Ruger LC9

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LT1MCSS

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What's everyone's experience with the LC9. Good or Bad?

I own an LCP but I will say I wasn't really expecting much from the LC9. Since then I have gotten the opportunity to shoot one of these twice and I must say I didn't think it was all that bad especially for the price. I I have probably shot 50-70 rounds through the gun or more without one single issue. The owner has shot a lot more than that through it without any problems. The trigger did take me a little getting used to but its very similar to the LCP.

Aside from all the safety features I'm sure people will complain about I didn't think it was horrible. I have had more problems with my Kahr's. At first I was worried the LCI stuck up so high that it would actually start to get in the way of the sight picture but it didn't. If it were mine i think i would file it down a little bit so it didn't stick up quite as far though. The other thing is the magazine safety disconnect. Personally I don't have a use for the feature. Some of my guns have them, some don't. They are what they are. I did watch a video on removing the mag safety disconnect and it's not that hard but whether or not to modify or remove safety features on a gun could be a whole other topic.

I don't think it would necessarily be a bad buy for the money seeing how you can get them for less than $400 out the door. I will say that again, "for the money" Sure there are other guns I like better but they cost considerably more. The guns I compare this to are other single stack 9mm's I have owned or shot like the PM9, PPS, P225/P6, G26 (even though it is a double stack). I would also throw the PF9 and Kimber Solo in the mix but I don't have any experience with those guns.
 
Well, mine has been 100% reliable. It also has the worst trigger I have ever used. Worse than the stock MA trigger on the PPS. Besides being a very long pull, it just keeps getting heavier as it goes. To add insult to injury, if you are used to shooting semi-auto pistols, there is a "click" when the trigger is halfway out that tricks you into thinking you have hit the reset point and can pull the trigger. You have not and nothing will happen when you do pull the trigger and you have to let it all the way out again. If all you shoot is double action revolvers, it might not be half bad. I do own double action revolvers and this trigger is worse than any of them, but if they were all you shot, you would at least be conditioned to let the trigger all the way out each time.
 
bfm said:
To add insult to injury, if you are used to shooting semi-auto pistols, there is a "click" when the trigger is halfway out that tricks you into thinking you have hit the reset point and can pull the trigger. You have not and nothing will happen when you do pull the trigger and you have to let it all the way out again..
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This, the first time i shot the gun I did this a few times. I don't know why they would do that. I was curious if there were any trigger jobs out there to fix that issue. If you shoot it enough though, its not that big of a deal you can get used to it. For competition it would suck.


It sounds like you don't like it much though.
 
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I picked one up a few months back. It does take some time to master but I have no complaints. I really like the concealability. Is that a word???
 
glide said:
I think it's a great $350 gun.

For me it's a range toy at this point, since I prefer the PPS for everyday carry.
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I think at that point for a range gun I would get rid of it, but then again for what you would get for it I think I would hang onto it too. It could always be a backup if something happens to your PPS. What is the PPS going for these days, $600?
 
I just picked up the LC9 from another member here basically new. I have only shot 100 rds through it but have to say, this gun is definitely growing on me.

The trigger is long, it does have a little bit of a 'kick' to it, but it is highly concealable and has replaced my Warthog for CC because I'm unable to CC the Warthog during the summer very easily.

For the value, I really like this gun. I really like the fact it disappears in my pocket using the Uncle Mike Sidekick holster, is half the price of a Kahr, and has been reliable so far (with the 100 rounds I've shot).

The size of the gun does make you work a little harder for accuracy at the range, but the gun itself is accurate with proper effort and training, and if you have the LCP already you will likely have no issues whatsoever adjusting to the LC9.
 
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For carry, it may be the best gun I own on a day to day forget it is there basis. And I probably will get used to the trigger. My worry is that then I will pick up one of my SIGs and be waiting for that second click for the trigger reset. The recoil and grip are not bad at all, my lack of accuracy comes completely down to the trigger. If APEX or someone ever makes a kit for this gun, I would buy two more in a heartbeat.
 
I had one for a brief period, and for me it was a mixed bag. A lot of this is very subjective, test drive one for a while longer and see what you think.

Things I liked:
Light carry, smooth surfaces, super easy to pocket, snag free
Manual "out of the way" safety (some like it, some don't)
Decent sights
Great slide finish
Very low price for what you get
Ran smooth, no malfunctions

Things I didn't like:
The trigger - length of pull, weight, and stack felt absolutely ridiculous to me
The magazine disconnect, wasn't a big deal at first, but the more I used it the more I noticed it
The LCI, visually not a deal breaker, but I just didn't care for it, see next reason below
Can't chamber a round unless fed via magazine, then taken out and reloaded with another round again...
Comparatively expensive magazines
Pop out the pin take-down assembly and plastic guide rod felt very fragile
Barrel felt cheap / thin on the muzzle end
Nylon checkering seemed sharp on the grip

I ended up liking my PM9 a lot more than the LC9.
 
I just bought my LC9. With over 200 rounds already fired it has been flawless. I purchased this gun to carry and I have to say it conceals very well. As for the safteys, well I filed down the LCI so it doesn't stick up so high and removed the mag disconnect.

All I care about is reliablility, that being said the LC9 is a great choice. You do not have to spend $750 on a Kahr to own a good carry gun.


Quick note on the trigger, I only own and shoot Glocks. I have had absolutely no trouble with the long double action trigger on the LC9.
 
glide said:
I think it's a great $350 gun.
Click to expand...

my thoughts so far, even though I got about 90 rds through it and had to send it back to Ruger. We'll see how it does with the 1000rd trigger job when I get it back.

I would probably love the Kahr or PPS but for the $, the LC9 is what I went with.

I didn't find the trigger to be as detestable as I had heard others exclaim from their experience, while it's by no means fantastic, I think my expectations were lowered so much by others' descriptions that I was pleasantly surprised when I got behind one.
 
The one I had sucked. The mag would fall out the bottom during shooting. I did keep away from the mag release. I could not hold any type of group with mine. And it was not because of the trigger. I sent it back with a nice letter. When I got it back it sucked worse.

Sold it for a loss.[grin]
 
Zarathustra11 said:
... this gun is definitely growing on me. ... it is highly concealable and has replaced my Warthog for CC because I'm unable to CC the Warthog during the summer very easily ... I really like this gun. I really like the fact it disappears in my pocket using the Uncle Mike Sidekick holster, is half the price of a Kahr, and has been reliable so far ... if you have the LCP already you will likely have no issues whatsoever adjusting to the LC9.
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Is the LC9 single stack? Isn't the Kahr? Maybe I'm thinking about the SR9C and getting them confused. The SR9 is striker fired, and this is a hammer, right? And the LCP is similar to the Kel-Tec P-11, right?

Let's see, Ruger has the:
LCR
LC9
LCP
SR9
SR9C

It's getting tough to tell them all apart. Then there is the Kahr PM9, Kel-Tec P3AT and PF-9, and then there is the PPS. The field is getting crowded. The only major one without any recent compact powerful pistol is Beretta.
 
I have a new LC9, and have about 150 rounds through it.

Today it started acting up, I would pull the trigger and get failure to fire, with a very light strike.

I looked inside and the channel that the firing pin is in had brass shavings in it.

I cleaned it out with tip of my knife, and a couple rounds later same thing. Now it keeps doing it. Little
brass shavings, inspecting the fired case, it looks like they may have been scraped off the primer.

Anyone seen this before?

I am going to send it back to factory.
 
I have rougly 250 rounds through mine...cheap remington umc and reloads i bought at the gun show....no issues at all....i cleaned it a little when i first got it but thats it.... I know people complain about the trigger but to me its simply long but smooth.
 
Sinitron said:
After the light strike, did the primers look like they were bulged out towards the back of the cartridge at all?
Click to expand...

Yeah I think so.

Someone on the internet suggested chamfering the end of the hold where the firing pin comes out. Seems like a reasonable theory. It sure looked like some brass was being scraped off the primer.
 
That chamber where the pin resides may become full of shavings. I didn't fire mine enough to come across the issue, but I think I noticed the primer area on the back of the empty rounds was flared, bulged, bubbled out towards the back, and it struck me as odd.
 
Make sure when you field strip it you keep an eye on the Hammer Catch Spring (#51 in your owners manual parts list). My friend bought a new LC9 and his HCS popped out of the Hammer Catch hole after only 30 rounds which dissabled the trigger. Sent it back to Ruger who fixed it promptly and its done it again 3 more times. I've heard great things about the LC9 but this one just wasnt reliable after 4 tries so personally I wouldnt get one unless they fix the spring design flaw.
For my personal use experience I wonder why Ruger keeps sculpting out the sides of their grips on the LCP and LC9, they make the side of the grip and the front strap too thin for my hands and i feel like I'm not holding the pistol tightly. It doesnt help for controlling the recoil. On the other other hand I've used the KelTec PF9 (which ruger copied for the LC9) and their grip is all the same width. Its much more comfortable for me to hold.
 
I bought one because I'd heard good things about the LC9, it's very compact but not a .380, and the price was cheap.

I've got maybe 150 rounds through it (it performed flawlessly) and I'm really trying to like this gun but the trigger is pretty bad.

Regardless of the long trigger pull and that loaded chamber indicator, I'm keeping it because it is extremely concealable, it seems reliable, and I'm into it for short money.
 
I absolutely love my LC9. It is my first gun ever. I have about 150-200rds thru it and I have had no problems whatsoever. Did my first field strip and cleaning and will be going back to the range on Thursday (of course I plan on shooting something else and a few rds thru my LC9). I don't mind the trigger pull at all....I actually kinda like it, maybe cuz it is my first gun who knows! But this is the gun that has started it all with me. [wink]
 
I have about 250 flawless rounds through mine. All with Federal bulk FMJ ammo from Walmart. I'm currently on the waiting list for a trigger kit from Galloway Precision. I'll let you guys know when i get it and try it out. Does anyone have experience with this kit?
 

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