Carry ammo for LC9S Question

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Schwing

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I have an LC9s that I love. Unfortunately, mine seems to be one of those that doesn't like hollow points. Now, I have to admit that the only hollow points I have tested are Montana Gold 124 grain JHPS. I typically, however, carry either Hornady Critical defense 124 grain XTPs or 115 Grain FTX bullets which, in my musings, are pretty close in design. I don't remember the OAL but I do remember that was pretty close to the same as well. From other forums, I do see where folks are having problems with many different Hollow points and even the FTX bullets. While I would normally just buy a couple of boxes and run them through it, I still wouldn't trust them as I can go through 50-60 of my hollow points without issues and then suddenly experience a FTF or even multiples.

I have read that this is not uncommon for the LC9s. I do love the gun though and want to make it work. The trigger is fantastic and it is so easy to conceal that I feel the effort will be worth it. I am going to polish the feed ramp and smooth up the mags but I am wondering if anyone has some recommendations for self defense ammo that ISN'T a hollow point. I know the Federal expanding FMJs have a bit of a following but I haven't found any locally and am not sold enough to order online.

Thanks!
 
I'd be very surprised if the Critical Defense didn't work in that gun. I have a CZ in .40 that's very picky with ammo, and it pretty much likes the Hornady CD 100% of the time. I presume this is because of the narrow (and filled) cavity in the hollow point.

I recently bought an earlier series LC9 (with the hammer) new old stock, but I haven't fired it yet. I'm pretty sure I have some 9mm Hornady CD lying around, so I'll try it out. I suppose that you could try those Lehigh Defense rounds that use a different bullet (pure copper CNC formed, I think) to create a hollow point effect, but the projectile is oddly shaped so I don't know how it will run in your gun.
 
I have the LC9s pro and love it. I must have got a good one because, so far, it has ate everything I've fed it. I reload and it has run every load (many different powders/bullets) including hollow points without any problems. I carry Hornady Critical Defense which run super.. PS I've shot over 2K rounds thru the little guy.
 
You could try the Ruger Arx ammo. It's not a hollow point and is purportedly a self defense round. I've personally had no experience with it, nor have I researched it's performance in ballistics gel, just saw some on the shelf at cabelas. I think it is similar to the Lehigh another poster mentioned. Best of luck.
 
I'd try Winchester Ranger "T" Series and Federal HST in the pistol - and if it didn't cycle those, I'd definitely send it back to Ruger.
 
Schwing said:
Now, I have to admit that the only hollow points I have tested are Montana Gold 124 grain JHPS. I typically, however, carry either Hornady Critical defense 124 grain XTPs or 115 Grain FTX bullets which, in my musings, are pretty close in design.
Click to expand...
If I'm reading you right, it sounds like you've never tried shooting your carry loads in your pistol. If this is correct, it's a bad idea. At a minimum, you need to run several magazines worth of that ammo through your pistol to make sure they work together. I know that Hornady ammo isn't cheap, but it's something you need to do. If you're not willing to do that, I recommend that you carry whatever hardball practice ammo you've used that always runs reliably. Reliability trumps bullet effectiveness.
 
Schwing said:
I have an LC9s that I love. Unfortunately, mine seems to be one of those that doesn't like hollow points. Now, I have to admit that the only hollow points I have tested are Montana Gold 124 grain JHPS. I typically, however, carry either Hornady Critical defense 124 grain XTPs or 115 Grain FTX bullets which, in my musings, are pretty close in design. I don't remember the OAL but I do remember that was pretty close to the same as well. From other forums, I do see where folks are having problems with many different Hollow points and even the FTX bullets. While I would normally just buy a couple of boxes and run them through it, I still wouldn't trust them as I can go through 50-60 of my hollow points without issues and then suddenly experience a FTF or even multiples.

I have read that this is not uncommon for the LC9s. I do love the gun though and want to make it work. The trigger is fantastic and it is so easy to conceal that I feel the effort will be worth it. I am going to polish the feed ramp and smooth up the mags but I am wondering if anyone has some recommendations for self defense ammo that ISN'T a hollow point. I know the Federal expanding FMJs have a bit of a following but I haven't found any locally and am not sold enough to order online.

Thanks!
Click to expand...

It will feed Remington HTP 115gr JHPs product code RTP9MM1.
 
revchuck said:
If I'm reading you right, it sounds like you've never tried shooting your carry loads in your pistol. If this is correct, it's a bad idea. At a minimum, you need to run several magazines worth of that ammo through your pistol to make sure they work together. I know that Hornady ammo isn't cheap, but it's something you need to do. If you're not willing to do that, I recommend that you carry whatever hardball practice ammo you've used that always runs reliably. Reliability trumps bullet effectiveness.
Click to expand...

I do agree that you REALLY need to test your carry ammo. Normally, I do that after I have a few hundred rounds of cheap stuff in it for a break in period. As Jim said earlier, it is entirely possible that my critical defense will be fine. I just hate to waste the ammo before working out the kinks... Maybe there really aren't any. I'm WAY too cheap to practice regularly with my defense rounds so, as a range toy, I do have many other options besides those Montana gold hollow points.

I polished the feed ramp this weekend and am hoping that is all that will be needed. From what I have read here and on other forums, many folks have great luck with that. There is enough friction from the bullet noses on the feed ramp (prior to polishing) that it was leaving big streaks of copper on the ramp. I will test it out this week and hope for the best.

I do appreciate all of the responses. Some of those ammo types were pretty new to me. I picked critical defense a long time ago and have not really researched anything else until now. Thanks guys!
 
SteadyD said:
You could try the Ruger Arx ammo. It's not a hollow point and is purportedly a self defense round. I've personally had no experience with it, nor have I researched it's performance in ballistics gel, just saw some on the shelf at cabelas. I think it is similar to the Lehigh another poster mentioned. Best of luck.
Click to expand...

Last week shot a box of ARX Plus P and my LC9S loves it. Accurate and as reported the PLUS P has about a 15-20 percent felt recoil.

*note, I have been shooting LC9's since they first came out. Now have owned the LC9S and it enjoys all ammo hollow point etc.
 
Schwing,
I wouldn't make assumptions based on what people are posting on forums. FWIW, I have the LC9S Pro and it's fed everything I've tried. It doesn't mean yours will or won't, only that you need to test yours. HST is reasonable as far as cost goes and is an excellent SD choice. I'd recommend starting there.
Tom
 
I sort of dropped the ball on this for a couple of weeks but I finally had a chance to polish up the feed ramp and took it back to the range yesterday. I ran about 50 of my hollow points through it without issues. I then fed through several magazines of the critical defense without any problems. I went back and forth after that shooting about 50 or so more with no problems.

When I took it home and cleaned it, those same streaks of copper that fouled up the feed ramp before were not present. I believe that some of the tool marks on the feed ramp were scraping the tips of the bullets. When enough built up on the feed ramp I am pretty sure that is what was causing the issue. I'm not quite ready to call it good and carry it yet but I think if I can duplicate that same test again, I will be confident enough to call it good.
 
TomJ said:
Schwing,
I wouldn't make assumptions based on what people are posting on forums. FWIW, I have the LC9S Pro and it's fed everything I've tried. It doesn't mean yours will or won't, only that you need to test yours. HST is reasonable as far as cost goes and is an excellent SD choice. I'd recommend starting there.
Tom
Click to expand...

One can only post what shoots well in his particular gun. In the course of what? about 10 years of shooting thousands of rounds through Two LC9's since they first came out mine, have shot any ammo I have put through them. And I have shot a lot of different brands of ammo, FMJ, Hollow points etc. But you are 100% correct that Your gun may very well be different. I feel after reading so many post of LC9 owners that there are more problems with Later productions of the LC9S. The early Productions of the LC9S experiencing very few problems if any.
And just because HST is rated very good in testing for ballistics does not mean that it will be accurate in your particular firearm. Mine shoots it with no problems, but accuracy is one of the worst. I do not shoot it any longer in the LC9S. Your gun may shoot it very accurately and it is up to you to perform due diligence in finding out what is the best. Shoot a lot of ammo and shoot often. It will run into some money,but that comes with the territory.
Also keep shooting your defense ammo on a regular basis. It would not be the first time a Ammo manufacturer switched to a different powder.
 
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Shooting expensive carry ammo to test the weapon is a hit in the pocketbook, however since this is a form of life insurance it is worth it to find what ammo it likes. I task mine as a self defense weapon which if ever used will be at close range so my accuracy requirement isn't as stringent as a target/range gun.
 
I own two lc9s.

The answer for me is: fiochi shooting dynamics 124 grain hollowpoints.

Dont get the fiochi xtp, it has to be shooting dynamics. This ammo solved all feed problems in all my small guns, eeven my p938
 
I have tried the following brands of JHP ammo with 100% reliability through my LC9S Pro:
- Federal HST 124gr P9HST1
- Remington/UMC 9mm 100 Round "Value Pack", 115gr L9MM1B
- Fiocchi 115gr 9APHP

My carry ammo is the 124gr HST. That being said, I wouldn't feel undergunned carrying either of the two other rounds.
 
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