LCP vs TCP vs Bodyguard 380

[RCM]

if there is a thread already started similar, then my apologies up front.. I am new to these forums, just recently transferred in to Oklahoma from Tennessee..

I have been looking to purchase one of the small ccw handguns, and have heard alot of pros and cons about each.. some of the models that have been thrown out are the Ruger LCP, or Taurus TCP, even the Keltec P-3AT. Recently i was directed towards the bersa thunder .380 and s&w's newer bodyguard .380.. we also have the new XDm sub compacts.

seems like quite a few great offerings out there.. but i havent shot any of these models..with so many compact options, which one if any pull away from the pack? also, I am not to sure on going with a .380 round.. so wonder if it would be better to move on up to a bit larger handgun to be able to get at least a 9mm. key objective is to find a great ccw weapon to carry in place of some of my larger handguns.. one that is light weight, and easy to conceal even in the warmer months. again if the new OCW passes, then it might not be as big an issue at that time.. then again, this all may simply come down to personal preferences and opinions..

thanks in advance,
Rodney

 

[JD8]

I looked at all of the above, except the S&W because it wasn't out yet and I picked up a Kahr P380. It's been 100% so far and is very accurate for it's size.

 

[guns are dumb]

I have a Bodyguard and have owned the Keltec. I also have some experience with the Bersa, but it's much larger than the rest. The Bodyguard is definitely a step up from the Ruger or Keltec as it has a true slide stop and real sights as well as a safety (if that matters to you). The trigger is better on the Smith than the Ruger or Keltec and while I haven't had the Ruger apart, the Smith is much better built than the Smith.

I have no experience with the Kahr or Sig although I considered the Sig, I ultimately decided against a gun primarily designed for pocket carry but a single action pistol where the safety would be necessary.

I do feel the laser is a little hokey. Although it functions well, Im not sure it would provide any real use. I have only 50 rounds through mine as I only just got it, but there were no issues to report yet.

 

[GlocksInMySocks]

it's really going to come out to how either one you feel more comfortable with. The bodyguard and LCP with crimson trace are going to end up about the same price. Great sights on a midget 380 aren't that important to me and the safety on bodyguard boggles my mind. However, the slide catch is exactly what the LCP needs. Lastly, the laser on the bodyguard appears to be almost a joke. I'm sure it will work, but I don't like having to turn it on with the switch and don't understand the strobe. I much more prefer the crimson trace that turns on when you grip the pistol.

Anyway, it's a crap shoot. You can't go wrong with eiter

 

[1mathom1]

Have only shot the LCP with no laser.....probably 200 rounds worth so I am not an expert....but here is my impression. For me it was fine ergonomically but with my eyes the sights were tough to use. For it's intended use.....putting holes in vermin at spitting distance......as Glocks in Sox says likely not a huge deal. I would prefer a last-shot-hold-open feature.

 

[Old Fart]

For the most part these are close quarters pull, point, and shoot weapons.
There's been quite a bit of discussion on the .380 being a good defensive round.
I haven't ran into anyone wanting to take 6 to the mid-section to prove one way or the other.
Also there's been some pretty good development in bullet technology over the past ten years that helps this little mousegun out.

I've shot and owned several of these. Ruger, Keltec, NAA (the frame was built by Kahr), AMT,.............
For the given purpose most will serve you just fine.

And I've come to the conclusion everyone is different on them.
Take a little time and try to find one that feels good and comes to point of aim easy.
Once you get one run at least a couple hundred rounds thru it to become comfortable with it and to make sure it is dependable.
Then take it out regularly and reconfirm this.

 

[ez bake]

Here's my opinion

I'd go with a 9mm for several reasons.

1. Cost of ammo - 9mm is still the cheapest ammo you can find in most cases (both Self Defense rounds and plinking ammo).

If you plan on carrying it, you need to shoot it - often. Lots of folks fail to understand this and quickly loose proficiency on their CCW weapon (if you don't shoot it at least once a month, you'll be surprised how clunky you get from the time you have a good training / practice session to the 2-3 month period when you shoot it again.

Also, when carrying them around (even in a good holster), smaller semi-autos tend to collect things like dead skin, pocket lent, dust, etc... They need to be verified as reliable (and cleaned/checked/oiled) often. I've seen more "first malfunction ever" scenarios when folks are at the shooting range and I ask them to break out their CCW piece for some practice - some of these guys went out and pout 2000 trouble-free rounds to test their guns out and ensure they were reliable and then threw them in a holster for 6-9 months and had no idea that you needed to break them out more often than that or they get dirty/unreliable.

Ammo cost is key for all this to me - its more important than having a larger round (or a smaller, more expensive round like .380) for the most part for all my SD options.

2. Micro frame size - I'm also not partial to the micro-sub-compacts for this reason (that and capacity). The smaller the design of the gun, the more prone it seems to be to "needing to be shot/cleaned/cared-for" to ensure its reliability.

This is of course a pretty broad generalization and I'm sure everyone hasn't experienced it, but it seems to be a pretty good rule of thumb in my limited experience with most micros - if you disagree, the next range session, break out your CCW and hopefully its been shot in the last month or so and you have no issues

Something the size of the Kahr K9, the Glock 26, the XD Sub-compact, Sig P239, etc... those are as small as I'll go in a semi-auto - the Sig P290 might change my mind on that, but only time will tell. My only interest in the P290 is that with the extended mags, I can get the capacity back up to what it needs to be for me to carry it.

3. Effectiveness of 9mm vs. .380 - I'm not trying to start a caliber war here and I'm the first to admit that "there is no such thing as knock-down-power" in that when you ask an LEO, a hunter, someone in the military, etc... what needs to be done to effectively stop a mammal weighing between 100Lbs and 300lbs, the answer will not be "knock it down with large caliber XYZ" - it will always be "put a large hole in the most vital part of the" attacker/game-animal/enemy to stop them - this is rarely done with the largest caliber they can bring.

Bullet technology has overcome a lot of the stereotypes that "this caliber is better than that one" over the years, and 9mm offers a ton of options out there (again for a good price). .380 has less options for the most part and I honestly would consider .380 as the smallest round I'd turn to in a SD situation (its almost on the edge of being too small to me, but I wouldn't rule it out completely if the situation required it based on reports of its use in SD and ballistic testing, etc... - still, far from the "most effective round" though - especially when considering cost).

4. The S&W J-frame revolver - If you want to carry a lightweight gun that absolutely has the max amount of versatility considering conceal-ability, weight, etc... its really hard to beat any of the Airweight J-frames (or all-steel models considering that weight is not necessarily a bad thing when you're in the act of shooting it). You suffer with only 5-rds of capacity (unless you step up to a J or K with 6rds - also plenty of options for those out there) and reloading is a different thing than with a semi-auto, so practice is just as necessary just as often, but not for reliability of the gun so much as reliability of the shooter (and for me, reliability of my speed-reloading).

 

[bulbboy]

Out of those three I only have the LCP - and its great!

You might also check out the new Sig Sauer P290

http://www.okshooters.com/forums/showthread.php?t=103427

 

[RCM]

I appreciate all the great feedback.. after hearing alot of great points, it has me leaning towards looking closer at a revolver, and going with at least a 9mm.. it really sounds like the benefits of going slightly larger still outweigh the smaller compact designs at least for me in regards to a good safe ccw handgun..
I may still purchase one of the .380's to play around with but my main goal at this time is to find a lighter weight ccw that still offered the best safety along with being able to easily conceal even in the warmer months, and also price of ammo is important since it should be as said in the thread a weapon that you frequently take out and shoot.. I appreciate all the great points and comparisons given..

Rodney

 

[Old Fart]

I curreently have a LCP I carry now on occassion.
My normal carry is a Kahr CW45 I bought of my buddy DaveTec.

The little LCP, as well as most of the others, just slips right in the IWB holster and almost never bothers you again.
That is the beauty of these little mouseguns.

So mode of carry can have some effect on choice.
But with the many options of concealment holsters you can tote a big variety of caliber/weapon.