Small, light, thin 380 for pocket carry
- Thread starter 603Country
- Start date
The Kel-Tec P3AT, Beretta Pico, and various incarnations of the Ruger LCP are tiny pocket pistols.
The Bersa is more like a Walther PP and is basically a small service pistol designed to be carried in a belt holster.
I own or have owned the P3AT, Pico, regular LCP, and LCPII.
I prefer the LCPII due to the nice trigger and decent sights, but all of them are/were reliable and very small/light.
I can and do carry one in the breast pocket of a baggy flannel shirt.
The Bersa is more like a Walther PP and is basically a small service pistol designed to be carried in a belt holster.
I own or have owned the P3AT, Pico, regular LCP, and LCPII.
I prefer the LCPII due to the nice trigger and decent sights, but all of them are/were reliable and very small/light.
I can and do carry one in the breast pocket of a baggy flannel shirt.
My first pocket carry was an NAA Guardian in .32. Then I carried a Colt Pony Pocketlite .380 for a long time before the Pico came out. I carried the Pico for a couple of years. The ergonomics are OK when it's loaded, but the slide is a bear when not loaded, and the magazine release is in that weird under-trigger guard position. Now I rotate between the LCP Custom, KelTec P3AT, and a KelTec P32 when I need something to truly disappear in my pocket. The P32 also is the only one that works if I want to keep a pistol in the inner pocket of my sports jacket.
One thing about the LCP Custom, it works best if you have an 11 or 12 pound recoil spring.
One thing about the LCP Custom, it works best if you have an 11 or 12 pound recoil spring.
I carry the Pico because it has the features I like in a small pocket pistol; thin, lightweight, reliable, DAO trigger and quality made. I really like the fact that one can change frames to add an integral laser or light. I've had mine now for three years with zero problems. Good sights too.
603Country
New member
After handling some mouse guns, and working the slides and triggers, I bought the S&W Bodyguard in 380. Not saying it’s the absolute best, but it’s close in operation to my 380 EZ. It has a safety and I have enough of a comfort factor to handle and use it.
Thank you all for your suggestions and knowledge.
Thank you all for your suggestions and knowledge.
Congrats on your new 380! I was going to toss out there another vote for Kahr CT380 as I have 2 of them had a couple FTE on one at 50 round mark but now after 300+ rounds each flawless! I have heard a lot of good things about the Bodyguard and I shot the 380EZ a month ago and it was very impressive!
wild cat mccane
New member
If you go to the Seecamp Company Forum, there isn't a single positive thread about the current LWS380 on the entire front page. Looky yourself:
http://www.seecamp.com/cgi-bin/yabb2/YaBB.pl?board=lws_380
It's not just ****ord vs Southwick (former vs current owner).
These weren't popular enough to have high volume, year long backlogs to order. Knowing this, there always seemed to be reliability threads whenever the name popped up. At a million tons in weight, I wouldn't recommend it to someone. Shrug
http://www.seecamp.com/cgi-bin/yabb2/YaBB.pl?board=lws_380
It's not just ****ord vs Southwick (former vs current owner).
These weren't popular enough to have high volume, year long backlogs to order. Knowing this, there always seemed to be reliability threads whenever the name popped up. At a million tons in weight, I wouldn't recommend it to someone. Shrug
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603 Country said:
I prefer the LCP to the LCP II for the same reason you are uncomfortable carrying cocked and locked- I don't trust the trigger on the LCP II with no safety. The LCP II doesn't have the kind of safety features I would expect, specifically the firing pin block. A transfer bar just isn't as good, it's one thing on a revolver but it's entirely another on a tiny mousegun with a striker-equivalent trigger.
I will say that I also carry a Glock, either a 26 or 30, and I am comfortable; I'd even feel totally fine cocked and locked to be honest, but not an LCP II. Glock has the trigger safety and a firing pin block. P238 has a firing pin block and a manual safety. Cocked and unlocked on a P238 is comparable to Glock carry. LCP II on the other hand only has a transfer bar. I have never heard a report of a drop triggering the LCP II but I don't like it and I have no problem whatsoever with the more deliberate, safer LCP regular trigger so I prefer the regular trigger which I trust more. I'm quite accurate with it and I think it has a light, smooth trigger in my example. A bit long but not heavy nor gritty at all. Mine is much lighter than the DA pull on any revolver or DA/SA pistol I've owned, so while it's not as light as a Glock it's pretty manageable.
Before anyone rips me and says it's perfectly safe I'd like to preemptively say that I'm sure it is, so the other reason to prefer the LCP to the LCP II is because it's thinner with a shorter grip and a marginally shorter overall length.
603Country
New member
As I mentioned, I bought the 380 Bodyguard. It’s to be my Christmas present, but before it got wrapped, I shot it a bit. Recoil wasn’t snappy or painful, which was good. Accuracy at about 10 yards was very good, and better than I honestly expected. It seems that I bought the pistol that best meets my requirements. I’ll upgrade the sights, and I might replace the trigger with a shorter pull version. The sights are much better than some of the other micro pistols, as they can be adjusted or replaced. I’ll see if I can get some tritium dot sights.
I agree. The P3AT is very conveniently sized and easily pocket carried.
HighValleyRanch
New member
That's cheating!
My brother got a Colt .22 rifle from Santa when he was sixteen. But the night before, I heard my dad working the bolt action in the living room!LOL
Kreyzhorse
New member
Not a target gun, but the LCP is easy to carry, fairly easy to shoot due to its small size, and the trigger is long and heavy. It's the type of trigger I'd expect on a pocket gun but by no means is it terrible.
Just long and heavy.
Just long and heavy.
Just to clarify the LCP II safety features, this from Ruger in their FAQ section:
Q "What safety devices are incorporated into the design of the LCP® II?"
A "We put a significant amount of engineering effort into designing a short, crisp LCP® II firing mechanism that also is safe, reliable and consistent. We then verified the design through our robust testing process.
The LCP® II hammer and sear geometry were designed with significant engagement for a positive lockup. The sear is neutrally balanced and under strong spring tension, which helps prevent disengagement during a drop scenario. In the unlikely event that a significant shock to the pistol results in disengagement of the hammer from the sear, the design includes a hammer catch to help prevent the hammer from contacting the firing pin unless the trigger is pulled. Our testing has revealed that this design passes all standard tests and is very safe from discharge due to a drop.
Notably, the LCP® II design features a bladed trigger safety that prevents the trigger from moving rearward without intentionally being pulled. Every LCP® II is shipped from the factory with a pocket holster that protects the trigger when properly utilized."
https://ruger.com/service/faqs.html
Q "What safety devices are incorporated into the design of the LCP® II?"
A "We put a significant amount of engineering effort into designing a short, crisp LCP® II firing mechanism that also is safe, reliable and consistent. We then verified the design through our robust testing process.
The LCP® II hammer and sear geometry were designed with significant engagement for a positive lockup. The sear is neutrally balanced and under strong spring tension, which helps prevent disengagement during a drop scenario. In the unlikely event that a significant shock to the pistol results in disengagement of the hammer from the sear, the design includes a hammer catch to help prevent the hammer from contacting the firing pin unless the trigger is pulled. Our testing has revealed that this design passes all standard tests and is very safe from discharge due to a drop.
Notably, the LCP® II design features a bladed trigger safety that prevents the trigger from moving rearward without intentionally being pulled. Every LCP® II is shipped from the factory with a pocket holster that protects the trigger when properly utilized."
https://ruger.com/service/faqs.html
wild cat mccane
New member
Yes, however, some of us have years of intimately knowledge of removing the guts of the P3AT and it's history.
Kel Tec could have shortened the travel of the PA3T. It didn't because of drop safety issues which Kel Tec forum members knew. The gen2 LCP is about it for safety. LCP II? no thanks.
The LCP is a copy of the P3AT.
Kel Tec could have shortened the travel of the PA3T. It didn't because of drop safety issues which Kel Tec forum members knew. The gen2 LCP is about it for safety. LCP II? no thanks.
The LCP is a copy of the P3AT.