Ruger has a .380

[Whirlwind06]

http://www.ruger.com/LCP/index.html

Never thought I would Ruger come out with a pocket pistol.

[Playboypenguin]

Has anyone seen the big announcement from Ruger. Their new product is on their website now. The new Ruger LCP.

All this hype over a Kel-Tec with the Ruger logo on it. What a waste of time and effort on their part.

Of all he things they could have done (a compact SR9, a revamp of their blocky autos, a quality small auto) they choose to roll out this cheap looking Kel-Tec wanna-be. Talk about catering to the lowest common denominator for handgun owners.

[David the Gnome]

Huzzah! Now I don't have to try and get this stupid kel-tec working.

[JohnKSa]

What are they thinking????

<<<<On closer look, it looks like they did some internal redesign of the gun. The extractor is all new, the mainspring/mainspring retainer are different, the barrel/slide locking is changed and they redesigned the magazine and added a slide lock.

Depending on the price it might be a decent pistol--at least there's no lock, separate chamber loaded indicator or magazine safety.>>>>

[shamus005]

oh this could be VERY interesting.

The reliability of a ruger combined with the size of a kel-tec?

wow, that would be a winner.

I'd get one.

[Playboypenguin]

oh this could be VERY interesting.

Or not, as I stated in an earlier thread, it is just a Kel-Tec clone. Maybe a little more polished but nothing new.

[Bill DeShivs]

Interesting.
If the Keltec design is so terrible, why did Ruger make an almost exact copy of the P3AT?

[Playboypenguin]

If the Keltec design is so terrible, why did Ruger make an almost exact copy of the P3AT?

Maybe they were trying to see if one could be made that worked properly.

The answer is actually pretty clear. Ruger has received the message that a lot of cheapskates will shell out money for sub-par guns as long as the price is right and they want a piece of that action.

[shamus005]

Maybe they were trying to see if one could be made that worked properly.

ooo, SNAP!

[MBRinTN]

Maybe they were thinking of producing a cheap, reliable, weapon the average working person could afford to protect themselves and their loved ones carried concealed. I'm going to withhold judgment until its been reviewed.

[arktravler]

Seems to me that they did what people were asking for... They made a very concealable pistol....

[Sriracha]

My guess was right! (Self-congratulatory smile) I had been waiting for Ruger to try to make a reliable version of the P3AT!

I wonder if Keltec licensed Ruger to make this thing. It would make business sense, because it seems Keltec has had trouble keeping stores in the Atlanta area supplied with the P3AT. (Maybe they're too busy doing warranty repairs! )

I wish Ruger good luck on this. I hope this is the start of some serious competition between major manufacturers for the pocket CCW market. How about some more competitors for the Rohrbaugh 9mm?

- Sr.

[Playboypenguin]

it looks like they did some internal redesign of the gun. The extractor is all new, the mainspring/mainspring retainer are different, the barrel/slide locking is changed and they redesigned the magazine and added a slide lock.

Which is cool if you like polished turds. But we all know, you can polish a [color=#FF0000]█[/color][color=#FF0000]█[/color][color=#FF0000]█[/color][color=#FF0000]█[/color] all you like and all it gets is shinier...it is still just a [color=#FF0000]█[/color][color=#FF0000]█[/color][color=#FF0000]█[/color][color=#FF0000]█[/color].

[Silvanus]

I hope some manufacturer will bring out something actually new in the future...

That polymer Ruger 9mm looks like a Kimber KPD. SA XD is a HS2000, S&W 99 is a Walther P99. Hundreds of 1911 clones. Taurus/Beretta 92. Now this Kel-Tec look alike. I'd love to see more innovative firearms that really are better or at least different than the current offerings.

[Sgt.Fathead]

I was hoping for a new revolver, perhaps a GP platformed .41 Magnum or some such BUT this seems like an interesting little pistol. I, too, will reserve judgment pending review and study. We rarely get exactly what we want outside of custom work so, like it or lump it. Kel-Tec has a lower grade finish, as well.

[JohnKSa]

...all it gets is shinier...

It's clearly not just a rebadged P3AT. It's been reworked from the ground up although it still retains a HEAVY similarity to the original design. I'm reserving judgement at this point, but it's obvious, to me at least, that this is not just a "prettied-up Kel-Tec"--most of the changes I see are functional, not cosmetic. Which means that it's not possible to make a judgement of the LCP based on the P3AT unless there's some retained aspect of the new design that was causing problems in the old design.

[Playboypenguin]

It's been reworked from the ground up

And there is the key phrase..."reworked."

Not "designed" or "worked"...'"reworked."

It is just [color=#FF0000]█[/color][color=#FF0000]█[/color][color=#FF0000]█[/color][color=#FF0000]█[/color] polishing.

If it does really well (performance wise, not sales wise) I will re-evaluate my stance but for now it is not favorable. If it does well and comes out in a stainless slide I might even buy one but for now I thumb my nose at Ruger.

[JohnKSa]

First of all, the Kel-Tec design wasn't frequently castigated as being flawed, the complaints I've seen on the Kel-Tec guns relate to QA/manufacturing issues, not design problems. Taking a decent design and improving it is a reasonable (if not particularly innovative) approach.

Second, we don't know if it's made from the same materials, if it's made with the same manufacturing techniques, we don't even know for sure who's doing the actual manufacturing, and we don't know the effect of the design changes (besides the obviously positive change of adding a slide lock).

Passing judgement (on anything other than Ruger's new theory of "innovation") at this point is premature.

[Playboypenguin]

Passing judgement (on anything other than Ruger's new theory of "innovation") at this point is premature.

First impressions are very important. Especially when marketing a new product. This gun does not make a good one with me and probably not with anyone that wanted to see something "new."

Like I said, I will be willing to re-evaluate my opinion if it proves me wrong but the first impression is not a good one.

[JohnKSa]

I'm definitely with you there...

[Kreyzhorse]

Knowing very little about Kel-Tecs, I have no point of reference for this pistol. At first glance, I would say that I am intrigued by it but am certainly in no rush to buy one. Time will tell how this one plays out. In the very least, it appears that Ruger is at least trying to get into the CCW semi-auto game.

[jbadams66]

I dont get it. People keep saying they want something new but they dont specify. What do you want, a polymer slide, barrel thats below the grip, double barrel pistol? Ruger just put out a pistol that they will likely sell a ton of. Sure they could have spent more money and come out with something new and they might have sold a few but never made thier money back, great plan there. This is a way for them to keep in buisness.

If its not for you, fine, but some of you sound like kids. Whaaaa, I dont like it so its poo poo, no body buy it, whaaaaa..

Come up with this wonderful new gun if you can figure it out, I just dont get bashing a firearm company that is trying to stay in buisness by producing a high sales/profitable item.

[xrocket]

Actually it stands a pretty good chance at being better than any other steel / plastic combo's in .380 out there to date. It is infinitely easier to design, engineer and manufacture when others have gone first and your late to the party. Since Ruger is known for heavier and blocky materials the gun might just be better than all the others. Personally, I'm an all metal man myself, but it does appear to address a large market niche and will probably sell real world for way under $300., possibly $249?

.380's of and by themselves are for the most part not target or range guns. They are for close quarter last ditch self defense of the GET OFF ME NOW variety. I welcome the new Ruger to the market, but I don't think I'll be a buyer. It just does not fit my demographics.

Good shooting all.

PS: Does LCP actually stand for ...... LOW COST PISTOL ?

[packa45]

LCP=Lightweight Compact Pistol.

[alamo]

Imitation is the sincerest form of flattery as they say. Look at the side-by-side parts diagrams of the Kel-Tec and Ruger. Amazing similarities. See the 3rd posting:

http://www.ktog.org/cgi-bin/yabb2/Ya...=1201975632/15