What about the new Ruger LCP?

[dschutte]

There seems to be quite a controversy right now over the new Ruger LCP .380 Auto. It looks like a great little piece, but how reliable or durable it is? I'm hearing stories of the firing pin breaking after about 200 rounds. There was a recall, but some still seem to be having quality issues. Please share what you may know either way, preferably from personal experience, and do you think Ruger will come through in the marketplace? Thanks!

 

[Hoppy590]

its a keltec clone.

iv heard it has had some problem. get an original Keltec if you can

also, i thin ruger is too little too late. 2 or 3 "new" (read rehashed pathetic designs) cant save

 

[ThrottleJockey]

I fired one before the recall and thought it was a great little gun, for what it is. I've heard "through the grapevine" that after the recall, it is still a great little gun, for what it is. I don't know much more than that though, other than the fact that Ruger is a pretty well known manufacturer and is likely to stand behind their product with service etc....I don't own a Ruger, and don't care for their rifles, but it is my understanding that it's pretty hard to go wrong with a Ruger.

 

[ThrottleJockey]

"its a keltec clone."

How can you say that? The best kel-tec on the best day doesn't even come close to the worst Ruger. Just my own opinon, but I wouldn't even throw a kel-tec at a target....unless you like a sore web, bruised wrist....

 

[Frog48]

its a keltec clone.

iv heard it has had some problem. get an original Keltec if you can

Yep just like the Keltec, except that Ruger has stepped up to the plate, and issued recalls, to fix the flaws that they inherited when they copied KT's design. Meanwhile, KT has their head in the sand, denying any problems.

Between the two, I'd go with the folks with proven customer service.

 

[Hoppy590]

How can you say that? The best kel-tec on the best day doesn't even come close to the worst Ruger. Just my own opinon, but I wouldn't even throw a kel-tec at a target....unless you like a sore web, bruised wrist....

seriously? i mean. do i have to respond to this? seems like an obvious troll attempt here.

Yep just like the Keltec, except that Ruger has stepped up to the plate, and issued recalls, to fix the flaws that they inherited when they copied KT's design. Meanwhile, KT has their head in the sand, denying any problems.

Between the two, I'd go with the folks with proven customer service.

while im sure ruger has tried to fix the problem. im more than sure they knew of any problem when they first released it. and if they didn't then they failed. either way its ruger, and their past actions have set them behind. anything they do will simply bee making up lost ground. damned if you do, damned if you dont.


aside from that iv rarely heard of a dissatisfied keltec owner

 

[ThrottleJockey]

"aside from that iv rarely heard of a dissatisfied keltec owner"

I traded mine for a slightly larger Bersa, and couldn't be happier.

 

[Frog48]

while im sure ruger has tried to fix the problem. im more than sure they knew of any problem when they first released it. and if they didn't then they failed. either way its ruger, and their past actions have set them behind. anything they do will simply bee making up lost ground. damned if you do, damned if you dont.

My point is, if the Ruger is a clone of the Keltec, how could the Ruger have an inherent design flaw but not the Keltec?

 

[Dookie]

My point is, if the Ruger is a clone of the Keltec, how could the Ruger have an inherent design flaw but not the Keltec?

Ruger has a tendency to put a product out to soon, they did the same with the SR9

The LCP is what the keltec wants to be. It took all of the good out of the keltec and made it better. Now Ruger is being sued by keltec for copyright infringement, or something similar. Serves Ruger right for suing AMT for cloning the 10/22

I am more interested in the LCR, Rugers polymer 38 revolver that is hammerless and +P rated.

 

[rogertc1]

The LCP is what the keltec wants to be. It took all of the good out of the keltec and made it better. Now Ruger is being sued by keltec for copyright infringement, or something similar. Serves Ruger right for suing AMT for cloning the 10/22

I didn't know this? This will hurt Rugers pockets. Best buy a LCP while I still can then....

 

[moooose102]

there is a recall on the earlier ones (s/n prefix 370), but it is no big deal. as for reliability. after the fist 100 rounds (break-in) i have had no problems. i probably have close to 1k rounds through mine. just buy one, clean it, break it in, clean it, and carry it. clean it every couple of weeks (pocket dust, lint, etc.) and you will be good to go.

 

[techmike]

Now Ruger is being sued by keltec for copyright infringement, or something similar.

Source please.

 

[expvideo]

also, i thin ruger is too little too late. years of pissing in our faces, that 2 or 3 "new" (read rehashed pathetic designs) cant save

That pretty much sums up my dilema with Ruger. They make some nice products, but I don't have much respect for companies that cater to law enforcement and don't want to let the civilians have access to certain items such as high capacity magazines. I think that Ruger has a long way to go to prove that they care about the second amendment and that they respect the people of this country. Especially during this new era of firearms, where so many more people are interested in them, and the kind of guns that people want are the kind that the government and police have. If Ruger wants to compete in the 21st century, they're going to have to step up to the plate like KelTec is with their RFB (front-ejecting, .308 bullpup). So called "tactical" weapons are the wave of the future, and Ruger is doing their best to remain "your grandfather's gun company". Admirable as that may be to some, it is a recipe for economic failure. The generation of steel and wood is getting old. The new generation wants plastic. I'm not saying that it's right, it's just the way things are. Even Smith & Wesson and Remington have put out an AR-15. S&W has a "tactical" pistol on the market that is doing very well. These respected gun companies know what they have to do to survive in the 21st century. Ruger does not.

 

[ssjones]

My buddy bought one for nightstand gun (pre-recall). He only fires it occasionally, but loves it and is trying to get a 2nd for his other home. Currently, they are hard to find in MD. I hope to get a chance to fire it soon.

 

[bottom shelf]

I see the controversy in print, but I've never heard anyone say "my LCP did 'such and such'".

As for mine, it's not really a fun pistol to shoot, but it worked fine out of the box for the first 200 rounds. Sent it in for the recall, and it still works fine about 200 rounds later. I can't tell any difference before and after the recall, except I see this little diamond stamp under the hammer. No problems before, and no problems now.

So what about it fellers? Anybody here have a problem with their own LCP or or know someone personally that has?

 

[threehorse]

I have had no problems with mine. It has performed flawlessly through about 350 rounds (about 200 prior to sending it back for the recall, and the remainder since its return.)

 

[rhoggman]

I was skeptical as well. There is a lot of info out there that makes the LCP look negative, or hit or miss at best.

I really wanted something small for a CCW option. I have 2 other guns I carry depending on the situation.

I finally figured... If they were that bad they would be easier to find. If they were that bad they would grace the shelves of every gunshop I go to right? Well guess what... they are hard to find. You don't see them often, and there are waiting lists at most places where I have enquired about them.

So finally I found a vendor at a gun show that had a jobsite box full of LCPs and I bought one. Guess what I haven't had a single issue for about 150 rounds thus far.

I reccomend cleaning the LCP before you fire it. Make sure the slide rails, any friction points on the barrel, and the recoil spring are lubed. This is not a shoot 500-1000 rounds in between cleanings pistol either. You have to remember all the blowback in a larger pistol has more space to occupy. This pistol gets dirty quickly. I'm not saying you couldn't get 200 rounds through it without any problems, but I would not reccomend it. I have cleaned mine in between every box of ammo.

 

[chuckusaret]

they are hard to find in MD. I hope to get a chance to fire it soon.

Serial #370XXX and earlier are all back at the Ruger plant being rebuilt.

I will not own a weapon that is prone to fire when dropped.

Buy a NAA .380 a tad bit heavier but more reliable and has never been on a recall.

 

[rhoggman]

I will not own a weapon that is prone to fire when dropped.

A lot of people tested this and could not get it to happen before the recall. Ruger never said it was an actual problem that was actually occuring. They said it was a potential problem that could arise.

Anyways, there have been reports for a long time that this has occured in Kel-Tec the p3at, and the manual even warns about this. Since the Ruger was designed after the KEL-TEC I believe Ruger wanted to prevent the possiblity.

 

[KaintGetwright]

I'm having some conflicting feelings right now myself. I have always been a Ruger rifle and revolver fan, but have taken issue with their lack of more modern self defense oriented offerings, and also with a few comments from former officers that could be taken to be counter to my interests.

But now I wonder. These new offerings seem to be honest attempts by the new management to do right by the shooting community. Not only that, but the after inauguration sale where they cut their magazine prices in half didn't hurt my opinion of them either. Maybe $30 for a mini-14 mag isn't the best price, but it sure is better than the $60 i was looking at.

 

[Boba Fett]

...do you think Ruger will come through in the marketplace?

If you mean, "Will Ruger survive because of the Little Crappy Pistol debacle?" Then yes, they will be just fine.

If you mean, "Will the Little Crappy Pistol come through in the market and surpass Kel-Tec in sales and quality?" Then I don't think so. Not for a while at least. Ruger has a good name, but the LCP has had a terrible start and then there is the price difference: KEL-TEC $324 MSRP vs Ruger $347* MSRP. Now, you're probably thinking, "That's not that big a difference for the Ruger name." That would normally be true until you realize that the asterisk next to the price means you are paying $347 to be a beta tester for Ruger.

Now, maybe in about a year or so, Ruger will have worked out all the kinks in their P3AT clone and I will finally trade in my P3AT for the Ruger or maybe just get the Ruger.

But not for quite a while; sometime after the beta testers have found all the issues.

Remember, this is a gun used to protect you family and your life...

 

[rhartwell]

my Ruger LCP .380 is my can take anywhere any time gun. I trust it it goes bang every time I pull the trigger. The only thing I would change is the slide locking back on the last round. Other than that It is good for most social occasions

 

[gglass]

All right. Let's get down to the brass tacks here:

Design Rip-Off:
There is not a handgun manufacturer who has not borrowed or out-right copied technical and aesthetic designs from other manufacturers. Does anyone think that all those 1911 manufacturers just happened upon the same design as the original by John Moses Browning? Is anyone aware that even Glock ripped off Sig Sauer in their 1st generation pistol trigger mechanism. Or, the latest Sig Sauer P238 is a Xerox copy of the Colt Pony? Oh... How about all of the Walther PPK clones out there? How did that happen? WAIT!... Why do all those AR15's look exactly the same? If Kel-Tec had anything that could be patented in their design, they would have done it.

The Recall:
It amazes me that a company (like Ruger) that does the right thing without government intervention gets a black eye for it. The hammer mechanism that was the issue of the recall is being fixed for free at great expense to Ruger. The part that everyone forgets is that earlier P-3AT's have the exact same design flaw. Kel-Tec has modified their P-3AT to address this same issue by making an in-production change. The difference is that Ruger recalled all of their guns because they consider it a safety issue, while Kel-Tec simply made a running change and isn’t offering to fix any of the guns already on the street. Niether Kel-Tec nor Ruger has had anyone injured or killed by their original designs, but only one company handled the issue properly.

If people are going to hold up Ruger to this kind of myopic scrutiny, then they should be equally critical of every other firearm manufacturer.

Broken Firing Pins:
When did this rumor get started?

I just love the way misinformation turns into the gospel truth on gun forums, and one guys malformed opinion can spread to others as fact.

The Ruger LCP is a fine firearm and in terms of fit & finish has a decent advantage over Kel-Tec's P-3AT. Don't take my word for it... Go handle and examine both at a gun dealer near you.

 

[chuckusaret]

KelTec's were selling $265 at the West Palm Beach Gun show in Dec. Dealers that had LCP's were asking $400. I bought one last year NIB for $285 out he door, but the serial # started with 370XXX. I have since dumped it and replaced it with a NAA .380

 

[Boba Fett]

Design Rip-Off:
There is not a handgun manufacturer who has not borrowed or out-right copied technical and aesthetic designs from other manufacturers.

I don't see people, or at least I'm not, saying that it wasn't OK for Ruger to make a P-3AT clone. But when they make an inferior clone, then yeah, we point out that it is a crappy clone of the Kel-Tec.

The Baby Eagle, EAA Witness, and CZ are pretty much clones...but they all seem to work pretty well. If the Witness was crap, we'd be saying, "Yeah it's clone of the CZ and it is a crappy clone at that."

The Recall:
It amazes me that a company (like Ruger) that does the right thing without government intervention gets a black eye for it.

Um...yeah we do tend to give companies that make our firearms poorly and expect us to find the flaws a hard time. However, I have always said that I like Ruger. I have several of their firearms. I have not given the company a black eye, but I will give the LCP all the flack it deserves.

I just love the way misinformation turns into the gospel truth on gun forums, and one guys malformed opinion can spread to others as fact.

I totally agree with you on this. Misinformation should be curtailed at all times. There is enough real info out there and adding confusion to substantive problems is a plague that sadly perpetuates the internet. Take what you read with a grain of salt and verify it with multiple sources including the manufacturer.

The Ruger LCP is a fine firearm and in terms of fit & finish has a decent advantage over Kel-Tec's P-3AT. Don't take my word for it... Go handle and examine both at a gun dealer near you.

I also agree with this. In terms of looks and feel, the Ruger is better.

But in terms of quality, Ruger dropped the ball and is paying the publicity price. That's the name of the game. Yes, they recalled it on their own. Yes they are a good company. No, the LCP is not yet a gun that can be called great. It probably will be at some point, but it needs some more field testing...which should have been done by Ruger in the first place.