Ah yes, the "siren call of pocket carry", indeed.
Recap of everything I've said in other, similar threads ....
Stopped carrying a big .380 more than 25 years ago (Beretta M84).
Smallest "pocketable" gun I'd carry was one of my J's. Until ...
Back in 2012 a close friend let me try his LCP. It disappeared in even my slim & tight pockets, and I'd seen some good results with them when they'd come through our qual range. Just enough smaller than the Bodyguard .380 to make it preferable.
I went down to the cop shop and bought one. I carefully trimmed a small Hogue Rubber Handall Jr Grip Sleeve to fit so my middle finger had better purchase. Handy. Accurate. Reliable. Surprising all the way around.
I liked it so much that last year I ordered one of the newer stainless versions. Taller sights (still use nail polish to see them). Even better DAO trigger.
I noticed I was able to run the new one through the usual qual course-of-fire and some drills as fast, and at times even faster, than my prized M&P340's & 642's (yes, plural, as I own a pair of each of them
) The little LCP was fast, controllable and accurate at the more common 3-7yd distances, but also out at the 10-15yd distances. Pleasantly surprising. (Maybe the quals and practice drills I'd done with the first one had helped?
)
Yes, it's still only a .380 ACP. It's neither a .38 Spl nor a 9mm. No illusions. If I want more bullet weight and "punch" in a
pocket gun, I'll wear pants or jackets with larger pockets, and get one of my J's out of the safe.
I
don't use hot-rodded ammo in my LCP's. I
do use JHP loads.
I've tried Win T-Series & SilverTips, Rem Golden Sabre, Speer Gold Dot, and small amounts of some other JHP (Hydra-Shok?) and ball loads. Everything's fed & fired just fine in my hands, in my LCP's.
If I thought I had to rely on some specialty bullet or load for my .380's, I'd just go back to carrying my J's.
I look at the LCP as being a retirement weapon I'm willing to carry in what I consider "low risk potential" environments. My friend still carries his, but as either a 2nd or 3rd gun, most times.
FWIW, I recently picked up a NAA .22MAG 1 1/8" revolver, and still have a NAA .22LR 1 1/8" version that's languished in my safe for many years ... which have sometimes seen use as 2nd guns. I think of them as
Onion Field insurance.
And, yes, there have even been some instances where the NAA .22LR or Mag might have been the only gun I carried.
I did so when I thought my activities, and their locations, were so low risk that I probably didn't need to be armed at all.
Onion Field thinking, though.
Kind of like leaving the house only carrying 1 folding pocket knife, instead of 3 or 4 of them, not expecting to need them in the short term.
Never said I was consistent.
