Ruger LCP 380 stopping power?
I am considering trading in some of my heavier guns and purchasing a Ruger LCP 380 with laser sight as a home defense weapon. I am a lousy shot with a pistol due to less than perfect vision and think the laser would help. Also I am not very muscular and the light weight of an LCP would help.
Questions:
Does the laser need to be professionally calibrated or is it pretty good out of factory? Is it calibrated to a certain range, or should I consider it to be pretty accurate (i.e. - the bullet will always hit the red dot) no matter the distance between myself and an attacker?
Is 380 a heavy enough load that multiple shots would stop a potential attacker? How many shots would be required to put someone completely down? I know that one wouldn't put him down, but, never having been shot figure even one round would slow someone down enough that I could escape.
Is the Ruger LCP pretty durable? I'm wary of nylon/plastic guns but a heavier weapon just isn't a good option for me.
Thanks guys.
Questions:
Does the laser need to be professionally calibrated or is it pretty good out of factory? Is it calibrated to a certain range, or should I consider it to be pretty accurate (i.e. - the bullet will always hit the red dot) no matter the distance between myself and an attacker?
Is 380 a heavy enough load that multiple shots would stop a potential attacker? How many shots would be required to put someone completely down? I know that one wouldn't put him down, but, never having been shot figure even one round would slow someone down enough that I could escape.
Is the Ruger LCP pretty durable? I'm wary of nylon/plastic guns but a heavier weapon just isn't a good option for me.
Thanks guys.
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kaylaw.....thanks for your question. I love my litter Ruger LCP and never leave home without it. But to use it as my first line of defense at home....don't think so. With your vision issues, IMO your best home defense weapon is what I have as my first line of defense...a 12g shotgun. I have a 12g with light and extended mag by my bed loaded with 00buck (five) and sabot (two). My backup is a 1911 pre-1970bb also with extended mag. But whatever you use, practice with it and get good for that one time you might need it. As to your laser question...go to the range and sight it in...for my lasers I use combat range...@10yds or so. As to stopping power? Others will also comment on that but the .380 can do the job with practice but, again, for home defense it is not my first line nor my second. But out and about I love the light weight and CC it all the time. Good luck with whatever you chose! 0 -
I think one hit from the .380 would make a burglar reconsider the activity he/she is engaged in. I would shoot the new gun a few times to see if the dot is on the point of impact. I think 20 ft would be an adequate range to have it sighted in. For self defense purposes that will be adequate. Shooting a person at greater range might cause the police and/or prosecutor to question your shooting in self defense. My advice is to have a revolver for home defense unless being used by a person who handles the gun often enough so that use of the safety, etc. is instinctive. 0 -
kaylaw,
If the Ruger LCP in 380 ACP, is all you can handle, then it is the best one for you. It is absolutely better than nothing, or a knife, or club.
That said, I have an LC9, which is just a tad bit longer, and taller, and it is in 9mm. It is the same style as the LCP, and is a hammer fired gun. While it is not as accurate as mu Glock 19, or my 1911 in 9mm, it is accurate enough for me to lay down a melon(head) shot inside what many consider the maximum distance for self defense of 21 feet. Please look at this, if you have not already.
The laser sight if calibrated to 21 feet, should work ok out to about 30 yards or so. By no means, because of the projectile's arc like trajectory, will it "always" be hitting the red dot. It will be close enough to work well for you though. It should be tuned by someone who knows how, and tested BY YOU, to make sure it is ok for you.
As for the reliability, and durability...the Ruger lines, are notorious for being over engineered, and built like a tank.
Best0 -
I would follow Gary Wray's advice and go with the shotgun as the first line defensive gun. The LCP is a very small and very lightweight firearm and even with the diminutive .380 has fairly sharp recoil. A 20 gauge loaded with 00 buckshot will have a little less recoil than the 12 gauge but will still put the hurt on a bad guy. 0 -
I would NOT recommend that pistol for home defense for anyone with weak grip strength and poor eyesight. It is an excellent quality pistol, (for the right person). Such a very short barrel and sharp recoil requires strong hands and excellent eyesight to shoot accurately. I third the motion for a shotgun for home defense. Go with 20 gauge if you are concerned with recoil. Hand strength is not a problem because you will be using TWO hands. The longer barrel length will greatly aid in your accuracy. The stopping power of a 12 or 20 gauge round is significantly higher than a .380. Save the LCP for your hip pocket when you leave the house. It is an excellent choice for that mission. [:)] 0 -
Just a different viewpoint on the recommendations for the shotgun as the home defense weapon; I would suggest using #3 or #4 buckshot instead of 00 simply because it is less likely for the smaller pellets to penetrate walls and present dangers to other family members. A 12 ga. charge of 27 #4 buck pellets at .22 caliber each should be very persuasive to the intruder and at indoor ranges it will present a pattern less than 6" across. 0 -
quote:Originally posted by kaylaw
I am considering trading in some of my heavier guns and purchasing a Ruger LCP 380 with laser sight as a home defense weapon. I am a lousy shot with a pistol due to less than perfect vision and think the laser would help. Also I am not very muscular and the light weight of an LCP would help.
Light weight INCREASES recoil and makes a gun HARDER to control and shoot well. I'd suggest that you want something MEDIUM weight (say 20-25 ounces), as a reasonable compromise between power and recoil.
quote:Does the laser need to be professionally calibrated or is it pretty good out of factory? I can't speak to how these come sighted in out of the factory, but every laser sight I've ever seen is user adjustable. If you have access to a box of ammo, a paper target, and a range to practice on, you shouldn't "need" a professional to do this for you.
quote:Is it calibrated to a certain range, or should I consider it to be pretty accurate (i.e. - the bullet will always hit the red dot) no matter the distance between myself and an attacker?
Laser light shines in a perfectly straight line. Bullets (like any projectile) are affected by gravity and travel a rainbow-like trajectory. So at *most* the bullet path and laser beam can only coincide at two points. . .one going up and one going down.
The quick answer for you is, that with a defensive handgun, you set the laser to match the gun's point of impact at roughly 25 feet, and then assume that whatever difference in impact you see closer or further than that wont be significant.
In practice, you're not going to expect to hit anything with this gun past 50 feet anyway, plus laser dots can be hard to see at increasing distances.
quote:Is 380 a heavy enough load that multiple shots would stop a potential attacker?
.380 is an anemic load, that I would not recommend for home defense (period, full stop). If a 380 is all you have, so be it, but in my mind the **ONLY** good use for a .380 is as a concealed carry gun.
quote:How many shots would be required to put someone completely down? Anywhere from zero (they see the gun and decide to quit) to infinity (you run out of ammo before they stop). Its up to you to place your shots IN THE RIGHT PLACE, if you want them to do any good.
Again, though, a .380 is just a PRETTY DARN WEAK round. If you have the ability to get something bigger, I'd recommend that. Note that bigger rounds DO NOT necessarily offer more recoil. . .that's going to depend on the ergonomics and weight of the gun they're being shot from. All steel 9mm autos, in particular, give very good terminal ballistic performance with relatively light recoil.
quote:I know that one wouldn't put him down, but, never having been shot figure even one round would slow someone down enough that I could escape.Maybe, maybe not. Depends where the shot hits, and the attackers frame of mind at the time. If he's high on drugs, he literally MAY NOT EVEN NOTICE HE'S BEEN HIT with a .380.
quote:Is the Ruger LCP pretty durable? I'm wary of nylon/plastic guns but a heavier weapon just isn't a good option for me.
You won't wear one out with normal use, if that's what you're asking.
Serious problems with the LCP are lack of power, relatively difficult to aim (poor sights), relatively difficult to rack the slide (stiff spring and small grasping area), relatively difficult to hold onto the gun when shooting (its just tiny) and brisk recoil.
Again, I would recommend AGAINST getting this gun for home defense. An LCP is a reasonable choice for a pocket gun in someone who is relatively expert in shooting. For someone with weak hand strength? Forget it.
I'd urge you to consider a medium frame revolver with .38 special loads. These are low recoil (especially if you put on nice soft rubber grips), *MUCH* easier to hit with than a dinky 2"bbl .380 and more powerful too.
If you like the idea of an automatic, any number of 9mm autos would be better choices, in my opinion, and you could easily stick a laser on most of the newer combat-type guns.0 -
1) Only you can answer that question for you. I think you need to run a few boxes of ammo threw the gun to break it in and for you to get its feel. Auto loaders can be unrelyable with some ammo, you could be betting your life. You need to learn to clear a jam and to clean it properly. Sights are adjustable for a reason.
2) Pick your ammo carefully. Full metal Jacket bullets would not be my choice. The 380 is enough gun IF you do your part.
3) I have my doubts about plastic guns and I have no need to own/shoot any of them. However, there are millions of them on active duty every day and lots of highly trained people that are willing to bet their life with a plastic gun.
Shooting is an acquired skill. Those that shoot well, shoot often.0 -
I go with Bean Town. S&W model 10's are reasonably powerful (and on the used market they are often reasonably priced, because so many have been made). They are not massive, and have good handling characteristics.
At very close range, a shotgun has to be aimed just like any other weapon, because shot dispersion is negligible. A .410 might also be feasible, as 000 buckshot is available in loadings of 3, 4, and 5 per shell. 000 is a .36 caliber 70-grain roundball, a cluster of which should generate adequate stoping power.
I think the criteria should be hits which will stop an attacker, not misses which will not injure bystanders.0 -
Also agree with Beantown. The LCP has a very sharp recoil, is hard to control and for most is at best a belly gun, certainly not a target pistol. 0 -
"Light weight INCREASES recoil and makes a gun HARDER to control and shoot well. I'd suggest that you want something MEDIUM weight (say 20-25 ounces), as a reasonable compromise between power and recoil."
I currently have a 9x18 PA-63 and a couple of Ruger revolvers (single six for plinking and a .357/.38Spl/9mm convertible for CAS fun. Would I be better off fitting the PA-63 or Blackhawk with laser sights?
To clarify, I have always lived in very, very safe neighborhoods. I think of shotguns as duck hunting weapons (which I don't get to do much of any more). To buy one just for defense seems like overkill to me.
I like the the idea of the LCP as I am considering getting a CC license and don't want to lug around a big gun.
My vision is not BAD, I just find it a little difficult to line up sights on a gun, particularly at night, since I'm getting some early cataracts. That's why I was looking at the laser sighting.
I DO find it a little hard to rack my PA-63 since I don't have a lot of arm/wrist strength (working on a computer all day doesn't exactly keep you physically fit and I'm not into exercise). I have to hold it down to rack it, rather than doing it at arm's length.
Would recoil from a lightweight/short-barreled weapon make it HIGHLY inaccurate? If I ever had to fire at someone it would be at 20 feet or less and I would be aiming at the chest, not the head.
Thanks to all who have responded thus far.0 -
Recoil from a lightweight pistol makes it harder to hold and get back on target for a second shot. A short barreled gun is just as accurate as a longer barreled gun. Long barreled target pistols are easy to shoot more accurately due to the increased sight radius. You are not asking about a target pistol. As you mentioned, you will be shooting at center of mass at a target in the same room with you. You will be more pointing than aiming. If you have to use a gun for home defense you will probably be in the dark, under stress and in fear for your life. Under those conditions you shouldn't have to remember if there is a cartridge in the chamber, is the magazine in the pistol and is the safety on. You have none of these things to consider if you have a double action revolver. A couple of posts have mentioned a model 10 S & W. That or equivalent in Ruger or Colt in .38 special caliber would be a better choice for you. There is no question that any caliber shotgun will have more power. The shotgun will also be more awkward to use and can be more easily taken from you by an assailant. 0
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