Any criticiam of this semi-automatic?

[lspencer534]

I want to buy it for my daughter for Christmas. It's a Ruger® LCP™ .380 Auto Pistol . It hold 6+1 ammo, has fixed sights, Through-hardened alloy steel slide and alloy steel barrel with blued finishes, weighs 9.6 ozs., and is 3.6"H x 0.82"W x 5.16"L.

The condition of the gift is that she has to take firearm lessons and to practice. She's not a big fan of guns, but she'll get over that the first time she's mugged. Reviews of the gun are excellent, but who here has experience with it?

[6spdC6]

Originally Posted by lspencer534

I want to buy it for my daughter for Christmas. It's a Ruger® LCP™ .380 Auto Pistol . It hold 6+1 ammo, has fixed sights, Through-hardened alloy steel slide and alloy steel barrel with blued finishes, weighs 9.6 ozs., and is 3.6"H x 0.82"W x 5.16"L.

The condition of the gift is that she has to take firearm lessons and to practice. She's not a big fan of guns, but she'll get over that the first time she's mugged. Reviews of the gun are excellent, but who here has experience with it?

Attachment 21120

Nice gun, but like most light 380s they have a sharp kick. Will that bother your daughter?

I approve of your making your daughter take lessons.

[Antfarmer2]

I bought these for my wife and daughter. Not taking the chance of them hesitating and losing a deadly weapon to their attacker.


https://www.kimberamerica.com/pepper-blaster

[TripleBlack]

I got one for my wife as a smaller alternative to her Kahr 9mm. It's definitely not a range gun... very snappy, but not as unpleasant as I'd expected.

Rick Perry used one to dispatch a coyote while out jogging with his dog back when was governor of Texas. Afterwards Ruger released a special version commemorating the occasion but I wasn't able to find one when shopping for ours.

[DAB]

Too small for a first gun to learn on. Learn on a full sized pistol.

[Mike Mercury]

Both Yvonne and I own LCPs for CCW. Mine is the newer Ver 2.

They are ready/condition one type weapons; carried loaded and ready to fire with just the pull of the trigger. The trigger is not light; nor should be any CCW weapon carried in the ready/condition one configuration. Hidden hammer; and firing pin spring is not under tension in the ready/condition one config.

Yvonne originally had the Kel-Tec version; almost identical. Once she saw the refinement difference between it and my LCP.. she instantly wanted a LCP. I gave her mine and I bought another one.

Like others have stated, this is not a range/plink gun; nor are any CCW designed weapons. I also would not suggest a CCW sized weapon as a first gun.

[Sea Six]

Originally Posted by DAB

Too small for a first gun to learn on. Learn on a full sized pistol.

This for sure. Times 1,000.

If she's not a gun fan, buying her a gun that she may wind up not wanting to shoot isn't going to help that. This gun, and most conceal carry guns in general, might be unpleasant to shoot IMO for someone just starting out.

Let her start out learning to shoot with a gun that is heavy to absorb recoil, and with a light load to reduce recoil. She can then concentrate on correct shooting techniques and not developing bad ones.

Once she gets some confidence in her ability it might become fun.

Buying a good conceal carry gun can then begin, with her input on the selection process. There are many factors in this decision. The first and most important is to select a gun you personally can put rounds accurately on your target. She must be involved with selecting a conceal carry gun, and she might not be ready to do so yet. Not without some experience with basic pistol instruction from a competent instructor and having shot a variety of guns.

My recommendation: instead of buying her a conceal carry gun of your own selection, let alone one she has never fired or held, I would say set her up with an NRA Firearms instructor whom you have personally interviewed and have determined to be a good match for your daughter's personality. Let the instructor give her some good one-on-one dry firing, discussion and range time. During this process hopefully she will shoot a good variety of guns and begin to develop a personal preference for a few.

Then you can go shopping with her for a conceal carry piece that she can use accurately and be willing to carry often.

My 2¢.

[DAB]

Originally Posted by Sea Six

This for sure. Times 1,000.

If she's not a gun fan, buying her a gun that she may wind up not wanting to shoot isn't going to help that. This gun, and most conceal carry guns in general, might be unpleasant to shoot IMO for someone just starting out.

Let her start out learning to shoot with a gun that is heavy to absorb recoil, and with a light load to reduce recoil. She can then concentrate on correct shooting techniques and not developing bad ones.

Once she gets some confidence in her ability it might become fun.

Buying a good conceal carry gun can then begin, with her input on the selection process. There are many factors in this decision. The first and most important is to select a gun you personally can put rounds accurately on your target. She must be involved with selecting a conceal carry gun, and she might not be ready to do so yet. Not without some experience with basic pistol instruction from a competent instructor and having shot a variety of guns.

My recommendation: instead of buying her a conceal carry gun of your own selection, let alone one she has never fired or held, I would say set her up with an NRA Firearms instructor whom you have personally interviewed and have determined to be a good match for your daughter's personality. Let the instructor give her some good one-on-one dry firing, discussion and range time. During this process hopefully she will shoot a good variety of guns and begin to develop a personal preference for a few.

Then you can go shopping with her for a conceal carry piece that she can use accurately and be willing to carry often.

My 2¢.

back in October, our range had an open house day. i worked in the pistol pits all day, and interacted with many people, including several women who had brought their pistol out to shoot a bit. so we set up targets and supervised. several had these little guns (sig 938 was one), or guns with heavy triggers (XD-M comes to mind). i observed them, gave them some pointers on proper grip, and then pulled out one of my full sized pistols and offered to let them shoot it for comparison.

you could see the light bulbs go on. "hey, this full size gun doesn't recoil as much" or "hey, this gun has a better trigger, and thus i'm able to get better hits"

yup. lesson learned, go apply it.

you can find online a drill called the 5x5 drill on IDPA.com. one target, 10 yards, 25 shots total in 4 strings of fire, each string timed and target scored per rules. generally speaking, if a person cannot make Novice on that simple test, they need more training and practice before carrying a firearm full time.

see below.

[StaticCling]

380 is a snappy cartridge. A lot of people, particularly guys buying guns for women, think small gun, small cartridge, easy for a woman to handle. In the case of that firearm, and 380's in general, that is not the case.

I have a PPK in 380, I don't particularly enjoy shooting it, and I rarely do. Great concealment piece, but there are better choices. I think something in the realm of a Glock 19 is about perfect for CCW, and it would be easy for her to stow in a purse etc.

[Bill]

Originally Posted by TripleBlack

I got one for my wife as a smaller alternative to her Kahr 9mm. It's definitely not a range gun... very snappy, but not as unpleasant as I'd expected.

Rick Perry used one to dispatch a coyote while out jogging with his dog back when was governor of Texas. Afterwards Ruger released a special version commemorating the occasion but I wasn't able to find one when shopping for ours.

Many Texans were pulling for the coyote.

[DAB]

i've shot that 5x5 many times, my raw time is in the expert category, but i have too many outside the down zero zone (8" circle), so my time with penalties moves me into the sharpshooter category.

[Broken Wind]

I bought that for my wife several years ago and it was a mistake. I had never fired one like it. It is a miserable gun to shoot. No fun at all. Very easy to conceal though.

My wife's favorite is a S&W mod 64 stainless steel revolver with a bull barrel. Nicely balanced and fun to shoot.

[Sea Six]

Originally Posted by Broken Wind

I bought that for my wife several years ago and it was a mistake. I had never fired one like it. It is a miserable gun to shoot. No fun at all. Very easy to conceal though.

My wife's favorite is a S&W mod 64 stainless steel revolver with a bull barrel. Nicely balanced and fun to shoot.

Is that in .38?

[Sea Six]

Originally Posted by Broken Wind

I bought that for my wife several years ago and it was a mistake. I had never fired one like it. It is a miserable gun to shoot. No fun at all. Very easy to conceal though.

Larry, this was my immediate thought. I haven't shot it but I have owned and shot many lightweight, small semi auto pistols.

They just suck to shoot. And this is from an experienced shooter. Your daughter may pop off a few rounds and decide she wants to go home.

[DAB]

generally speaking, buying a gun for someone else, particularly a pistol for a female, is as fraught with as much danger of failure as trying to buy underwear for the same lady.

just don't do it.

she has to decide she wants a gun for a purpose, and then she needs good advice on which is best for her. even better, try before you buy. borrow from friends, rent guns at a range.

two biggest points of interaction with a pistol are the grip, can you hold it securely and comfortably, and the trigger, if it is too heavy, you'll jerk the gun off target before the shot is fired and you'll miss.

[StaticCling]

J Frame Smith&Wesson, .38 Special is probably the most ideal. Or one of Ruger's offerings of the same genre/type.

[Sea Six]

Originally Posted by chinaski

J Frame Smith&Wesson, .38 Special is probably the most ideal. Or one of Ruger's offerings of the same genre/type.

This is my preference too.

However, the only opinion that matters is hers; and that only after she gets sufficient training and experience.

[Mike Mercury]

CCW is a...

moments notice
close quarters
life or death

weapon.

There's no time to load a round, pull back a hammer, take precise aiming, or undo a safety. And Concealed means exactly that. These LCP, LCR, Kel-Tel type weapons are perfect for real world CCW use. The need to fire one & protect ones life... does not require hardly any learning curve; no need to shoot boxes of rounds through them.

It's the old saying "right tool for the right job"; explains their design.

For a first gun - anymore I suggest a medium frame .22 semi-auto handgun. You can plink & shoot all day; low cost ammo, little recoil... build up some experience with. Only after that would I suggest the second purchase be one of these CCW types.

[Broken Wind]

Originally Posted by Sea Six

Is that in .38?

Yes, .38 spl. Minor detail.

[StaticCling]

Originally Posted by Broken Wind

My wife's favorite is a S&W mod 64 stainless steel revolver with a bull barrel. Nicely balanced and fun to shoot.

I have one of those. 64-3, 4 inch. K Frame Smith is quite possibly the perfect handgun.

And Clark, 64’s are basically a stainless Model 10