colorado_handgunner
Member
I bought a Ruger LCP today (walked in to Gander and there it was). With months long waiting lists elsewhere, I could not pass it up, even at $350. I also found 450 rounds of .380 at Walmart, buying out there stock. So, I had a very good day!
After I got it home, I gave my LCP a very thorough cleaning. This is the only semi-auto I have used so far that requires a tool to field strip. You must use a flat-head screwdriver to pry out the takedown pin while partially holding the slide back with your fingers. This requires you to place your fingers over the muzzle (the manual even shows it this way!), something I would never do if I had a choice! The gun comes caked in cosmoline, so plan on a lengthy cleaning (half an hour or more) before going out to the range. While not as bad as disassembling a .22 semi-auto or 1911, it is not fun or easy.
On to the range review.
The first thing I will say is this, watch where you put your hands. I have shot thousands of rounds through semi-autos, and this is the first time I have been "bitten". So be very careful were you put your off-hand. Now I do say where you put, because I cannot imagine shooting this gun one handed. More on this later.
The magazine works well, and is easy to load free handed to capacity, a definite plus. On the downside, the gun only comes with one magazine. The magazine release is easy, but will catch the magazine if you do not hold it down until it drops out entirely. This proves to be very frustrating and could be detrimental in a self defense situation. The slide racks fairly easily (when your hand is not bleeding from a bite), and does not have the factory stiffness that I expected.
The grip is comfortable, with ergonomic impressions for the thumb and trigger finger. However, the width does allow it to slide from side to side for someone with mid-size hands like mine. This tends to effect accuracy, but I'm sure can be controlled with practice. The length of the barrel from the trigger guard is long enough where I am not afraid of shooting my own hand (off hand grip), something I would be concerned with in a Seacamp, Baby Eagle, or Bobcat.
The sights on the gun are different. They are a very low profile, semi circle at the rear and curved point at the barrel. They are usable with practice, but not the best. On the plus side though, they will not snag on clothing. The crimson trace front sight offered for the LCP would be a positive addition to this gun.
The trigger pull is long and hard...very hard. With this being a DAO gun, I expected this, but caught myself anticipating a shot long before it came. Pull through is entirely key here. The trigger is certainly designed to prevent an AD/ND since there is no external safety, a feat I feel it accomplishes very well.
To the actual firing. I expected the recoil to be significant, since the gun is so small and shooting .380 from such a short barrel (9mm short for those not familiar with the round). I expected some kick, but wow. This gun kicks...hard...like a mule...a really teed off mule. Now realize something about the person saying this. I am 6' 190 ponds. I normally shoot .40 out of a XD subcompact with a 2.5" barrel. I am used to recoil more than some people. So when I say it kicks, believe me. The recoil is far from uncontrollable, but it is not pleasant. After 100 rounds in under a hour, my hand and arm were soar. Like I said before, do use a two handed grip. This is really the only option unless you want to be knocking yourself in the head with your own gun. Also, if you are going to purchase this gun for someone, ensure that they can handle the recoil. Remember, a small frame gun is not necessarily right for every person, so have them shoot a similar weapon first. An easily concealed, small gun might as well stayed concealed in your pocket if you can't hit anything with it.
The gun had one failure to eject out of 100 rounds. I prefer to chalk this up to break in and am not overly concerned. The shells do eject very vigorously, so do not allow someone shooting with you to stand next to you. They should be a good 3 feet behind you. Also be wary of low range ceilings and narrow partitions.
As far as accuracy, when I followed through properly and had a good grip, the gun shot dead on point of aim. I only took it out to about 5-7 yards (not certain entirely since the range is not marked for distance) since that is about as far out as one could ever expect to use it. At this distance it put all shots in the body mass of a silhouette target, but I was unsuccessful with head shots. I was also shooting at a good clip, so aiming by sites was not done as much as usual. Overall, I feel the gun's accuracy is dead on for its design and my accuracy with it will improve with practice.
The final design point I will address is concealability. This type of gun is designed with only one purpose, concealed carry. In this I find it succeeds exceptionally. The size allows it to easily slip into the front or rear pocket of a pair of jeans or other pants. With a pocket holster, no one would be able to tell that it was a firearm. I had never really considered concealed carry, but will now apply for my permit once I find out if I am being transferred out of state with my job.
My overall opinion of the LCP is a positive one. It does what it is designed to do, shoots accurately for its range, handles well enough with practice, and is priced within reason. The calliber is acceptable for most defense applications one will encounter on the street, and is much better than a .32 or .22, or a pointy stick. All in all, I would recommend this gun if you are willing to put in the time to become proficient with it. If you just want a gun to drop in your pocket for concealed carry, look elsewhere.
After I got it home, I gave my LCP a very thorough cleaning. This is the only semi-auto I have used so far that requires a tool to field strip. You must use a flat-head screwdriver to pry out the takedown pin while partially holding the slide back with your fingers. This requires you to place your fingers over the muzzle (the manual even shows it this way!), something I would never do if I had a choice! The gun comes caked in cosmoline, so plan on a lengthy cleaning (half an hour or more) before going out to the range. While not as bad as disassembling a .22 semi-auto or 1911, it is not fun or easy.
On to the range review.
The first thing I will say is this, watch where you put your hands. I have shot thousands of rounds through semi-autos, and this is the first time I have been "bitten". So be very careful were you put your off-hand. Now I do say where you put, because I cannot imagine shooting this gun one handed. More on this later.
The magazine works well, and is easy to load free handed to capacity, a definite plus. On the downside, the gun only comes with one magazine. The magazine release is easy, but will catch the magazine if you do not hold it down until it drops out entirely. This proves to be very frustrating and could be detrimental in a self defense situation. The slide racks fairly easily (when your hand is not bleeding from a bite), and does not have the factory stiffness that I expected.
The grip is comfortable, with ergonomic impressions for the thumb and trigger finger. However, the width does allow it to slide from side to side for someone with mid-size hands like mine. This tends to effect accuracy, but I'm sure can be controlled with practice. The length of the barrel from the trigger guard is long enough where I am not afraid of shooting my own hand (off hand grip), something I would be concerned with in a Seacamp, Baby Eagle, or Bobcat.
The sights on the gun are different. They are a very low profile, semi circle at the rear and curved point at the barrel. They are usable with practice, but not the best. On the plus side though, they will not snag on clothing. The crimson trace front sight offered for the LCP would be a positive addition to this gun.
The trigger pull is long and hard...very hard. With this being a DAO gun, I expected this, but caught myself anticipating a shot long before it came. Pull through is entirely key here. The trigger is certainly designed to prevent an AD/ND since there is no external safety, a feat I feel it accomplishes very well.
To the actual firing. I expected the recoil to be significant, since the gun is so small and shooting .380 from such a short barrel (9mm short for those not familiar with the round). I expected some kick, but wow. This gun kicks...hard...like a mule...a really teed off mule. Now realize something about the person saying this. I am 6' 190 ponds. I normally shoot .40 out of a XD subcompact with a 2.5" barrel. I am used to recoil more than some people. So when I say it kicks, believe me. The recoil is far from uncontrollable, but it is not pleasant. After 100 rounds in under a hour, my hand and arm were soar. Like I said before, do use a two handed grip. This is really the only option unless you want to be knocking yourself in the head with your own gun. Also, if you are going to purchase this gun for someone, ensure that they can handle the recoil. Remember, a small frame gun is not necessarily right for every person, so have them shoot a similar weapon first. An easily concealed, small gun might as well stayed concealed in your pocket if you can't hit anything with it.
The gun had one failure to eject out of 100 rounds. I prefer to chalk this up to break in and am not overly concerned. The shells do eject very vigorously, so do not allow someone shooting with you to stand next to you. They should be a good 3 feet behind you. Also be wary of low range ceilings and narrow partitions.
As far as accuracy, when I followed through properly and had a good grip, the gun shot dead on point of aim. I only took it out to about 5-7 yards (not certain entirely since the range is not marked for distance) since that is about as far out as one could ever expect to use it. At this distance it put all shots in the body mass of a silhouette target, but I was unsuccessful with head shots. I was also shooting at a good clip, so aiming by sites was not done as much as usual. Overall, I feel the gun's accuracy is dead on for its design and my accuracy with it will improve with practice.
The final design point I will address is concealability. This type of gun is designed with only one purpose, concealed carry. In this I find it succeeds exceptionally. The size allows it to easily slip into the front or rear pocket of a pair of jeans or other pants. With a pocket holster, no one would be able to tell that it was a firearm. I had never really considered concealed carry, but will now apply for my permit once I find out if I am being transferred out of state with my job.
My overall opinion of the LCP is a positive one. It does what it is designed to do, shoots accurately for its range, handles well enough with practice, and is priced within reason. The calliber is acceptable for most defense applications one will encounter on the street, and is much better than a .32 or .22, or a pointy stick. All in all, I would recommend this gun if you are willing to put in the time to become proficient with it. If you just want a gun to drop in your pocket for concealed carry, look elsewhere.
I have had 0 failures since then. Definitely clean the gun first. I never leave home without the LCP now that I own it even when carrying my Glock which is about 90% of the time.
