Review: 380 Pocket Guns (6)

[MrAverage]

Enjoyed your reviews. I must have 'deeper' pockets since I'd rather pocket carry a glock 42. Never could get comfortable shooting the micro sized pistols, but if only a belly gun.....anything will do.

 

[LP1]

Thanks for the kind words. I collect surplus rifles so most of my gun budget goes towards that. My handguns are mostly mid to low budget guns. I think a Smith and Wesson Bodyguard would have been a good match for the test but I just don't have access to one. Same with the DB380.



I like my Taurus TCP. I must have been lucky and got a good one. I have never had issues with it but I see that many have had problems with them. Same with the Kel-Tec P3AT. The IO Hellcat is a different story. It has always been a disappointment. I have yet to hear from someone with a Hellcat that runs good.

You WERE lucky with the TCP. A friend also had a TCP - it jammed on the first shot he fired - so bad that it had to be taken apart by a gunsmith. Sent it back; after return, it jammed again. If yours works reliably, consider yourself to be very fortunate.

 

[sharpetop]

My Kahr CW380 made me say bye-bye to a Kel-Tec P3AT and a Ruger LCP [1st generation].

 

[JAL]

Interesting review of various pistols that were alternatives to the P238 I currently have. I agree with the assessment being made at 5 yards. It's the realistic distance for pistols in their size and caliber. My assessment is their mass are a trade-off between ease of carry, particularly concealed carry, and felt recoil. For me it was the reason for a heavier one. The dominating criteria would be reliability. Nothing else matters if it jams or fails to fire (DOH). A revolver would be potentially a better "belly gun" as jamming it against an assailant's body won't push the gun out of battery. It's a risk I'm willing to take, but I'm certainly cognizant of it knowing if I must use it in that manner it must be mitigated.

John

 

[IndianaSoloMcfly]

I really like the .380 cartridge, but i like it best out of a bigger gun. Cool review!

 

[ru44mag]

I have had, and shot several .380 pocket pistols. Ingo just about talked me completely out of owning .380 pistols due to being inadequate for self defense. The Kel-tec I owned could not empty a single mag without some type of malfunction. It went bye-bye. The LCP was great, but was replaced by the far superior P238. The TCP almost replaced the LCP before that, but started to have reliability issues and I got rid of it. Of the ones I shot the P238 has far less recoil and far superior accuracy. I kept one for myself, and my wife loves hers. The Bersa in my oppinion is too big for pocket carry. I did buy one for training new shooters, and have found it to be reliable and the most accurate of all of them. And recoil??? What recoil. But with so many little 9mm pistols, it was easy to bump up the power. I currently carry a CM9 and am very happy with it. My P938 would easily replace it, but there is that little voice in the back of my head that says, "You will forget to pop the safety off when your life depends on it." Just my .

 

[PGRChaplain]

Great Test Report! I have a Pico and Carry it occasionally. I think Ky. Gun Company has them for $199 before the $50 Beretta Rebate. Good Deal @ $149!

 

[Wolfhound]

Great Test Report! I have a Pico and Carry it occasionally. I think Ky. Gun Company has them for $199 before the $50 Beretta Rebate. Good Deal @ $149!

Wow that is a great deal. I like how the lower frame can be switched out on the Pico. It definitely had the best sights of the 6 guns I tested.

 

[Magnum314]

I like my Kahr CT380 for the pocket, but I also have a Sig P230 which is, IMHO, the finest 380 out there.

Make it a CW380 and I would have a hard time arguing with you on either point! Although I have to make mention of my beloved Walther PPK/s. Heavy to carry, heavy trigger, but so sweet...and NEVER a malfunction! And oh yeah...big time cool factor!

 

[South Bender]

CW380 has a real smooth trigger. Long pull, but smooth.

 

[GrinderCB]

Nice reviews, many thanks. I've been considering the LCP2 for a personal pocket gun based solely on the superior trigger. I held and dry-fired one at a shop the week it came on the market but decided to hold off and gather opinions. That said, my normal carry gun is a Smith M&P9c in an Uncle Mike's IWB nylon holster. With winter coming up I though about maybe using my Colt 1908 Pocket Hammerless as a [winter coat] pocket gun. Even though it's very reliable I'm leery of carrying a gun that's almost a hundred years old as a personal weapon. Thus the shopping for a modern piece.

 

[walleyepw]

Interesting. I have a S&W 380 Body Guard that I purchased from an INGO member about a year ago. Wonderful pocket pistol that is very reliable and accurate. These size pistols are about perfect for almost any pocket carry situation that I have.

 

[24Carat]

My wife and I have both had the Taurus TCP for years and really like them. I have since graduated to carrying a Ruger LCRx in .357 mag in my pocket.

 

[Wolfhound]

I really wish I could have used a Smith and Wesson Bodyguard 380 in the test.

The .357 is a formidable round. I have a .357 I sometimes pocket carry in the Winter. I really like the TCP also.

 

[Tburke798]

I heard they are good shooters? The Bersa thunder.

 

[sempifi99]

Thanks for this, I've been looking at alternatives for an LPC. The results section is missing tho or is that posted somewhere else?

 

[Wolfhound]

Thanks for this, I've been looking at alternatives for an LPC. The results section is missing tho or is that posted somewhere else?

I think the picture hosting service I used expired. I will see if I can find those and repost.

 

[rockhopper46038]

Hey, I can loan out an old S&W Bodyguard with some aftermarket guts if you want to add another gun to the review before you repost?

 

[Wolfhound]

I decided to do a review and comparison of 6 380 pocket guns. Why these 6 guns? Simple, it's the 6 that I either already own or could borrow for the review. I did my best to be impartial and fair in the review and testing.

These are the 6 guns I will be comparing in no particular order:

Top Left: Taurus TCP
Barrel Length 2.84 inches Magazine capacity 6 Weight 10.2oz Slide lock back YES
Pros: Decent trigger, Longest barrel
Cons: This gun is difficult for me to disassemble

Top Right: Beretta Pico
Barrel Length 2.7 inches Magazine capacity 6 Weight 11.5oz Slide lock back YES
Pros: Thinnest of the group, Good Sights, Decent Trigger
Cons: Magazine release is odd, Heaviest of the pistols tested, Sights are not low profile

Middle Left: Ruger LCP Gen 1
Barrel Length 2.75 inches Magazine capacity 6 Weight 9.4oz Slide lock back Manual Only
Pros: It's been on the market a long time
Cons: With the LCP 2 redesign why buy this one?

Middle Right: Ruger LCP 2
Barrel Length 2.75 inches Magazine capacity 6 Weight 10.6oz Slide lock back YES
Pros: Best Trigger of the group by far, Has a trigger safety, Refined feel
Cons: Second heaviest of the group

Lower Left: Kel-Tec P3AT
Barrel Length 2.75 inches Magazine Capacity 6 Weight 8.3oz Slide lock back NO
Pros: Lightest gun tested, been on the market a long time
Cons: Rough trigger

Lower Right: IO Hellcat
Barrel Length 2.75 inches Magazine Capacity 6 Weight 9.4oz Slide lock back NO
Pros: None
Cons: Worst trigger of the group, seems "clunky" rattles when you shake it, Not considered a successful design

On to the testing:

I shot each gun six times at a target plate placed 5 yards away. I understand that these are not target/range guns. They are designed to be carried in a pocket and used for self defense at short distances so I thought 5 yards seemed reasonable. I only had two issues shooting the guns. The first was a FTF while shooting the IO Hellcat. The other was with the LCP 2. The trigger on the LCP 2 is in a whole different world as the other guns. After dealing with the other triggers when I went to fire the LCP 2 the first time it created a flyer because the trigger broke well before I was ready. I decided to disallow that test. Got a new target and restarted.

Here are the results:








Final Thoughts:

I thought that 5 of the 6 guns that I tested performed well enough to get the job done. The only one I would not recommend is the IO Hellcat based on the testing and my experience with it. If I had to rank the six guns I would put the Ruger LCP 2 at the top of the list. It easily has the best trigger and I think that shows looking at the target shooting test results. I would put the Beretta Pico, Taurus TCP and Ruger LCP in the middle of the pack somewhere. Second to last would be the Kel-Tec P3AT and easily in last place is the IO Hellcat.


Disclaimer:

I am not a firearms "expert". I do not work for any firearms manufacturers or sell firearms for a living. Some of this is purely my own opinion. I shoot handguns about every two weeks and am an average shot with them at best. Your results shooting these guns may vary from mine. YMMV etc....

It wouldn't let me edit the original post so I have added the photos above.