Ruger LCP upgrades

I only added a Hogue grip sleeve. It is still not exactly pleasant to shoot, but it is a definite improvement. In addition, I added a Crimson Trace laser to counter the small sights, and it is now quite accurate even at some decent distances.

.380, it is what it is. It's tough to make a gun that small, in a viable caliber, that isn't going to be rappy.
Like you, I've gone back to the original LCP (the IIs were finger chewers for me).
I shoot mine enough for familiarity, but it just isn't a fun range gun.
I've left mine bone stock. Mine has a steel guide rod, and changing the recoil spring may well affect function.
Moon

+1 on Hogue grips, they really help. +1 on it’s not a range gun. Sight it in, establish reliability, practice regularly.
If you are in a real S/D you will not even feel recoil.
Clean gun, replace springs if over 500 rounds thru her. Find a SD round that functions 100%.
To mitigate felt recoil wear a shooting glove, good eye and ear protection, and don’t shoot to fatigue.

Good advice here ^^^^^
I hesitate to add things that make a tiny gun less tiny, but resort to that if you must.
A bike glove for practice makes sense.
As regards rounds fired, recall the old ElsiePea forum where guys claimed to have put 5k rounds (or more) thru' the gun. Bad idea.
Moon

They are tolerable to shoot a few magazines through. That's good enough. There is not much of a manual of arms to practice: just draw, aim, shoot.

I carry an LCPII sometimes. It's finally occurring to me that I should snap up a 22lr version if and when I run across a nice used one. It would be good for cheap and easy-on-the-hand practice.

tactikel said:

+1 on Hogue grips, they really help. +1 on it’s not a range gun. Sight it in, establish reliability, practice regularly.
If you are in a real S/D you will not even feel recoil.
Clean gun, replace springs if over 500 rounds thru her. Find a SD round that functions 100%.
To mitigate felt recoil wear a shooting glove, good eye and ear protection, and don’t shoot to fatigue.

Click to expand...

I guess I am the opposite. I tried a rubber sleeve on it and took it off on the first range trip with the Hogue sleeve.

To me, it made the gun stick to the hand better (which I usually like), but I felt MORE felt recoil.

Without the rubber grip, the strange shaped grip moves a little more in your hand when under recoil, and I felt less recoil in the web of my hand.

I carry and shoot my LCP regularly. It's a bit snappy but that's to be expected for its a small stature and weight. It's highly concealable and has some punch for its intended purpose.

I stippled the grip on mine, and that helped a lot while shooting it. Stopped the squirming around it wanted to do before it was done.

I never thought the recoil was bad with them. They shoot pretty much like any of the other guns of their type. I dont know that I would start messing with the springs and such. These types of guns are usually riding the edge on engineering/function as it is, I wouldnt want to do anything that might cause reliability issues with it. Especially for something thats likely a last ditch gun you want to work.

My only real complaint with my LCP was rust. The finish they use just sucks. It would rust just looking at it.

For me, shooting the LCP is like doing squats, I hate squat day but I know it's something I have to do. I carry a LCP Custom everywhere I go, even if I'm carrying something bigger. The LCP Custom is the one with the red aluminum trigger and the taller sights. I bought the custom specifically for the aluminum trigger and the taller sights. I consider the LCP a close range, option of last resort so I don't see much need in modifying it or shooting a lot of rounds through it. Just suck it up, shoot it enough to know it's functional and call it a day.

Best bet would be have the slide bead blasted, and have it hard chromed, and/or maybe one of the paints popular these days over it, if you don't like the matte chrome look. .

.380

I'm starting to get some rust on the slide serrations. Any clue how to stop this?

Click to expand...

Had my Beretta Model 70S hard chrome plated over 30 years ago. It has seen constant use indoors and outdoors for all this time, yet still looks as good as the day I got it back from being plated!

I would give Ron Mahovsky a call (mahovskysmetalife.business.site.) to get a price on doing your LCP slide.

halfmoonclip said:

As regards rounds fired, recall the old ElsiePea forum where guys claimed to have put 5k rounds (or more) thru' the gun. Bad idea.
Moon

Click to expand...

Been carrying and shooting my LCP 1 for over 6 years now, and have well above that round count through mine. I had to replace the polymer frame and trigger at certain points when they started to develop hairline cracks... and it feels like the takedown pin head is always shearing off... but otherwise not a big deal. Nothing that outright disabled the gun at the range. The primary metal parts are all perfectly fine still, apart from honest finish wear. In short, you don't have to baby this gun as much as some people think... it can handle shooting.

.380 said:

I'm starting to get some rust on the slide serrations. Any clue how to stop this?

Click to expand...

i get mine all sweaty on a regular basis. i covered the slide (and all metal parts) with wd40 and call the rust "patina".

luck,

murf

.380 said:

I'm starting to get some rust on the slide serrations. Any clue how to stop this?

Click to expand...

for an inexpensive handgun, I start w an inexpensive solution.

applying a paste wax has worked well for me on EDC guns that get sweated on. I have an old can of Johnson’s Paste Wax (not sure if it’s still available), but carnauba wax or Renaissance wax works, too. I field strip, clean metal parts thoroughly, heat to about 125-150 degrees in a toaster oven, then apply wax. Buff all the parts after cooled, and reassemble.

if the inexpensive solution doesn’t fix it, you can always spend more money for permanent coatings.

Perfect summer pocket carry gun. I put a snap on laser, lasermax.
It's really great with the laser at home at night on the nightstand.
I use FMJ flat nose and never have had any problems.

.380 said:

I'm sorry if this is elsewhere, I couldn't find it. I have a second generation LCP (not an LCP II, non-dash LCP) and I really love the gun, but being so small it's very snappy when shooting. I was reading about swapping to a steel guide rod, and replacing the 9lb spring with a 13lb. Has anyone else done this? I'm curious how much recoil it actually mitigates, and how hard it is to rack afterwards, though I keep it chambed all the time anyway.

Click to expand...

Back in 2011, when I bought a LCP, I fired it a few times and started researching. I then went to Galloway Precision and ordered a Sweet Pea Trigger, a stainless steel guide rod, spring kit and some Maguts 7 round magazine conversions. A little while later I put a Hogue wraparound grip on it. I still love shooting that little gun immensely even though I don't carry it much anymore.

Carry mine every day. Had a gen 1 from when they first came out, Keltek P3AT before that. Swapped it for this gen "1.5" or "improved" or whatever they called it before the gen 2's when they first came out. Only mod is a belt clip and Ruger +1 floor plates on the mags. I shoot cheap FMJ bullets for range practice but carry Hornady Critical Defense otherwise. Occasionally will shoot through the carry mag to force me to rotate the ammo and verify function. Field strip and clean it ever other week or so. I did go with one that has a stainless slide so rust hasn't been a problem even here in Tennessee. Even did a BUG IDPA shoot with it. So far, 100% function and ya, beats the hell out of my hand. I just see no need to mod it further though. The trade off for it's concealability is the fact it is not a "fun" gun to shoot.