I had a LCP. I should have fired it before buying it because I couldn't stand shooting it. I don't think I would have been happy with any other offerings either. I couldn't get a proper grip on that thing in order to shoot it reliably and ended up selling it. It was a cool little gun but I felt it was unsafe for me to carry as a self defense weapon as I would have to re grip after every shot. I also did not have very much fun shooting it at the range.

It was an impulse buy - my room mate had one and I thought it was the cat's a$$. I was wrong - lesson learned.

I'm only 6'1" but my palm is rather large and I am pretty sure that was the issue.

(primary carry: glock 26 with a pierce pinky extension. - no plus two, just for pinky )

I voted for Ruger LCP when this poll first came out .. because I carried mine almost daily in my front pocket when not wearing a gun on my hip.

Well this past week I bought the new LC9 (about 20% larger than the LCP and in 9mm).



I really like this gun. - IMHO Ruger has hit another home run.

I can and do carry it in my front jeans pocket (it fills the pocket full, but is comfortable , very comfortable in baggy cargo shorts).

I still use a DeSantis Nemesis Holster for it (only bigger).

It has good sights and I ran my 1st 100 rounds through it (all I've had time to put through it ) w/o a burp.

Better go look at one, you won't be sorry if you decide to buy one.

By the way I took it to the range again today and everyone put another 100 rounds through it.

I put 50 through it - then the guy beside me asked if I'd mind if he shot it.

Then at least 6 other guys had to shoot it.

One guy was an amazing shot with it. He pulled his first shot - focused and put the next seven in the 10 ring.

No one else did near that well .. certainly not me.

This shows a comparison of the LC9 to the LCP, size-wise. For those interested

http://www.gunsamerica.com/blog/ruger-lc9/

I think, just for the pleasure of being called a heretic, I would suggest the Airlyte S & W 357 with the titanium cylinder.

Shoots the more powerful .357 round (or .38 or .38 + P).

Weight: Empty @ 11.4 ounces.

Carry one speed-loader and you have 10 rounds. For civilian self-defense, in my opinion, enough.

(There is no "heretic" smiley )

Of the three in your poll i would say that they ruger LCP is the way to go but i would also take a look at the sig 290. I have no experience with that gun in particular since it is really new and pocket guns arent really my favorite type out there since i have large hands but sig makes great stuff and I have always been happy with them. And, if youre willing to go a tiny bit bigger, look at the beretta px4 storm compact. It is really small but still feels like a normal size gun. Also, it has berettas great trigger pull in it. It might be too big for what youre looking for but its definitely worth taking a look at.

I own a LCP. Ruger has been a brand I have trusted for many years. Haven't had a bad one yet.

I really like my Ruger LCP for a pocket gun. I had a Keltec in 9mm and disliked it. Traded it in a few days ago on a revolver for my wife.

Originally Posted by wdg710

Anyone consider the Diamondback Firearms .380? Some swear by it. Does anyone have any experience with one?

I had a Diamondback 380 for a few months and it had failue to feed issues. The other thing I did not like is that the slide does not lock open after the last round. I ended up trading it for a Kahr P380 and have found this gun to be an accurate and reliable little pistol, except that Fiocchi 90g JHP ammo won't feed. No problems with any other ammo.

If you can swing it financially, the Sig P238 is the way to go for a pocket .380. Just a quality gun and alot of fun to shoot. No more recoil than my Glock 17 either.

Originally Posted by cooper623

Of the three in your poll i would say that they ruger LCP is the way to go but i would also take a look at the sig 290. I have no experience with that gun in particular

I'd been waiting for a "Pocket 9mm". Figured the new Ruger LC9 would be "it".
On March 7th I drove 160 miles to buy one for $400, since none of the five LGS had one.
Fondled it, and the Kahr PM9. I came home with a SIG P290 Special Edition.

It's a bit longer, and a bit taller and the same width as the .380 polymer pocket pistols.
But, quite a bit heavier at 20 oz. It's the same size, but 3 oz. more than the Ruger LC9.

I'm pleased with it. The jump from .380 ACP to 9mm 6 + 1 is well worth it to me.
And the SIG felt better than either the Kahr or the Ruger. I paid dearly for "that feeling".
It works fine, and shoot well for such a "little guy". It had better for that price !

Long ago I learned to buy what I REALLY wanted in expensive items. Cuts down on buyer remorse.
YMMV

Originally Posted by kevinsmith1

Help me decide on a pocket pistol. pros, cons, and opinions. thanks

Are you looking for size as main issue or other issues?
LCP is usually the best for the $$...can always look at LCR or new LC-9 if you want to up the $$ and package

Good luck with your search...shoot safely!

Are you going to actually carry it in your pocket or are you just looking for something small and easy to carry?

Going up slightly in size can make for an easier to shoot weapon.

A weapon like the Walther PPKS is reliable, accurate and easy to shoot (but not very cheap).

I've carried it inside the waistband and it conceals very well as it is fairly flat.

I've carried it on an ankle hoslter and it is at the upper limits weight-wise of what I would like to carry on the ankle. But if you are not a runner it is fine for walking.

I've carried it in a shoulder rig--but not so successfully. I've been a weight lifter most of my life and the wide lats make the weapon want to stray from the side of the body. I did much better with a high ride belt holster and the inside the waist band holster.

There are several other weapons in that same size and if you are not going to actually carry in the pocket any one of them would be easier to shoot. They offer a larger and more easily grabbed grip; a longer sight radius, and a bit more weight. The extra weight is an advantage for steadying the weapon during the long double action pull and also for helping absorb some of the energy of the recoil. (If I've used the wrong terms on the physics of energy someone will correct me.)

Thanks everyone for the info and sorry to reply so late. I went with the lcp and really like it. great for the pocket.

I may be the only one who talks up the Taurus TCP, but I walked into the store to by a Ruger LCP and walked out with the Taurus. Now, I must admit I've always been a Ruger fan ever since I bought a Single Six .22 20+ years ago. Taurus has a reputation of selling low-price/low-quality firearms but they have inproved their reputation lately.
The TCP is roughly the same size and shape of the LCP and there has been some talk of FTE and FTC issues but I've not had any. It came with two 6+1 mags and a very nice Bulldog Cellphone/PDA type case. I've only fired 100 rounds through mine, but haven't had a single problem. It's got a good trigger pull and is surprisingly accurate for such a small gun. I carry it in a High-Noon inside the waistband holster and find it a great gun to carry. My primary sidearm is a Sig P220 Carry model, and I bought this TCP as a BUG and to carry when the weight of the Sig Hand Cannon isn't practical. Once I can get a 8+1 mag for my TCP I'll be a completely happy camper.
Your thoughts?

The Taurus seems like a nicely engineered weapon. They have a dismal reputation for quality control and that has been their undoing. If you get a good example then I think it is probably a good weapon.

But as an example of the QC issues, a magazine reviewer was reviewing one of the Taurus handguns and he wanted to adjust the rear sights. But the Allen wrench that was provided with the weapon for that purpose did not fit the Allen screw.

Another reviewer found that he could not adjust the sights adequately because the front sight had not been installed in the center of the slide--it was off to one side.

For several years Mercedes cars had a rather poor quality control reputation. The components and engineering were first rate, but they neglected to tighten the bolts on the alternator or they left off a couple of screws for the firewall, etc. Still a good car but a lot of small fixes had to be made.

Assuming that the engineers specified the right materials for the components I would expect that any problems with a Taurus can be resolved. I've admired the 740 Slim but the QC issues have kept me from considering it.

The Taurus looks and specs out to be a very nice weapon. But there are other very nice weapons out there that don't have the QC baggage that Taurus has and those options are the ones that I would take if I were in the market for a sub-service caliber weapon.

consider the Keltec 9mm instead. It easily has over 2x the power of the 380, 9mm ammo ismore readily available and cheaper, too. Look at the CorBon 100 gr PowRball rds, 1300 fps even in the 3" barrel, which means 380 ft lbs, and real expansion of the jhp.

Originally Posted by buckler

consider the Keltec 9mm instead. It easily has over 2x the power of the 380, 9mm ammo ismore readily available and cheaper, too. Look at the CorBon 100 gr PowRball rds, 1300 fps even in the 3" barrel, which means 380 ft lbs, and real expansion of the jhp.

Yes, especially the single stack version (PF9) which is lighter and slimmer than the double stack version.

BG380, I just love that BUG!

You left off one of the TOP-RATED .380 pocket pistols...and one of the best selling ones as well.

THE SMITH AND WESSON BODYGUARD .380.
Built-in Laser,
Durable,
Reliable,
Can Dryfire without cocking,
Accurate,
Easy to shoot,
Good company, good support,
easy to clean.

How did you mss this one?

Originally Posted by cclaxton

You left off one of the TOP-RATED .380 pocket pistols...and one of the best selling ones as well.

THE SMITH AND WESSON BODYGUARD .380.
Built-in Laser,
Durable,
Reliable,
Can Dryfire without cocking,
Accurate,
Easy to shoot,
Good company, good support,
easy to clean.

How did you mss this one?

I suggested this early in the thread but it was pooh-poohed for being too new and unproven.

Originally Posted by Packard

I suggested this early in the thread but it was pooh-poohed for being too new and unproven.

and they were right to pooh pooh you and still support him.... your statement is too new AND unproven while his is top rated and reliable.... life is NOT fair at all

Having owned both a P3AT and a Ruger LCP -- I much prefer the Sig 238 I bought after selling both those pistols. They both worked. Neither was any fun to shoot. I HATED the trigger pull on both. 238, far nicer to shoot, decent to practice with, much more accurate (for me). Again, YMMV, but the little Sig is my choice.

Originally Posted by TedDeBearFrmHell

and they were right to pooh pooh you and still support him.... your statement is too new AND unproven while his is top rated and reliable.... life is NOT fair at all

Based on the company producing the weapon I would feel fine buying an early version of a Smith & Wesson.

I would not feel the same way for a Kimber or a Kel-Tec. But certain manufacturers take the time to debug their weapons before bringing them to market. Beretta has done a good job; Sig, CZ, FN and others too.

Ruger is a new-product-driven company. They are under constant pressure to create new weapons. I think that atmosphere works against adequate testing. So I would put Ruger somewhere between best and the worst. Mostly they are good; some times they have issues. For instance I would wait until their .45s are out for a year before I would buy one.

Ruger, unlike other manufacturers, is very aggressive about incorporating new manufacturing processes. They were early adopters of investment casting, and now an early adopter of MIM. The tendency is to try the new technology for more and more demanding components as it saves money in production. But the risk is that one or more of those components cannot satisfactorily be produced by these new methods. The only way to tell is to wait and see.

I have owned my S&W Bodyguard .380 for about a year now. The only problem I had was associated with the laser assembly. (It will shoot without it, of course.) S&W took care of the problem at no cost to me...although it took a few weeks because they were backordered on the lasers. They say the new lasers are an improved design. Basically the metal tabs that connect the battery were breaking off.

It is a very narrow gun and love that aspect because I can easily do pocket carry. It is fairly accurate within 7 yards. My only complaint is that if I shoot it a lot it will start to cause pain at the web area between thumb and trigger finger. (That may just be my hand...doesn't seem to bother my girlfriend.) I like the long, strong trigger pull...that is what you want for a pocket pistol to avoid accidental discharge.

The only improvements I would make are:
1) the sights have no white/color dots and I miss them. I plan to add flourescent orange dots to the sights;
2) Turning on the laser is not automatic when you grip the gun. You have to use a finger and press kinda hard to get the laser to light up. I don't count on the laser for self-defense anyway, so it is not a big deal;
3) An extended magazine would be good so you can hold more rounds and get a better grip.

This is a backup gun and for those times when I can't carry my Kahr PM9, which is my favorite carry gun, and for easy concealment in the car, etc.

BTW, I found a neat trick to carry my extra magazine: I just put the extra mag next to the grip and put a rubber-band around them to hold it in place. You can shoot it with the mag in an emergency or rip it off and put it in your pocket.

I have shot the Ruger LCP and it is a fine gun as well and I hear great reviews from people who own them.
I don't care for the SIG 238 because it is SA Only, and I don't like the limitations associated with SA: Must use safety, cannot dry fire easily, heavier weight, etc. They are good looking, though and have a lot of nice treatments and colors. For fullsized 1911 operators it makes a lot of sense to pick a mini-1911 like the SIG.

CC