question for you LCP guys

[hogan]

I am picking up a LCP for my wife today.
I am a bit concerned about the LCP not having a safety.
How do you guys deal with the safety issue?
Do you keep the pipe empty until show time?

 

[Buteo]

With the long heavy trigger pull, there is no way the LCP is going off accidentally. I wondered the same thing untill shooting mine for awhile. A good holster will protect the trigger from accidental contact, if you're CC. The LCP is great for its intended purpose, but it is not a fun range gun. Best wishes.

 

[pisgah]

How do you handle safety concerns with a DA revolver? Keep your finger off the trigger until you are ready to shoot is #1. #2 is, when pocket carrying never have anything else in that pocket except a proper pocket holster to cover the trigger/keep the gun in position. Follow both rules with a DA revolver or auto and you will never have a problem.

 

[Lateck]

I would prefer a safety on the LCP but I'm in the minority.... :?

I do NOT keep "one in the pipe" unless I am in a position to need it.
I have at times had the LCP in my pocket and in the process of pulling it out had my finger get on the triger.... I would not carry a revolver in my pocket..... :lol:


My thoughts,
Lateck,

 

[boomer1]

When I CC my LCP, I keep it in my Recluse plus pocket holster. The Recluse design isolates the trigger to minimize accidental discharge.

boomer 8)

 

[revhigh]

I do NOT keep "one in the pipe" unless I am in a position to need it.

Uh ... I think the whole idea of keeping one in the pipe is the fact that you DON'T KNOW when you're going to be in a position to need it.

If someone jumps out of an alley with a knife or gun 5 feet from you, would you please tell me how you're going to present the gun, and rack the slide of that tiny gun successfully in order to make the gun operable as a self defense weapon ?

Racking the slide and chambering the first round is probably the cause of 75%+ of malfunctions in a gun's operation .... and you're proposing to do this, on a tiny gun, in a high pressure situation when your life is at stake .... QUICKLY ? All that's going to happen is you're going to get yourself killed at worst, or have the gun taken from you, at best.

I'd re-think your carry strategy if I were you, or get way better accustomed to handling that gun safely at a range, so you're comfortable carrying a gun the way it needs to be carried to save your life. If you're presenting a gun and your trigger is in or nearly in the trigger guard, you need to get some serious training on trigger discipline and gun control.

Carrying a gun is not something to be taken lightly, and if you don't have the experience and training required ... you're WAY better off leaving the gun at home and wearing sneakers.

REV

 

[Strange]

I have to agree with revhigh, get a good holster to protect the trigger and keep one in the pipe. Not to say your wife is not able to rack the slide quickly if needed but taking out of a purse then racking it would definitely take to much time. For her safety and your piece of mind ensure shes get all the practice she needs to feel comfortable carrying it fully ready to fire if its ever needed...

 

[Cholo]

Empty LCP and drop in pocket. Now just try to get it to fire from the outside. Tell me how long it took. Now drop it in your pocket and pull it out 100x's. Did you trip the trigger on the little bugger even one time? Didn't think so. If you did? Carry a very smooth rock.

The gun is designed to have one in the chamber. Just practice till you feel comfortable carrying it fully loaded. Yes, I have one and tried all of the above.

They call me "Gimpy" now because I have a hitch in my stride...

Sincerely,
Festus :wink:

 

[letsGOphills]

i agree with those above, im new to ltcf or ccw or whatever you prefer but i belive the purpose of carrying is to be ready. havin to rack before you can shoot is a big step to do in a hurry. i carry a dao and i walk around with "one in the pipe" with full comfort after a few range sesions

 

[pisgah]

Guns like the LCP are all but useless for self defense without a round chambered. The odds are high that in an emergency situation you will not even have a hand available for racking the slide -- you'll be fending off an attacker, holding a bag or package, etc. They are designed to be safe with a round chambered. It is up to you to program yourself to be safe. Never, with any handgun, put your finger inside the triggerguard until the gun is drawn and you are ready to shoot. A good pocket holster helps in this regard, as it makes it impossible to finger the trigger until the gun is clear as well as makes it impossible for any contact with anything outside the pocket to pull the trigger.

As for the individual who say he would never pocket-carry a revolver -- man, you are missing out! A small-frame DA revolver is just about the safest, most reliable and effective "pocket-able" self-defense tool available. Either my S&W Model 37-2 .38 or Model 60 Ladysmith .357 rides in my pocket every single day in an Uncle Mike's pocket holster.

 

[txpitdog]

+1000 on pocket carrying a DA 5-shot revolver. My 442 is just as much a part of my pocket as my truck keys and wallet are. Amazing how it just slips right in there and carries so well. LCP is on my list and will go in the off side hip pocket as a backup to the 442.

 

[ECUfan]

I have a LCP with a pocket holster. I did have a concern with the lack of a thumb safety. I cut a piece of dense foam that would fit behind the trigger. You can not pull the trigger with the foam in, it does not fall out once in the holster, it does not mar the pistol, and it can be push out with your finger in a fraction of a second. Probably quicker than you could click off a safety. You can also maintain a good, strong grip because you can push out the foam with your trigger finger. To disingage a safety you will probably have to change your grip slightly.

I fully understand that the probability of it going off is rare and will not happen without the owner doing something wrong. I did have the same mental hangup and this put my mind at ease.

I know this is the wrong place to promote another manufacturer but Smith and Wesson has recently come out with their Body Guard .380. It has a thumb safety. I like my LCP though.

 

[toysoldier]

Double-action revolvers have been carried, fully loaded, in pockets for over a century. No one, except S&W and a few European idiots, ever felt the need for a safety. The long, heavy trigger pull provided plenty of protection from accidental firing.

Early semi-automatic pistols were mostly of single-action design, with short, light trigger pulls. Designers included various safeties to help prevent accidental discharges. It came to be expected that an auto pistol would have a safety.

Double-action-only auto pistols function like revolvers, in that there is a round in the chamber and an an uncocked hammer or striker resting over it. A deliberate effort is needed to pull the trigger and fire the weapon. These are perfectly safe for pocket carry, preferrably with a holster that covers the trigger and keeps dust bunnies and small items out of the barrel.

 

[taphandle]

I do NOT keep "one in the pipe" unless I am in a position to need it.

Uh ... I think the whole idea of keeping one in the pipe is the fact that you DON'T KNOW when you're going to be in a position to need it.

If someone jumps out of an alley with a knife or gun 5 feet from you, would you please tell me how you're going to present the gun, and rack the slide of that tiny gun successfully in order to make the gun operable as a self defense weapon ?

Racking the slide and chambering the first round is probably the cause of 75%+ of malfunctions in a gun's operation .... and you're proposing to do this, on a tiny gun, in a high pressure situation when your life is at stake .... QUICKLY ? All that's going to happen is you're going to get yourself killed at worst, or have the gun taken from you, at best.

I'd re-think your carry strategy if I were you, or get way better accustomed to handling that gun safely at a range, so you're comfortable carrying a gun the way it needs to be carried to save your life. If you're presenting a gun and your trigger is in or nearly in the trigger guard, you need to get some serious training on trigger discipline and gun control.

Carrying a gun is not something to be taken lightly, and if you don't have the experience and training required ... you're WAY better off leaving the gun at home and wearing sneakers.

REV

EXACTLY, if you have a problem carrying with a round in the chamber, don't bother.

 

[Boge]

Double-action revolvers have been carried, fully loaded, in pockets for over a century. No one, except S&W and a few European idiots, ever felt the need for a safety. The long, heavy trigger pull provided plenty of protection from accidental firing...

So funny & so true!! :lol:

People, it's a GUN!! Of course it's dangerous!!! That's why you're carrying it!!

 

[Yawn]

I have read all of the comments and appreciate each of them! I agree that a DA revolver or pistol if handled propperly is safe to carry. And if you read someo of my other posts, can tell you from personal experience that to carry without one in the pipe is really not the best idea. I personally do not like a DA pistol trigger pull, and prefer a 1911 style manual safety. I actually also like the Glock/SR trigger safety! But, that means that I would not buy an LCP. As has been said here many times, carry what you are comfortable and shoot well with.

 

[MiniMe]

Plenty of excellent advice so far.. I am very glad the LCP does not have any goofy safeties.. if you want that, buy a S & W

 

[tkarter]

You just load it up and try to make it shoot unintentionally.

It won't go bang unless you want it to.

tk