LCP Range Report

[Lumber_Jack]

Well got the new LCP out and ran 50 rounds through it. Needless to say its gonna take practice to be accurate. The heavy trigger pull and small frame had a lot of my shots going down and right.

I had 1 FTF and 2 FTE in 50 rounds using cheap Tulla. I have 100rnds of WWB that I'm gonna try next and see how that does.

I am pleased so far, I never had intentions of this being a more than 10' self defense gun.

Updates to come with the next 100 rounds

PS my hand is sore, haha

Edited December 29, 2011 by Lumber_Jack

[TNWNGR]

That sound's right for the first 50 round's, the next 50 should run just fine. I've found the LCP like's to be kept clean and lubricated. When you take it to the range again make sure it's lubed slightly heavy until you have about 150-200 round's through it. At about 125 round's mine started running just fine, I really like it. Try putting a small section of bicycle tube on your's while at the range.

[leroy]

All:___________

I know that this may sound a bit ignorant; but ive noticed that all the locked breach pistols except the glocks recommend that they be "broke in".

In my mind, "breakin in" is nothin more than wearing down the parts a bit to make sure they work correctly. Havin said all that, what do ya all think about shootin 30 to 50 rounds or so, takin the pistola down and cleanin it up, checking for the wear spots, and rubbin those spots a bit with a hard arkansas stone? Dont worry about hurtin my feelins over this, i aint got any.

curious leroy

[Lumber_Jack]

All:___________

I know that this may sound a bit ignorant; but ive noticed that all the locked breach pistols except the glocks recommend that they be "broke in".

In my mind, "breakin in" is nothin more than wearing down the parts a bit to make sure they work correctly. Havin said all that, what do ya all think about shootin 30 to 50 rounds or so, takin the pistola down and cleanin it up, checking for the wear spots, and rubbin those spots a bit with a hard arkansas stone? Dont worry about hurtin my feelins over this, i aint got any.

curious leroy

I think your suggestion makes sense. But I wonder if areas with rub marks may need to be tight and just rub enough to show, then you file it out some and now you've created a problem.

I wonder how much of the breakin in is just working the recoil spring to soften it up

[leroy]

Lumber:____________

I think you are right on both counts. My thinkin on the "rubbing the parts" thing is that you just touch them enough that they drop together without any slack (...dont rub too much...). I hadnt even thought about "breakin in the spring" thing; but it's a big part of makin the semis reliable.

Thanks for the thoughts.

leroy

[mikegideon]

The chamber on my LCP was pretty rough when it was new. The shell casing was trying to hang up on the top of the chamber. I noticed this while cycling the action before I ever took it to the range.

I did a chamber/feed ramp polish on the gun. I would have to dig for the article now. The chamber polish job involved fine grit sand paper and a pencil, followed by the bullet shaped felt bit and rouge that comes in the Dremel polishing kit. goole fluff and buff for the P3AT.

There has been a lot of rounds thru the gun, and it has never malfuntioned while firing. I even loaned it to a young friend, and he shot the crap out of it.

[mikegideon]

All:___________

I know that this may sound a bit ignorant; but ive noticed that all the locked breach pistols except the glocks recommend that they be "broke in".

In my mind, "breakin in" is nothin more than wearing down the parts a bit to make sure they work correctly. Havin said all that, what do ya all think about shootin 30 to 50 rounds or so, takin the pistola down and cleanin it up, checking for the wear spots, and rubbin those spots a bit with a hard arkansas stone? Dont worry about hurtin my feelins over this, i aint got any.

curious leroy

Yep. It takes a little while to scrub tooling marks out of steel using brass too. I ain't skeerd. I polished my chamber

[Jonnin]

All:___________

I know that this may sound a bit ignorant; but ive noticed that all the locked breach pistols except the glocks recommend that they be "broke in".

In my mind, "breakin in" is nothin more than wearing down the parts a bit to make sure they work correctly. Havin said all that, what do ya all think about shootin 30 to 50 rounds or so, takin the pistola down and cleanin it up, checking for the wear spots, and rubbin those spots a bit with a hard arkansas stone? Dont worry about hurtin my feelins over this, i aint got any.

curious leroy

Absolutely you can do this. You can use a variety of things, as a stone does not always work on the parts (many parts are rounded and oddly shaped so a stone does not fit) so I use various polishing tools including just a rag+diamond dust. The only thing to remember is that polishing and grinding are very different things, never grind! This will not replace shooting the gun, though. New springs need to be exercised, as does the magazine. But a once over polishing job is a big help, esp the feed ramp and sometimes the barrel/slide lockup area etc.

[mikegideon]

Absolutely you can do this. You can use a variety of things, as a stone does not always work on the parts (many parts are rounded and oddly shaped so a stone does not fit) so I use various polishing tools including just a rag+diamond dust. The only thing to remember is that polishing and grinding are very different things, never grind! This will not replace shooting the gun, though. New springs need to be exercised, as does the magazine. But a once over polishing job is a big help, esp the feed ramp and sometimes the barrel/slide lockup area etc.

Chamber! Check it with a dental pick. The feed ramp wasn't that bad

[JReedEsq]

The LCP I had shot everything fine but I only fired it well-lubricated and I never tried any steel cased ammo through it. It is fairly well-known on the web that there were feeding issues with Fiocchi JHP that was a little too long overall for the LCP. I read about this after I had bought a box (since the Fiochhi XTP JHP shoots very well for me in my Glocks). It felt rough when handcycling and didn't feel as if it would feed so it became range ammo. I put tons of lube on the rails and all 50 rounds went off no problem. I think the key to these pocket .380s is eliminating friction. Both the LCP I had and my current P3AT have jammed when trying to rack the slide if you don't do it semi-forcefully. Seems to me the steel cased ammo just isn't slick enough.

The first box of 50 I put through my P3AT was Tula because that's all I could find. I had one malfuction per magazine. Since then it's been flawless. I've shot the green box Remmington FMJ, WWB, and the brass cased Monarch from Academy all with no problems. The only JHP I've tried is Hornady Critical Defense which I'll probably stick with since it has good reviews, it is super-slick, and it shoots well for me.

[TNWNGR]

I’ve learned most of my lesson’s the hard way over the years because while I’m willing to listen I don’t always listen enough. One of the simplest and least expensive ways to avoid problems with a new or used pistol is to field strip it and thoroughly clean it. A good inspection while you’re reassembling lubricating it is highly recommended. Then go to the range and put at least fifty rounds through it, if it runs smooth keep on shooting, if it doesn’t take it home.

Once you get home run it through the clean and lube process again and look for anything different, then take it back to the range again and try different ammunition through it. By this point you will have either determined it’s going to work well, has a magazine problem or needs work done on it. The majority of the time you’ve saved a trip to the gunsmith, familiarized yourself with your pistol and increased your confidence in your pistol handling.

[leroy]

I think JReed hit the nail on the head here.

....I think the key to these pocket .380s is eliminating friction. ..

The rest of it (...as mike, jonnin, TNWNGR and others have stated...) is get the original machining marks and burrs off, smooth everything up, exercise the recoil spring, check the magazine. I also believe (...beein the heretic that i am about ammo...) in the 380s ya need a pretty hot load to have enough energy to cycle these little pistols. Some folks may balk at this; but on the both the locked breech and blowback pistols; hotter is better until ya start battering things or blowin out brass.

leroy

[mikegideon]

I think JReed hit the nail on the head here.

The rest of it (...as mike, jonnin, TNWNGR and others have stated...) is get the original machining marks and burrs off, smooth everything up, exercise the recoil spring, check the magazine. I also believe (...beein the heretic that i am about ammo...) in the 380s ya need a pretty hot load to have enough energy to cycle these little pistols. Some folks may balk at this; but on the both the locked breech and blowback pistols; hotter is better until ya start battering things or blowin out brass.

leroy

Shooting a lot of rounds will do it eventually. I'm just impatient. Also, when I bought mine, .380 was scarce as hen's teeth. Polishing tools were readily available. I wasn't going to carry an unreliable pistol, especially after the problem and fix were positively identified.

[1pointofview]

Just got back from the range with my Ruger LCP 380. I took my ruger SR40 as well and I was really suprised because I was more accurate with my LCP than my 40. Maybe because this was the first time I have every shot a LCP and was more aware of my handling and breathing but I was real accurate with it at 25 yards putting 4 shots within the 3rd ring out of 6 and a total of 7 shots within the 3rd ring out of 12.

I was pleased, it shot real nice. The sights were very flat making it hard for me to focus 25 yards down range but it seemed to work out because again, I was on more than my full frame 40.

Long story short, was happy and more importantly it fits great in my pocket

[Lumber_Jack]

I shot mine again today. I'm still erratic with my shots. If I focus and squeeze I can hit in the 10 ring at 7 yds. But if I speed up at all they are sprayed all over. Any tips to shooting accurately? I still don't have the finger extension for the mag yet.

[Garufa]

I've found with the LCP, just like a J-frame Smith, not to hold it too tightly. Keep a relaxed grip and accuracy goes way up. But that's just me.

[mikegideon]

That finger extension used to come with the pistol. I think it's a must have.

[Oh Shoot]

...but ive noticed that all the locked breach pistols except the glocks recommend that they be "broke in"....

Nah, just some of the small ones. Miniaturization is problematic. Most larger quality handguns should run right out of the box.

Contrary to conventional advice about breaking down and cleaning, I shot 100 rounds or more out of all three of my XD models right out of the box (subbie, service, tactical), which were flawless. Same with Beretta 92, and even HiPoint C9. Kahr PM9 did indeed need a break in period, but again, that miniaturization being the variable.

- OS

[Lumber_Jack]

Oh btw I had one FTF out of 50 rounds today. That was with WWB. Im gonna shoot another 50 WWB and then shoot the 50 Tula I have left and see if I get less malfunctions with the Tula after the 150 round warm up.

[1pointofview]

Oh btw I had one FTF out of 50 rounds today. That was with WWB. Im gonna shoot another 50 WWB and then shoot the 50 Tula I have left and see if I get less malfunctions with the Tula after the 150 round warm up.

I put about 50 rounds down range with my brand new out of the box LCP with no issue. Broke it down at the range and cleaned and oiled it up. Mine was flawless fwiw

[TNWNGR]

Your LCP is working fine now and the rest of the reliability equation will reside with you. Small pistol’s, like the LCP, take a little time for someone who hasn’t worked with small pistols a lot to shoot comfortably. The number one problem is unintentionally limp wristing the little pocket rockets, which is easier to have happen then you’d realize. Keep shooting your LCP, pretty soon it will be a constant and comfortable companion.

[Guest The Highlander]

My wife's LCP has been flawless since new, about 150 rounds I think. The accuracy at 7' really surprised me, I have the target around here somewhere and if I figure out how I'll post it. Taking the group as a whole, it was centered and slightly above point of aim as I recall for both of us.

I got an NRA edition LCP for Christmas (thank you wifey and Tri-Cities Gun Depot!) but haven't fired it yet do to my work schedule.

FWIW, the finger extension on the mag is a must, and I have smallish hands. I love the Talon Grips on my Glocks, think I'll try some on my LCP.

[Patton]

I racked my LCP slide a few hundred times and never had a malfunction.