Ruger LCP out-of battery

[GreenTN]

I just noticed how easy it is to cause my LCP to go "out-of-battery"...
With a round in the chamber...and a full magazine...pull the slide back a little and it remains out-of-battery...this is going to be pocket carry so maybe a little training to verify the gun is ..."ready to fire"... is required.
I think a simple tap on the rear of the slide with the thumb, when ready to fire, may be a required skill set in order to carry this gun...
serial number is 372-####

 

[rcmodel]

Maybe a little grease on the slide rails & barrel cam too.

Sounds like something is dry.

Anyway, pocket carry should only be done in a pocket holster.
And the slide can't get pushed back in one of them.

rc

 

[dairycreek]

Read your post with interest as I have an LCP that I often pocket carry. Tried to do what you said happened and I could not duplicate your experience at all. Pulled the slide back a bit and when released it popped back in place witn no trouble. You might call Ruger and check with them. My LCP was one that was recalled and I found the folks at Ruger easy to work with.

 

[Shear_stress]

This is true of some semi-autos. It can take a bit of force to close the slide on some guns when it's under the spring tension from a loaded magazine and the resistance of a chambered round.

 

[Girodin]

Anyway, pocket carry should only be done in a pocket holster.
And the slide can't get pushed back in one of them.

+1 That was my first thought.

 

[GreenTN]

I would like to submit a correction to the post...the gun must be loaded with a magazine...load a cartridge...pull the slide back until the gun is just out of battery...release...

that is when it remains out of battery...is that normal with your LCP?

 

[Ohio Rusty]

That doesn't sound right at all. Sounds like the slide is catching on something. Maybe there is a burr or a manufacturing crumb stuck in the gun. When you pull the slide back, and it goes forward picking up the round with a full magazine, it should seat right where it is supposed to.
My KelTec P3AT has never done that whether the magazine is full or partially full. Make sure you are pulling the slide all the way back when you release it. That is what happens when a round is fired, so you should do the same. If the slide still doesn't seat completely and is ready to fire, I'd call ruger about it .... Your CLP should be ready to fire at all times without fail. Take it all apart and give it a real good and close visual inspection, cleaning and oiling.
Ohio Rusty ><>

 

[Badger Arms]

Try shooting it 200 times first, cleaning, and lubing the slide rails. Then if you have problems, sell the gun. You're not going to be happy with it ever. All guns have a minimum of 200-round break-in. If you haven't shot it that much, it's still going to be rough. Everything needs to be worked and settled in. Just like a new car engine.

 

[jocko]

It should not happen, if it is new, it needs rounds down range to break in more and also sounds dry as hell tome. You might also try heavier recoil springs sold by wolffs gunsprings, for the kt380. Try the 13# springs they work super in the lcp and factory lcp is 93 so 13# will certainly return to battery better IMO.

Probably just needs more rounds down range IMO. Course finding 380 ammo is another thing..

Grease the rails up and then just sit there and rack the slide about 500 times as fast as u can, this will help break in without the bang thing also.

 

[m2steven]

My LCP will do this. I just attribute it to the gun being tight. It doesn't have the problem unless I cause it to do so my checking the chamber, etc. I've never had it do it on it's own in nor out of my pocket.

 

[GreenTN]

copy on breaking the gun in...Ive got 100 rounds of reloads I need to send somewhere...but youre right...I wont be happy with it...No other semi does this (I checked) but they all have been thru their break-in too...

We'll see...

 

[CPshooter]

Mine doesn't do this. Hope yours works out for you...

 

[GreenTN]

response from Ruger...they responded in less than a day...
Response:
"There is nothing to keep the slide from pushing back on the LCP. There is no manual safety to lock the slide in place and prevent this. The only thing keeping the slide forward are the recoil springs. The recoil springs are approximately 9 pounds so it does not take much to knock the slide out of battery. With a cartridge in the chamber ,the drag from the round will keep the slide back slightly and out of battery. This is a common occurrence with pistols of this type. As the pistol is broken in from firing, the issue may decrease."

 

[GunNut]

Make sure you put at least a couple hundred rounds through it to break it in and the problem should go away.

 

[SwampWolf]

Everything needs to be worked and settled in. Just like a new car engine.

New car engines might need to be "broken in" in order to get the maximum life out of them-but they all will run without a break-in. New guns should not have to be broken in to get them to run; many, many manufacturers (Glock, Smith & Wesson, HK, SIG to name a few) make guns that require no "break-in" to run "out of the box." Of course, it should go without saying that any pistol should be fired a sufficient number of times (200, 500; who knows?) to establish its reliability because nothing is perfect.

Guns aside, how many products of any other genre need to be broken-in before they will run? Motor bikes, lawn mowers, outboard motors, sewing machines and automobiles are all products requiring close tolerances and precision assembly that are expected to run from the get-go. It's only when you get to a few gun makers that you encounter excuses for products that may not run right until they're "broken-in". Those who choose to buy into that kind of marketing nonsense are, of course, free to do so. I call them enablers of merchandisers who foist unfinished products on a gullible buying public that apparently is ok with buying a "new" product that needs to be used before it runs right.

 

[hunter25]

Just posted this on another forum but my LCP has about a 40% failure to feed rate.(slide partially back with a tap to fix it). 200 rounds fired since new. 1 trip back to Ruger and now today heavier springs. Others have said wait till 500 rounds break in. This is the only pistol no matter what size that I have ever owned that is not 100% out of the box.

Message in to Ruger again waiting for response.

 

[1KPerDay]

mine does this (see the above) if I GENTLY release the slide after retracting it slightly... but I keep it in a pocket holster and have had no issues. It has never had a FTF or any other malf that wasn't related to the finger extension baseplates (mags come out for me sometimes with those baseplates; I've since replaced all baseplates with flat and have had no issues).

 

[GLOOB]

Others have said wait till 500 rounds

How much $$$ will 500 rounds of .380 set you back? That's a terrible thought. Esp considering the LCP isn't exactly my first choice for a range gun or a plinker.
If anything, this is the kind of gun that should work right out of the box, and heck if it even lasts 500 rounds.

Maybe the ammo makes a difference. I can easily feel the increased drag when loading aluminum cartridges. I've never fired a lacquer/polymer coated steel cartridge, before. Maybe those would be better?

 

[chestnut ridge]

I have seen a LCP that would not fully chamber some Remington
HP ammo. The owner noticed that the bullet had evidence of being
forced into the rifling. He thought the chamber was cut with not
enough free bore. He took a wooden dowel and shaped it to the
bullet diameter; charged it with lapping compound; and used a drill
to lap out enough rifling to allow the cartridge to fully seat.
He told me it runs fine now.

 

[earlthegoat2]

Just like Benelli shotguns if they are jarred to hard onto the ground. Bolt comes back a wee bit and stays out of battery.

 

[herkyguy]

I have not had this problem with my LCP. To date, I have only fired FMJ. I attempted to duplicate this problem with no success. I like my LCP, but from threads on various forums, it does appear that some LCPs present more problems than others. Mine has proven reliable and I am thankful for that.

 

[spoon]

Why would you try to open or pull the slide back and then let it side forward and think it would go all the way closed ? If you look from the right side there is an opening to see if a round is in the chamber or not. And if you ride your slide back any time on an auto most of the time it will not close fully. That is the reason you have a slide release, or some people slingshot the slide.

 

[spoon]

I agree with the swampwolf. A gun only has a small hand full of part to fit together, where as a car, lawn mowers and such need 10 time that amount. I understand , or the way I was raised, when you buy a new gun, clean it up good, and oil it. Take it to the range. After one or two mags at the most -- if it doesn't work it goes back. I forgot to say read the manual and use some common sense.

 

[Sulaco]

I just bought a new LCP a few weeks ago. When I release the slide (by pulling back and letting it go) on a round in the top of a full magazine, it fails to go in to battery and I always have to tap the slide to get it to close fully. I have 87 rounds through mine. This is using Gold Dot hollowpoints, by the way. I use FP-10 lubricant which works very well with all of my other guns. I might disassemble, make sure nothing is getting hung up and check how smooth the feed ramp looks to be. Otherwise, I just plan to shoot it some more and see what happens.

 

[The Lone Haranguer]

Maybe a little grease on the slide rails & barrel cam too.

Sounds like something is dry.

Anyway, pocket carry should only be done in a pocket holster.
And the slide can't get pushed back in one of them.

Agreed. As well, when you retract the slide a little you don't have the full travel (which there isn't much of to start with) or spring pressure to return it. How does it shoot?