Recently registered, but have been reading forum for a while. Some comments on my experience with LC9 reliabilty. Purchased new Ruger LC9 SN# 320xxxxx in mid October. With apx 150 rounds fired the extractor failed with pieces falling out of the gun. Since it had been less than a week since purchase; took gun back to seller who then forwarded it Ruger. Ruger repaired gun and returned it to me. Since I had planned to use the LC9 as my CCW weapon, my confidence in the gun was badly damaged. Decided to get something else that being a Kahr CW9. That gun has functioned perfectly for some 400 rounds. Have only had LC9 out 2 or 3 times to shoot since repair. While shooting the LC9 recently the gun started exhibiting the light firing pin strike syndrome. Called Ruger and was told " yeah, we had a bad batch of the LC9". Ruger sent me a new slide at no charge, requesting I return the old unit to them in a pre-paid mailer the supplied. Must say Ruger service has been good but the LC9 appears to not be ready for prime-time.
Recent LC9 history
- Thread starter gpaw99
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jimbo555
Member
Have over 600rounds thru my lc9 without a problem,eats everything I feed it.
jimbo555
Member
I would like to see a pic of the broken extractor please.And what ammo was used?
Mine is great, other than a wobble in the trigger. It was designed that way, to prevent the trigger fom siezing against the farme, I spoke to a gunsmith at Ruger.The guns get hot after shoting a lot. The frame expands and will lock up the trigger, He eased my mind. It works for me. I am not crazy about the trigger, but like anything else you get used to it. The gun never had an issue, and it pocket carries well.
No pics of the extractor problem that occured in Oct 2011. Recieved replacement slide from Ruger to cure the firing pin light strike problem. On old slide the firing pin was so far recessed in slide it couldnt be seen. New slide the end of the firing pin is visible when looking down the channel, it does not protrude. Also, the machining work looks much less coby as compared to old slide. Took LC9 to range this morning, shot apx 140 rounds of ammo. This included Speer HP, Rem FMJ and Win HP. All went well no failures of any kind. One interesting thing, when cleaning gun after shooting with old slide there would be a significant amount of fine brass shavings in the gun. The new slide does not seem to have this problem.
New slide also has staked front sight. Have to say again, that Ruger has been very responsive in fixing the problems I have had with my LC9.
New slide also has staked front sight. Have to say again, that Ruger has been very responsive in fixing the problems I have had with my LC9.
wmurphy
Member
Ruger???
I had an LC9 with the same light strike problem, and figured out it was the brass shavings causing the problem. Sent it back to Ruger twice, "unable to duplicate the problem", they pointed at bad ammo. Sold the gun. Have since run into several others with the same issue, but could never get Ruger to fess up to the problem. Been a very loyal Ruger customer for many years. But have seen numerous problems since they got into the poly-gun business.
I had an LC9 with the same light strike problem, and figured out it was the brass shavings causing the problem. Sent it back to Ruger twice, "unable to duplicate the problem", they pointed at bad ammo. Sold the gun. Have since run into several others with the same issue, but could never get Ruger to fess up to the problem. Been a very loyal Ruger customer for many years. But have seen numerous problems since they got into the poly-gun business.
WardenWolf
member
The problem with the LC9 is that it's a .380 gun scaled up to 9mm. The design simply can't handle the forces of the more powerful round, despite being larger and with reinforced parts.
murphys_law
Member
Isn't a 9mm a scaled up. 380? I Think it is like any gun and the bugs will get worked out. Its new and needs some testing and refinement.
I think like with most new models you need to wait a while before buying one. I decided that now was about the right time, after several changes have been made. As far as the gun being a 380 that has been scaled up to a 9mm. I doubt that. It is not the same as an lcp at all. I had an lcp. Now you may say a Glock 23 and a Glock 19 share the same frame as well, as most guns that come in assorted calibers, but the frame on the LC9 is not the same as the lcp,"if that is the gun you are reffering to". There are many small high powered guns, and they all have their critics, I have had problems with Kahrs and Keltecs, you may not, so it's more the individual gun. After hundreds of guns in 40 years, you can buy 6 and 3 will work perfect, 2 may be hit and miss and one may be a dog.
Unless you are buying a gun that has been around for 10 years,or costs a thousand dollars, it is probablly the case with most high caliber pocket pistols. My EMP even had feeding issues until I polished it, and that gun is $1200.00, so it just happens to be a machine and machines break or malfunction all the time. Honestlly a Glock is probablly the best gun out of the box that you can buy. Not fancy but very few have problems. I have owned 7, and none of them were anything but reliable. On the other hand how many times have we been told that a 1500 dollar Kimber was a bomb. It's subjective. There is no hard evidence, that any gun is really worse than any other.Too many variables. I may like a gun that you don't, it dosen't mean that my way is better than yours, your gun may work better for you than me. It's why they make so many, so we have a variety to choose which one we like and which we don't care for. And trends come and go, a few years ago everyone wanted a 340pd S&W, there were clubs and forums just on that carry gun. Now you don't hear much about them, many went to 380's and now mini 9's, next year it will be something else, they have to keep us buying something.
Watch it become handgun of the year again, like the LCP, a 380 was handgun of the year.
If I put 200 rounds into the black at 25 feet, the gun works. No one else needs like it, if not I sell it and get something else. Nothin fancy loved it, Hickock also thought it was a great little gun, so who am I to argue.We can pull any of them apart if we choose to.
Unless you are buying a gun that has been around for 10 years,or costs a thousand dollars, it is probablly the case with most high caliber pocket pistols. My EMP even had feeding issues until I polished it, and that gun is $1200.00, so it just happens to be a machine and machines break or malfunction all the time. Honestlly a Glock is probablly the best gun out of the box that you can buy. Not fancy but very few have problems. I have owned 7, and none of them were anything but reliable. On the other hand how many times have we been told that a 1500 dollar Kimber was a bomb. It's subjective. There is no hard evidence, that any gun is really worse than any other.Too many variables. I may like a gun that you don't, it dosen't mean that my way is better than yours, your gun may work better for you than me. It's why they make so many, so we have a variety to choose which one we like and which we don't care for. And trends come and go, a few years ago everyone wanted a 340pd S&W, there were clubs and forums just on that carry gun. Now you don't hear much about them, many went to 380's and now mini 9's, next year it will be something else, they have to keep us buying something.
Watch it become handgun of the year again, like the LCP, a 380 was handgun of the year.
If I put 200 rounds into the black at 25 feet, the gun works. No one else needs like it, if not I sell it and get something else. Nothin fancy loved it, Hickock also thought it was a great little gun, so who am I to argue.We can pull any of them apart if we choose to.
Did not purchase the LC9 as a range gun but to be my CCW weapon. I recognize the LC9 was never intended to be a high usage gun. Even so, the LC9 must be made to function reliably, so that one can have confidence that it will fulfill its designed roll. I have an M&P pro 9mm for a range; have fun gun. The failures I've experienced with the LC9 do not have to do with the so called "plastic" structures, but with the metal ones. Just for general info, this is not my first Ruger. I have a Blackhawk in 44 magnum and a late model Mini 14. It was my prior good experience with those guns that led me to buy the LC9.
That' s fine we just differ in our opinions, I carry it as a backup all day everyday. So do several people I know. Each to his own, My experience with it apparantlly was different than yours, mine has been flawless with HP and FMJ ammo, therfore I have no reason to not carry it in a defensive role.
I have had no such failures, as I mentioned, should that happen I would sell the gun, or attempt to have my gunsmith fix the problem.
As Jimbo and I have had a better experience with the weapon, we have a different opinion, that's life.
One more thing before I sign off, the old slides, prior to the staked site, did have problems, mine is the new slide. Thus the wait until the weapon had more time to get the kinks out. In my 55 years of shooting, I started at 9-10, there have been many firearms that absolutelly sucked when they were first released, "some are quite famous and reliable now", that's just the gun industry, like cars, you never buy the first year. No hard feelings, you pick stuff up as you get too old to use some of it. Look at the new keltek guns, most started out with horrible problems, so bad the stopped production.
After a year or two they get us to beta test them ,and fix the problems.
I have had no such failures, as I mentioned, should that happen I would sell the gun, or attempt to have my gunsmith fix the problem.
As Jimbo and I have had a better experience with the weapon, we have a different opinion, that's life.
One more thing before I sign off, the old slides, prior to the staked site, did have problems, mine is the new slide. Thus the wait until the weapon had more time to get the kinks out. In my 55 years of shooting, I started at 9-10, there have been many firearms that absolutelly sucked when they were first released, "some are quite famous and reliable now", that's just the gun industry, like cars, you never buy the first year. No hard feelings, you pick stuff up as you get too old to use some of it. Look at the new keltek guns, most started out with horrible problems, so bad the stopped production.
After a year or two they get us to beta test them ,and fix the problems.
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jimbo555
Member
I think Colt has the kinks worked out of them single action army's!
Shot my lc9 today, at 25to 75 feet it cut out near the center of the 100 yard rifle sight in target. I easily hit all 4 corners, with just the laserlight laser. It was so on target that I never used the sights. Just the laser. Looking at the target with the store owner at vero beach gun range, he said yes, I have one, and they are fantastic little guns. I told him many people question them on my forum, he said, they are the best little guns out there now, and we can't keep them in stock, also echoed by the port St Lucie, GS, where I bought mine, both salesmen carried them as backup guns.And mine was the last one in the store, after trying 4 gun stores, Including The one on PGA BLVD, they all had shields and sigs, not one had the lc9 in stock, all were sold out. It took me a week of calling to get one in FL. Including shoot straight and the other monster store off of PGA blvd. 4 weeks ago, I also called Gunslinger, going silent, and a dozen more before I could get one. they are great little guns. All laser, shooting fast.
This was the first time I spen a good deal of time setting the laser sight at home, using 35 feet as my target length, from my family room to the door knob on the back of my front door.
I think this is great for using a laser only. anyone breaking in would have been done for, I started at 25 feet and went to 75 feet, shooting at least 1 round every 2 seconds.
This was the first time, since I reset the laser, I imagine with practice I won't get flyers as I did, and get more accurate with more rounds, I also shot with my off hand about 1 mag, just to simulate not having use of it in an emergency, still hit ok. My faith in lasers has been restored. I did raise the gun to eye level just to see if it was dead on, and it was as close as I can get it. With a shorter trigger pull it would have been dead on.
This was the first time I spen a good deal of time setting the laser sight at home, using 35 feet as my target length, from my family room to the door knob on the back of my front door.
I think this is great for using a laser only. anyone breaking in would have been done for, I started at 25 feet and went to 75 feet, shooting at least 1 round every 2 seconds.
This was the first time, since I reset the laser, I imagine with practice I won't get flyers as I did, and get more accurate with more rounds, I also shot with my off hand about 1 mag, just to simulate not having use of it in an emergency, still hit ok. My faith in lasers has been restored. I did raise the gun to eye level just to see if it was dead on, and it was as close as I can get it. With a shorter trigger pull it would have been dead on.
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