I carry a Ruger LCP 380. It fits in my pocket and no one knows its there.

I realize the Keltec and the Ruger are basically the same gun but I don't mind paying a little more for Rugers quality. Most of my guns are Rugers For the price and quality you cant beat a Ruger.

You'll rarely find me without my LCP in my pocket. Is it my "favorite" pistol? no. But I know I can carry it with me all the time.... and as the old saying goes..... the $200 .380 in your pocket is better than the $1000 .45 you left at home! My personal opinion is that caliber really matter very little. Sure, I prefer a 9mm. I frequently carry a Kahr CM9, that shoots wonderfully. But really, in the end, I think a gun fired back in self-defense is what I call "the attitude changer". The "bad guy" doesn't know what caliber, model, or mfg you're shooting at him.... he just knows somethings on the other end going "bang", and it probably doesn't suit him very well. I'd fully expect to see Thug-licious in full on flee mode, regardless of what you're pulling the trigger on.

I've owned more than a couple pistols, and IMO the best gun you can put your booby-grabbers around is a Glock. Their like hammers..... they just work.  A G19, or G20, thank you. problem is, a full sized Glock isnt the easiest pistol to carry concealed. And as much as I love them.... the "baby Glocks" are the same width as the full-sized, thusly rendering them not very concealable, IMO. The Kahr has a very Glock like feel, and for me has been just as reliable. I try to shoot once every week or two, so my guns do get a work out. I'm not the best shot in the world..... but I feel bad for the bad guy I am puling the trigger on.


Nah, just kidding..... if its gone that far, he has it coming!

The LCP and P3AT share many similarities, but the LCP is way better.
My p3AT was a little firecracker. To be blunt, it just hurt to shoot. It did its job, I had no problem carrying it all dy long. But at the range, I found my practice sessions ending around half a box in. The LCP is a smidgen wider and finished smoother an I have no problem finishing a whole box of ammo. Even my wife can group somewhat effectively with the LCP.

I don't have any revolvers anymore, so I can't help the OP select one. What I can say is that out of the dozen handguns I currently own, the vast majority are Sigs (220, 220 compact, 226, 229 and 228); but if u could choose one and only one for lonely nights on the road riding the Savage, I would suggest a Glock 19. Hands down the best overall handgun ever made. Not "great" in any particular category, but certainly "Good" in all categories. Easy to conceal, acceptable stopping power, lightweight, 15 rounds, quite accurate, goes bang every time, can take a lickin and keep on tickin. If there's one gun I will NEVER sell, it's my Glock 19. (And I LOVE my Sigs)   But that's my opinion, your results may vary.

http://www.pagunblog.com/2012/02/16/review-ruger-lcp-v-kel-tec-p3at/

There is no active proof of a relationship between Ruger and Kel tec that anyone can point to.

Originally, this licensing arrangement was commonly affirmed by the gun press as general knowledge, but now no one can now find a record of it.

For Ruger to shamelessly copy somebody else's weapon design to the point that laser sights and such just bolt up on their gun is .....  not something I would like to believe.

Some theorize that Kel Tek didn't patent any of their items.  This thought is rather pointless, because the anti-copying laws written for tennis shoes and handbags all still apply.

Some say Kel Tek ripped off Grendel (George Kelgrin worked for Grendel as their gun designer before opening up Kel Tec CNC) and I owned a Grendel so I can tell you factually the P3AT is based upon the Kel Tec P32 and the P32 is much slimmer and neater than a .380 Grendel ever was.   And the Grendel had a hideous coiled lawnmower spring that fired their hammer mass and it was wide and bulky and awkward -- the P32 was a completely better idea on many fronts (as well as being the smallest neatest strongest little pistol that existed at the time).

The Ruger gun IS a direct copy of a Kel Tec, with minor alterations to adapt it to investment casting of the slide.  Laser sights bolt up to both guns at the exact same locations/fastener sizes.

Kel Tec is a totally personally owned company which does not have to give out any financial data, so folks who happen to own stock in Ruger have been asking for Ruger's side of any licensing arrangement to no avail.   No exterior proof of an arrangement exists.

If there isn't one, then fie on Ruger for ripping off the little guy's bread and butter.   I would not wish this to be the case as I like both Ruger and Kel Tec

George Kelgrin is a well known, very prolific and VERY talented gun designer -- Ruger likely paid him to design them a gun for them.

If this was not the case, then some lawsuits would have happened by now, don't you think?

Yup, the same man sat at the CAD screen and designed all three of them.  The P32, P3AT are 3rd and 4th generation George Kelgrin designs that started when he was a very young puppy working for Grendel.   The Grendel "clockwork design" on the trigger system was concepted by another man, but all of the detailed CAD design of the breech lockup and tilt barrel system came from Kelgrin and he shared the rights to his design work as a condition of doing it.

You will note that he believes in a VERY STRONG pin guided breech lock up and he designs things that can be souped up considerably in a completely safe fashion.  Many folks have played power up games with Kel Tec pistols over the years.   Many folks have .32 Supers and .32 Automags.

Yup, one set of boys necked down the .355 mouth on 380 acp brass to .312 to make a little mini-Super out of it.   It makes about as much sense as a 32 Automag using 30 carbine brass and they both can do about the same things performance-wise.  

The P2AT loses some mass at the slide and barrel chamber areas and the .380 acp brass is very weak in the side walls -- trying to turn the gun into a super by necking it down in a rechambered P32 barrel using weak sided 380 acp brass then running the pressure up smelled kinda dangerous to me -- doing the same velocities in hell for strong .30 carbine brass (keeping more mass in the chamber walls and frame) and being able to use stock magazines that I already owned swung me over into Golden Loki and Mousemag's 32 Automag camp.  

Plus at one point in time there was a very nice detailed pictorial "how to" posted on the 32 Automag conversion, which was nice too.

I have considered buying one of Kelgrin very high capacity 22 magnum pistols for my wife's house gun, but she simply says "No, my P11 is fine -- it is all the gun I will ever need".  This is her standard belt/purse gun that she takes with her for walking the dog in the woods.   She has only fired it into the dirt once, to discourage a german shepard from trying to eat her beagle boy.  The shepard took the hint and ran off, he knew the next one was for him.

The P11 is a good size for a little chunky 9mm, it carries enough rounds and it is big enough that your hand doesn't get too tired shooting it.   I think the trigger pull is really long and tough, but for a self defense belly gun it isn't too bad.   I like the P32 trigger pull a whole lot better, and the smaller flatter frame appeals to me a whole lot more for pocket carry.


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Now, if Kelgrin sold him some design rights to Ruger, that's all hunky dory with me.  If they ripped him, that is not OK at all with me at all.

The fact I can't discover "which is the case" is bothersome as well.

The fact that both Ruger and Kel Tec can both sell all that they can produce right now is great -- the gun is a really neat little piece.

The P3AT (in both of its interations) is going to be one of the most popular little carry guns ever.   It is a good match for recoil and gun size when shooting 380 acp ammo.   A woman can handle this gun, and it is respectable enough for a man to carry.