pk380 or ruger 380 lcp

[IRUNROCKS]

im new here, did a search, didnt find anything. if im wrong please delete and add link for me.

im new to guns, never owned one, but i have shot many and hunted big game etc, i just never fully got into guns, too many other habits/hobbys i guess


im looking to get my wife a small pistol, due to she works down in shitty part of town and many times opens the store by herself, shes never had a problem yet(knock on wood) but scares the shit out of me.

she has shot a couple springfield xd's (and is a damn good shot) but the she cant rack the slide. so ive been looking at the walther s&w pk380 and really like this gun, but she likes the smallness and pink color of the ruger. to me the pk feels better and its bigger and seems more controlable when firing. shes shot both and liked them both.

any input on either of these?

thanks

[AbramsM1]

For what its worth, my wife absolutely loves the PK380. But it does have a few quirks (handle one or google reviews on it and you'll see what I mean). She is only 5' tall and has tiny hands, but the grips are perfect for her. I don't mind them either and I have rather large hands.

Between her and I we have about 500-600 rounds through it, haven't done a damn thing but lube it and the only failure was the second round ever racked failed to feed (lubed the gun after that incident). That was it. Great little gun for us. The only thing I didn't like was it only came with one mag and the extra one I bought was hard to find and ran about $40.

Abrams

[runnerboyy]

Buy whatever gun fits her best and duracote it pink.

[mtnkid85]

Search PK380 on here and youll get at least a few threads taking about it. I considered on for a short time- just not a fan of the 380 round though.

[IRUNROCKS]

Originally Posted by mtnkid85

I considered on for a short time- just not a fan of the 380 round though.

not enough stopping power?

[thedonn007]

Originally Posted by IRUNROCKS

im new here, did a search, didnt find anything. if im wrong please delete and add link for me.

im new to guns, never owned one, but i have shot many and hunted big game etc, i just never fully got into guns, too many other habits/hobbys i guess


im looking to get my wife a small pistol, due to she works down in shitty part of town and many times opens the store by herself, shes never had a problem yet(knock on wood) but scares the shit out of me.

she has shot a couple springfield xd's (and is a damn good shot) but the she cant rack the slide. so ive been looking at the walther s&w pk380 and really like this gun, but she likes the smallness and pink color of the ruger. to me the pk feels better and its bigger and seems more controlable when firing. shes shot both and liked them both.

any input on either of these?

thanks

If she can not rack the slide on a xd, how will she be able to rack the slide on a pk380 or LCR? I would think that the LCR would have too much recoil for her. Look at getting a revolver, perhaps ruger sp101, it is a smaller sized handgun but also heavier for reduced recoil.

[IRUNROCKS]

Originally Posted by thedonn007

If she can not rack the slide on a xd, how will she be able to rack the slide on a pk380 or LCR? I would think that the LCR would have too much recoil for her. Look at getting a revolver, perhaps ruger sp101, it is a smaller sized handgun but also heavier for reduced recoil.

the pk racks like gravy, really its really easy compared to the xd's

[Rat~Man]

Ok, so buy the pk and the lcr. Problem solved.

Tell her if she uses it, empty the damn thing, pop another mag in it, empty that one and then hit 'em between the eyes with a sledgehammer.

Dead men dont sue.


For a little pocket gun, the PT22 or Beretta Bobcat run a tip up barrel the eliminates the "rack the slide" thing. The PT22 I've shot was a very accurate little guy that fits nicely in a pocket.

[Ben Segrest]

Originally Posted by IRUNROCKS

to me the pk feels better and its bigger and seems more controlable when firing. shes shot both and liked them both.

any input on either of these?

Yes.

Who gives a shit which one feels better to you? You aren't the one using it.
The LCP is a proven pistol, the walther less so.
.380 is marginal for a defensive pistol.
Proper technique can overcome a lack of brute strength
http://www.corneredcat.com/RunGun/rack.aspx

[fj40john]

Originally Posted by Ben Segrest

Yes.

Who gives a shit which one feels better to you? You aren't the one using it.
The LCP is a proven pistol, the walther less so.
.380 is marginal for a defensive pistol.
Proper technique can overcome a lack of brute strength
http://www.corneredcat.com/RunGun/rack.aspx

Interesting link. I'll have to look over it more later, where did you come across it?

He brings up a good point. If it is her gun, strictly for carry, then as long as she can operate it and shoot it well enough, then nothing else really matters.

[DRM]

I'd highly suggest she rent or borrow and shoot any gun she wants to purchase... she may think they look or feel nice just sitting there, but actually shooting it may be another story entirely.

And if she's not comfortable shooting it, it little more than a paper weight and not a real defensive tool.

[Rat~Man]

Originally Posted by DRM

I'd highly suggest she rent or borrow and shoot any gun she wants to purchase... she may think they look or feel nice just sitting there, but actually shooting it may be another story entirely.

And if she's not comfortable shooting it, it little more than a paper weight and not a real defensive tool.

shes shot both and liked them both.


Read again David.

[IRUNROCKS]

Originally Posted by IRUNROCKS

she has shot a couple springfield xd's (and is a damn good shot) but the she cant rack the slide. so ive been looking at the walther s&w pk380 and really like this gun, but she likes the smallness and pink color of the ruger. to me the pk feels better and its bigger and seems more controlable when firing. shes shot both and liked them both.

Originally Posted by DRM

I'd highly suggest she rent or borrow and shoot any gun she wants to purchase... she may think they look or feel nice just sitting there, but actually shooting it may be another story entirely.

And if she's not comfortable shooting it, it little more than a paper weight and not a real defensive tool.

better?

[IRUNROCKS]

thank you everybody, im gonna do some more searching and reading and shooting , thanks you for the cornered cat link also.

[RSWORDS]

My wife has a PK380, loves shooting it. I love it too... Damn thing groups like no ones buisness. Only problem is (and its a big one) The extractor looks like shit though and it has a Failure to extract issue because of it. I've not found the time to send it back or the balls to smooth it out myself. Wish I could find a good smith around here in eastern VA to clean the extractor up for me.

[Ben Segrest]

Originally Posted by fj40john

Interesting link. I'll have to look over it more later, where did you come across it?

Cornered Cat is a widely recommended website for new women shooters. The website is written by and for women, so it bypasses that mars/venus problem.

ETA: couldn't tell you where I first found it. . . here, bayoushooter, THR, who knows.

[fj40john]

Originally Posted by Ben Segrest

Cornered Cat is a widely recommended website for new women shooters. The website is written by and for women, so it bypasses that mars/venus problem.

ETA: couldn't tell you where I first found it. . . here, bayoushooter, THR, who knows.

Never seen it before, but I like it.

Thanks.

[Surfzup2k3]

Love my lcp so does the girlfriend. I can't comment on the other though.

[zukitough]

my wife has a pk380 and she likes it. it is a fun little gun and shoots well. i have shot my dad's ruger and it seems to have more kick but i think it is just the size difference. tough call, like them both.

[-Jake-]

I have a walther p22 which I think is really similar to the pk380 and an LCP. I was surprised with the accuracy of the LCP also it kicked more than I expected. Not sure if your wife is a beginning shooter or seasoned but the exposed hammer and safety could be a hindrance to beginning shooters especially in SHTF type situations.

[currupt4130]

Look at the Walther PPS if you haven't already. I can't comment on the other two except the LCP is freakin tiny, I can barely hold it.

I can say that my girlfriend shoots the PPS well. It has great sights for a small gun, is very acurate, easy to use, and comes in 9mm. She likes it a lot and is going to buy one when she gets some money put away.

[Lil Uzi]

KelTec PF9 9mm ??

[Doc Holiday13]

my buddy bought a s&w bodyguard 380 from my shop the other day and shot it into a bucket of sand in his garage. The lcp and the bodyguard are about the same size.

Hornady critical defense ftx FTW!

Ever thought about a 38special revolver?

[thedonn007]

Originally Posted by Lil Uzi

KelTec PF9 9mm ??

No way man, the PF9 really kicks. I doubt that the OPs wife is going to want to shoot a PF9 for SD.

[mtnkid85]

Originally Posted by IRUNROCKS

not enough stopping power?

Im already setup for 9mm. If Im going to carry a autoloader Id just as soon skip the .380 and start at 9mm. Plus I hate picking .380 brass out of my 9mm!

The two cc pieces Im excited about are the new Ruger LC9, or a Keltec PF9. If I wasnt already set on 9mm though, Id really look into .38/.357 small frame revolver, just cant beat the reliability.