Joined The Mighty Mouse Gun Club

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Ok, I drank the koolaid and bought a mouse gun.:eek:

I've been poo pooing mouse guns for the last few years because I really don't like them. Never thought I would own another. :rolleyes:

But things change. We get older.:o

Been carrying a Glock 19 year round and it's starting to take it's toll after injuring my back at work. So I will carry this during warm weather and go back to the Glock this winter.

lcp_zpswwqxtqx7.jpg


That's right. That's finger nail polish. Some guys here that are smarter than me recommended a coat of white followed by a coat of red or orange. So I did it. Works good.

Put 30 rounds through it today. Works good. Gritty trigger and long. But at 5-7 yards with older eyes and shaky hands, I can hit effectively with it.

So I guess I'm happy. Maybe.

Shut up Phil! ;)
 
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I bought a Ruger LCP .380 two weeks ago. I already have a Taurus TCP
.380 and it has been very reliable through 250 rds of assorted FMJ
ammo. I saw a chance to buy a Ruger for a bargain price so I took it.
As of Sat 4-16 I have 150 rds of FMJ through it with 3 malfunctions,
all with Russian steel case ammo. I have carried the Taurus some and
it's easy to forget I even have it in my pocket. Instead of carrying a
spare magazine you could just carry one of these new mouseguns in
each front pocket.
 
Welcome to the "dark-side." I got my M&P (no laser) .380 in Feb. 2015 and after 800 + rounds of flawless FMJ & HP my J frame is retired after over 40 yrs.
 
Congratulations to our newest Mouseketeer! Welcome.

I think the LCP is a great choice. Convenient to carry, reliable and shoots well for such a small gun. With Palmetto selling them for $199 I was tempted to buy another. Enjoy carrying a wallet sized gun.
 
I also bought the LCP two months ago since the price was too good to pass up. I carry it in a Remora pocket holster when I walk my dog in my neighborhood. Since I bought it my Beretta 21A went into the safe. It's very accurate and with Speer Gold Dot 90 Grain HP's it has functioned flawlessly. I'm still carrying the Shield 9 for my EDC but the difference in weight is making me lean a little to start carrying the LCP.
 
Welcome! I have the LCP custom, no malfunctions so far. Great to carry...:D
 
I just got a Bodyguard .380 without the laser. Night and day difference between it and the Ruger lc9-s I carry. Only fired 50 rounds through it so far (Remington 90 grain ball ammo) but no malfunctions. Not a gun I would spend hours shooting but it sure fills a niche.
 
The term "Mouse Gun"...

From my reading (magazines and such), the term "Mouse Gun" is usually used to describe guns of .32, .25, .22 calibers - not .380acp or above. It's based on the caliber...not the physical size of the gun.

Not that it's a big deal, but I do like accurate information.
Have I been reading "bad info"? Or are we high-jacking the term and using it inappropriately?

Kanewpaddle....We knew you'd eventually get there! :)
 
From my reading (magazines and such), the term "Mouse Gun" is usually used to describe guns of .32, .25, .22 calibers - not .380acp or above. It's based on the caliber...not the physical size of the gun.

Not that it's a big deal, but I do like accurate information.
Have I been reading "bad info"? Or are we high-jacking the term and using it inappropriately?


I agree that it doesn't much matter, but don't agree with the rest.

The first criteria to be considered a mouse gun is physical size. My Ruger Mark III 5in .22 is not considered a mouse gun even though it is chambered in a caliber that would serve a mouse gun.

A quick Google search of "mouse gun" reveals that .380 was included in every article I looked at on the subject, from Wiki to NRA articles.
 
I've carried a .22LR (a Beretta 21) a bit a few years ago didn't bother me,a gun is a gun and if it shoots straight is all that matters.

Well you do deploy a small caliber weapon differently in my mind,the .22 and .25 I would call "contact weapons" about the same as a knife,the .32 is a little better but still I wouldn't shoot past,say,ten yards with it.
 
I bought a Taurus TCP back in 2014. At the time all other guns in its class were $300+ and I was able to pick this one up for $200 at a gun show. I had some issues with it at first but with a little work it has been 100% reliable since. It is in my pocket (inside a pocket holster) anytime I have pants on. I still carry either the Shield or a 40c whenever I leave the house but the little guns is always there.

I will say these new pocket guns are very accurate for what they are and IMO they make you a much better shooter of the larger guns too.
 
A matter of perspective I guess. I have owned several of the old
classic all steel .380s for many years and with the history of the .380
and it's use by military and police units I have never considered .380s
to be mouse guns. I have always thought mouse guns were .25 autos
or .22 autos of the same size. The new lightweight small .380s have
given many new users a different idea of what a ".380 auto" is or
should be. They may be the same general size and weight as many
classic .25 autos but are in a different class power wise. Call them the
mouse that roared.
 
A matter of perspective I guess. I have owned several of the old
classic all steel .380s for many years and with the history of the .380
and it's use by military and police units I have never considered .380s
to be mouse guns. I have always thought mouse guns were .25 autos
or .22 autos of the same size. The new lightweight small .380s have
given many new users a different idea of what a ".380 auto" is or
should be. They may be the same general size and weight as many
classic .25 autos but are in a different class power wise. Call them the
mouse that roared.

That is my belief as well. Now that some .380's are a size that you could only find a .25 in, they are considered "mouse guns" as well.
It will be interesting to see if 9mm becomes considered a mouse gun as well when some manufacturer produce one smaller than the Kimber Solo.
 
Mouseguns.....PATOOEY!! I'm 72 & will NEVER stoop to the level of carrying a 380 as a primary!!I'll stick with my J'S, Kimber Pro Carry & perhaps a 9mm shield!
First "Old Cop"was slipped the kool-aid....now Protected one....has fallen,SNIFF.....guess I'll be the only one left!!Ahhh well...
Jim
 
I carry my LCP when I don't think I can carry something larger and max concealment is needed.
It shoots great and 6-7 .380 Hornady CD's ain't exactly being un-armed.
I carry as big as I can when I can....a mouse gun is ALWAYS better than nothin' IMHO ;)
 
I, too, have joined the Mickey Mousegun Club. A Remington RM380. I wish I had one 30 years ago. It would have inspired more confidence than my High Standard Derringer.

A BDA, PPK/s or Bersa in .380 isn't a mouse gun, but the RM380 or LCP is...JMHO.



Here is my mouse gun and a true BUG - call it a gnat gat.
 
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Yeah, I have an LCP with the stainless slide and an M&P bodyguard 380. I carry them a lot. I also carry an M&P shield from the performance center and a Ruger LC9s from time to time. Just having a gun wins every time.
 
I picked up a Ruger LCP Custom three months ago for $250. My kids all ran off with my older LCP's. It's all I carry now; and, with Summer coming, I am pleased. Over the years I've had enough of the "too-big" guns when it comes to carry. In many cases I have to carry concealed. I hate ankle holsters. This one just drops into my pocket and it's light and gone from sight.
 
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Actually the first rule of gunfighting is "Don't have a gunfight," but Rule Two is to have a gun.

I've carried an all-steel J-frame daily for a good many years. I like and trust it. But recent worsening of my back problems and sciatica had me on the verge of buying an LCP for dress occasions and days when the pain was really bad. Some days even the 26 or so ounces of the 640 with Pachmayrs makes a difference.

I had almost enough money put aside for the little Ruger, but a family emergency took it all. I'm starting over. I like the trigger of the LCP, and the size and weight. I've always said I didn't want to go below a good .38 Special load, and I'd still prefer not to; but with the right ammo .380 ACP is not to be sneezed at. "Sharp stick" and all that...
 
There are pros and cons to every aspect of this discussion. By definition, for as many years as I can remember, mouse guns always included .380s and below in terms of caliber. The size of the gun was not the issue. The fact that the .380 round has been redeveloped into something far more potent than it was decades ago militates against including it in the mouse gun category, I suppose, but let's keep it there, anyway.

Rule one (assuming you did not avoid the gunfight) - any gun is better than no gun.

That will never change and we have a member on this Forum with a FABULOUS story of how a .22 Magnum derringer saved his life so I never argue with rule one.

And I carry a similar gun in the pocket of my robe when I'm dressed in sleep clothes.

Rule 2 - shot placement is key.

Interestingly, with mouseguns, since you wouldn't ordinarily use them for long distance gunfights, shot placement is somewhat simplified. They are designed for up close personal self defense and up close your shot placement potential is markedly increased. So far so good.

After that you're opening up the debate to sufficiency of caliber, etc. So I'll let someone else do rules 3 and 4. I carried a .25 ACP Beretta 950 BS for more than 15 years, more like 20, I think, and I was satisfied with it. Once I had an LTC and wasn't worried about normal detection of the handgun I moved up to J-frames and carried a M642 for another decade or more. I decided I could carry a Model 10 snubbie in what has become an increasingly dangerous world so that's my EDC now.

But sometimes I have to be somewhere that will make belt carry of a snub M10 impractical. I switch back to a 642 .38 Special or the Beretta .25 ACP on the rare occasions when that happens.

But, as mouseguns go, there is another option. I carry a briefcase of sorts most days. A Walther PPK/S .22 backs up my EDC guns, secretly hidden in the back of that shoulderbag. Mousey? Maybe. A very deadly mouse...... :)
 
Guys,
They make 9mm autos just a little bigger than 380's.I used to carry a H&K K3 ..380,all kidding aside,carrying a gun is the smart thing to do.I just don't care for the 380.I was buying ammo,38 & 45 cal.380 ammo was more expensive than 9mm. Have to admit....I do carry at times...I guess you would call it a mouse gun...a S&W 351 PD 22 mag,
Jim
 
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