I currently carry a .32 ACP Kel-Tec P-32 but am really wanting to go back to a .380 for pocket carry.

Need some ideas on this, I know there are a LOT of .380’s on the market now.

I’ve owned both the P3AT and LCP in the past, so want to try something different than them this time. I like the Glock 42 but find that it’s a bit big for practical pocket carry and just don’t feel comfortable with pocket carrying a chambered Glock. I love Glock but just prefer a firm DAO type trigger for pocket carry. The SIG P238 is also one I wouldn’t consider due to the SA configuration.

I’d like something with actual sights that could be upgraded to night sights, which the P3AT/LCP do not have.

Right now, the two I’m thinking sound good are the Kahr CW380 or the S&W M&P Bodyguard 380 (not the EZ model .380)

Any others I should be considering?

This message has been edited. Last edited by: PASig,

I've gone thru most all of the pocketable .380's.
Settled on the Beretta Pico. As long as you get the "Updated" model (as noted on the front of the box) these guns are accurate, dependable, small, light and easy to shoot. Also feature a tilting barrel action as opposed to blowback, which lessens felt recoil.

You might consider a S&W Bodyguard.

quote:

Originally posted by maxwayne:
You might consider a S&W Bodyguard.

The M&P Bodyguard .380 is listed in my OP as one I’m really looking at. That new S&W .380 EZ isn’t a pocket pistol, that’s almost a full size gun.

I'll second the S&w Bodyguard. I recently upgraded mine with night sights, and it is currently the smallest gun I own.
I like the long DA trigger pull and feel comfortable pocket carrying it with the safety off. Another nice feature is that it allows you double strike capability

If your former LCP was the standard model...you might take a look at the LCP2...

I've been pleased with the Ruger LCP2...trigger is good (way better than the standard LCP). It's been dependable with over 350 rounds of assorted .380 ammo...

Having shot both...the LCP2 is much better than the standard LCP...

My only gripe is that while the one magazine that came with it has last round hold open, the two that were available at a discount from Ruger are not (I just marked it to be sure it is in the pistol first).

I had a SW bodyguard. Great pistol. Easy to pocket carry.
My thought was that if that was all I had, it had to be really shoot able, ergonomic, accurate reliable. I opted for the 42. A little bigger but more accurate at distance, say 10-12 yards.
All this is subjective of course.

I like the Bodyguard but if you have big hands, at least for me, the trigger pull is very long and you wonder when the break will happen. I had one and took my son shooting and he said the same thing. It shot great but I couldn't get used to the trigger/pull. The CW380 can be hit or miss with reliability, in my experience. I had a couple, years apart and the first one shot good but was finicky with ammo and the second one constantly jammed. I would opt for spending the extra $$ and get the P380. I had a P380 and am sorry I sold it. The LCP Custom has real sights, a much better trigger but I am not sure if there are any aftermarket sights for it. I have an LCP (standard model) and bought a Galloway trigger for it and now it is just like my wife's Custom model, except for the sights. The G42 is a great gun but it is not much smaller than the 43. I would up selling the 42 and bought the 43. I never owned a Pico but they sound interesting.

May I ask? What makes you give up the Keltec P32?

quote:

Originally posted by ScotP7:
May I ask? What makes you give up the Keltec P32?

I just was looking at some testing done with .32 vs .380 ammo and the results were pretty startling. Modern .380 ammo has gotten really good while .32 hasn’t changed in 100+ years.

I pocket a Kahr .380 daily in a desantis nemesis holster with the flap. In most of my pants it barely shows and if things tighten up it just looks like a phone. Never a firearm. You will most likely have to do some ammo testing to find the type it likes to eat. Mine has been flawless ever since I stopped feeding it cheap stuff, and it loves federal hollow points. Its also fun to shoot unlike a lot of other *small* guns

quote:

Originally posted by PASig:
I currently carry a .32 ACP Kel-Tec P-32 but am really wanting to go back to a .380 for pocket carry.

Need some ideas on this, I know there are a LOT of .380’s on the market now.

I’ve owned both the P3AT and LCP in the past, so want to try something different than them this time. I like the Glock 42 but find that it’s a bit big for practical pocket carry and just don’t feel comfortable with pocket carrying a chambered Glock. I love Glock but just prefer a firm DAO type trigger for pocket carry. The SIG P238 is also one I wouldn’t consider due to the SA configuration.

I’d like something with actual sights that could be upgraded to night sights, which the P3AT/LCP do not have.

Right now, the two I’m thinking sound good are the Kahr CW380 or the S&W M&P Bodyguard 380 (not the EZ model .380)

Any others I should be considering?

I know you said that you don't want to pocket carry a Glock, but in a good inside-the-pocket kydex holster, such as the one from A-Holster, makes it a safe and accurate combination.

The Glock 42 is the softest-recoiling, most accurate out-of-the-box .380 I've ever fired. I could hit steel plates at 35 yards with ease.

In an article I read, Ayoob shot 2-inch groups at 25 yards with one during testing. It's a gold standard in .380s.

quote:

Originally posted by jbourneidentity:
I know you said that you don't want to pocket carry a Glock, but in a good inside-the-pocket kydex holster, such as the one from A-Holster, makes it a safe and accurate combination.

The Glock 42 is the softest-recoiling, most accurate out-of-the-box .380 I've ever fired. I could hit steel plates at 35 yards with ease.

In an article I read, Ayoob shot 2-inch groups at 25 yards with one during testing. It's a gold standard in .380s.

Agreed - in summer shorts its an easy carry and shoots like a much larger pistol, very very accurate.

With that being said, I can't easily carry it in pants and never do. Shorts only.

Another +1 for Ruger. I like mine for pocket carry.
North American Arms aren't half bad.
If you're willing to shell out the coin, Seecamp makes a great gun.

I have a Kahr P-380, a LCP2 and a G42.

IMO, the best shooter of the litter is the G42. I find it accurate, dependable and it eats anything in .380.

quote:

I've been pleased with the Ruger LCP2...trigger is good (way better than the standard LCP).

This is my finding as well. Just a fantastic little 380.

Try a Sig P232

My choice for .380 pocket carry (which is rare for me) is the Ruger LCPII. I've been very happy with it's performance and think it would do fine for you.

Prior to that I had a Kahr 380 and it also performed well but the Ruger LCPII is smaller an lighter.

Lastly depending on your size/clothing you could get away with a Glock 42. My wife has one and I've pocket carried it with no issue. Then again I'm a bigger guy so I have bigger pockets

quote:

Originally posted by PASig:
I’d like something with actual sights that could be upgraded to night sights, which the P3AT/LCP do not have.

If sights are a consideration, Beretta sells night sights for the Pico that are very easy to install. The Sig P238 comes with night sights (at least mine did). There are lots of good aftermarket sights for the Glock 42, but it's a little larger. You might consider a laser instead of sights. You can get a Crimson Trace laser for pretty much any gun.

I've done the 238 as my secondary carry, and as a BUG...in the front pocket of my jeans. With a good protective holster and proper practice and training SAO pocket carry is not that worrisome and intimidating unless one makes it out to be so. The only real negative I had was with the hammer action being so exposed to the infiltration of pocket lint. Would be less of a problem if I were of a body type that could get away with leather or Spandex pants...but as it is the world is not ready for THAT picture from an aging fart like me.

Of the .380s that I've shot I'd have no hesitation going back the 238, or buying a LCP II or G42 if .380 were where I was headed. I've pocket carried my G43 and I firmly believe that such a striker can be safely carried in this manner as long as the person continually trains for that method of carry. The LCP II's a more enjoyable gun to shoot than the original form factor. Its longer trigger travel perhaps allows for a bit more margin of safety in the pocket, but that's really only tangible if the person was foolish enough to consider NOT using a proper pocket holster, or if the person possibly has some serious dexterity issues with his or her hands, which with the latter I would not recommend going with pocket carry at all. With a holster that does a solid job of shielding the trigger, none of the action types described should be inherently unsafe with pocket carry. Any potential qualms is on the owner, not the gun itself.

Since it was apparently mentioned in an earlier post, I also own the NAA Guardian in .380. I really dislike shooting that thing but it too is a very pocket-friendly form factor. Like the LCP/LCP II it has a long trigger travel and reset. Through live fire it quickly became a very smooth, stack-free DA trigger pull. However my example has shown itself to be a not 100% reliable shooter, and the shape of its tang coupled with its blowback operation really beats up the webbing of my hand between the thumb and index finger. In the heat of the moment I probably wouldn't even notice, but it's during the practice sessions that drove me to not want to have anything to do with the gun, particularly as I get older. Consequently I haven't shot it in well over a year, if not considerably longer. YMMV, but that's how I see the dreadful thing.