GUN TESTS GRADE: B

$300

This is our first test of the LCP II in 380 ACP. We have tested the pistol in its 22 LR chambering in the June 2020 issue. This particular pistol looks to be a Bangers Distributor Exclusive with a black slide and flat-dark-earth frame. This particular 3792 model is still listed on the Ruger website as being available new, as are several other iterations in various color schemes.

So, we paid too much for the Ruger 380, we think. In the midst of the buying panic in May 2020, there were two for sale in a two-county area in South Carolina, and one, the new one, was $335. BudsGunShop.com listed the new pistols for $286, but they were out of stock. With shipping, the LCP II 380 pistol would have been just over $300 from Buds. What we got used was an “as new” two-tone pistol with a single extended seven-round magazine. Every pistol needs a back-up magazine, so we ordered a C Products 6-round magazine for $19.99 from GunmagWarehouse.com, making the LCP II’s all-in price $320. New ones (No. 3787) list for $399.

The LCP II appeared unfired and was a bit stiff. At 10.6 ounces, this is the lightest handgun tested. We expected harsh recoil as a result. Upgraded from the LCP, the new II pistol features a striker-fired-type trigger, although the pistol is still hammer fired. The trigger is a two-stage type with a blade inset in the trigger for safety. The LCP II is a single-action pistol, and the bladed trigger is the only safety. The trigger breaks at a clean 6.1 pounds. You press the trigger, meet the “wall,” and continue until the trigger breaks. There is a little creep and some backlash, but overall this is a good trigger for a small pistol. The new sights are much better than the original LCP’s. They are well defined with serrations on the rear face. While they are small, they are useful, much superior to the Guardian’s. The Glock features larger sights, so it holds an edge there that also translates into accuracy.

We had just come off a test using the rimfire Lite Rack LCP II 22 LR. During that test, several of the raters had let their fingers contact the slide lock of the LCP II. We were determined to work around this problem with the 380.

The pistol racks easily enough and features nice cocking serrations. We sometimes used the forward cocking serrations, which the other handguns lacked. The pistol’s controls worked well enough in dry fire as we acclimated to the trigger. The slide lock worked fine without the magazine inserted. The takedown requires moving the assembly pin out with a small screwdriver and removing the slide from the frame. It isn’t our favorite type of takedown, but it works okay. We lubricated the pistol and fired it, and we found that despite the pistol’s light weight, it wasn’t unpleasant to fire. The trigger and well-shaped grip were advantages. The sights were much clearer and easily acquired than the Guardian, equal to the Colt, and a bit behind the Glock. We ran across several snags that were not malfunctions perhaps, but rather were break-in concerns. We simply could not press the magazine release to lower the slide. It was too stiff with either loaded magazine. We grasped the rear of the slide and let it ride forward to load the chamber. Several times, the FMJ loads caught and stopped and did not feed properly.

We dropped the magazine and began again. These problems disappeared after five or six magazines of ammunition. Perhaps it was a break-in glitch, it did not continue, and we invested a little more ammunition after the main shoot-out to be certain the Ruger had properly grooved in. It had. Perhaps our used in-the-box pistol had never been fired.

In firing at man-sized targets at 5, 7, and 10 yards, the Ruger did well for a 10-ounce handgun. Control was not as good as the Glock or Colt, but it was much better than the NAA handgun, and always reasonable for its size and weight. Once we shed the burr or polymer particle causing the pistol’s feeding problems, we were able to fire 100 rounds trouble free, and added another 25 to confirm the pistol’s continuing feed performance. We were able to home in on the X ring at 7 yards and even 10 yards, with concentration. At 10 yards, groups were consistent with the three loads, averaging 4.0 to 4.8 inches.

Our Team Said: The Ruger has much merit. Reliability is there, the trigger is good, the pistol has good sights and forward cocking serrations. Recoil is also there, but it’s not startling. The LCP II is the lightest of the four pistols and is the one that offers the smallest overall footprint. We rated the pistol down a half grade on early glitches that straightened out with time and another half grade on poor accuracy compared to the Colt and Glock. But if your goal is to find a light, small handgun, this may be your best bet.

Range Data

VALUE GUIDE: 380 ACP SEMI-AUTO PISTOLS