Ruger LC380

I just got an e-mail from Ruger today introducing their 2013 lineup. They have a new LC380 which is identical to the LC9 aside from the 380 cartridge.

I wonder if I could just buy the 380 barrel and use in my LC9? Any thoughts?

I got it too...and that is my question...If we can swap between the 9 and.380. that would be cool. Need new mags as well

http://www.ruger.com/products/lc380/index.html

Link for those interested.

Browsing other forums it seems a lot of people are asking why? If you are going to carry a gun this size why not go for 9mm with better stopping power? I have an LC9 and an LCP and I don't think I will buy the LC380.

But the LC380 wasn't made for me. 380's in this size from other mfrs are selling well and Ruger is aiming to get some of that market. I'm sure Ruger doesn't create new models on an impulse - they do a thorough market analysis and must have concluded that this will make money for them. Many find the LCP and the LC9 too snappy, the slide too stiff and the grip on the LCP too small. I can shoot either one all day without feeling beat up but like a lot of people here, I shoot a lot. But discomfort from recoil is very subjective and some people with big hands find the LCP hard to hold.

My guess is, once the current feeding frenzy for firearms subsides and the LC380 is no longer a novelty, it will be quite a bit cheaper than its competitors, as well as slimmer and rounder.

Damn ammo is so expensive for that little sucker.......

My speculation? LCP recoil is pretty stout for the new shooter (eg. my wife!) and the LC9 platform gives just enough more grip length to be more attractive to that market. I know my LCP is less comfortable to shoot than the LC9 - I've shot both.

Scott said:

My speculation? LCP recoil is pretty stout for the new shooter (eg. my wife!) and the LC9 platform gives just enough more grip length to be more attractive to that market. I know my LCP is less comfortable to shoot than the LC9 - I've shot both.

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I completely agree with this. I bought an LCP for myself last year. I was planning on buying a 2nd one for my wife, but wanted her to get some shooting in with one first. She deer-rifle hunts and shoots with me 4-5 times a year. She struggled with operating the slide, and the combination of long trigger pull and small frame made it really difficult for her to control her shots. She shot well when taking time and really concentrating, but when trying to pull out of her purse(just trying to mimic a real situation) she didn't do well.

This .380 gives you an extra round, some extra weight, little bigger grip area, should be able to operate the slide easier, and should give even less recoil then the nine, with the lighter .380 bullet weights and loads. I like the idea a lot and most likely will be buying one for my wife.

Jon

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.

When I got my LC9, I actually went to get the LCP. I was talked out of the LCP buy the fellow I was with and the salesman for those very reasons^. I do with I had the LCp for summer carry...the 9 is just too heavy for shorts with keys, money clip and phone.

Jamers99 said:

I just got an e-mail from Ruger today introducing their 2013 lineup. They have a new LC380 which is identical to the LC9 aside from the 380 cartridge.

I wonder if I could just buy the 380 barrel and use in my LC9? Any thoughts?

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Where would there be any advantage in buying a 380 barrel [plus other necessities] for a 9MM? Less punch and more expensive ammo .... not to even mention the expense of the conversion. You would be spending all that extra money to get less performance all the way around while still keeping the same additional size and weight. There are times the smaller size and weight are an advantage.

I have the LCP and the LC9 and I realize the problems the small grip creates. But I still want the LCP just the way it is because when everything else is too big to conceal [due to specific conditions at specific times] I still have the sweet pea. The money invested in the barrel and whatever could buy some good 9MM ammo ... or get you started in reloading hardware which would mean additional savings.

IMO stopping power is overrated in assessing handguns for SD. It is just as important or more to a. have the gun with you when you really need it b. be able to hit with it when you really need to. If it's too bulky and heavy to carry conveniently it might get left at home from to time. If you don't like to shoot it you likely won't develop the kind of muscle memory you will need in a real fight. Likewise if you like the way the gun looks and feels you will want to spend time with it.

While 9mm would be better, .380acp is an effective round for civilian SD and if other factors favor that caliber, it's not a bad choice. Most civilians, and especially women are confronted by a BG looking for an easy target.

These stats show it to be almost as effective as 9mm & .38Sp

http://www.buckeyefirearms.org/handgun-stopping-power

I was one of the guys saying why. Until my wife found out about it. Guess we will be buying one. She loves my LC9 but hates the recoil. This is will be much better IMO then the Bersa 380 she uses now.

why the 380 on the LC9 platform? The Ruger ad I read said they use a weaker spring and it is much easier for Women to operate the slide. This is a big point and a great idea. Also being slightly larger than most 380's makes it easier to grip and rack. My wife and daughters have trouble with semi's and my Wife would rather carry one but carries a revolver for that reason.

if I lay the ppk/s next to the lc9, they are almost the same size. so if I wanted a lc9 in 380, I already have one. also, if I bought the change over kit (barrel, mag, springs) I could convert the lc9 to 380. OK, so what?? If I have an injury... and I am getting older, hard not to... I may need the lighter recoil, easier operating action. If I think in only now terms, I don't have a need. If I think of things in "the otherwise", there are answers where I may not know the questions.

If I think in only now terms, I don't have a need. If I think of things in "the otherwise", there are answers where I may not know the questions.

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In other words you don't have nearly enough guns!

I was surprised at how mild the recoil felt on the LC9. It's nothing like shooting my j Frame Airweight. I have to load castrated rounds ( .38Sp -peepee ) if I want to do any real practice with it.

I wonder how many parts are interchangeable between the LC9 and the LC380?

The LC.380 weighs less than the Bersa .380 therefore recoil should be milder on the Bersa Thunder. Not a big difference however. I have a Bersa .380 which is why I will not get an LC.380.

Here is one reason you may want to be able to exchange barrels/mags...Ammunition availability. Right now I see some 380 around, but almost no 9mm. I think have 380 rounds in my converted LC9 would be better than just throwing the gun at a BG because I can't find the ammo.

I've read all the complaining about "why did Ruger come out with this gun or that gun?" and the truth is that Ruger knows exactly what they're doing. They're making a ton of money producing firearms that people want.

Perhaps "we" the enthusiasts don't want it, but Ruger knows what people want. I shot the LC380 at the SHOW Show range and it was a pleasure to fire. Very easy to retract the slide. Much easier to aim and shoot than the LCP (which I carried for 2 years). Much less recoil than the LC9, but with the better sights of the LC9. Ruger is going to sell a ton of these.

Many thought the SR556 was a huge mistake (who needs another AR-15?). As was the SR1911 (who needs another 1911 .45?), As was the LCR (who needs another snubnose .38?)

Ruger can't make them all fast enough. Good for Ruger! They are going to dominate the market in another 5-7 years. As new versions of each of these guns has come out (several versions of the SR-556, another Commander sized SR1911, the .357, .22lr, and .22 magnum LCRs, and the LC380 based on the LC9), Ruger has continued to outsell their production abilities.

GO Ruger!!!!

Anyone know of any gun dealers that have this LC380 in stock yet?

Jamers99 said:

Anyone know of any gun dealers that have this LC380 in stock yet?

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I have been looking and it seems that everyone in my area is sold out of... well... everything. A few of them still have one or two LCPs available, but of the 12 places I called yesterday, not one of them had an LC9 available and they were not sure when they would get more in.

I too wonder if they will have the LC389 Barrel available for the LC9.