Glad to see Ruger opens the door when opportunity knocks!

(*-I would've said "capitalism," but apparently that term is being outlawed by the State Board of Education.)

Went to the firing range yesterday and tried a few .380s looking for an easily concealed carry gun. They had an LCP, so I figured why the heck not...

What a waste of the ammo that I ran through it. The ONLY thing the gun has going for it is its size. They say the best gun for defense is the one you have on you, so it might make sense for someone who needed/wanted to carry all the time, everywhere, and while wearing swim trunks. I can see why you'd carry it jogging, but I personally wouldn't want to rely on it for anything where my life was actually in danger. It'd be small enough to slip in a coat pocket or even just slacks without being visible, but that's all the good I can say for it. My first clip was 4-5" low at 7 yards because the gun frame is so small that my trigger squeeze was pulling the barrel down. On top of that, my big hands ended up with a slide bite, and the frame isn't big enough to absorb any recoil. All around pretty unpleasant. Obviously our Governor made practical use of it, but it wouldn't be my choice.

Even the Bursa Thunder was better behaved than the LCP, though it is bigger. The Walther PK380 that I fired was by far the best of the three.

I�m an ex-trooper in another state and we were required to carry an �off-duty� weapon at all times. There were no requirements as to size, caliber, or style�only that it be reliable. So my weapon of choice was always a Colt or Smith and Wesson .38 revolver. Automatics were just not that reliable in those days. Well, the digital age is here now and with the large selection of fancy ammo available in any caliber, reliability is again my only concern. I tried the Bersa, Wather, a .380 Mauser automatics and while they were all great little firearms�they are difficult to conceal. I finally settled on the Ruger LCP�I can carry it concealed anywhere, wearing anything and unlike the Kel-Tec it seems to shoot every time. I have fired over three hundred rounds out of the little thing and it has never misfired. I�ll admit that you have to be right up next to someone to expect to hit your target but I can live with that. I would love to be able to carry a 1911 but I just have too much other �stuff� to cover up and try to conceal�just my two cents worth. As the old saying goes�if I know there is going to be trouble then don�t go or carry a 50 Cal�don�t mess around�.I�m starting to sound like a gun nut now.

I know many prosecutors who opt to carry semi-autos. Here's an article from a recent American Rifleman where "the new generation" .380 semi-autos were tested. None faired too well, and I'll note they didn't test the venerable Walther PPK or PPK/S, which still remains a very viable option for those who insist on carrying a .380. Only the custom made (and high priced) Rohrbaugh seemed to be a reliable gun, but even it's maker says it's a carry gun, not for frequent shooting, which makes one question how you would become proficient with it without frequent shooting.

Here's the link to the article/review:

Part One American Rifleman .380 review

Gun test results and pictures from American Rifleman .380 review

Finally, I recently found out that Glock was the only major firearms manufacturer who offers a discount to prosecutors (through G.T. Distributors) in purchasing a carry weapon. I know folks either love or hate Glocks, with few in-between opinions, but it is nice to know one major firearms maker thinks enough of prosecutors to offer the same LE discount that officers are given at G.T. Distributors on the purchase of personal weapons. Sig, HK and other makers offer LE discounts for LE officers, but only Glock includes prosecutors.

If I'm wrong about Glock being the only maker to offer prosecutor discounts on pistols, let me know.

[This message was edited by GG on 06-10-10 at .]

[This message was edited by GG on 06-10-10 at .]