LCP Proficiency

Honestly..... practice practice practice. They aren't target guns so don't worry about the "sights", it's a point and shoot kinda deal. Set up about a 24x24 box with a target attached (7 yards is plenty) and practice draw shooting and just plain shooting. My gf's Taurus TCP (similar to the LCP) I shoot very well. My LCPII, I need more practice.
 
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These pistols are designed for deep concealment and to be able hit a human size target at very close and personal ranges. Practice random draws from your preferred carry method and being able get on target quick and atleast be able put a few shots into a chest size target at 3 to 5 yards. And practice some more steady deliberate shots at 10 to 12 yards. That's pretty much all these pocket pistols was made for.
 
The skills required to shoot a pocket gun are exactly the same as for any handgun. They're just very unforgiving of any flaws in your technique and everything is working against you (small grip, crappy trigger, tiny sights).

I personally can't make accurate shots with them past 12 yards, running a plate rack with my LCP is a chore. I know what needs to be done, I just can't physically do it reliably under pressure.

I do know how far I can make 2 fast A zone hits and have just had to admit that's my effective range when the LCP is the only carry option. Anything beyond that is just going to be slow, or luck.
 
Like said above, it's gonna take some time and practice. Do the 3 minutes a day presentation that @BatteryOaksBilly pushes. It works, and well. I pocket carry a LCP II, and have cleared the wizard drill with it, albeit not cold, but still did it. They are fine little guns, but you have to put in the time if you want proficiency.
 
Certain guns are just difficult to shoot.
You have to be a very good shooter to shoot a small gun with a crappy trigger well. There's no secret or tips other than "have a great grip and trigger press", lol.

The reason I ditched a S&W Bodyguard .380 and went with a Grock42. I loved the size of the BG, but man it sucked. Horrible to shoot. I struggled with it.
G42 is like a full size target pistol compared to that thing. The size and weight trade off was worth it to me. G42 is actually fun to shoot, so practice isn't painful.
 
I have had and carried my LCP for 5-6 yrs and finally realized that I can't hit 💩 with it as I get older (72).So ,I still have it ,but have upgraded to the P365X in an Alabama pocket holster to carry in the pants that have large enough pockets, including my Sunday dress pants. For some of my jeans and other work pants,I either still pocket carry the LCP or the p365x in an IWB holster. One problem that I had with the LCP, was it was so uncomfortable to shoot, so I didn't practice enough with it.I now shoot a couple mags through it when I go to the range with my P365X and practice drawing and shooting 7yds and closer.
 
I got a lot better with my g42 when I got snap caps and practiced dry fire. Draw, get sight picture and press the trigger. Rack another into the chamber, reholster and repeat.
 
Practice practice practice. I've put somewhere north of 1600 rounds through mine. Stopped counting 100 ct WWB boxes of ball ammo at 13 and then kept shooting it. At my best with it I could keep a full magazine on an 8" plate at 25 yds.

It's a small gun with a short sight radius, crap sights, and a long trigger pull. Learning to shoot it well will translate into learning to shoot handguns well in general by learning trigger control throughout the length of the squeeze.

I don't shoot mine like I used to. I probably should shoot it more, but I also don't carry it like I used to.
 
Smaller handguns require the shooter to "work harder" to shoot correctly. Basically more shooter input.

3 minutes a day of presentation practice goes along way towards better shooting skills...

The Wizard Drill is a great drill. It encompases all you need to practice with your carry gun.

 
jska said:
What’s the best way to get proficient with pocket guns? Figured out I suck with my LCP, lol.
Click to expand...

As long as you can stick out your arm, and the rounds hit in an area the size of a torso at 7 yards or less, you are doing just fine.

Anything farther away becomes vastly more difficult to justify (as legitimate self defense), and opportunities to use the sights at distances shorter than about 7 yards are few and far between.
 
I still remember watching hickok 45 reviewing the little kahr 380 when i was interested in it many years ago. He hit the 80 yrd gong with it and i thought that looks easy...i was wrong!

Around the 7:30 mark

 
Mr. Bggs said:
I still remember watching hickok 45 reviewing the little kahr 380 when i was interested in it many years ago. He hit the 80 yrd gong with it and i thought that looks easy...i was wrong!

Around the 7:30 mark

Click to expand...

He may be all chill and laconic but he's got insane amounts of trigger time.
 
commiecuriocollector said:
As long as you can stick out your arm, and the rounds hit in an area the size of a torso at 7 yards or less, you are doing just fine.

Anything farther away becomes vastly more difficult to justify (as legitimate self defense), and opportunities to use the sights at distances shorter than about 7 yards are few and far between.
Click to expand...
Under a stressful situation your motor skills deteriorate greatly. What someone can do a 10 yards under ideal conditions of the range is likely representative of what someone is capable of at 3 yards under stress in less than ideal conditions.
The ” get off me gun” concept where no practice is required and somehow one can magically draw, fire and get a first round disabling shot while being physically assaulted would be laughable if was not such a serious subject.
Whatever pistol you choose, however you choose to carry, your goal should to be able to draw, fire and put all hits on a silhouette target at 10 yards. If you have trouble doing that change your equipment and carry style.
 
Mr. Bggs said:
I still remember watching hickok 45 reviewing the little kahr 380 when i was interested in it many years ago. He hit the 80 yrd gong with it and i thought that looks easy...i was wrong!

Around the 7:30 mark

Click to expand...

I owned the wee Kahr. Liked it better than the 3 LCPs I owned. Even ran it in a BUG match. But it can decide to be ammo picky when you least expect it. I mean Fiocchi 380 ball ammo locked it up like it had been eating nothing but cheese for a month.
 
NKD said:
Certain guns are just difficult to shoot.
You have to be a very good shooter to shoot a small gun with a crappy trigger well. There's no secret or tips other than "have a great grip and trigger press", lol.
Click to expand...

^ this is true....

There is a piece of advice I retained from one of Rob Leatham's videos. Not aimed at NKD, but the group and OP.

If you have a good sight picture (that's another story, make sure you get that part), if you break the trigger cleanly then the bullet has no choice but to go where the sights were pointed.

Dry fire the gun and watch the sight picture. Did it wiggle or vibrate when the trigger broke? Then you missed. Practice dry fire until the trigger breaks and the front sight doesn't move at all.

That will also help you learn to call your shots and realize misses without having to see impact on target. It's an essential skill for makeup shots.

This applies for all firearms.

Of course, Rob does a better job explaining it than me. I'll see if I can find the video.

Here it is:
 
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I have had the .380 for years, added the .22 when it came out.
Practice practice practice - .22LR much cheaper than .380.

I can shoot the LCP fairly accurately out past 50 ft - just not that fast. As stated its best fit for an up close encounter. Cant beat the deep concealment of the LCP package especially in hot Carolina summers. No excuse not to have it on you regardless of attire.
 
i like my lcp iive carried it in the summer for years but it does have limits personally i cant hit a silhouette reliabley past 10 yards but it still gets carried quite alot. it may be a "Little Crappy Pistol" but its the gun that u have with you that can save your life. The lcp in your pocket is alot better than your gucci glock in the safe.
 
I love my Ruger LCR 38 special +P. I primarily keep it in my glove box. During the winter when I appendix carry but have multiple layers on it stays in my coat pocket in a Sticky Holster.

I practice my draw safely in a mirror until I am fast and comfortable, then practice live fire draw at the range. I practice at zero yards, 5 & 10 yards. Anything 10 yards or above I draw a larger firearm from my appendix holster.

I always carry my EDC guns to the range and practice with how I carry them every day.
 
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For ALL my pistol chaos that I cannot figure out... the S&W Bodyguard my wife carries is the most accurate in my hands. WTH?

It literally fits like one of those old plastic water pistols you got at the $.99 store. All cramped up and using the tip of my finger but I can put all 7 in the head at 15y. WTH?

Maybe it's the REALLY long hammer pull. WTH?
 
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I tried shooting my LCP Max at probably 25ish yards the last time I went to the range. Inwas able to get about a 90% hit rate once I figured out where to hold (about a foot high and a foot to the right). Now, I couldn't shoot the nads off a gnat at that range, but I feel like I could hit a torso sized silhouette.
 
As a rule, the smaller the gun, the harder it is to shoot well. Many people complain about the long trigger pull on the LCP. Don't try to stage the trigger, just pull it all they way through like shooting a DA revolver. Once you learn the trigger, everything else will become easier. Keep your practice sessions around 7 yards. Then, practice, practice, practice. Also, don't forget to spend just 3 minutes a day drawing and presenting the LCP. It's amazing what can be learned in these 3 minutes.
 
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