# Ruger .380



## treemandan (Dec 21, 2012)

Seems like a decent little gun but I wanted your thoughts. I looked at this gun at a couple different shops: one shop had one with ACP stamped on it and told me that it stood for Automatic Colt Pistol but another shop had one stamped LCP and reading the manual I am thinking it stands for Automatic Compact Pistol or Lightweight Compact Pistol.
I rented one and shot it, it jammed after a couple rounds. An empty casing got caught ejecting. After that I starting firing it quickly to see if it would do it again but it didn't. It might have been the cheaper grade target rounds. I was shooting the gun that has LCP stamped on it rather than ACP.
Also the one shop produced a warranty card that stated the gun was under a limited lifetime warranty while the other shop produced a manual that stated the gun comes with no warranty card. 
Other than that I like it. Some people said the recoil was harsh but it seemed smooth to me. I haven't fired very many handguns but after I quickly got the feel I was able to group where I was aiming pretty well. The long trigger pull had me shooting to the right at first. I had the target ten feet in front of me, fired a couple shots and the paper had no holes in it. I thought that was kinda embarrasing.


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## never2many (Dec 22, 2012)

First I have herd many good things about the ruger. Make sure that both guns are ruger their are many makes in that market that may be why the difference in warranty good luck in your search ! And remember that many small guns are ammo picky. And shop around the cheapest I've seen is 285.00


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## sgt7546 (Dec 22, 2012)

Ruger makes a fine gun. One thing I would consider from a dollar and cents issue is a .380 compared to a 9mm compact. Several manufactures make a compact 9mm that are fractions of an inch larger than the .380, ruger included. The big difference is in the cost of ammo. 9mm is much more affordable, not to mention a better defensive round. If the ammo is cheaper one tends to shoot the gun more often, which only will make you a better shooter with it. Just a thought.


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## cuttingintime (Dec 23, 2012)

The Ruger LCP is a great little 380 acp. best friend bought one for his wife The only problem he had was with his big fat finger. could not reset trigger in the trigger guard. Just remember to run a few hundred rounds make sure all is OK before carrying.


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## indiansprings (Dec 23, 2012)

Got two of them, one the wife carries and I carry the other, have more expensive handguns, HK,Glock,Sig Sauer but they are too big and heavy to carry, usually carry mine in my front pocket, not even noticeable, dead reliable, never had it jam, got it loaded with cor-bon. At twenty to twenty five yards your in big trouble.
The Ruger LCP is a great concealed carry weapon.


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## Genius. (Dec 24, 2012)

I don't know if the fact you got a stove pipe on a rental gun is reason to consider ones reliability.

Those rental guns are usually known to not be treated well. This summer I took my wife gun shopping and we rented a few. The G19 just would not run right.


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## treemandan (Dec 24, 2012)

Thanks for the info guys. I bought the little Ruger. It is the smallest on the market which is what I was looking for. I was thinking that maybe hollow points for this would not be the best choice, maybe want something that will penatrate? I mean these gangsters are always shooting each other with these things, getting up and writing a song about it.


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## sgt7546 (Dec 24, 2012)

Congrats on your purchase.

I did a quick google search for ballistics on the .380 fired out of the LCP and found this: 


Tested three .380 loads today: Speer Gold Dot, Federal Hydra Shok, and Hornady Critical Defense.

Setup: From 10 feet away I shot through 4 layers of denim and then into a 10% gelatin block that measured 6"tall, 10"wide, and 16" long. The gelatin was Knox brand, which is basically what every store carries. I made it very specifically 1 part gelatin, and 9 parts water, and should be a good general approximation of ballistic gelatin. The guns were a Ruger LCP (2.75" barrel)

Results:
Speer 90gr JHP, 
Shot 1-.625" expansion, 13.8" penetration
Shot 2-NO expansion, 16+" penetration
Shot 3 -.375 expansion, 16+" penetration
Shot 4-NO expansion-clogged,16+"penetration

Federal 90gr JHP, 
Shot 1-.468" expansion, 12.3" penetration
Shot 2-.484" expansion, 13.5" penetration
Shot 3 -NO expansion, 16+" penetration

Hornady 90gr JHP, 
Shot 1-.609" expansion, 14.1" penetration
Shot 2-.531" expansion, 13.9" penetration
Shot 3-.5" expansion, 13.8" penetration
Shot 4-.494" expansion, 14.3" penetration
Shot 5-.547" expansion, 13.6" penetration

note: only the non expanded 380 rounds went all the way through.

Those are the big three in defensive rounds, looks like Hornady did very well. At then end of the day shot placement is far more important than any of the above.


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## mels (Dec 25, 2012)

treemandan said:


> Thanks for the info guys. I bought the little Ruger. It is the smallest on the market which is what I was looking for...



Negative. .380 Seecamp is the tightest package available. Welcome to the L.W. Seecamp Company Home Page 

Damn fine machine.


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## treemandan (Dec 25, 2012)

mels said:


> Negative. .380 Seecamp is the tightest package available. Welcome to the L.W. Seecamp Company Home Page
> 
> Damn fine machine.



That is small.


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## dingeryote (Dec 26, 2012)

Treeman,

The LCP warranty is the same as any Ruger firearm. Call them, arrainge shipping, and they will get any bugs out if needed.
Some of the early LCP's were subject to recall, and a few now and then, need a good fluff and buff to get rid of the sharp edges and burrs.
It's been an excellent pistol for Ruger, and they are generally considered to be a decent mousegun despite bieng somewhat ammunition sensitive. If you get one, and have issues with reliability, Ruger is really good about setting things right.

I am not a big fan of .380 though, the terminals are just not confidence inspiring. A proper 9mm platform is just slightly larger, and would have several advantages. 

Stay safe!
Dingeryote


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## Freakingstang (Dec 26, 2012)

I just bought the LC9 whichis a tad bigger but shoots smoother and I like it alot. The 9mm size, cost and availibilty of ammo did it for me...


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## 2treeornot2tree (Dec 26, 2012)

I would have spent a little more and got a Glock 27 ( like i have) for carry. Around here, the 380 rounds are hard to get and very very expensive.


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## promac850 (Jan 9, 2013)

Something just a little bigger than that LC9 is an XD-S 3.3 in .45


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## tollster (Jan 11, 2013)

Ya did good on the LCP, there is just something nice about being able to slip it in the back pocket of your bluejeans with a tee shirt on and no one ever knows the difference. 
I typically carry mine when riding, the LCP is like grabbing change off the nightstand.
Big guns are often left at home.


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## Dusty Rhodes (Jan 11, 2013)

Yes, 380's are small and yes not the greatest manstopping round out there. But it satisfies the first law of a gun fight and that is to show up with a gun. The LCP satisfies that requirement. At 10 to 15 yards I do not know of anyone who would desire to take a 380 round in the head or chest. I believe with the right bullet and some practice you have a weapon that has a 60-70% one shot stop capability. Only downside I see with the LCP is that you cannot use +P rounds in it. So it's percentage of one shot stops would be something less than optimal. If you want a guaranteed man stopper at close range, carry a shotgun. I just havent figured out how to properly conceal one while in my speedo.


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## Tree Feller (Jan 14, 2013)

I was in the market for a small .380 to carry everyday about two mounths ago. I had narrowed it down to the LCP and the Kel- tec P3AT. My friend has a ruger lcp and i shot it and was not pleased at all with the accuracy. I know it's not a target pistol but it/me struggled to get 3 out of six in a paper plate at 15 feet! So i got the P3at and at 21 feet all rounds where in a 6 inch circle. I'm not knocking ruger at all, i have a SR9 and man does it shoot good i can hit a 12" square at 50 yards with that pistol. Again i know its not designed for that but i like to try stuff like that. My main hoppy with guns is shooting longer ranges. As far as everything else goes about the LCP, it looks good and feels good and is well made! it's all about what fits you the best!


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