LCP reliability

[benzy2]

Ok, question for all the people here on THR. How reliable has your LCP been. It seems some people think its extremely reliable and other think its a walking time bomb. I just wanted to see from actual experience what people have experienced with their LCP. I really am interested in post recall experiences as I would like this to relate to the LCP being sold today, and not a reflection of the early days. Good, bad, or ugly, I would like to hear you reliability experience with the LCP.

EDIT:

Also, I would say that while problems in the early break in stage are problems, if the resolved after break in please not that as well.

 

[hiram2005]

I bought my first one a couple of months ago. I've put maybe 200 rounds thru it so far. Not one bobble from the very beginning. This includes FMJ and HP's including Cor-Bon HP and Powerball and PMC Starfire. You really know you're shooting something with the Corbon.

Went a couple days ago and got another in hard chrome. Haven't shot it yet.

 

[harmon rabb]

Mine has been 100% from day one, despite my best attempts at making it fail (purposely limpwristing it, giving it mixed types of rounds in a mag, etc).

edit: I also know four other people with LCP's, and none of them have ever experienced a failure, to my knowledge.

 

[garyr]

Flawless....with an asterisk.

It does not like the hollow points I bought for it. They do not feed reliably unless I tap the bottom of the magazine. Therefore I don't use them. Otherwise the gun is perfect.

 

[19-3Ben]

I can't make mine fail. It just keeps going no matter what I feed it or what I do to it.
I had always heard horror stories about pocket gun reliability, but the LCP was my first pocket gun and it blows all those warning out of the water.

 

[CZ223]

I voted Flawless

but that was after initial break in and clening. These things come with a lot of lube on them so you really need to clean them first. I have two and one is going to my daughter and will probably be her only carry gun for a while. I guess that means I trust them.

 

[007BondJamesBond007]

Reliable with the right ammo. Hornaday Critical Defense is a little long and might not feed right in the mag.

 

[loadedround]

I also voted "flawless" also. I own a post recall LCP that has digested over 300 rounds of mixed 380 ammo without any malfunctions. I've been carrying it daily as my summer carry piece and am totally pleased with it.

 

[Fastcast]

Recently bought one for the wife. Ser.# 374, hot off the press.

Cleaned before shooting, then have ran 300 rounds through it.

50 Remington FMJ.....Flawless
150 Wolf Gold HP (made by Prvi).....one FTE
50 Silver Bear HP.....one FTE
50 RWS - FMJ......Flawless

Still deciding how much I trust it.....Called Ruger about it, they didn't like my ammo choices. I can see the Silver Bear but I believe the Wolf Gold is good ammo. Brass, boxer primed, clean, accurate and 100% reliable in the wife's Beretta FS84 with 200rd count, made by Prvi Partizan not Wolf.

They said try 2 more boxes of different ammo and if I have anymore trouble send it back. Bought the RWS then and the first 50 ran fine but need to shoot the rest of it.......To be continued.

 

[Ben86]

Mine has been flawless for over a year with several different types of ammo.

Keep in mind the recall was about a drop safe issue, not a reliability issue.

 

[1KPerDay]

I voted a few hiccups but it has never malfunctioned with 15 different kinds of factory standard pressure ammo, FMJ and JHP. The magazine came out a couple of times with the factory finger extension baseplate, so I put the flat one back on. Never happened again.

I had some FTFs with hot handloads and buffalo bore +P (which isn't recommended anyway).

Remarkable little pistol.

EDIT: I remembered one brand it didn't like: Cor-bon 90 gr JHP. It was fine with the DPXes.
http://thehighroad.org/showthread.php?t=516825

 

[BADUNAME37]

I have the Pre which has been 'diamondized' and have shot at least ten different factory loads out of it and about ten different reloads out of it. Altogether, I have fired it over 500 times and it has not missed one time.

 

[DustyVermonter]

The only time mine ever malfunctioned was with Sapsan 9mm Browning Court (380acp). It was some russian stuff with steel cases. I use CCI blazer .380acp for practice and Corbon DPX for PD and neither have ever failed. So I guess I would be comfortable checking 'Flawless', as technically I was using 9mm Browning court when it malfunctioned. The only reason I bought that was because there was a .380acp ammo draught and Sapsan 9mmBC was all I could find, it was only $15 per box of 50 but I wouldn't buy it again due to its steel cases are harsh on the LCP's little extractor and you want to invest in a little bit higher quality ammo for your guns, especially ones you want to be able to trust for CCW.

 

[OregonJohnny]

My LCP is less than a year old, and I've got exactly 275 rounds through it. That may not sound like a lot, but when you think about it, thats about 46 magazines full. Not 1 single malfunction or hiccup of any kind. Utterly reliable so far. I've only put Remington, Winchester, and PMC FMJ through it, no hollow points yet. But I keep it loaded with Remington 95-grain FMJ anyway, so I trust it 100% with this ammo.

 

[garyr]

Magtech 95g fmc
Federal Hydra-Shok 90g JHP (lots of FTF)
Federal American Eagle 95g FMJ

This is from documentation. So the only ammo I've had trouble with is the Hydra-Shok.

 

[brabham78]

My LCP functions flawlessly with any FMJ ammo I've put in it. (btw- it is "broken in"). It's about worthless when using various types of SD ammo (Cor Bon DPX or JHP, Buffalo Bore JHP, ect). Although I'm a revolver guy for most of the year, during a few of the hottest shorts n' t shirt months, I carry the LCP in my pocket, loaded with FMJ. And to be honest, out of a short barrel 380, I don't think that FMJ is such a bad choice, and until some of my ballistic testing shows me other wise, I'll error in the side of caution (and adequate penetration) with the FMJ. This summer I'm planning on trying to work the JHP bugs out of the LCP, but it irritates me to no end that I should have to do that.

 

[Cards81fan]

Flawless, unless I don't accommodate the longer reset. Of course, when that doesn't fire, it's my fault, not the weapon's.

 

[Erich]

My 372-series LCP has had over 400 rounds through it, with nary a problem (knock wood). I don't fool with hollowpoints in guns shooting such light, slow bullets, though, so I can't speak to them. I have, however, run some pretty zoomy Double Tap 95-gr ball through it (985 fps from the teensy thing), and that's what I actually carry in it.

One other thing that impresses me is that the LCP has shot as accurately for me as has any (notably larger) J-frame. My friend in the gun store tells me the LCPs appear to be working fine nowadays. I think they're a pretty good value. I've recommended one to my little brother (he recently visited and shot mine, and loved it), and I wouldn't be without one now - great for deep cover.

 

[harmon rabb]

think they're a pretty good value. I've recommended one to my little brother (he recently visited and shot mine, and loved it), and I wouldn't be without one now - great for deep cover.

I think every gun owner who carries needs to own one of the pocket .380's. They eliminate any excuse not to carry. Doesn't matter what you're wearing, doesn't matter how hot it is out, doesn't matter who you'll be around. You can have a pocket .380 in, well, your pocket

 

[1KPerDay]

Amen

 

[harmon rabb]

Amen

Don't get me wrong, I much prefer carrying something larger, and almost always do... but my LCP is still a very convenient thing to own.

 

[stchman]

My LCP was 49/50 with Herters Brass case and 50/50 with MFS brass case. IMO those two brands are kind of cheap ammo. I have some S&B I have not tried yet and still need to run some hollow point ammo through it.

I have been very satisfied with the LCP. I do think it is a quality gun for the price. I don't think it is going to be the most durable gun for shooting thousands of rounds, but they are not made for that.

 

[wyocarp]

Wow Benzy, I guess you have gotten your question answered. I think the little LCP works quite well, and the reviews on here seem to more truely represent the gun better than the review in the Rifleman a few months back.

 

[benzy2]

I own two and have had no issues with either pistol, in a break in period or not. I have heard a few people on here state the LCP has a lot of problems and isn't as reliable as some owners would like to make it seem. I wasn't sure if that was the case or not since I only can claim my 2 experiences. I figured here was a good place to poll and it seems I was right in that there are a couple bad apples that get out, but in general, it is a reliable little gun.

 

[Wishoot]

100% so far. About 300 rounds down the pipe.