9mm vs 380 price

[Jamie Jackson]

I have no excuse to not purchase an LCP as I'm handloading .380 again @hipower.

Which version would you recommend? I see them online for as little as $175.00 + $15.00 S&H

I would prefer to purchase locally, but I get a free monthly transfer at Shoot Point Blank as a member benefit.

[Moped]

7 hours ago, Jamie Jackson said:

I have no excuse to not purchase an LCP as I'm handloading .380 again @hipower.

Which version would you recommend? I see them online for as little as $175.00 + $15.00 S&H

I would prefer to purchase locally, but I get a free monthly transfer at Shoot Point Blank as a member benefit.

I my summer pistol is a LCP.  I really like the size! Great for slipping into a pocket, with a couple of spare mags in the other pocket.  That being said, I'd look really hard at the LCP II for just a little more.  The sights are much better and so is the trigger.  Extra mags are the same price, but they will not fit in the LCP and vice versa. 

One thing that chaps my arse is that Ruger will not sell these little pistols with two mags.  So you end up purchasing a couple of more mags for $30+ a pop!  I ended up purchasing 4 all toegther.

You might want to look at the little Berreta Pico too.  It's about the same size and price as the LCP II and has good sights.  Not sure about the trigger.  But it also comes with two mags.

 

Ruger be like Berreta and start selling two mags with your pistols!!!  

https://www.personaldefenseworld.com/2017/05/ruger-lcp-ii-beretta-pico/

[pop pop]

I like to use water filled milk jugs for ammo testing. Not scientific, but I like it. 

I built a holder that holds 7 one gallon jugs in a straight row. I sometimes cover the shooting end jug with terrycloth or denim to see if Hollow Point bullets react, and then don't expand, to simulate wearing clothing and shooting through material. You would be surprised how different ammo reacts shooting into water jugs covered with cloth. 

Most good ammo will totally penetrate 3 to 4 jugs which is 18 to 24 inches, as each jug measures 6". You then divide the number of inches penetrated, through the jugs, by 2 and that gives a good estimate as to real world penetration possibilities. ( divide 24' by 2 and it gives you 12" of possible/estimated penetration. 

My EDC 357 mag revolver penetrates 4 full jugs and usually dents or lightly enters the 5th one. The Cor Bon DPX all copper penetrates 5 jugs and lightly dents, (sometimes punctures), the back side of the 5th one. I calculate that to work out to 14 to 15" of penetration. 

Like I said that is not scientific, but give you a cheap measuring stick to compare different ammo results. Some do better than others. I collect empty milk jugs all winter then have a day of shooting fun, usually with my grandsons. 

[hipower]

8 hours ago, Jamie Jackson said:

I have no excuse to not purchase an LCP as I'm handloading .380 again @hipower.

Which version would you recommend? I see them online for as little as $175.00 + $15.00 S&H

I would prefer to purchase locally, but I get a free monthly transfer at Shoot Point Blank as a member benefit.

Jamie, I have no personal experience with the LCPII. I actually don't remember even holding one. But on the asthetics alone, I think I'd go with version 2. Looks to me like it would be more comfortable to hold and possibly more controllable and accurate. That's my take on it.

I did do a little looking this morning and see retail on the LCPI hovering around 200. PSA, on the few sites I visited, seemed to have that 200 price point with the shipping. I did check Buds, and of course Saw the LCPII with a CT...really liked it. lol 

But with my lust for a CF Jericho 941, I don't see myself buying another 380. Actually probably won't go for the Jericho either, as I have run out of room in the safe, and money.

I think Moped's comments, and the links supplied, would have me favoring the LCPII over the Pico.

[Moped]

One other thing about these little fire crackers.  They are not range guns. Going to the range with a box of 50 rounds can honestly be a bit painful at the completion of the the box.  They are not fun pistols to shoot and they aren't really for ranges much past 7 to 10 yards.  They're a "Get off Me" gun with a bit more punch than a .25 or .32ACP.

Personally, I don't think you can go wrong with either pistol.  But it might help to go shoot both of them at a local range. If at the point, you are sold on one over the other, that's the one I'd get.  If you can't see much of a difference, betweemn the two, I'd go with whichever one is the cheaper.  

Harvey's currently has both in stock, I believe.   They were selling the Pico for 199.99, +TT, last week.  The week before that, they had the Ruger LCP for $179.  I've seen the LCP IIs running as low as $230.

[Jamie Jackson]

Thank you @Moped and @hipower.

Solid info and much appreciated. It'll be after the first of the year before I can swing one. I'm hoping one pops up in our classifieds that relatively local to me. You never know

@pop pop,

I am familiar with the concept of using water in the guise of a "Fackler Box". It's set up using 1 gallon ziplock bags of water. According to the article I'll link below by Jim Higginbotham, the correlation is that water is 1.8 times easier to penetrate than ballistic gelatin . I would imagine your setup would provide some interesting info. Love to see some photos of it, mainly because I'm jealous that I don't have a place to set up something like this!

Decent article in case anyone's interested.

https://www.gunsamerica.com/digest/triggernometry-home-bullet-penetration/

[gregintenn]

12 hours ago, Jamie Jackson said:

I have no excuse to not purchase an LCP as I'm handloading .380 again @hipower.

Which version would you recommend? I see them online for as little as $175.00 + $15.00 S&H

I would prefer to purchase locally, but I get a free monthly transfer at Shoot Point Blank as a member benefit.

I would recommend a regular LCP. Shoot it enough to learn the trigger, and you’ll find the reports of them not being accurate are false. Mine has little finish left, and a lot of rounds down the bore. It is as accurate as I am capable.

[Jeb48]

I have an LCP and LCP-2. I much prefer the LCP-2 for reason stated, but if you go for the original get the Hogue grip for it, otherwise your hand will be sore before you finish the second mag. The 2 grip is just enough bigger in the grip that it doesn't need the Hogue grip unless you want to shoot it a lot. I usually shoot 3 magazines most times out to the range and then move on to more fun to shoot guns. 

Moped said the magazines are not interchangeable but they are, the only difference is original mags will not allow the LCP-2 to hold back the slide on the final round. Original does not leave the slide back on final round with either style magazine. I interchange mags all the time.

[hipower]

RK Guns Rural King farm supply, had an ad for the LCPII today for 199 I believe.

[Esko 270]

I just recently started using Ammo Empire. I'd never used them before until lately. As of now they're not charging tax. Little off topic, sorry.

[chances R]

On 12/16/2019 at 10:10 AM, DaveTN said:

Then the bullets won't go as far into the wood.

And you will need a new clamp 

[chances R]

I’ve had a LCP for many years, carried in nemesis holster mostly.  Have a fobus and VersaCarry, the latter gets a fair amount of use.  Have shot an IDPA match with it, over 100 rounds.  Little hand soreness next day but certainly not a big deal. ( and no I wasn’t HOA)  For what they are, I personally wouldn’t spend extra for a ‘2 version’, but they are new and improved.  

[Moped]

8 hours ago, chances R said:

I’ve had a LCP for many years, carried in nemesis holster mostly.  Have a fobus and VersaCarry, the latter gets a fair amount of use.  Have shot an IDPA match with it, over 100 rounds.  Little hand soreness next day but certainly not a big deal. ( and no I wasn’t HOA)  For what they are, I personally wouldn’t spend extra for a ‘2 version’, but they are new and improved.  

I use the Nemesis and Fobus for mine.  Both work great! Hadn’t thought about a VersaCarry, but between the first two holster, I’m not really sure I need anything else.

[Jeb48]

On 12/21/2019 at 8:00 PM, Esko 270 said:

I just recently started using Ammo Empire. I'd never used them before until lately. As of now they're not charging tax. Little off topic, sorry.

Hadn't checked them out before, just put in an order last night for some 30-30 range ammo, cheapest price I had found on a small order (200 rounds). I was waiting till after Christmas to put in an order to a different site for the exact same ammo and had to buy 400 rounds to get it as cheap.

[quedz]

On 12/21/2019 at 7:00 PM, Esko 270 said:

I just recently started using Ammo Empire.

Ammo Empire=SGAmmo?

[Esko 270]

6 hours ago, hughd said:

Ammo Empire=SGAmmo?

They aren't charging tax yet.