Tag: Ruger LCP

Oh boy, am I embarrassed.

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So, I’m headed to the Republic of Tejas to go shoot some sh*t. I pulled out a couple of handguns for cleaning. Which I did. I was surprised that my favorite briefcase gun, a Glock 32 in .357 Sig, showed signs of lube hardening on the rails. Of course, that one gets carried, but only shot at specific times. I happily cleaned it!

After cleaning that, plus my Sometimes Daily Carry, the Ruger Max 9, I remembered that I had not cleaned my EDC, the Ruger LCP, in quite a while. This is where it gets embarrassing.
Understand that when I say “Every Day”, I mean it: driving, walking, riding a lawn tractor in xtreme dust conditions, everything.
I unholstered it and blew out the expected pocket lint. But that was not all. It looked like it had been through the dyer with all the lint. Plus, dust. Really bad.
I had been having dreams that, when I needed it, it fell apart. Perhaps my subconscious was talking to me? Ya think?!

Lesson relearned.
Let’s get to the learning opportunity. Dust and dirt. In your EDC.
How many of you carry a spare mag? Do you carry it loose in your pocket like this?

Or, are you a little bit smarter and do this:

Tomorrow we’ll talk about proper mag carry. Believe me, you do not want belly button lint, etc., to foul your feed.

Effectiveness and energy

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Let’s look at an initial comparison between .380 ACP, 9 mm Luger, and .357 Sig.

Federal 95 grain FMJ .380 being fired from a 3.75” barrel at 980 fps – 203 foot-pounds of energy.

Federal 115 grain FMJ 9 mm being fired from a 4” barrel at 1180 FPS – 355 foot-pounds of energy.

Federal 125 grain FMJ .357 Sig being fired from a 4.5” barrel at 1350 FPS – 506 foot-pounds of energy.

There’s a good article over at TheGunZone.com from May 2024 that stresses that foot-pounds is not the be all and end all. Bullet design, expansion, shot placement and bullet weight all are equally as important. As a general comparison, it does give some idea of effectiveness, though. With the above numbers, the comparison is just as you would expect.

So let’s assume that each bullet is designed properly – I’d say shot placement is the most important. Can I quickly shoot each at Tueller Drill distance of 7 yards with a two-hand grip and make the hits count? Can I do it shooting dominant hand alone? Let’s take a look:

Looks like both the Max 9 and the LCP group around 2”, while the G32 spreads out a bit.

What’s the takeaway, then? For a tiny mouse gun the LCP shoots accurately enough (although in a sudden unexpected defensive gun use situation, I’d bet that grappling distance is more likely than 7 yards. I think Heinlein described it as “bad breath” distance). Proper bullet design, expansion and 200 foot-pounds of energy should be ok.

Same thing with the Max 9, but twice as many rounds and more foot-pounds.

The Glock? If I am knowingly going into a firefight, lots of bullets and lots of energy.
But the final consideration is “which one am I likely to have with me all of the time?”

In real life, I’m a belt and suspenders guy. The LCP is with me always. One of the other two is usually with me as well, depending on season, clothing and perceived threat level. So the answer to the initial question, “How compact is compact?”, is, in my case, small enough to carry concealed.

I’d need to put some height and weight on to carry a 1911 daily. Maybe take a look at the legendary .45 ACP soon.

Compact comparisons

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Let’s look at the tech stuff first:

Glock 32. 13 rounds. 4.02” barrel. Unloaded weight* 24.34 oz. OAL 7.36”. 5.04” height. 1.26” width.

Ruger Max 9. 12 rounds. 3.2” barrel. Unloaded weight 18.4 oz. OAL 6”. 4.52” height. .95” width.

Ruger LCP. 6 Rounds. 2.75” barrel. Unloaded weight 9.6 oz. OAL 5.16”. 3.6” height. .82” width.

(* Yes, I hate unloaded weight – not very useful except as a comparison point. Loaded, the G32 comes in at 30.34 oz. and will definitely be a factor in comfortable carrying consideration.)

Yes, some significant size differences. Take a look:

And capacity:

How about concealability?

The G32 is in an IWB holster, the Max 9 in a pocket holster, and the LCP is in a wallet holster. Much has been written about concealed carry, and it is very much an individual choice. IWBs are uncomfortable to me. Being in the frozen north, I can carry pretty much any handgun I want in an OWB holster underneath a jacket. I do that for both the G32 and the Max 9. But the tiny LCP in its wallet holster fits inside my back pocket, or a cargo pants pocket, or a jacket pocket. And it just does not print, other than being shaped like a wallet.

What it comes down to is the ease and comfort that will encourage you to carry every day. With the LCP, I do.

We’ll take a look at more variables tomorrow, as well as effectiveness of the round. I mean, I can carry a literal peashooter very comfortably, but it won’t do the self defense thing. Is the short little .380 ACP adequate to the task of being my EDC? And can I hit anything with it?