Honest Ruger LCP Review

[bob kk]

Don't think mine kicks bad. Had a Walther PPKS and it hurt after a few shots.
Only fired mine about 100 times no trouble out of it. Sights are small but
they work. Most accurate 380 that I've ever shot is a Colt Government Model.
Can't find any 380 ammo. Shot some that I loaded.

Only thing I don't like about the LCP is it makes my trigger finger sore.

 

[BoneDigger]

I agree about the trigger finger getting sore.

As far as recoil... It really isn't that bad. The biggest issue is that the gun has a thin profile, which puts much of the recoil in a very small area. So, it tends to get the hand sore. But, the recail itself, although snappy, really isn't that bad.

Todd

 

[ATAShooter]

Bought on of these today. Looking foreward to shooting it. Can't find ammo. Maybe someday I'll get to see how it does.

 

[jon_in_wv]

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.

I'm not sure what this means. A semi-circle at the rear? The rear sight is a normal low profile notch and the front is a low profile post. Your description doesn't sound very accurate. I do agree that the laser may be an option on this gun. The sights are very low profile. I paint the front sight yellow and I paint the area under the rear notch. You just put one square on top of the other and it works fine.

 

[mopar92]

So, this would not be a good compact to get my wife. She loves her full size 9mm Glock, but it's clunky in some purses.... Sounds like it's recoil is not what she is going to enjoy shooting...

 

[SalchaketJoe]

one handed is the only way I have fired my LCP! I figure with a pistol like that, that is how you are going to be using it in a pinch. Mine shoots fine,no malfunctions of any kind. Fire Blazer FMJs and Buffalo Bore 100 grain cast lead. Can tell the difference but the BB isnt that bad.

Trigger finger did get sore. But this isnt a gun I am going to wear out either. Few mags a month to stay proficient.

 

[SwampWolf]

But this isnt a gun I am going to wear out either. Few mags a month to stay proficient.

I guess you'll never wear a gun out that you can't shoot because you can't find ammo for it...

 

[wally]

I shot my LCP for the first time today. It was 100% out of the box, all I did was clean and lube with Brian Enos' "Slide Glide" before taking it out to shoot.

It did something my P3AT has never been able to do -- fire 50 rounds of Wolf steel case FMJ without an extraction failure! Ran a box of the hot 95gr JSP Santa Barbara Spanish surplus, no issues either (my P3AT loves this stuff too!).

I think the LCP is a winner! My only complaint is the sights on the P3AT bad as they are, work better than what is on the LCP. With the best sight alignment I could muster my LCP seemed to be about 4" low, but once I figured this out had no trouble knocking down 8" steel plates at 10 yards or the bowling pin shaped plates, the mini poppers gave me a lot of trouble as the sight picture for these was air above the target

--wally.

 

[BADUNAME37]

I have an LCP and it has fired every time I have pulled the trigger (over 100 times, I would estimate).

I have worked up a nice load of Meister 92g lead round nose bullets under Red Dot powder. Now to find more brass.

I have a total of four OEM Magazines for it, and I changed the floorplates in all four magazines to the extended ones offered by Ruger. They were sold two to a package (two packages).

Before the mag extension, I had two fingers on the front grip (excluding trigger). With the extension, I have two and a half fingers on the gun. That little bit makes a big difference without making the gun print any more

I carry mine in a Mika Pocket holster and have carried it most days for about six months or more (other days I carry my 642). Lint is really at a minimum with the Mika Holster. My Crimson Trace even stays clean on the end where the unit emits light.

I have not had to ever place any part of my body over the end of the muzzle to take it down, and I do use a case rim to pull the pin sufficiently to grab it with a fingernail, with the gun and chamber empty and the slide pulled rearward about 1/8". If you tilt the slide a bit to the right, you will find that that pin comes out easier.

 

[bestseller92]

The LCP is on my list of guns I'm considering buying in the near future. On the internet auction sites they're going for less than three bills.

 

[herkyguy]

250+ rounds through mine to date with no failures of any kind. I carry with the crossbreed microclip. very comfortable. It is true my trigger finger gets sore, but that was only after 100 rounds in one day. Fire off a magazine or two every few months and you will remain proficient at short distances, which is what the gun is needed for anyways.

Almost impossible to notice concealed.

 

[Rollis R. Karvellis]

Played with one once was able to hit an 8'' plate at 30 yards +/- two or three times with it. Alot more luck then skill. Seem's like a good pistol.

 

[mustang_steve]

My SCCY is the same way, not unexpected since it's a P11 clone.

The recoil on all the Kel-tec "concealables" are pretty intense. To me they are about right for their balance and size. Keep in mind there's less weight to offer resistance against the recoil, so your hands/wrists take the brunt of it. My hand still has the bruises from Tuesday's 80-rd session, where the back of the pistol kept slamming into my index knuckle and base joint for my thumb.

The current gen of ultra-compact, ultra-lights should be expected to be carry queens and not range kings. Get used to it, then pocket it.

 

[RevDerb]

I usually take my LCP out at the range each time I go and today was no exception. I have a 10 round magazine for it and usually just empty one on target. That's what I did again today. I think I have about 100 rounds through it to date - not a large amount but it has never failed to fire or eject. I am in a number of situations where even a hint of a gun would be unwise so the LCP has been a very welcome addition to my collection. I often drop it into my pocket as a BUG even when my EDC is with me. This is my second LCP and you can be sure that I will not let it get away like I did my first. I got a bug to buy something else so I sold it. The recoil is sharp but certainly manageable. My trigger finger does take a bit of a beating - that's why I limit the number of rounds at the range to just enough to make sure that I can be effective with it if and when I need to be. I do have some additional sighting in work to do with the Crimson Trace Lasergrip. I am very pleased with my LCP.

 

[Rodentman]

Well, of course recoil is highly subjective. I don't consider the LCP a range gun, but neither do I find the recoil punishing or outrageous. Maybe that's because I am used to firing a 329NG with stout mags. That isn't punishing either but requires attention and focus. I usually don't shoot more than a box of those at a range session. Since I reload I can control the power and use .44sp.

When carrying it's always in a pocket holster.

 

[dal205]

TINY GRIPS BITE


USEFUL LIFE OF LCP

I'm supposed to pick up my Ruger LCP this week, and will let you know what I think. I believe I'll take Ruger at their word and treat the LCP as a concealed carry gun--that is, carry it a lot, shoot it a little and don't expect to hit much at 25 yards. I wonder how long I should expect a pocket pistol to last. If I break it in, then shoot a couple of magazines through it every time I go to the range, wait, let me see: 3,000 rounds - 200 (to break it in) = 2,800 / 14 (that's 2 mag's worth) = 200 range sessions. So if I take it to the range 4 times per year, the gun should last 50 years. Heck, even if I went once a month, the pistol should still last 15 years. I can live with that.

There is a report at

http://www.ktog.org/cgi-bin/yabb2/YaBB.pl?num=1220448206/9

of a range owner letting any and all shoot his LCP. 42,000 rounds before it died.

 

[Big Bill]

I had the same experience as the OP when I took my LCP to the range. So, the next day I went and bought a Bersa .380 Thunder and decided to carry it instead. I still love the LCP, but can shoot the Bersa more accurately and it holds 7 rounds instead of 6.

 

[cekkk]

I shot my LCP for the first time today. It was 100% out of the box, all I did was clean and lube with Brian Enos' "Slide Glide" before taking it out to shoot.

It did something my P3AT has never been able to do -- fire 50 rounds of Wolf steel case FMJ without an extraction failure! Ran a box of the hot 95gr JSP Santa Barbara Spanish surplus, no issues either (my P3AT loves this stuff too!).

I think the LCP is a winner! My only complaint is the sights on the P3AT bad as they are, work better than what is on the LCP. With the best sight alignment I could muster my LCP seemed to be about 4" low, but once I figured this out had no trouble knocking down 8" steel plates at 10 yards or the bowling pin shaped plates, the mini poppers gave me a lot of trouble as the sight picture for these was air above the target

--wally.

Stopped in at my dealer this morning and he had an LCP in the case. He gave me the one he carries and I took it to the forest (we're VERY rural so didn't have to go far). I only had three rounds but at about 15 to 18 feet got two rounds connecting and the third an inch below. Oddly, while I was aiming at the center of a makeshift target, I also dropped about four inches. Returned gun, bought the new one for my wife's birthday. Hope she doesn't like it. Maybe it was the excitement but I really didn't notice the recoil. Have to see how The Boss feels about it. Seems ammo is getting more available.

 

[SalchaketJoe]

I have only ever fired my LCP one handed. It is so small, and for what it is and when you would use it, I think that is the best way to practice.

 

[harmon rabb]

Mine has been 100% reliable. Not an enjoyable gun to fire, but so what? It's purpose is to be concealable. It's freakin tiny for a 6+1 380.

My one issue with it is the sights. They're pretty much nonexistent. I can't hit well with it past 10yds. Yeah, I know, it's not for a gun fight and is pretty much a point and shoot gun, but still... the sig 238 isn't much larger, yet has real sights. When I tried one out, I was able to hit as well as I can with a full size pistol. Too bad that gun is SA only.

 

[harmon rabb]

I had the same experience as the OP when I took my LCP to the range. So, the next day I went and bought a Bersa .380 Thunder and decided to carry it instead. I still love the LCP, but can shoot the Bersa more accurately and it holds 7 rounds instead of 6.

Hah. Funny you mention that. At the time I bought my LCP, a buddy bought a Bersa to carry. I thought he was silly for carrying something in the same caliber that was so much larger. He later replaced it with a .40 Kahr and sold it to me.

Well, the first time I took the Bersa out to the range, I also had my LCP. At 15yds, I couldn't group worth a damn with the LCP, as usual. Then I pulled out the Bersa and instantly shot some of the tightest groups I ever have (man, it's too bad 380 is so expensive, the Bersa would be an awesome plinker). At that point I decided that perhaps my friend hadn't been so stupid.

That said, I still won't carry the Bersa. Why? I own a CZ-82. It's barely larger, fits in the same IWB holster, and holds 5 more rounds of a more powerful cartridge. Since it's been cold out, I've been carrying it together with the lcp.

 

[gym]

Belly guns are just that, have it for emergencys when you can't carry a proper size quality gun. Fire it untill it will go through 100 rounds of various bullet types, and put it away, in your pocket holster, or wherever you hide your bug. They aren't for shooting targets on a regular basis, they are for weddings, funerals, beach wear, lol. not a primary SD gun. Carry the biggest pistol caliber you can comfortablly shoot accuratelly. It isn't rocket science

 

[NinjaFeint]

I have small hands but I can still find it easier to shoot the LCP one handed than with two. I think it is sometimes bought thinking it is more than a point and shoot pocket pistol but thats all it is. It fills a niche and rather nicely so.

 

[FunYet]

After giving up on my Kahr P380 I bought an LCP. Wish I'd done so in the first place. So far my LCP has worked without a hitch. I found it pointed naturally but after a few trips to the range I got a CT laser. Very accurate. For it's purpose it's a very good gun.

 

[PX15]

JMOfartO:

Just curious as to why some folks expect the LCP to be accurate out to 15 yards?

Hey folks, it's a close up, last ditch, self defense weapon.

Basically it doesn't matter a poot if it has sights or not... It doesn't matter if you can't hit the broad side of a barn (from the inside) with it... It doesn't matter that your finger hurts after shooting it....

What matters the most is that when you are threatened, can you access the pistol, point it at center mass of the threat, and hear 6+1 bangs immediately thereafter..

I practice with my mouseguns from THREE yards, max.. With my larger caliber cc choices I move it back to 7 yards, max..

You aren't buying the Ruger LCP to win target shooting contests, nor should finger pain be a concern.. You are buying LIFE INSURANCE, and if the Ruger LCP you buy is reliable, and self defense accurate from a close up and personal distance it is money well spent.

My opinion, and that's all it is, would be that RELIABILITY is job one.. Job 2, and so on....

If your LCP is reliable, load it up, stick it in your pocket and go about your business. IF your LCP is NOT reliable, send it back to the factory..:banghead:

Everything, every aspect of a tiny mousegun is secondary to whether or not the sucker will fire the first time, and every time you need it.

I think the LCP is probably a pretty good choice, all things considered.


No offense,

Jesse