While hi-point reminds a lot of the old Lorcin(sp?) handguns, total pieces of chit... keltec could be worse. It seems the only "decent", if you want to call it that, keltecs are the very small caliber ones. My life is worth the price, quality, and dependability of the higher class companies. LOL I had a Lorcin .380 that was only good for being a paper weight.
The little Kel-Tec .380 ain't that bad for a pocket pistol, the Ruger LCP is a copy of it. Ruger just spends more time polishing the moving parts so that it doesn't jam as frequently and they sell it for twice as much.
Please don't ever compare a Ruger to a Kel-Tec. They do not use the same parts. Ruger is a far superior weapon.
Of course Ruger is a better made weapon, but it is a fact that they licensed the Kel-Tec patents and tried to make it more reliable. Anyone with two eyes can see they look astonishingly similar.
If it's to have a pocket pistol I'd have to go with the LC9 over the LCP. Just a preference in caliber for me. I don't want to have a mixture of caliber ammo in my storage. Size-wise there's not much difference though it's arguably enough to tilt someone in that direction. Below is the (Top to bottom) SRc9, LC9, LCP I have a .357 Ruger GP 100 that I like a lot. Pretty popular revolver.
not sure what i would like to get for something smaller to conceal. my biggest problem is even with small, concealing on me will be difficult. however i do know that something smaller i will really have to work with to handle the recoil. but that is a ways down the road. right now the smallest i have size wise is also smallest caliber wise which is my 22. so my practice with it is efficiency (accuracy) of all head shots. i did get to handle a full size ruger 357 magnum last week and had a blast. (pun intended.) however i do know that a snubbie 357 would knock me on my ass.
The 22 has no stopping power at all, neither does a 32. The .380 is about the smallest round that will work effectively at short range and most of the pocket pistols mentioned above are 380. Added benefit is that, unlike a .357 magnum, the rounds are less likely to go completely through the perp and hit an innocent bystander. But you are right, small pistols have wicked recoil, even at .380. Shoot up a couple of boxes of ammo on the range and your hand will be really sore. But when you need it, you won't be shooting more than 6 rounds and you won't care about the recoil.
the 22 was all i could handle for a long while after 6 hand surgeries. better than nothing. i have it so if it is the one i get to first, i have wickedly practice and drilled (moving target tactical drills) on head shots only. if all i get is one to slow someone down so i can get to my primary, then it will serve a purpose. but i dont have it to be a gun for true self defense. but since i have it, i know how to use it to hopefully buy me time. but i do know that for true stopping power i need a compact 9mm. and i have to learn how to handle it. that is where practice and getting more hand strength come back in. and drilling like crazy for as close to as i can get to a real life situation so i am as effective as possible with it.
