Women are the fastest growing group of shooters in the US, but accessories have been a little slow to catch on. In general, women are shaped differently, our clothes fit differently and we have a few extra places where we could conceal a weapon. For most women, a full-sized weapon can only be concealed within the purse. If we do decide to carry, we are left in a world of choices with holsters that do not fit correrctly since the vast majority were designed by men and for me.
I can honestly say that I have never shot a .380 before. I have been told that I would not like it because of the recoil typically seen with the smaller pistols. I usually have difficulty with the slides of the compact and sub-compact pistols, so I tend to be selective about them. As I consider getting my CCW license, I find myself asking, “What can I conceal?”
Most .380 pistols would be easy for me to conceal. At Range day I had the chance to shoot to the Kimber .380, the micro-RCP. Weighing in under 2 lbs (13.4 ox) it was small enough to make me question my abilities as a shooter. The barrel is only 2,75” and the micro-RCP is designed to be a small scale version of a 1911.
Overall, I really liked the micro-RCP. I have always been fond of the looks of a 1911 but it is impractical for me to conceal on my person. So I have been keeping my eye out for smaller pistols. The micro-RCP has a trench site which was unusual for me but the pistol was able to make shots on the bullseye. While shooting, I had no difficulty with the slide and no problem with the recoil. It stayed in my hands without the need to readjust my grip after every shot. I would say that I liked this pistol and with an MSRP of $775, I would consider this as a carry pistol.
-LDG