My first LC9 review (in comparison to LCR)

So I finally had a chance to take my new LC9 out to the range. Got a chance to put 150 rounds through it. A few observations:

1. The trigger pull, while long, isn't as bad as I thought it would be. I think it will be a matter of shooting enough to see where the trigger break is. Something I think I can manage especially in terms of the safety features since I hate the manual safety.

2. This is my first gun with a laser and I can't quite seem to get used to it. I think I'm paying too much attention to the laser. At this point I definitely would not rely upon it although it might be a helpful feature in low light conditions. Any suggestions from someone who has more experience with a laser?

3. Since it is a small gun I can't seem to pull the trigger with the pad of my finger. Therefore I am really catching it's where the Laser joins the trigger (nice open sore on my index finger). Was thinking about smoothing it out with electrical tape but was thinking there must be a more elegant solution. Any suggestions?

4. Even though I don't have a lot of rounds through it I can already shoot it better than my LCR. I can see why these are referred to as belly guns. That's about how close I would have to be

5. I read somewhere on this board that using a speed loader is a perishable skill. They weren't kidding. This is the first time I have tried that in quite a while and I can definitely say that if I can't get it done in five rounds that I have a serious problem!

6. Although I found a very nice inside the waistband holster for it, I think it would lend itself well to pocket carry. I prefer the Desantis nemesis. Anyone have a recommendation for which size would work for the LC9 with a laser?

There is probably more I'm not thinking about but I hate overly long posts. Thanks for any tips or suggestions from those more experience than myself can offer.

Bump. Any responses?

Tinman, I've had my LC9 for over two and a half years and it's my primary carry weapon. I added the CT Laserguard about a year ago. I have lasers on all my carry guns...LC9, LCP, SP101 (actually, my wife's) and S&W 637.

The LC9 does have a long trigger pull that takes some getting use to. Because of the long pull, I let the trigger rest in the first crease of my trigger finger like I do with a DA revolver. Having had my LCP for three years when I got the LC9, the long trigger pull was no big deal for me. It actually serves as a safety of sorts for me; as a lefty I carry my LC9 with the safety off.

As to the electrical tape to smooth the surface with the laser: I have no problem with my LC9, but I did with my LCP so I put a couple of wraps of black electrical tape around the problem area and that did the trick...it's hardly noticeable and solved the problem.

I carry my LC9 IWB in either an Alien Gear or Remora holster. The Remora works fine as a pocket holster, but the LC9 is just a little too large for me to pocket carry comfortably. When I pocket carry my LCP - which is how I carry it most of the time when I do - it's always in a Remora.

I don't own an LC9 so cannot comment specifically on this pistol.

With my S&W Shield, I shoot it far better on the first joint than off the pad of my index finger. With a 1911, Browning HI Power, P90, J Frame, and Blackhawk, and even Glock 19, I shoot far better with the pad of the tip of my index finger on the trigger, but with the Shield, I have to go a little deeper. I think it has to do with the size of the firearm.

I'm not a big fan of "one size fits all" or "this is the grip YOU must use". I'm more of a believer in do whatever it takes. The Shield has become my primary carry gun and I now know how it likes to be held. I'd say keep at it, find out how this gun likes to be held in YOUR hand and practice, practice, practice.

Jeff

ps. did I mention practice?

None of my guns have lasers so can't help you there. I shoot all my pistols double action other than my Single Six. I can get good groups as long as I keep the sights still while pulling the trigger. It takes alot of practice but very satisfying when it works. I've also learned there are just some guns I can't shoot well. I've owned four snub nose revolvers and could never shoot them well. I could actually do better with my cheapo Cobra derringer so down the road they went. On the other hand I can shoot my S&W 10-5 and Service Six really well.

I think more than anything else you just need to hit the range and figure out what works for you.

So you think I should practice

Good tips. Going to head out to the range in a few to put some more rounds down range to keep getting more comfortable. Thanks for the responses.

Ok. Went to the range and put some more rounds down range. Due to the circumstances had to shoot from 10 yards, which I think is a little further than I would be comfortable or this gun was really intended for. For some reason the trigger pull seemed more of an issue today. Tried slow fire, with working on figuring out where the trigger break is, and just pulling the trigger as fast as I can. I think that would be the more likely scenario if I ever actually had to use it for self defense. The results were so so.

Also tried the electrical tape to smooth out where it was snagging my finger. The tape gummed up and wouldn't stay in place. Also started to interfere with the mag release button. Any other suggestions of what might work?

More range time to keep working on it.

I have lasers on both my LC380 and Bersa Thunder 380 but both are on the frame not the trigger guard. The BT380 has a Crimson Trace and the LC380 has a Laserlyte. I used to have a BT380 Plus with the Laserlyte trigger guard mounted laser and did some comparisons between it and the Crimson Trace and found I was much more accurate with the frame mounted laser. I think what it boils down to is that small movements in aiming are translated to larger movements the further the laser is from the grip. Angular movements would necessarily be the same but angular movements coupled with lateral movements are going to cause the laser to jump around more. I can't prove that, nor have I gone through the mechanical analysis but the BT380 and BT380 Plus are essentially the same gun, only with a different laser mount location. And the difference in accuracy was two-fold.
As I think about it that extra weight hanging out on the end of the barrel can also affect response time. I never have liked the trigger guard lasers.

Just curious but is the laser removable?

I'm ignorant on the value lasers but the one or two times I played around with a friend's gun that had one, I decided I didn't like them.

Not saying they don't have their place, they're just not for me.

Thanks for the write up too.

Highspeedlane said:

Just curious but is the laser removable?

I'm ignorant on the value lasers but the one or two times I played around with a friend's gun that had one, I decided I didn't like them.

Not saying they don't have their place, they're just not for me.

Thanks for the write up too.

Click to expand...

The only reason I got it is because when I was shopping I was not able to find one without it. Am kicking around removing it and selling it but have not yet made up my mind.

My LC9 has no laser so I carry it comfortably in a Nemesis pocket holster.
I know a lot of people will go bonkers about this, but removing the magazine safety makes a perceptible difference in the length of the trigger pull. It's still long enough that I consider it a safety feature, but it's much easier to shoot.

Skidboot said:

My LC9 has no laser so I carry it comfortably in a Nemesis pocket holster.
I know a lot of people will go bonkers about this, but removing the magazine safety makes a perceptible difference in the length of the trigger pull. It's still long enough that I consider it a safety feature, but it's much easier to shoot.

Click to expand...

I also removed the mag safety from mine. It serves absolutely no purpose whatsoever other than to placate gun grabbers. The vast majority of defensive handguns made today do not incorporate them because most view it more important to have the pistol functional in the event of a lost mag than to render it inoperable.

Prior to removing mine, I also discovered that long term IWB carry can actually render the mag safety inoperable by freezing it in the forward (or inactive) position due to the introduction of crud and lint in its track.

I had to apply a few drops of Break Free CLP in that area to get it moving again, as prior to that I was able to remove the mag and actuate the trigger.

Highspeedlane said:

Skidboot said:

My LC9 has no laser so I carry it comfortably in a Nemesis pocket holster.
I know a lot of people will go bonkers about this, but removing the magazine safety makes a perceptible difference in the length of the trigger pull. It's still long enough that I consider it a safety feature, but it's much easier to shoot.

Click to expand...

I also removed the mag safety from mine. It serves absolutely no purpose whatsoever other than to placate gun grabbers. The vast majority of defensive handguns made today do not incorporate them because most view it more important to have the pistol functional in the event of a lost mag than to render it inoperable.

Prior to removing mine, I also discovered that long term IWB carry can actually render the mag safety inoperable by freezing it in the forward (or inactive) position due to the introduction of crud and lint in its track.

I had to apply a few drops of Break Free CLP in that area to get it moving again, as prior to that I was able to remove the mag and actuate the trigger.

Click to expand...

Directions to remove?

Tinman931 said:

Directions to remove?

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If you go to Youtube and search "lc9 remove magazine disconnect" there are a bunch of videos that illustrate the lower frame disassembly steps. I can't remember which one I used now, having done mine over a year ago.

There are a couple of steps along the way that require paying attention to. I remember one being the spring that tensions the trigger bar, and the other was properly mating the rail assembly to the lower frame so the hammer engages the trigger assembly. The videos will explain these.

The usual caveats concerning awareness of the modification of a manufacturer supplied "safety device" apply.

Highspeedlane said:

Tinman931 said:

Directions to remove?

Click to expand...

The usual caveats concerning awareness of the modification of a manufacturer supplied "safety device" apply.

Click to expand...

Yeah. That's the part that always weirds me out a bit.

Tinman931 said:

Highspeedlane said:

Tinman931 said:

Directions to remove?

Click to expand...

The usual caveats concerning awareness of the modification of a manufacturer supplied "safety device" apply.

Click to expand...

Yeah. That's the part that always weirds me out a bit.

Click to expand...

We got into quite a discussion about this around the time I did mine on another forum. There were a few folks that argued "any modification of a gun wouldn't bode well if you were in a self-defense shooting and the prosecutor discovered you had disabled a 'safety' device".

My response was that such a scenario could occur with any number of alterations people make. If you so much as install a Wolf spring kit the case could be made you modified (lightened trigger pull) your pistol for nefarious goals.

In the case of a mag disconnect, it does not increase the inherent lethality of a pistol except in the rare instance an inexperienced person found your gun, removed the mag believing they had 'unloaded' it without being aware of a round in the chamber, then discharged it inadvertently.

What removing a mag disconnect does do, is ensure your pistol is functional in the event you lose your mag or it becomes inoperable. I would also argue proof that it is unnecessary can easily be found by observing that the vast majority of all self-defense handguns do not have one at all, including all pistols used by both police and military.

In the case of my own LC9, after carrying all summer last year in an IWB holster, the safety had become 'frozen' in the forward (inactive) position by crud and light corrosion. I could remove the mag, clear the pistol, then repeatedly dry fire the pistol with the mag removed, despite the fact the mag disconnect was present.

In that situation, the mag disconnect would give the inexperienced user an unfounded confidence that their pistol was "safe", when in fact it is not, and that removing it completely and training with and treating the pistol as you would a handgun that does not have such a device is a 'safer', smarter alternative.

Anyway, definitely a personal choice and decision. I just wish Ruger never designed it in to begin with.

I put on a Pachmyer slip on grip today. Next time I go to the range I will see if that makes it more comfortable to shoot.