LCP and handloads? (update)

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s4s4u

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So, I loaded up some 380's for my daughter's LCP so she could practice without breaking the bank but the gun just doesn't like them. The extractor often leaves the fired case about halfway out of the chamber and then strips the next round from the mag and stuffs it under the fired case. Using a 100 grain Xtreme plated bullet over 2.9 grains of Titegroup, the range is 2.6 - 3.0 so not quite max. Out of 100 rounds only had one mag run all six cleanly and had a few mags jamb nearly every time. Do you suppose I need to step on them a bit? I am only a tenth from max as it is. Just break-in woes? The gun is new.

Thoughts?
 

loaded round

Hunter
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Shooting lead reloads in your LCP by chance? Was loading lead bullets in my wife's LCP to give her some practice ammo. Was using a lead RN bullet and experienced a similar problem. Gave the feed ramp and chamber a good through polishing with my Dremel tool with a felt tip and metal polish. After 100 more rounds, problem has gone away. Suggest you take a close look at your feed ramp and chamber.
 

loaded round

Hunter
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90 gr JHP (only because I have a 1000 of them) 3.8 gr Hodgdon CFE-Pistol with a W-W SP primer. Nice comfortable practice load for the LCP. I'd still suggest you check your feed ramp and chamber...can't hurt anything.
 

s4s4u

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Well she's going back to the mother ship. I emailed Ruger CS about the issue and they want to look her over. Will see what they say.
 

black1970

Blackhawk
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Be sure to check OAL of loaded round. Too long will give problems. Some Smith 380's won't even feed or eject certain brands of factory ammo. I think Remington is one.
 

s4s4u

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black1970 said:
Be sure to check OAL of loaded round. Too long will give problems. Some Smith 380's won't even feed or eject certain brands of factory ammo. I think Remington is one.

Originally loaded to .960" as per data. Passed the plunk test and hand cycled fine. Later reseated to some .930", in an effort to increase chamber pressure since I was under max, same result.
 

Wheeljack

Bearcat
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I had some trouble with the bullets shape. It was more round than conical. The bullet hit the hold open detent. It was sticking out to far and catching on the bullet. I'm not sure this is the same problem, but take a look.
 

s4s4u

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Wheeljack said:
I had some trouble with the bullets shape. It was more round than conical. The bullet hit the hold open detent. It was sticking out to far and catching on the bullet. I'm not sure this is the same problem, but take a look.

Gun chambered and fired without issue, it was extraction that failed.
 

s4s4u

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s4s4u said:
Well she's going back to the mother ship. I emailed Ruger CS about the issue and they want to look her over. Will see what they say.

Well that was quick. Got an email that repairs were completed and she will be headed home shortly. Am curious if they will include a note as to what they did.
 

s4s4u

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s4s4u said:
s4s4u said:
Well she's going back to the mother ship. I emailed Ruger CS about the issue and they want to look her over. Will see what they say.

Well that was quick. Got an email that repairs were completed and she will be headed home shortly. Am curious if they will include a note as to what they did.

Well, they replaced the barrel and slide and fired 24 trouble free rounds and sent her back. I went to the range and it did the same thing as before. I maxed out some loads to see if that would help and it did not. So, I went the other way and backed off and wouldn't ya know it ran better. Had one jam in 4 mags of ammo, compared to 2 - 5 jams per mag previously. I am going to back off to minimum and see if that does the trick. Perhaps the slower slide velocity allows the extractor to hold on to the case? As I said, it ate a whole box of Blazer factory fodder without a hicup. I took a pic of the malfunction:

slGx3Le.jpg
 

exavid

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I had the LCP and now have a LCP2. Both functioned well with most ammo although I did have a feeding problem with some bullets. I think they were Berry's plated hollow point bullets. I had no problems when loading jacketed round nose bullets both factory and hand loads using Power Point powder and Barry's plated round nose bullets. I
don't what powder loads I used but they were middle of the range and supplied enough poop to cycle the gun well.
 
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