LCP .380 problem. WILL NOT chamber the bullet??

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warfish340

Bearcat
Joined
Jun 22, 2010
Messages
14
I just bought a new LCP last week. I really like the gun to keep in my pocket but it will not chamber a bullet. When I pull the slide back and let go it just dead-heads the bullet and sticks. I can push the back of the slide and the bullet will then go in. When I fire that round the next round sent into the barrel if not shot and taken out has a deep line across the bullet face. Whats the deal?? Never had trouble out of a Ruger till now...and this is an irritating problem. HELP!!!
 

deadduck357

Single-Sixer
Joined
Jul 2, 2007
Messages
404
Location
TX
Try loading some cartridges instead of bullets. :wink:

Sounds like your getting smiley's. I have heard of this before, but can't remember the fix or problem. This was happening with early LCP's. Anyone else remember ?
 

warfish340

Bearcat
Joined
Jun 22, 2010
Messages
14
#374-1 are the 1st five numbers. The pack that comes with a test fired bullet has a date of 5/13/2010 on it. I have tried several different types of ammo. All have done the same.
 

deadduck357

Single-Sixer
Joined
Jul 2, 2007
Messages
404
Location
TX
warfish340":ecy3vz28 said:
#374-1 are the 1st five numbers. The pack that comes with a test fired bullet has a date of 5/13/2010 on it. I have tried several different types of ammo. All have done the same.

Thats a pretty current run. Someone should chime-in here about this, like I said before smileys were happening to early ones.
 

ab4ka

Single-Sixer
Joined
Mar 22, 2009
Messages
255
Location
Lakeland, Florida
When mine was brand new I had some trouble with it chambering the first round by hand. A little shove on the back of the slide took care of it. It never did it when firing, just when I tried to chamber by hand. After putting about 50 rounds through it the issue disappeared.
 

warfish340

Bearcat
Joined
Jun 22, 2010
Messages
14
What about the way it puts a terrible "smiley" on the cartridge? This cant be good. Sure isnt Ruger quality??
 

Scott

Single-Sixer
Joined
Dec 14, 2009
Messages
296
Location
Missouri
I had a "saturday night special" that did that until I took it apart & did a real careful "fluff & buff" on the feed ramp & surrounding areas - used real fine emory paper then oiled it up real good. I expected it out of that cheap gun, but shouldn't be needed on a new one. I would also expect that if you can get a few through it, it may loosen up. I think I would consider calling Ruger.
 

Pinecone

Blackhawk
Joined
Jan 29, 2007
Messages
970
Location
Maine
warfish340, Welcome to the forum. Scott is on the right track, however since it is a "new" gun, I would contact Ruger and have them ship you a mailing carton and send it back to them. Better than spending money to possibly have a local gunsmith maybe "mess" it up worse. Those things do happen with some of today's so called gunsmiths! That said, I have fully disassembled many a new pistol, cleaned it thoroughly and polished the feed ramp for a "good" fix on countless number of pistols of all makes.........................Dick :idea:
 

HIVO

Single-Sixer
Joined
Apr 14, 2009
Messages
129
Location
conway,AR.
Send it back. I think you will be pleased with Ruger's CS. That being said, you shouldn't need service on a new LCP. Whoever test fired the gun should be retrained!! My LCP is in the 373 serial # range and it has been flawless. If I ever buy a new pistol and have to do anything to make it shoot............... Ive got to calm down Im gittin mad, good luck hope it all works out!
HIVO
 

gw425

Single-Sixer
Joined
Feb 2, 2010
Messages
275
Location
Nebraska
I just picked up a LCP today and it loaded just fine the first time, but every time after that it jams. Bumping the slide does nothing. If I pull the mag out and seat the bullet by hand, the slide still will not close.
 

warfish340

Bearcat
Joined
Jun 22, 2010
Messages
14
I sent a message to Ruger and they replyed today saying to call customer service tomorrow. They must know of a problem with these guns. I agree, you should not have to worry with a new gun.
 

Cheesewhiz

Hunter
Joined
Feb 8, 2008
Messages
2,114
Location
Chicago, IL
gw425":zwxlqdtn said:
I just picked up a LCP today and it loaded just fine the first time, but every time after that it jams. Bumping the slide does nothing. If I pull the mag out and seat the bullet by hand, the slide still will not close.

...and it shouldn't, the extractor will cause this when loading a round directly into the chamber.
 

gw425

Single-Sixer
Joined
Feb 2, 2010
Messages
275
Location
Nebraska
I wondered about that, and after looking at it, I can see where the extractor is hitting the rim of the case. I tried loading with 2 different ammos, and neither of them will load. Tried both magazines, same thing. Doesn't matter if the mag is full, partially full, or just one round in the mag.
 

gw425

Single-Sixer
Joined
Feb 2, 2010
Messages
275
Location
Nebraska
After disassembly, and not seeing anything out of the ordinary, I re-assembled the pistol and now it's chambering just fine. Odd.
 

WB5MHA

Bearcat
Joined
Dec 22, 2001
Messages
3
Location
Houston, Texas, US
You did, I assume, a standard cleaning BEFORE you fired the first round from a NIB pistol. Taking any new small arm out of the factory box without cleaning, inspection and light lube to the range is the same as running a new car down the interstate without checking to make sure the crankcase has oil.

Enjoy your LCP! I just found a "Coyote Texas Edition" on sale no less at Academy. Looking forward to breaking it in tomorrow.
 

agksimon

Bearcat
Joined
Nov 26, 2006
Messages
30
Location
West Michigan, USA
I have a brand new LCP and it put smilys on my ammo too. The bullet is hitting the flat at the bottom of the feed ramp. I fixed the problem on my KT 3AT with a dremel and rounding off the flat, so the bullet slides all the way up and in. I'm leaving the LCP alone, as the smilys don't seem to affect accuracy and I haven't noticed any bullet setback.
 

WB5MHA

Bearcat
Joined
Dec 22, 2001
Messages
3
Location
Houston, Texas, US
HIVO":2c2fqcsh said:
Send it back. I think you will be pleased with Ruger's CS. That being said, you shouldn't need service on a new LCP. Whoever test fired the gun should be retrained!! My LCP is in the 373 serial # range and it has been flawless. If I ever buy a new pistol and have to do anything to make it shoot............... Ive got to calm down Im gittin mad, good luck hope it all works out!
HIVO

Agree 100%. I have sent new pistols back to S&W/Walther, Colt, Beretta and Ruger over the years. Each had "issues" and were repaired or replaced free. Working right is their responsibility. In addition the company knows its liability if, for example, a round goes off before it is fully chambered. The "smileys" mentioned could end up with a primer being struck with the slide out of battery. Dangerous.

Hope all goes well........I'm a Sturm Ruger shareholder. Dangerous products translate to poor stock performance.
 

agksimon

Bearcat
Joined
Nov 26, 2006
Messages
30
Location
West Michigan, USA
The smiley is the result of the top round in the mag going forward under recoil and hitting the flat of the feed ramp on the barrel. Don't see how it would cause the round to go off.
 

kraigster414

Bearcat
Joined
Apr 4, 2008
Messages
46
Location
Northern VA
There is no association between the serial number prefix and the particular problem you are experiencing however the choice of ammo could be an influencing factor - I might have missed it but I didn't read where you identified the brand.

If you have not done so already, call Ruger in Prescott. More than likely they will issue you a prepaid mailing label and advise to send the gun back. Prescott's turnaround time is very fast normally. However.....may I suggest that before you do that, you ensure that the gun is sufficiently clean and lubricated and, I would give it another range test before opting to box it up. Tolerances on this gun are fairly tight particularly when new and it is not unusual for there to be something of a break-in period before things settle in. Not always but sometimes.

An excellent break-in lube for the rails and metal to metal contact points is Brian Enos' Slide Glide Lite, a low viscosity grease that stays put and is specifically designed for carry weapons - I have found over the years that it also reduces wear extremely well - and I highly recommend it for the LCP for the first hundred rounds or so (I have no business association with the company, just a user). And, don't be afraid to slingshot that slide (to chamber the first round) with "conviction." You are not going to hurt anything.

Finally, although you may not feel comfortable doing (or feel you should have to do), many LCP owners have benefited from a little light polishing of the barrel feed ramp and chamber (before the rifling begins) to enhance feeding and reliability. If done correctly, it is both easy to do at home and will in no way warm your weapon or void the warranty. If you are not comfortable doing/trying any of this and you continue to have a problem (and with a variety of factory ammo to rule out brand sensitivity), then the gun should be sent back to Ruger. As not to re-invent the wheel, here is a good "how-to" on LCP barrel polishing for those interested:

http://elsiepeaforum.com/forum/index.php?topic=838.0
 

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