Daughter thinks she wants an LC380

[Mobuck]

She got an SR22 pistol for Christmas but now she thinks a bigger caliber is more suitable. She tried a Taurus TCP(380) but thinks it's too small to shoot comfortably. We don't have access to an LC 380 but she's headed for the gun shops looking.
Not my cup of tea so what do you folks think about the LC380 for a woman with small hands and rheumatoid arthritis?
We're aware of the limits of the 380 so that's not the question-just how suitable is the pistol for a person with very limited hand strength.

 

[BradB]

While recently talking to a gun store owner who enlightened me that a flannel shirt and leather jacket placed on a mannequin in their current testing showed 22LR can out perform a .380 in penetration in certain cases. Believe what you want. I think your daughter just has gun fever (more is better) and I don't blame her.

Unlike the big cannon crowd who think 22s are less effective than pepper spray, I favor the 22LR. Except for the little current ammo scarcity. A mediocre gun user almost took out president RR with one six shot double action rapid fire. It works with the appropriate application. Get good with it. Shoot it a lot. Clean it a lot. Practice safe handling, loading and unloading a lot. Your daughter will be able to reach out and blow through both walls of a coffee tin at distances well impressive with THAT gun. Old leather tennis shoes and 1/2" plywood scraps make great targets for self assurance that this gun will perform some lethal damage infliction in self defense.

Before blowing money on a bunch of "bigger it must be better" see what kind of fun you can have with the current tool. It's probably not wore in yet.

As far as flaming the small caliber users goes, well.... I never met anyone who wanted to get shot by one.

 

[Ale-8(1)]

The LC380 is the same size as the LC9, which is considerably larger than the LCP and similar-sized tiny pistols, and thus somewhat easier to handle IMHO.

She should make an effort to try the gun out, whether by renting one or borrowing one. This is the only way to know if she can handle it. If she's mature enough to be considering a purchase of her own gun, she's mature enough to know if a gun feels good to her and works for her.

I'll avoid the .22 vs .380 debate.

;)

 

[Mobuck]

I'm well stocked with whatever ammo she might need-22, 380,9mm so that's not a factor.
What we've found regarding her capabilities:
She can't manage a double action revolver unless the DA pull has been lightened and has difficulty managing a reload.
She can't manipulate the slide of a compact 9mm due to inadequate grip strength.
She doesn't have the ability to use her shooting hand thumb to release the safety on a SA auto-plus she's not comfortable with cocked and locked carry.
She does quite well with the SR22-both handling and shooting.
While I want her to have a pistol that suits her skill level and physical capabilities, I have concerns over her desire for a bigger caliber. She's also having a devil of a time finding a proper holster for the SR22(she's lefty).

 

[Ale-8(1)]

Understand your concerns.

I remain convinced that a half-hour of fondling -- and shooting -- the LC380 will tell her if it's a gun she can handle. Hands-on is the only way.

And I'd take any LGS commentary with a huge helping of salt. JMHO

 

[diablos30]

I'm well stocked with whatever ammo she might need-22, 380,9mm so that's not a factor.
What we've found regarding her capabilities:
She can't manage a double action revolver unless the DA pull has been lightened and has difficulty managing a reload.
She can't manipulate the slide of a compact 9mm due to inadequate grip strength.
She doesn't have the ability to use her shooting hand thumb to release the safety on a SA auto-plus she's not comfortable with cocked and locked carry.
She does quite well with the SR22-both handling and shooting.
While I want her to have a pistol that suits her skill level and physical capabilities, I have concerns over her desire for a bigger caliber. She's also having a devil of a time finding a proper holster for the SR22(she's lefty).

any holster maker can make a holster for that gun as long as they have a blue gun to mold the leather with. i have an owb for mine i bought from http://www.bearriverholsters.com/

 

[groberts]

Unless you also immediately change the length of pull with the Galloway or Saint Arms kit she will likely have a problem with the LC380. The Galloway kit also allows you to change the trigger pull force.
As far as recoil, however, I don't have a problem with my LC380 at all and I have bad arthritis.

 

[gc70]

... just how suitable is the pistol for a person with very limited hand strength.

The best person to make the decision is your daughter, however ...

My wife has very little hand strength or recoil tolerance after having reconstructive surgery on her shooting hand. She surprised me at the LGS on Thursday when she asked me to buy her an LC380. She had not previously said a word to me, but had thoroughly researched the gun online, gone to the LGS/range to check the fit and feel of the gun, and decided that the LC380 would be her new concealed carry gun.

The deciding factors my wife listed were a reasonable trigger weight (she never mentioned length of pull), a full three-finger grip to help with holding the gun and to better distribute the force of recoil, modest effort required to rack the slide, and the reduced recoil of a .380 compared to a 9mm. She can shoot 9mm in a full sized gun, but compacts or subcompacts have too much recoil, often lack enough grip length, and recoil springs are nearly always too heavy. She rejected revolvers due to excessive recoil and double action trigger pulls being too heavy.

 

[groberts]

gc70, your wife made a great decision. If she did not fire the gun, however, it's hard to get a good feel for length of pull and what it does to accuracy. I found my LC380 had about a 3 inch group, drifting off to the right at 7 yards while my Bersa Thunder 380 had a 2 inch group. I just received the Saint Arms kit so I haven't installed or tested it but I'm expecting the group to get tighter.

 

[toysoldier]

I think a revolver would be in order with arthritis and small hands.

And, if I were going with an LC ..... it'd be 9MM. Not starting a 380 vs. 9MM war ...... around here 9MM are common and many times cheaper than 380 so why not have that advantage? The guns are the same physical size I believe.

From what I have read, the advantage of the LC 380 is lighter recoil spring, making racking a slide easier, as well as providing a more secure grip with less recoil. Yes, it's the same size as the LC9, and yes, it's less powerful. That's the whole point. It's an adequate-caliber concealable semi-auto that people with smaller/weaker hands can operate.

 

[FergusonTO35]

How about the new Glock 42? I think the shorter, lighter trigger pull would be ideal.

 

[Bud33]

I think the LC 380 is a good choice! All the fuss over the length of the trigger pull is overblown. This is a self defence weapon not a target gun..
The final choice should be experience!!!!! Go to the LGS and hanle the weapon. Make sure she can handle the slide and find a store that has one she can shoot. THEN make a decision.
This is 50 rounds at 30feet.

 

[Rodfac]

Both my wife (65 yo) and I (68 yo) have arthritis in our hands; not debilitating but still a painful reminder of our age. While I can still rack a Commander length 1911, my wife says it's just too difficult. Neither of us however had any problems with S&W's .380 Bodyguard but found Ruger's LCP just too small in the grip area to be comfortable...

We bought the Smith and my wife carries it daily on her farm road walks with our pooch. The .380 Bodyguard has a comfortable grip, a built in laser and superb accuracy. Both the front and rear sights are drift adjustable and the laser comes with a small allen wrench for targeting. Accuracy runs right at an inch group at 12 yds from a Weaver Stance. The trigger was good to go right out of the box, and very similar to the Smith J-frames we also use for defensive carry.

From a conceal-ability standpoint, the gun fits well and draws without hangups when carried in my right front jeans pocket and does equally well in a front jacket pocket. My wife, who's jeans fit delightfully tighter than mine, carries it in her purse, or right rear jeans pocket. It's square shape does not immediately scream "GUN".

We have yet to have a malfunction with over 500 rounds through the gun. I do reload so the current shortage of all pistol ammunition and .380 in particular is not a problem for us. We run Hornady Critical Defense ammunition for CCW purposes.

HTH's and sorry for the cheers for a non-Ruger product. Best Regards, Rod

 

[modrifle3]

If hand strength is an issue, look at the Sig p238. It is a colt copy but a great firearm. The single action trigger is very nice. The .380 recoil is very light. The long heavy pull of the LC is easily mastered by strong hands, but smaller weaker hands may struggle.

Sorry but the larger hollow point options in .380 are superior to a .22lr.

 

[groberts]

If hand strength is an issue, look at the Sig p238. It is a colt copy but a great firearm. The single action trigger is very nice. The .380 recoil is very light. The long heavy pull of the LC is easily mastered by strong hands, but smaller weaker hands may struggle.

Sorry but the larger hollow point options in .380 are superior to a .22lr.

It's very curious that you are on a Ruger forum constantly trying to talk people out of Rugers.

 

[modrifle3]

Love Rugers and I am on a lot of Forums. Brand loyalty is not a game I play. Insuring people are well informed is my goal. I carry a LC9 everyday but I don't have small hands and arthritis.

Every person is different and has different needs.

 

[modrifle3]

My only Ruger issues are with centerfire handguns. .22 pistols revolvers and rifles are great. 10/22 rifles were great until the takedown version came out.

 

[modrifle3]

Also keep in mind the context of most of the conversations. If someone has specific Needs or issues with a Ruger model such as the trigger or say the grip angle with a glock, these should be issues that make the buyer look else where.

 

[Cordite]

I would not have an issue with a .380 in a carry gun if that is what the shooter can handle well.
After all, a .380 that you can use to consistently hit the target is much better than a Desert Eagle in .50 AE where you miss all the time... :wink:

Cordite

P.S. The Desert Eagle does have the intimidation factor but is a bizatch to IWB carry.... :D

 

[groberts]

I would not have an issue with a .380 in a carry gun if that is what the shooter can handle well.
After all, a .380 that you can use to consistently hit the target is much better than a Desert Eagle in .50 AE where you miss all the time... :wink:

Cordite

P.S. The Desert Eagle does have the intimidation factor but is a bizatch to IWB carry.... :D

The problem with intimidation is that by the time you have intimidated the BG he has already shot you. :cry:

 

[Big Old Boy]

Time for my 2 cents, I took my lc380 to a cook out last year all of the females young and old shot it and loved it,just saying.

 

[louchia]

While recently talking to a gun store owner who enlightened me that a flannel shirt and leather jacket placed on a mannequin in their current testing showed 22LR can out perform a .380 in penetration in certain cases. Believe what you want. I think your daughter just has gun fever (more is better) and I don't blame her.

Unlike the big cannon crowd who think 22s are less effective than pepper spray, I favor the 22LR. Except for the little current ammo scarcity. A mediocre gun user almost took out president RR with one six shot double action rapid fire. It works with the appropriate application. Get good with it. Shoot it a lot. Clean it a lot. Practice safe handling, loading and unloading a lot. Your daughter will be able to reach out and blow through both walls of a coffee tin at distances well impressive with THAT gun. Old leather tennis shoes and 1/2" plywood scraps make great targets for self assurance that this gun will perform some lethal damage infliction in self defense.

Before blowing money on a bunch of "bigger it must be better" see what kind of fun you can have with the current tool. It's probably not wore in yet.

As far as flaming the small caliber users goes, well.... I never met anyone who wanted to get shot by one.

I have more than one home defense hand guns and the SR22 is one of them. I agree with your comments. I would load CCI Stinger as my SD rounds. Aside from a HD gun it is also my choice for CCW. If she is in need of a holster, look on line. One source might be The Holster Store. Bought a Pro Carry for my own carry. Very happy with it.
As for a 380 revolver. Go to the range and rent one to see if she likes the trigger, recoil , grip etc.

 

[modrifle3]

I think any gun is better than no gun. If your shot placement is correct a .22 will do the job.

The person carrying should choose based on need and ability. I use to carry a .45, now carry a LC9 or XD9 Subcompact. I discovered training is far more important than how big your bullet is. However a .380 is the smallest I would carry for a SD gun and I am not a .380 fan.

 

[Fast Jimmy]

I know this is an old thread but I recently stumbled across it and thought I might add a thought or two.

The OP’s original question was, “What do you folks think about the LC380 for a woman with small hands and rheumatoid arthritis?”

My wife is sixty-six and has advanced RA and suffers from its ravages (bi-lateral knees, left hip, and left ankle replacements) and her hands are not as strong as they once were.

She has owned and shot guns with me for almost fifty years and shot IDPA (ESP) with me for several years using a custom Browning Hi-Power 9mm that I built up for her. She shot many matches with zero points down but due to her inability to run her overall score suffered.

I share that to make it relevant that she has weak hands but also is VERY acquainted with guns.

She has had a Tennessee Handgun Carry Permit for several years and her normal carry gun was a custom S&W M60 with Crimson Trace grips that I had built up for her.

A few months back she decided she wanted something lighter and not so bulky. One of her main criteria was that she had to be able to manipulate the slide herself.

We have a stainless PPK/S as well as three other small .380s. Because they are all blowback she cannot easily / comfortably function the slide so it was off to the gun stores for some “hands” on experience. I lost track of the ones that she liked but just couldn’t manipulate the slide.

For an upper end (size wise) .380 I liked the G42 (although I don’t normally like Glocks) but she just couldn’t manipulate the slide easily.

Of course all of the micro .380s were completely out of the question.

Finally a young man showed her the Ruger LC380. As it started life as a locked breech 9mm it had a pretty hefty (for its size) slide so that when it became a .380 a much lighter recoil spring allowed it to properly function. Consequently she can easily manipulate its slide and had to have one that day.

As I mentioned she has years of shooting, both pistols as well as revolvers so the LC380’s trigger was no problem for her.

Here is a seven yard head shot on an IDPA target. It was also the second magazine she put through the gun. (I have since adjusted the sights for her as well as adding a Crimson Trace laser.)








While personally I think the LC380 is a tad big for a pocket pistol (I prefer my S&W Bodyguard CT .380) it is an ideal gun for my wife. She shoots it very well and is very comfortable with it and it has functioned 100% flawlessly with everything we have put through it. Recoil is very mild and follow up shots can be very well placed.

She’s not a big girl at all and surprisingly it “disappears” in her front jeans pocket.

While I am an old revolver guy (having shot IDPA SSR & ESR as well as SASS CAS for years) and have four J-Frames I don’t really think they are the absolute answer for everyone’s needs. For a pocket gun I personally thinks a slim pistol works somewhat better.

There’s certainly no gainsaying the fact that a LC9 has more “ump” than the LC380 but it also has a more difficult slide manipulation and stiffer recoil.

For my wife’s specified requirements I can’t think of a handgun that would be more suitable than the LC380. Every time she shoots it she likes it more.

Last year we decided it was time to “thin the herd” and we sold about sixty-four. I’m a long time 1911 guy and have carried them and shot them in competition for years but I did cut my 1911s down to only ten now.

My own personal normal clothing carry pistol is a Colt Stainless Lightweight Commander XS (NOT XSE) with Crimson Trace Master Series laser grips in a Rosen 5JR.






Even though I really like 1911s I personally question any new shooter who would get a SIG P238 and anyone who would put one in their pocket.

I was recently at a gun show and a dealer was trying to push a P238 on a lady who obviously was NOT an experienced gun person.

For anyone with limited hand strength who wants a small well-built and VERY functional pistol I would suggest you take a look at the Ruger LC380.

FJ

 

[blume357]

What I did not realize until about two years ago when I took a lady friend shooting what that she did not have the hand strength to wrack any of the slides on any of the the semi-auto pistols I have. I suspect there are many women who have this problem... I've even seen a Walther that is specifically designed for this problem. The one pistol she was comfortable with was a Beretta 22 because the barrel pops up and you can load the first round like that and not have to cycle the slide.