I got a Ruger LCP.
It was sort of an accidental purchase in that I found a dealer who'd ordered one for a customer only to have the customer back out. The dealer agreed to sell it to me for his cost plus shipping and I took delivery of it the other day. It's small. Real small.
In fact, the picture doesn't do it justice. So for scale, here it is below a Beretta 92 and next to a paperback book.
Like I said, it's small. It's 5.16 long, 3.6 inches high, and 0.82 inches wide--less than in inch. But it holds 7 rounds of .380ACP and it's earned a solid reputation for reliability since coming onto the market. With it's polymer frame, it weighs next to nothing, making it a handy, easy-to-carry pistol.
Now I'm generally not a fan of little guns. In fact I usually disparage them and try to talk novice gun owners out of getting them as first-line defensive pistols. But there are a few niche areas where a pistol like this comes in handy, usually in situations where a bigger gun is impractical. Even a small gun is better than no gun, and the concealability of this one makes it a perfect fit for a role that I have in mind for it.
I took it out shooting two days back, Spud in tow. It functioned 100%, putting 100 rounds of Remington 95gr. FMJ downrange without a hiccup. It's not the most comfortable little thing to shoot because of it's size, but it put almost every round right where I wanted them, the few exceptions being my fault as I was still getting used to it. A 1911 it's definitely not.
But I like the little sucker and it fits in almost any pocket nicely and without printing, so even though it lacks the stopping power of my primary carry guns, I can see it earning a permanent place in my armory.
Now if only Ruger didn't gouge so hard on spare magazines!
Haven't shot the LCP, but the Kel-Tec P3AT is a bit uncomfortable to shoot. The PF-9, not that much larger, is actually a pleasant shooter, though no target arm.
ReplyDeleteLike you, for car carry or where size and weight aren't considerations, I'm all for "a real man's gun" (cue appropriate clip from The Three Amigos): my 1911, P-90, or .41 Redhawk (love that wheelgun, plus I think of Elmer & Bill when I carry it).
But I also have a .380 that stows nicely and conveniently in case I can't access the larger armaments.
I call them nostril guns, because they are most effective when you shove them up the BG's nostril before pulling the trigger. I put .380ACP and below in that category.
ReplyDeleteYou are right though - they do have their niche, and you could carry them very comfortably in non-standard places like in a boot.
Are you going to reload for it, or just buy factory? .380 was rarer than hen's teeth for a while, and sold for extortionally high prices when you could find it. Hopefully .380 supplies are coming back the way other calibers seem to be.
Congratulations on your deal!
You've got such good taste in reading that I'm not about to disparage your tiny gun!
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