Ruger LC380

Jamers99 said:

I talked to the guy at my local gun shop and he felt strongly that going down to a 380 from a 9mm would be a mistake. The 380 just doesn't have near the penetrating and stopping power of the 9mm according to him. If the size of the gun is the same then stick witht he 9mm he said. I'm still on the fence with this one.

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Once again, a guy at a gun shop proves that a little bit of knowledge is a dangerous thing. There is no-- I repeat, no-- scientific evidence that one handgun caliber is a better stopper than another. One of the good things about the LC380 is that because it's the normal size for the caliber, it's more likely than the LC9 and LCP to be reliable out of the box. The LC380 would be my choice of the three.

Tom

Yep, the guys behind the counters at the gun stores know everything, mostly from reading magazines and listening to the other guys who know everything. Every time I go in, I get advice which I didn't ask for and don't need. I ignore them and buy what I came in for.

What stats there are show the .380 to be an effective SD round. If that's what you like to shoot, you will become more proficient with it than some other caliber which you don't enjoy. Proficiency counts for more than small differences between calibers IMO.

Of the many dozens of handguns I've shot of nearly every caliber, I shoot the Beretta 81 series the best. That's why my daily carry gun is my Beretta 85, backed up by my S&W 642 Airweight. My Beretta 85 is loaded with Hornady Critical Defense, and my 642 is loaded with Golden Saber 125 gr. +P. I can't imagine a better self-defense combination.

Tom

The biggest thing that I hate about the 380, is the price of ammo! I still can't figure out what makes it so expensive?

Cubby said:

The biggest thing that I hate about the 380, is the price of ammo! I still can't figure out what makes it so expensive?

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x100!!! :?:

That was the main reason I went with the 9mm. Much cheaper to shoot.

Cubby said:

The biggest thing that I hate about the 380, is the price of ammo! I still can't figure out what makes it so expensive?

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I'm a clay shooter, and I'm still scratching my head about the price of 28 ga. and .410 ammo: They're much more expensive than 12 and 20 ga., yet use less of every component.

I like 9mm, but I don't trust the subcompact guns. If I were to carry 9mm, it would be in a Glock 19 or Beretta 92.

Tom

Yeah 9mm is much cheaper. There's so much of it made. I reload .380 otherwise I don't think I would have bought an LCP

New to Ruger forums. so hi everyone. My wife just bought an lc380 and loves everything about it. its super easy to rack and it does not recoil too much.

but on topic of lc9/380 conversion, I wonder what parts would need to be replaced to convert her 380 to a 9mm that I can carry when I decide to go for a jog or something to that effect for the additional stopping power and of course the fact that 9mm is very easy to find around here.

I couldn't find any sort of "kit" perse' to do the conversion but if someone could shed some light I would be thankful.
if im not mistaken I would need the barrel, extractor spring, and mag at least.
thanks all and keep up the good work Ruger

It's a cool idea, but is it a practical option? It sounds like a bit of a hassle to convert just to go out and jog and including the barrel you may spend $100 or more.

The LC9 is not an expensive gun. Ruger has just launched an improved version so you might find one of the older models for a good price.

Just a thought. I know, I hate it when I'm just asking how to do something and people tell me I shouldn't be doing it at all.

We've been through all that and the short answer is no. The longer answer is that while there are only a few differences between the LC380 and LC9 the major differences, barrel and spring, are factory install only. The apparent logic behind it may be due to liability or serial number tracking. If you want an LC9 just buy one.
From a personal note, at self defense distances a 380 to the head does just as much damage as a 9 and reduces the blood spatter.