A CCW .380 for Chump Change? SCCY’s Impressive CPX-3 – NRA 2017

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A CCW .380 for Chump Change? SCCY’s Impressive CPX-3 – NRA 2017

The CPX-3 is a great .380 ACP pistol for CCW use that will not break the bank.

As we all know, the .380 is one of the hottest self-defense/CCW rounds out there. Reasonably powerful and exceedingly small, it can be jammed into very small and light pistols and still be capable as a defensive pistol. However, not all .380s are created alike. Some are large, some are small. Some are expensive, others affordable.

If you are one of those out there looking for a rock-solid .380 pocket pistol that won’t break the bank, then the CPX-3 from SCCY deserves a very close look. With an MSRP around $300, the double-action-only, polymer-framed pistol is a great option. And, it packs in 10+1 rounds while still weighing only 15 ounces.

A CCW .380 for Chump Change? SCCY’s Impressive CPX-3 – NRA 2017

The heart of the CPX-3 is the Roebuck Quad Lock system, that locks the barrel to the slide at four distinct points. Image courtesy of manufacturer.

At the heart of the CPX-3 is the “Roebuck Quad Lock” system that locks the barrel to the slide at four points—the front of the chamber, the rear of the chamber, and at two adjacent points at the front of the barrel. The result is a pistol that should deliver accuracy far beyond what its compact dimensions would suggest.

A CCW .380 for Chump Change? SCCY’s Impressive CPX-3 – NRA 2017

The CPX-3 features a 10+1 capacity and a double-action-only trigger system. Image courtesy of manufacturer.

We had a chance to handle the CPX-3 at the 2017 NRA Annual Meeting and were impressed with its possibilities. Although it is not the smallest .380 on the market by any means, its combination of simple operation, good capacity and interesting locking system should make for a really intriguing CCW option. Keep an eye out for a full review of it in the future here, and it should be shipping out for consumer sales around June.

To learn more, keep an eye out at https://www.sccy.com/.

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  • joe August 4, 2018, 10:34 am

    I understand that SCCY and other manufacturers count on writers like you to tout their new products and, even if you are not paid to do so, your writings still give us insight into new products. I get it. But here we are (Aug 2018), 3 years after it was announced (mid 2015), and no CPX3’s are available. So the questions for writers like you are this: 1) How long are you willing to let your reputation as a writer be ruined as you continue to write about a gun for which virtually none are available to be purchased, before you finally write a blistering article about why SCCY has strung you and the public along, about this gun, and 2) If you fail to write an article dedicated to why this gun is not available, how long will it be until people stop reading your reviews….about guns, that for all intents and purposes, don’t exist?

    I consider the definition of “available” to mean that you can go to any of the major gun websites (such as Budsgunshop) and buy it, but none are available. I have visited sites for over 3 years and have NEVER seen one for sale! Every site shows images of the gun and says “not available” or “out of stock” or “click here to be emailed when in stock” …..take your pick, after 3 years of waiting, this gun is really not available for readers to purchase…….anywhere. So, when do you as a writer finally write about this fact????

  • SpeedBump July 27, 2018, 12:49 pm

    After all these years, still no takers on the “let me shoot you with a .380 and let’s see if it’s effective” offer ?

    Yes, you can put some real power into a small pistol package these days, but in order to guarantee easy recoil control, and less wear on a little gun, the offered .380 chambering is the way to go in these little SCCY shooters.

    I’ll take easy to shoot, faster recoil recovery, better long term reliability, and predictable results over “how much power can I get in a micro mini gun” that I carry in my underware.

    I’d rather my wife carry a weapon that she’s not intimidated by, and one she has no problems calling her shots, and one that offers good reliability and reasonable stopping power, than a 9mm that’s much more snappy, and has her flinching from muzzle blast and recoil, and she’s fearful to ever actually having to use in anti social situations.

    I want her full of confidence that she AND her weapon can get the job done if need be.

    This is where the CXP -3 shines!

    Ditto for non Gunny men too..

    • joe August 4, 2018, 1:46 pm

      Yeah…only problem is this gun doesn’t exist, that is, you cannot find one anywhere. I defy ANYONE to find this gun anywhere in reasonable quantities….heck….find even one anywhere!!! Here we are, August 2018, three years after it was announced, and you still can’t find one. For a gun to be “available” it has to be in major gun shops and it ain’t there……. Go to buds gun shop…….it’s not there….. go anywhere, and it’s not available. All sites say “unavailable”, “let us email you when it’s in stock” or “unavailable at this time”. Translation: it doesn’t exist to purchase. And yet writers continue to tell us about the CPX-3 when they know it’s not available. NEWSFLASH for writers: When you knowingly continue to write about guns that you know are not available while simultaneously not confronting SCCY in follow-up articles as to why there are none available, you are destroying you credibility as a writer. For SCCY; as the manufacturer of the CPX-3 and which you continue to show on your website while simultaneously not delivering production models (nor sufficiently explaining why they aren’t available), you too are slowly destroying you reputation as a gun manufacturer.

      Have I missed something here? If so, please enlighten…..

  • Don June 7, 2017, 9:50 am

    Seeing this little gun leads me to believe Glock dropped the ball by not introducing their model 25! I’m a Glock lover but this is the first 9 short that I believe will be dependable as a Glock. I wish the company success in their future endeavors!

  • Archangel May 6, 2017, 1:06 am

    I have a 380 SIG my daughter gave me, , , as a back up to my 1911 in .45 acp!

  • chuck benak May 3, 2017, 5:38 pm

    Where the heck has this gun been ?, they introduced it at shot show 2016.

  • bob May 1, 2017, 2:10 pm

    Why haven’t you mentioned the Bersa .380 or did I miss it ?

    • clff waibel June 4, 2017, 2:39 pm

      I also have a Bersa 380 a very nice gun had two of them once somebody else liked it ,so I sold it to him,another Bersa fan

  • Fake George Washington May 1, 2017, 12:56 pm

    We all know the .380 is “one of the hottest self defense rounds out there?” I don’t. It’s as worthless as 9mm. You’d do more damage throwing the pistol at your assailant. Minimum .40S&W, preferably .45 ACP. 10mm is, probably, too much for concealed carry. I know this will get a lot of reaction from the true believers in 9mm. I am just giving my opinion, YMMV.

    If this is a “pocket pistol” you must be a giant with huge pockets. Give me a P99c any day. It won’t fit in your pocket, either. But, at least, you have the option of firing it single or double action. I am not too keen on double action pistols, not matter who makes them. (If Walther made a DAO pistol, I wouldn’t be too keen on it either.)

    • Jeffrey L. Frischkorn May 1, 2017, 4:09 pm

      I was going to say something clever in opposition but I then realized that everyone is entitled to an opinion.. Even those opinions that are incorrect…

    • d brown May 1, 2017, 7:11 pm

      I have a sccy 2. the trigger sucks . too long and too hard , trigger shouid 4 to 5 lb

    • Robert May 1, 2017, 7:51 pm

      30 years ago I would have to agree with you on .45 over 9mm. JHP were no reliable. However recent bullet technology has changed all that. You might want to look at Federal HST, Golden Saber and Speer gold dot. From what I have read, the FBI went back to the 9mm from the .40 because of this reason.. A 9mm HST penetrates and expands to almost identical match of the .45. although the .45 does expand a little more.. More important is shot placement. A weapon like 9mm that can hold more ammo and is more accurate due to less recoil wins all day long.. look it up for yourself.. don’t bury yourself in old thinking just because that’s what grandpa carried.

    • SuperG May 2, 2017, 11:29 am

      If you do a search on youtube for Ammo Quest .380 Final Wrapup you may be surprised. It is based on .380 ammo from 3 years ago, and the ammo has only gotten better. My opinion is that any gun is better than no gun at all. I carry a Ruger LCP in my pocket at the office, and nobody knows.

    • joe August 4, 2018, 11:01 am

      Your comment of “you do more damage throwing the pistol at your assailant” is foolish and tells us all we need to know about you. “Life” and “the school of hard knocks” will undoubtedly posthumously award the Darwin Award to the first person who volunteers to be shot by a .380 vs having one thrown at them. Any takers??? LOL….

  • Frank Ubar May 1, 2017, 10:32 am

    Does it have the same ridiculous trigger reset like the SCCY 9mm where the trigger has to go ALL THE WAY back to reset?

  • KenL May 1, 2017, 9:22 am

    Rural King is currently offering the SCCY 9mm for $ 199.00. I don’t know how long that price will last – but it seems like a good deal.

  • KenL May 1, 2017, 9:19 am

    From the picture, doesn’t appear that this offers any size advantage over their 9mm. Why carry a .380 when you can carry a 9mm in the same size package?

    • david hamilton May 1, 2017, 12:18 pm

      Just what I was thinking. If their 9mm is the same size, why not shoot the bigger, cheaper ammo? The price point is good, however, if quality is acceptable.

    • joe August 4, 2018, 3:22 pm

      The advantage is that the 380 is 0.3 inches shorter than the CPX 1 or 2. But this doesn’t matter since the CPX3 doesn’t exist….. at least I have never seen one for sale that is actually in stock that you can actually buy, beginning from it’s announcement in 2015 up to today, August 2018……..

  • Peter Hilton May 1, 2017, 8:47 am

    This is my SCCY 9mm toned down a bit; same compact, easily handled configuration but lighter loads. An excellent ladies’ gun – or anyone who likes a smaller hand-hold. Well worth considering for concealed carry. Modest price, good quality for the money, shoots well despite the compact barrel length & inexpensive to feed.

    • Oliver May 1, 2017, 10:31 am

      “Inexpensive to feed?” When’s the last time you bought .380 ammo, Man? This round inexplicably costs more than 9mm or .40 S&W…nearly as much as .45 ACP! All that for barely adequate performance…sheesh…what a joke!

      • frank May 1, 2017, 1:46 pm

        Accuracy my friend. There is far less kick with a .380 than the 9mm You will land more shots on the target or person.

        • Daan May 1, 2017, 3:56 pm

          Frank, I can’t legitimately prove my case over email and I’m sure there are folks who can provide ft pounds, and fps to support either of us. This discussion isn’t about ccw .45′ blah blah, just .380 and 9mm. I shot the .380 body guard with a solid hotter manufacturer made round. It was surprisingly snappy and more pushy than I expected. Target at 7 ft, I did hit place all 6 rounds on the paper human torso target three times in a row. I repeated the steps with a Glock G42′ defensive 9mm rounds. The 9mm was much more comfortable and just a slight push. I fired from about waist high, arm not extended, and one handed which I’m not used to. I train and shoot in combat stance 100% of the time. I got the paper target each time with 9mm. 7 ft isn’t a comfortable distance, but probably more realistic. I would stick to the 9mm round if I had the choice with a smaller pocket pistol. My MP Shield has a profile about the the weapon being discussed, and that is. .45.
          I don’t think aiming is a luxury we have a 7 ft, regardless the 9mm round is going the have more stopping power and at 7′ I was pointing,not aiming the weapon. Just my opinion, but with a small weapon that fit in my pocket. That is my choice. Stay safe

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