Ruger LC9

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charlesb
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Ruger LC9

Post by charlesb » Wed Nov 28, 2012 10:54 pm

My son purchased a Ruger LC9 9mm auto this week.

We took it out to try it, and after cycling the first magazine OK, on the two magazines to follow, it would fail to extract on the next to last round.

The empty case would be partway out of the chamber with the last round unable to feed because of it.

The gun was bought for self-defense, so having it tie up is a serious drawback.

Has anyone else here any experience with this design? It is compact for a 9mm but shoots a lot more comfortably that it looks or feels like it would. - I fully expected a little sting in my hand but nope.

It wasn't terribly accurate, shooting cheap Speer nickel-cased ball ammo. OK for a belly-gun though, or at very close range.

It's double-action only, and has a safety too but the button is almost microscopic in size and can be disengaged with the thumb OK, but I have to use the off hand to activate it.

This one has engraving on the stainless slide.

If I can get it to function reliably, it looks like it could be a very nice little pocket gun for my son. - I guess the first thing I'll try is to keep on pumping rounds through it, hoping it will wear in, or smooth up as may be required.

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Post by Bullseye » Thu Nov 29, 2012 12:18 am

I would inspect the extractor claw very closely. Look for any chips on the edge where the hook grabs the cartridge. Next, I would check the extractor plunger and spring for proper tension and movement. If any of the shipping preservative got into this area it could restrict the movement of the plunger and cause extraction problems like you've described.

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greener

Post by greener » Thu Nov 29, 2012 6:45 pm

I agree. Thoroughly clean it. Look at the extractor. Also, try different ammo, particularly a "hotter" round for a while. My LC9 didn't have this problem, by my SR9 needed a hotter round than my normal loads to eject and extract rounds after I bought it. Most of my LC9 shooting has been the "hotter" loads so, I didn't have any break in problems for ejecting. I did shoot some WWB 9mm and they did fine for ejecting.

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Post by charlesb » Thu Nov 29, 2012 10:11 pm

I've field-stripped it, cleaned it up and re-oiled a few spots, now I need to go to town and pick up some different ammunition to try. The slide is nickel finished, not stainless.

I didn't see anything on the frame that looked like it needed to be oiled, so I left that as it was.

My shop is disassembled for a move that I am currently making, the machinery is already in storage at the new location, but my household goods and tooling for the shop have yet to be packed. - I couldn't even find any Hoppes #9 for the barrel, but had to make do with Berrymans Chem-Tool spray. All lubrication was done with Mobil One except for the extractor and inside the barrel, which each got a drop of Kroil.

The extractor looks a little funny to me. It doesn't seem to fit well in the groove made for it in the slide. The bottom edge fits well enough, but the curved rear end misses the end of the slot by perhaps 1/32" or so. The top edge of the extractor sticks out of the groove, making a sharp edge there that seems to protrude 1/64", down the length of the extractor. - It looks like it is not fully seated into the groove made for it, to me.

I'll have to look into how to remove and inspect the extractor.

My son just fired a few rounds out in the yard, but that was all as they are having church down the road and might not understand. - It seemed to work OK on those two rounds. Hand-sized fireball at night, bright but not dazzling. Tomorrow I'll try some different ammo and see how it does, check again for accuracy.

I would post a picture - but it looks like the interface cable for my camera has been packed.

greener

Post by greener » Fri Nov 30, 2012 6:47 am

The extractor in mine has a sharp, flat edge. Photo below, but probably not much help since the camera wanted to focus on the top of the slide.

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Post by charlesb » Fri Nov 30, 2012 1:04 pm

This morning I drove to Wal-Mart and found that they only had one 9mm HP load, Winchester PDX1 124 gr. JHP Bonded, 9mm Luger+P.

The shooting range was twenty miles away, but there is an local informal range located much closer. Someone had thoughtfully left a target behind, with just a couple of large caliber holes in it.

I had a magazine of the Ball rounds loaded so I shot it. Just as before, the next to last empty brass failed to leave the chamber ( or bounced back in ) so that the last round could not load.

I pushed the last round down in the magazine as I let the slide forward on the half-chambered brass. Than I pulled the slide back and it ejected the empty and loaded the last round normally when I released it.

Then I loaded the +P HP's and it ran through a magazine without a hitch. To be sure, I loaded and fired another magazine of the +P rounds and they worked just fine, being reliable, and more accurate than the Ball loads to boot.

All of this left me one shy of a full magazine of the new HP ammunition, so I put a Ball round in first, to serve as the last round until I can swing by Wal-Mart and get another box for him.

The new ammunition recoiled a bit more, but not enough to be a problem. It's probably tough on the gun too, but I don't think that he'll be plinking much with the LC9, at over a dollar a pop.

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Post by blue68f100 » Fri Nov 30, 2012 2:03 pm

The heavier 124gr ammo is all I shoot in 9mm. The extra energy just operates the slide better, particularly on tight heavy recoil spring guns.
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Post by greener » Fri Nov 30, 2012 6:40 pm

charlesb wrote:The new ammunition recoiled a bit more, but not enough to be a problem. It's probably tough on the gun too, but I don't think that he'll be plinking much with the LC9, at over a dollar a pop.
Ouch! I think I'd shoot a few more WWB 9mm's. Since I reload, I've forgotten how much real ammo costs. Glad to see you are making some progress.

I don't shoot my small defensive guns more than needed to feel comfortable shooting them.

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Post by Hakaman » Sat Dec 01, 2012 7:53 am

The new ammunition recoiled a bit more, but not enough to be a problem. It's probably tough on the gun too, but I don't think that he'll be plinking much with the LC9, at over a dollar a pop.
Glad to here a different ammo works, as a SD gun needs to be reliable.
One thought, and it was mentioned earlier, maybe after about 400 rds of break-in it will become a little less sensitive.
Haka

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Post by greener » Sat Dec 01, 2012 7:31 pm

Think I'd shoot less expensive ammo for 400 rounds break in.

I've had mine for over a year and may not have 400 rounds through it. I gave up counting bullets fired through small arms a long time ago.

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Post by bgreenea3 » Sun Dec 02, 2012 3:53 am

Kahr used to reccomend putting 250 rounds through their guns to break them in before carrying them. thats probably a good idea with any carry gun to work out the bugs and smooth out the machining marks. hotter ammo like 124gr stuff will work the action more vigorously and help the break in.

you wouldn't wear a brand new pair of boot on a long hike before you wear them around for a while, why would a gun be different?

if its still hiccupping after 250 rounds I would call Ruger and send it in for repair.
"Courage is being scared to death... and saddling up anyway."

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Post by charlesb » Sun Dec 02, 2012 7:04 am

I have plenty of the ball type ammo that jams on the next to the last round. It will be good for plinking, I'll just reload after four rounds most of the time, and that will help break in the gun.

I'll also look for some less expensive HP loads that are not +P to try.

This is the only 9mm in the family, and there won't be enough shots fired through it to justify reloading. Once I settle on a load for it and use up the stuff that didn't make the cut, that's all that it will ever be carried with thereafter.

I like the LC9, it's a great little pocket gun, powerful without being unpleasant or awkward to shoot. Some do not like the safety, but I haven't had any issues with it at all. Bet the loaded chamber indicator only sticks out halfway ( or not at all ) pretty soon though. - I think it would be better if it couldn't be read from ten feet away.

Still loaded or not? That's my little secret - or should be.

Think I'm out but I'm not? - Gee, that's tough.

I'm still practicing pulling the trigger through in a single, smooth motion rather than stacking it up and hesitating before I let it off. This is my first DAO gun and getting used to the trigger is all that I imagined it would be.

greener

Post by greener » Sun Dec 02, 2012 8:38 am

Glad you like it. Overall it seems to be a pretty good small pistol. A little big for me to pocket carry.

The loaded chamber indicator and spring keeps the firing pin retainer in place, so it would be difficult to remove the LCI. I suppose you could file the front bottom down or replace it with something without the bump. I don't like the LCI but it doesn't seem to get caught on anything. I don't find them very valuable because unless I've just verified that the chamber is empty, I assume the gun is loaded. Mine is kept with a round in the chamber, loaded mag in the gun and safety on.

I had a problem with my LC9 getting metal shavings in the firing pin chamber and preventing the firing pin from working. Took two trips to Ruger to fix it. It is something to watch for, but I'll bet that they have fixed that problem.

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Post by Hakaman » Sun Dec 02, 2012 2:49 pm

I had a problem with my LC9 getting metal shavings in the firing pin chamber and preventing the firing pin from working. Took two trips to Ruger to fix it. It is something to watch for, but I'll bet that they have fixed that problem.
It's getting to the point where buying a new hg is like a box of chocolate, 'you never know what you are going to get". I've had to send back 4 of my hg's for various issues. Maybe we ought to have China make them.
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Post by charlesb » Tue Dec 04, 2012 6:52 am

That reminds me of the machinery bargains at Harbor Freight.

The word on the HF machinery is that you are buying a pre-assembled kit, which means that the equipment should be disassembled, inspected and then reassembled with various fixes and clean-ups done here and there, before use.

A good example is the special tool grinder for lathe bits. The HF model is a clone of an $850.00 American grinder. The HF model cost around $250.00 but would be unsatisfactory if you used it as it comes out of the box.

If you disassemble it though, and go over the parts before putting it back together, it will perform as well as the real deal - for a considerable savings.

If that's how its going to be with guns, I want to see a serious price reduction.

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