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.380 CCW options

Farmer Brown
I'm new to ccw and have been carrying a Glock 26. I prefer the 9mm, but just can't find a holster that fits my body correctly and for the way I dress. I'm thinking about going to a .380 for summer carry that I could just slip into my pocket.

I'm looking at the LCP, Keltec, and Mini-Eagle. Opinions please on these or others. Price is not a factor if that is what it takes for reliability.

Thanks.
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10 comments

Date Votes
  • Mr. Friendly
    quote:Originally posted by Farmer Brown
    I'm new to ccw and have been carrying a Glock 26. I prefer the 9mm, but just can't find a holster that fits my body correctly and for the way I dress. I'm thinking about going to a .380 for summer carry that I could just slip into my pocket.

    I'm looking at the LCP, Keltec, and Mini-Eagle. Opinions please on these or others. Price is not a factor if that is what it takes for reliability.

    Thanks.
    I have the lcp, and my father liked mine so much I bought him one. SOme say they are inaccurate, but I have not found mine to be so. I modified mine and put a clip on it so I dont use a holster. The target below was two magazines at 20 yards off-hand. The best/worst part about them, imho, is that you forget they are there [:D]

    IMG_0797.jpg
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  • lts
    Did you mean 2 yards or 20 feet[?]
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  • Mr. Friendly
    quote:Originally posted by lts
    Did you mean 2 yards or 20 feet[?]
    20 yards
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  • beantownshootah
    I'd say the absolute best .380 pistol is the Sig p232, but its not the smallest nor lightest, and it probably is the most expensive.

    If you want the lightest/smallest one, that's the Kel-Tec 3AT, or its clone the Ruger LCP. Some will say one or the other are better; I've literally shot the two side by side, couldn't tell much of a difference. Reliability on these can be spotty, so if you go for one of these, make sure to test it extensively/break it in before carrying it.

    Haven't shot the "Micro-Eagle" (ie Czech Kevin), but I'm not that fond of the triggerguard placement, since if you subconsciously use a conventional two handed grip in shooting one, you can easily shoot yourself in the hand.

    Lastly, if you are committed to pocket carry, you ought to consider an alloy frame hammerless .38 special snubnose. I think a lot of people are biased against revolvers, but giving up only 1-2 shots compared to a .380, you gain a considerable amount of extra reliability, and a good amount of power as well. In terms of weight, the alloy frame guns really aren't much heavier than most of the .380s.

    If you figure that the .380 just isn't all that powerful, and some of them aren't that reliable, this could be a good tradeoff.

    Also, in case you haven't checked/noticed, .380 ammo is EXTREMELY scarce right now, and/or quite expensive. Its to the point where that factor alone would tend to make me look at guns in another caliber.

    EDIT: On accuracy of the Kel-Tec, I can absolutely believe the above "pie plate" group at 20 yards. The gun should be capable of reasonably decent INTRINSIC accuracy. The problem is that acheiving good PRACTICAL accuracy can be hard with this little gun for several reasons:

    The sights are small and hard to see. While both smooth and light, the double action trigger takes a relatively long strong stroke to fire and the short size of the gun makes it hard to do it comfortably. Lastly, the small size of the gun makes it hard to get a good grip. This can be mitigated a little bit with a magazine extension and one of those slip on grip sleeves, but its still a pretty small gun.

    On the other hand, a pocket gun like this is basically a point-blank gun. While it may be hard to get good accuracy at 20 yards. . .realistically, you're never going to shoot anyone with it at that distance! If you can hit the pie plate at 5-7 yards consistently, you're probably shooting about as well as you'd need to with this thing.
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  • Mr. Friendly
    quote:Originally posted by beantownshootah
    I'd say the absolute best .380 pistol is the Sig p232, but its not the smallest nor lightest, and it probably is the most expensive.

    If you want the lightest/smallest one, that's the Kel-Tec 3AT, or its clone the Ruger LCP. Some will say one or the other are better; I've literally shot the two side by side, couldn't tell much of a difference. Reliability on these can be spotty, so if you go for one of these, make sure to test it extensively/break it in before carrying it.

    Haven't shot the "Micro-Eagle" (ie Czech Kevin), but I'm not that fond of the triggerguard placement, since if you subconsciously use a conventional two handed grip in shooting one, you can easily shoot yourself in the hand.

    Lastly, if you are committed to pocket carry, you ought to consider an alloy frame hammerless .38 special snubnose. I think a lot of people are biased against revolvers, but giving up only 1-2 shots compared to a .380, you gain a considerable amount of extra reliability, and a good amount of power as well. In terms of weight, the alloy frame guns really aren't much heavier than most of the .380s.

    If you figure that the .380 just isn't all that powerful, and some of them aren't that reliable, this could be a good tradeoff.

    Also, in case you haven't checked/noticed, .380 ammo is EXTREMELY scarce right now, and/or quite expensive. Its to the point where that factor alone would tend to make me look at guns in another caliber.

    EDIT: On accuracy of the Kel-Tec, I can absolutely believe the above "pie plate" group at 20 yards. The gun should be capable of reasonably decent INTRINSIC accuracy. The problem is that acheiving good PRACTICAL accuracy can be hard with this little gun for several reasons:

    The sights are small and hard to see. While both smooth and light, the double action trigger takes a relatively long strong stroke to fire and the short size of the gun makes it hard to do it comfortably. Lastly, the small size of the gun makes it hard to get a good grip. This can be mitigated a little bit with a magazine extension and one of those slip on grip sleeves, but its still a pretty small gun.

    On the other hand, a pocket gun like this is basically a point-blank gun. While it may be hard to get good accuracy at 20 yards. . .realistically, you're never going to shoot anyone with it at that distance! If you can hit the pie plate at 5-7 yards consistently, you're probably shooting about as well as you'd need to with this thing.
    I love reading your posts in this forum. They are always full of great unbiased information. Spot on as usual. I think I will quit posting in here lol.
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  • beneteau
    quote:Originally posted by Farmer Brown
    I'm new to ccw and have been carrying a Glock 26. I prefer the 9mm, but just can't find a holster that fits my body correctly and for the way I dress. I'm thinking about going to a .380 for summer carry that I could just slip into my pocket.

    I'm looking at the LCP, Keltec, and Mini-Eagle. Opinions please on these or others. Price is not a factor if that is what it takes for reliability.

    Thanks.


    I find the same is true for most Glock models (holster availability). Most of the holsters I've found are, primarily, the "molded" versions which are virtually the same. I don't want a retention strap (thumb break) and that eliminates many. I recently stumbled across Kirkpatrick Leather and I do like the looks of their TSS model for the Glock sub-compacts. I did purchase a molded Glock Sport Combat Holster (here). It's very economical ($14.00) and is really a good carry holster for the G26.
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  • partisan
    You really need either the LCP or the Kel-Tec, as there are NO other .380's as light as these two (the Kel-tec is a little lighter than the Ruger.) I have shot both of these pistols, and my preferance is the Kel-Tec over the Ruger. These little Kel-Tec's are very reliable, and VERY concealable.
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  • crisisbill
    I carry the Kel-Tec 3AT when it's warm out and I'm not wearing enough to cover my Glock 27 and when I go running or biking.
    I have been very lucky with my Kel-Tec 3AT, it eats every ammo I have fed it without a single hic-cup; I know some people complain about the Kel-Tec 3AT but I have never had an issue with it.
    I retired from the Sheriff's Dept then did a short stint with the DA's office so over the years I have carried many off duty or 2nd guns including the Colt Mustang that I love but it's so damn heavy and Smith & Wesson and Colt snub nose 38 and 357's and I wish the Kel-Tech Kel-Tec 3AT was around back then.
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  • dcs shooters
    I carry a Kel-Trc P3AT 24-7 in my rear pocket. It's just like the wallet in the other pocket. Don't realize it's there untill I need it. At 50ft. I get about three in. groups shooting offhand.
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  • moonshine
    I carry a colt mustang pocketlite or a walther ppk/s. the colt I slip into a pocket, the walther I prefer to carry in a holster.
    both of these work for me.
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