Introduction of the new Ruger LCP .380

[mousegunner]

This chart compares sizes of many small guns....

[Guest C4Dave]

It looks to me as if a .380 is just a short 9mm.

In Europe the .380 is called a 9mm short.

9mm is 19mm long.

.380 is 17mm long.

[Marswolf]

In Europe the .380 is called a 9mm short.

Or 9mm Kurz

or 9mm Browning Short

or 9mm Corto

[Guest Steelharp]

Would it be possible to get out of caliber discussion? The thread was about the new Ruger vs. the Kel-Tec, and I, for one, would really like to hear those comparisons. Perhaps the person that started the thread would like that as well...

[Guest bkelm18]

Well seeing as how no one owns one, it'll be kind of hard to make those comparisons.

[Guest Steelharp]

Well seeing as how no one owns one, it'll be kind of hard to make those comparisons.

Good point, well taken. I'll go sit down and shut up now.

[Guest jackdog]

Hey i just brought this up for info, As most of you know I'm a very happy KEL-Tec owner.

[Barrel First]

Seems that the new Ruger product "borrows" more than a bit from Kel-Tec and George Kelgren, the genius who produced the smallest locked-breech [not blow-back] pistol known at that time...more than ten years ago.

The price point of the new Ruger "clone" will make or break the entry, but the marketing might of Sturm, Ruger could make it a success.

Two key questions:

When will the Ruger product be widely available?

How much will we have to pay to be "early-adopters" of the knock-off?

I'm a patient man.

[Guest jackdog]

Well ,the

ruger folks need to lowball the first few thousand, so we can make a comparison

[Guest jackdog]

I'd vote for 125.00 with 2 extra mags as the starting point.

[Guest Boomhower]

This sprung off of another thread. Ruger is introducing a new little pocket pistol. I'll be interested to get my hands on one of these and compare it to my Kel-Tec P3AT to see if Ruger produces any better quality out of the box........BTW, do you think it resembles anything?

Ruger's webpage

Video

[The Rabbi]

I could REALLY do without the heavy metal music in their video.

The thing is unfortunately typical of Ruger, which hasn't produced an innovative firearm in about 50 years.

[Marswolf]

I guess my reaction is "ho - hum." Just a Kel-Tec clone as far as I can tell. Slightly wider, which is not something that I would be wanting.

[Guest woodsltc]

My take -- it's simply a copy of the Kel Tec's P-3AT.

It's slightly heavier and wider than the Kel Tec and costs more. My Kel Tec works fine so I see no need to consider the Ruger. They will sell a lot of them though, because there a lot of people that simply like Rugers -- but the Kel Tec is still the better buy for the price IMO.

Don

[Guest jackdog]

After looking at the ads, I don't think the Ruger is going to over take the Kel- TEC, but guess will have to see how they market it.

[DaveTN]

Just a Kel-Tec clone as far as I can tell. Slightly wider, which is not something that I would be wanting.

Same guys must still be running the show.

[white Oak]

I have never seen that ad. That is great.

[Marswolf]

I'd say that thicker is not better for a pistol either, particularly if concealed. Thin and flat seems to be better for CC.

[Guest 2HOW]

Exactly what we need, another .380 A bad clone of a great pistol, more expensive and worse customer service, cool. I dont think much of their new SR9 either, looks like a European clone.

[molonlabetn]

.77" vs. .82" width really doesn't sound like a huge difference... I'm very interested to see how it fares in terms of reliablity. If the Ruger has better fit and finish than the Kel-Tec (which frequently needs some fluffing and buffing), then it should be a winner regardless of the small price difference.

[creeky]

If anything it shows that Ruger is ready to agressively enter the CCW market that they let slip by them for years. Everything they come out with will be compared to what is currently out there. It's really all they hav eto draw from right now. It might take a few years before they come out with anything really "new" or different.

I would guess their best hope now is to provide products that are similar to what is out there now but with better fit and finish (Like Molon suggests.) and with their "branding". Time will tell.

Not a real .380 fan myself.

[Guest Steelharp]

I at present do not have a .380 (had one, a SIG 230, but it's gone), and I'd really like to see one of these. I had a Kel-Tec, didn't care much for it. If this is a little beefier, and has a better trigger, I just might be up for it...

Did I just say "better trigger" in reference to a Ruger??? WASSAMATTERWITME???

[waynesan]

I read on another board where a gunstore somewhere in Ohio was taking preorders for $270 out the door.

[Marswolf]

I suspect both the Kel-Tec and Ruger will be competitively priced.

For right now, I'd have to pick the Kel-Tec rather than be a guinea pig for a new gun, but that could change if it turns out Ruger actually did some additional engineering work that makes it actually better than the Kel-Tec, rather than just stealing a design that has been tested and refined over the years.

I do think it is odd that Ruger is using Kel-Tec's old extractor design. I'll also be interested in seeing if Ruger has a removable ejector or an ejector that actually does something. In going from gen 1 to gen 2 in the P3AT, Kel-Tec eliminated a working ejector, but kept the slot it fit into and fills it with a blank metal piece. I discovered by accident that the ejector wasn't needed in the gen 1. It fell out when cleaning and I didn't notice it was gone until after I shot it the next time. The handgun worked perfectly without it.

If they both turn out to be functionally equivalent handguns, I'd have to buy the Kel-Tec. I don't like rewarding such obvious thievery and I do like to reward smaller companies that are innovative. Plus the Kel-Tec is slightly smaller. Since its normal carry spot is my back pocket, smaller (even if not by much) is better. I'd feel a lot better if Ruger is making their gun under a license from Kel-Tec, but that's not the story we are getting from Ruger.

[BigPoppa]

So, gents and ladies, what are we thinking about this new gun ?

As for me, it looks like an LCP may be sending my Kel-Tec out to pasture.

I think it looks nicer than the KT, and hopefully, will possess that "legendary" Ruger reliability.