than it was less snappy.

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Scoundrel & Ne'er-Do-Well

I read quite a bit about the Kahr CW .380 and note that they recommend a 200 round break in. Are they not reliable out of the box? .380 is expensive and something not reliable out of the box does not make sense to me.

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Old Cop
LEO (Ret.)

How do you guys manage to fit that in your pocket and still be able to be comfortable? Also, how do you guys manage to hold those things? Grips are nothing more than a glorified stub

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Kahr recommends that on all their guns. I've had a few and none needed any kind of break in. I went to the range and shot some ammo. Call it target shooting, call it practice, call it breaking in. It's all the same, ammo goes in one end and comes out the other.

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I couldn't decide so I ended up with two. A late production, stainless LCP and a CW380.

The Kahr is easier to shoot accurately and is softer on recoil. Both are reliable. The Kahr seems much tighter and I wouldn't trust it past 100-150 rounds between cleaning. I don't consider either pocket pistol as needing to pass torture tests as long as they work 100% for 100 rounds.

If I had to pick only one to keep, it'd probably be the Ruger. I trust the company a bit more to stand behind their product IF a problem ever occurs. The CW380s seem to be more "hit or miss" with reliability. If you get a good one, they are very nice. Some require patience to get there.

The LCP? It's small enough I tend to forget it's even in my pocket. Wear cargo pants or shorts and I can get my Glock 26 in the front pocket, but not comfortably. Single stacks are fine.
I've meet people who just can't shoot a pocket pistol for various reasons. Some have no grip strength with the required 2 fingers and FTE like mad. A friend of mine's hands are so big he can't squeeze the trigger without pushing or pulling the muzzle all over the place. They're not for everybody. They work fine for me. I work with tools all day and grip strength is not a problem. Average size hands lets me deal with the size. I find pocket carry very convenient.

Between my wife & I, we've put a lot of rounds through our LCP. It was her carry gun, until she adopted the Glock 43 I bought. Over time, we did replace the guide rod, because it was somewhat nicked & rough from use. Put in a new stainless (as I remember), which still looks great. Also installed Wolf springs.

Personally, I do trust it fully. In addition to the 45 Shield, it's my carry, when I need a small pocket gun, which I keep in it's small pocket holster.

i have an LCP custom that is just rock solid reliable and has a great trigger for pocket carry. Had a bodyguard 380 and sold it, just had too many issues..also have a kahr ct380 and it is by far the best shooter of the three..it is ammo sensitive however and seems to only like the expensive stuff. Makes no difference what i stuff in the LCP it goes bang every time. My son has the new LCP 2 single action with no safety..tried it... i can tell you THAT isn't going anywhere near my pockets..just my brain waves can fire that thing off...i might be old but i still like my bodyparts even if my wife doesn't!

You are right. This happens a lot in the firearms industry. The KT is still the smallest and lightest DA 380. Us firearms folks usually fall for the new "girl" in town and are quick to give credit to the old girlfriend. I have a KT 380, it's the last gun to get used here, but it fits in perfect on occasion.

As far as 380 goes IMO the Sig P238,while costing more{$550+}, is the way to go. I couldn't believe how it handled recoil so well. The LCP and other pocket rockets the recoil is horrendous.
I have often carried my LCR 357 in my front pocket and I would take it over an LCP or other pocket rocket any day.
IMO the Kahr's are to high priced and so many reviews on their guns as having problems. I am not saying they are all bad but they seem to have their problems. After reading so many negative reviews I never cared to own one.

I had a Kel-Tec PF9 which is what the LC9 was cloned after but the LC9 is a much better gun. I recently bought the LC9s Ruger for $312 out the door. The recoil isn't near as bad as an LCP and it isn't all that much bigger. The PF9 totally failed with under 200 rounds and Kel-Tec darn near replaced everything in the gun. I sold it after that. I wasn't about to trust my life on it.

If you want the gun to serve as a range gun as well as a carry SD gun then you better range test fire whatever before you buy any pocket gun. If you are looking for lightest smallest lest expensive for carry then I would go with an LCP-2.

One pic > thousand words

where's the love for the M&P380? I like mine

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Forum consigliere

I understand your disappointment with the P9, but it being a single stack 9mm doesn't pertain to the discussion. I got rid of a P11 because I could not get over a 16 pound trigger. I don't use the KT 380 a lot but it certainly has 1,000 rounds through it . Yes I have had malfunctions with it, if you carry and shoot them enough they will malfunction somewhere along the way. I still think as another Forum member said, but for the KTs there would be no LCPs. At least not in the form we saw them in initially.

The LCP? It only weighs 9oz.

Here it is next to my small credit card wallet & iPhone5.



Now consider how many folks here say they pocket carry a 5-shot revolver. My 642 is about 50% heavier and considerably larger in every dimension. Looks like a beast compared to the LCP.



True, I only get about a finger and a half around the grip but that's all I require of it.

7yds

I have pocket carried the S&W 642 pro series or Ruger LCR for five years with no problems.

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Buckeye Fan
Wheel Guns Rock

Can't​do front pocket. So odd and hard to get too. Tried putting a 642/36 in there and it's like shoving a brick in the pocket. My friend has that Ruger 380, I tried that too and it feels like a smaller brick but a brick none the less. I shot his and found it surprisingly soft shooting. Slow deliberate shots were good but couldn't shoot fast due to the small grip. I don't have huge hands but I do have long long fingers. Call me E.T!!! I need a grip that gives my fingers something to wrap around. Otherwise it's the most awkward looking grip you'll ever see! On those small guns if I use the finger tip on the trigger it means I have to kinda peel away my middle finger from the grip. It's weird, hard to explain. The best fitting grips I find are Beretta 92, Glock, especially the 20/21. Sig 220/226 with the rubber grips. Even grips like 1911, CZ, S&W 3rd gen with the flat plastic grips I find a little bit too thin

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Any SW J- frame . We got rid of the little ****** pistol L.C.P. And the other Jamo-matic the G 42. The only pocket auto that ran good was a Berretta Cheetah 380. Accurate ,smooth shooting and 14 shots of 380. We never carry pocket in the pants. Only outside coat pocket or IWB. Pocket carry is slow and when in car or seating useless.

From a practical standpoint of price and dependability the Ruger
LCP is hard to beat. Another point, it is small and light enough
that is more likely to be carried as habit by new CCW people.
1st timers that are guided into some of the bigger CCW guns will
start leaving them at home because of bulk and weight. A Wilson
Combat 1911 at home does you no good when you need it in a
Parking Lot. Yes there are "better" guns and calibres on market
but the $200 LCP performs its job as advertised. This is from the
average CCW person, who are not gun nuts. They want a gun
that is dependable and safe that will do the job. Carrying a gun
is not fun, it's a pain, ask LEO that has to carry every day.

I have a LCP for when I have to tuck my shirt in, my hands are very large and I have trouble shooting it good, fast....I carry in a pancake a Sig P938, with a galloway trigger. That's about as small as I can go and be very good. Its light and easy to wear all day.

I carry the LCP in right rear jeans pocket, if I must.

I think you like pants that fit well, rather than pants suitable for carry. I'm sort of between sizes when it comes to jeans, and the 36" waist is way more comfortable for carry than the 35s.

I thought I had long fingers and slim hands, but yours sound even longer. 1911s fit me perfectly, but I find the Beretta 92 grip a touch too big for the initial DA pull.

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Release the Kraken

You must have had an early G42. Mine is the current version with the type 3 magazines and it's been flawless. Eats any ammo I feed it and it's accurate and soft shooting.

This was my first reply thinking there was an M&P compact in 380. There isn't.

NOBODY I know who has purchased a M&P Bodyguard 380 has been happy. For many it brings a whole new meaning to "double-action" trigger. You pull, pull, pull, adjust grip, then pull some more and MAYBE the thing fires. Just....no.

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Release the Kraken

Well... if I ever decide that I want a wider and heavier .380 in my pocket and equipped with a miniature safety control to fumble with, I'll take another look at the Bodyguard.

BTW... Palmetto has the BG for $199 after rebate. BG with laser $249.

Same here. I have owned a Kahr P380 and an LCP. Both good guns but never felt right in my hand. But my BG .380 is my favorite; after finding the ammo it likes best ( had to do the same thing on my other .380s) it's run 350 rounds perfectly. The BG also has a re-strike action,which IMO is crucial in any "pocket" pistol.

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John