Ruger LCP .380 vs Ruger LCP II .380 Auto

Same family, different generations. The original LCP (Model 3701) and the LCP II share the 5.16-5.17" overall length and 6+1 capacity, but they handle differently. The original runs a long, heavy DAO pull through a recessed hammer; the LCP II uses a hammer-fired single-action trigger that breaks at a published 5.8 lbs — much shorter and lighter. The original is 1.2 oz lighter at 9.4 oz and 0.07" wider at 0.82"; the LCP II trims down to 0.75" — the thinnest production .380 available — while adding an inner-trigger safety and last-round slide hold-open.

Pick the original Ruger LCP if:

• You specifically want the long DAO trigger as an added margin of safety for pocket carry without a holster — many owners cite this as the reason the original stays in production
• You want the lighter, simpler platform with Ruger's 15+ year warranty track record on the gun that built the modern pocket-.380 market
• You prefer 1.2 oz less carry weight (9.4 oz vs 10.6 oz) and don't mind the 0.07" extra width

Pick the Ruger LCP II if:

• You want the shorter, lighter 5.8 lb single-action hammer-fired trigger — reviewers and instructors consistently rate it as far easier to shoot accurately than the original's long DAO pull
• You want the thinnest .380 in production at 0.75" wide — 0.07" narrower than the original LCP and noticeably flatter in a front pocket
• You want last-round slide hold-open and the inner-trigger safety, both of which the original LCP lacks

Both run the same 2.75" barrel, share a glass-filled nylon frame architecture, and use integral non-adjustable sights. Magazines are not cross-compatible. The cleanest version of the decision: the LCP II is the better gun to shoot; the original LCP is the simpler gun to carry with a heavier trigger as a passive safety.