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I’ve been into guns for as long as I can remember, and why not? The history. The beauty. The mechanical innovation, customization. The fun and most importantly, the protection. I needed a gun to accompany me on my travels as a truck driver, that meant it had three basic requirements to go alongside me: 1) it has to be compact, 2) it has to be lightweight, and 3) it has to be reliable . . .

Conceilability is important because my Michigan permit is good in about forty states, but several frown upon open carry and printing (places like Texas and Florida) so a tiny gun that completely disappears in a pocket is a must. Lightweight was easy. When you are driving for 11 hours a day, heavy guns tend to drag your pants around, slowly helped by the bumps of the road. That can make you very uncomfortable. As for reliability, if you can’t get a gun to shoot reliably then it’s a gun not worth carrying.

The Ruger LCP is a sexy little pocket pistol is a semi automatic .380 designed for the deep concealed carry crowd. It suits my needs well, I can slip it into a pocket (with holster of course) and it blends right in with my jeans. No worries of printing or bulging. The LCP is probably the lightest pistol I’ve shot, and I’ve put 1000 rounds through it with with exactly zero malfunctions. It definitely fits all my criteria.

Many things about the LCP are perfect but the trigger isn’t one of them. For some strange reason Ruger gave the gun a very long and heavy trigger pull. I replaced the stock trigger with Galloway Precision’s Sweet Pea. It has a shorter, smoother and lighter pull. It’s no Timney, but is definitely several times better than the factory trigger. It’s adjustable for over travel and adds a nice visual touch, too.

Lastly I added in a Hogue grip. It gives a lot more traction and the minor palm swell it adds helps keep the little more gun under control.

To sum it up, the Ruger LCP is my go-to gun and my daily companion. I hope I never need my trusty little friend, but if I do, I know she will see me through just fine.

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18 COMMENTS

  1. Nice looking mods, I like the style. How much for the trigger mod? And please let us know what ammo you favor for it…

    • Agree, a gun you carry comfortably gets carried often. My hands are too big for the LCP so I added that grip to my LC9. All the better for it.

    • Agreed. It made my LCP pleasant to practice with. At first I didn’t like the idea of adding width but once it is in a pocket holster the whole package is about the same.

    • Totally agree. I was shocked at the difference.

      I also have the Galloway stainless guide rod and spring, and I feel like that helps, but I could chalk that up to psychsomatic/magical thinking.

      The grip, OTOH, is for real.

  3. Nice choice, I think it’s one of the finest guns under $350. What ammo do you carry? 380 SD rounds are some of the most argued about in the realm of EDC.

  4. The LCP was my first gun purchase after a long dry spell where I owned several but seldom shot them. That changed abruptly with Sandy Hook and the rather harrowing realization that and old guy with a gimpy leg is a target in many urban settings. My first buy was a 2nd series LCP, purchased after watching Hickok45 hit an 80 yard gong with an LCP (admittedly, that’s more “lofting” than actual shooting, but still . . .). With Hogue grips and the 2nd gen trigger, it’s a good gun for all the reasons Tyler states.

  5. I thought Florida was no open carry but you could print to your hearts content? Correct me if I’m wrong Internet! ?

    • Better late than never, yes you’re correct, but you can open carry while directly on your way to, during, and back from these activities: fishing, camping, target shooting, and hunting. No ccw required.

  6. Another mod to consider is the Tandemkross take down pin. The factory part has broken for some users and this part is not only stronger but you can take it out with a twist from your thumbnail.

    I also use MagGuts in the factory LCP mags to add an extra round without changing external dimensions. I have about 800 rounds through the modified magazines without a single hiccup. I use them to carry 9+1 in my Shield extended magazines and after roughly 500 rounds I have had no problems with those mags either.

  9. “several frown upon open carry and printing (places like Texas and Florida)”

    Florida cured inadvertent printing a while back, so you should be fine on that. Open carry is working it’s way through the legislative process, it cleared a few key committees a few weeks back.

    Open carry in Flori-Duh ain’t dead yet.

    🙂

    • Texas more or less fixed that in 2013, too. Accidental printing or exposure isn’t considered a violation of the law. In a couple months, when permitted open carry becomes legal, it will cease to be an issue at all.

  10. Thank you for all the great info. I carry an LCP quite a bit and had not even heard of magguts. I also didn’t know Galloway makes a trigger for it. I was going to sell it and get a new version with the better trigger.

  11. I had the Galloway trigger and lightened hammer spring added to my TCP. Also a very thin grip wrap- I think Pachmeyer. Trigger made a difference but also changing the recoil spring to a heavier weight made the biggest difference. I am pretty sure they make a heavier recoil spring for the LCP as well. Wider trigger and heavy recoil spring made a huge difference in felt recoil and accuracy.

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