Ruger LCP

[dwh]

I still had a bunch of jambs. Again I think it's an extraction issue.

What sort of jams? Stovepipes or what?

There are several places where semi-autos commonly have problems with extraction:

1. Not enough pressure to cycle the action fully back.
Could be from weak ammo, or a too heavy (or too long) slide spring or sometimes from a rough interface / friction between the slide and frame (sometimes caused by a poor fit but usually either FOD or lack of lube as the gun warms up and gets tighter).

2. The ejector finger doesn't grip the rim fully.
Pretty common. Sometimes fixed by relieving the inside of the finger so it can move further in. Looking at it like this- L -where the bottom bar is the finger that grips the rim. You would relieve the bottom of the upright bar where it meets the inside corner, allowing the bottom bar to move a bit more toward the right and getting a bit deeper grip on the case rim. On some, you have to relieve the outside of the top of the upright bar instead (or sometimes both), to allow the whole thing to move more around the pivot point. In this case, "relieving" means just a very light touch with a file. Sometimes the pivot is too stiff and just needs to wear in more.

3. The ejector pin doesn't hit the rim at the right place to kick the case out at the proper angle.
Usually have to dink around with Prussian Blue paste to diagnose that one.

4. The slide comes forward and stovepipes the case.
If it's not caused by 1, 2 or 3, then sometimes a bit lighter or bit shorter spring will fix it. If it doesn't, or you need all the spring power, then you mill the port open a little more to the rear to give the case a little more time to get clear.



There was apparently another ejection problem that the early model LCPs had, but from this description it wasn't a problem that resulted in jamming:

http://www.gunreports.com/special_r...ses_rim_tears_Kel-Tec_P-3AT_ejector423-1.html

Note the last two pics that show the area that needs to be relieved on the early model.


You could send it back to Ruger (and if it's an early model, you'll probably have to anyway), but they let it out of the factory the way it is, so I wouldn't put too much hope in getting the problem solved. I would recommend finding a local gunsmith and taking it to him (or her) and having hiim do a full polish job on it. That will usually make a noticeable difference in how a factory gun performs.

 

[Mike_rupp]

Seecamp + iPhone by rupp62, on Flickr

Let me suggest an alternative: the Seecamp. This little pistol is a work of art. The tiny size of the Seecamp is amazing, which, other than reliability, is the most important aspect of a pocket pistol.

I've blasted through a few boxes of ammo with zero issues. None.

For those of you that don't think that think a .380 is enough to rely on, would you refuse to pull the trigger of this pistol if it were a life and death situation? The best concealed carry pistol is one that you carry, not the one that has better ballistics.

That being said, what you you recommend as a concealed carry pistol? The only pistol that really packs a punch that I'd consider to be a worthy pocket pistol is a Rohrbaugh and those don't come by cheaply. Anything else is too big to really consider to be a pocket pistol. The baby Glock is an absolute monster compared to a Seecamp. Even pocket revolvers are monsters compared to a Seecamp.

 

[phxtoad]

dwh - I reckon it's been a mix. Some stovepipes and some where the spent casing was still in the chamber, jambed by the next round coming up. Your insight may be spot on, but I'm going to let them have a look in Prescott. I'd F it up if I get the file out. On the LCP forums it looks like the factory has been really great about handling things.

I do like the little gun though, so I'm hoping it's repairable. I carried it for a week in a pocket holster and liked it's small size, narrow width, and relatively light weight.

This week I've had the wife's SA .45 Ultra Compact in tow. I'm tired just thinking about lifting it. It's huge by comparison. I do like it's bang factor though. That's why I picked up a Colt Gov't Model recently.

Mike_rupp - that thing is cool looking. I might look into them.

02TahoeMD - I just saw the LC9 on their website. Nice!

 

[02TahoeMD]

For those of you that don't think that think a .380 is enough to rely on, would you refuse to pull the trigger of this pistol if it were a life and death situation? The best concealed carry pistol is one that you carry, not the one that has better ballistics.

To answer your first question, if a Seecamp was the only thing I had that went 'bang' then by all means I would use it. But, I put my money where my mouth is and do practice what I preach-

I carry a Kimber Pro CDP2 in .45 ACP. Year round. Every day off. I am a firm believer in the Clint Smith adage of " A gun is supposed to be a comfort to wear, not comfortable to wear ", though I do find the Commander sized .45 with aluminum frame to be very comfortable to me. And I also figure that if I need to use a gun to defend myself, it had better stop the problem promptly. Over the years I have carried 9mm, .40 and .45 and never anything smaller than the 9.

All that said, different strokes for different folks and if someone wishes to carry a .32 or .380 then so be it.

 

[phxtoad]

Well I took the little gun out to the range to see if the polishing/cleaning I did had any effect. I put some HP Federal and some PowerBall rounds through the little gun. Both of these are 'new' to the gun. Not a hiccup with any of them!

It looks like the previous ammo I had trouble with (HPR) may have been the issue. I also believe that the thorough cleaning may have helped, and surely some poor shooting/racking technique by me may have also come into play.

Lessons learned: Always clean your gun, and find ammo that makes it happy.

 

[phxtoad]

The little bugger got an upgrade. Crimson Trace now points the way...

 

[captblack]

I had an LCP but it always felt too small to me. I finely gave it to my girlfriend to carry and she loves it. We shoot weekly and she has had no problems with it at all.

My normal carry is a Kimber Ultra Carry II and it is by far my favorite. There are still times that the .45 is hard to conceal so I went back to a .380 for pocket use - this time I spent the extra bucks and picked up a Sig P238. It is slightly bigger than the LCP and a bit heavier. It's 1911 style is very comfortable and it shoots like a dream.