antman6957
Bearcat
So far I have run 500+ rounds through my LC9 and have found it to be reliable and fun to shoot. However, it was not the most accurate pistol. I didn't expect it to be a target pistol but felt it could do better. As anyone who has ever shot the LC9 knows the trigger pull is very long. It is my opinion that the long pull combined with the fact that it breaks so close to the grip that make it hard to keep on target. With such a short sight radius any slight movement can place a shot way off target.
The modifications described below shortened the trigger pull on my LC9 by ~.250" while making the trigger slightly lighter and moved the "break" forward by ~.300". This did not technically make the weapon more accurate. What it did was to make it easier for me to shoot accurately from a hand held stance. My groups went from around 8-10" @ 20ft to around 5-6" with less "fly aways".
After close examination I noticed 3 areas of the LC9 that affect accuracy in a negative way and/or contribute to the long trigger stroke and deep break.
1) The trigger/trigger pivot interface has a lot of tolerance.
2) The firing pin blocker release causes the slide to move upward about 0.020" in the rear just before firing. It's like a twitch right when the weapon fires.
3) The trigger pull is long and deep which makes it difficult to keep on target during the full stroke. The farther my finger has to move the harder it is to keep my hand perfectly still.
This is what I did to address these issues. These are rather serious modifications and should only be attempted by anyone who possess the necessary skills and is willing to accept all responsibility. They are only a description of what I did to achieve these results. I don't desire to get into a discussion of the pro's and con's of the modifications. One must be competent to completely disassemble the LC9 to achieve satisfactory results.
1) The trigger (#3) is connected to the trigger pivot (#2) by a pin (#13). The hole in the pivot is over size allowing the trigger to wiggle side to side and front to back. I drilled the hole in the trigger oversize to accept a larger pin (.090"). This firmed up the trigger a lot. While there is still some movement it is not nearly as much.
2) The blocker lever (#9) contacts the firing pin blocker (#32) raising it just before firing. This causes the slide to move upward in the back right when the hammer is released. I removed the blocker lever and spring (#9 & 21) and replaced them with a flat washer of the same thickness. I also removed the firing pin blocker, pawl and spring (#32, 36 & 37) from the slide. The rear sight (#38) must be removed for this operation. Another benefit of this is that there is a "stack up" of these springs when pulling the trigger. Removing them made the trigger pull a little lighter and kept the resistance consistent for the full stroke.
3) The trigger bar (#5) has about .040" take up before it contacts the hammer (#6). This translates to about .250" of movement at the trigger tip. I sectioned the trigger bar by cutting it right in the middle of the straight section and welding it back together. I found that a standard hack saw blade removed the perfect amount of length. This then allowed me to file fit the tab at the bottom to achieve the minimum amount of free play. I presume that each LC9 would need to be evaluated to determine the exact amount the trigger bar would need to be shortened. But regardless, it's the file fit that gives the "right" amount of free play.
Modification #3 had the most effect. The trigger's at-rest position moved forward by ~.050" and the stroke shortened by ~.250". This moved the break point forward by ~.300"! While I had the frame insert out I went ahead and removed the magazine disconnect and spring (#11 & 12). This had no affect on the trigger's action but I wanted to remove it anyway. All together these changes made the trigger silky smooth, slightly lighter, and most importantly, shortened the trigger pull and moved the break point. I attribute most of the improvement in accuracy to the more-forward break position of the trigger. Since the trigger travel is less it allows me to keep the weapon aimed more consistently. I have only shot 150 rounds since the modifications but see no ill affects and am confidant my weld will hold for the life of the weapon. Ruger did a great job with the LC9. I feel that all my modification did was to remove some "legislative" features and tighten up normal manufacturing tolerances. I have made a call to Arthur at Ghost Trigger to see if he will consider supplying a shorter trigger bar for anyone who may want to make this modifications but unable to do it as described. I will keep you posted…
The modifications described below shortened the trigger pull on my LC9 by ~.250" while making the trigger slightly lighter and moved the "break" forward by ~.300". This did not technically make the weapon more accurate. What it did was to make it easier for me to shoot accurately from a hand held stance. My groups went from around 8-10" @ 20ft to around 5-6" with less "fly aways".
After close examination I noticed 3 areas of the LC9 that affect accuracy in a negative way and/or contribute to the long trigger stroke and deep break.
1) The trigger/trigger pivot interface has a lot of tolerance.
2) The firing pin blocker release causes the slide to move upward about 0.020" in the rear just before firing. It's like a twitch right when the weapon fires.
3) The trigger pull is long and deep which makes it difficult to keep on target during the full stroke. The farther my finger has to move the harder it is to keep my hand perfectly still.
This is what I did to address these issues. These are rather serious modifications and should only be attempted by anyone who possess the necessary skills and is willing to accept all responsibility. They are only a description of what I did to achieve these results. I don't desire to get into a discussion of the pro's and con's of the modifications. One must be competent to completely disassemble the LC9 to achieve satisfactory results.
1) The trigger (#3) is connected to the trigger pivot (#2) by a pin (#13). The hole in the pivot is over size allowing the trigger to wiggle side to side and front to back. I drilled the hole in the trigger oversize to accept a larger pin (.090"). This firmed up the trigger a lot. While there is still some movement it is not nearly as much.
2) The blocker lever (#9) contacts the firing pin blocker (#32) raising it just before firing. This causes the slide to move upward in the back right when the hammer is released. I removed the blocker lever and spring (#9 & 21) and replaced them with a flat washer of the same thickness. I also removed the firing pin blocker, pawl and spring (#32, 36 & 37) from the slide. The rear sight (#38) must be removed for this operation. Another benefit of this is that there is a "stack up" of these springs when pulling the trigger. Removing them made the trigger pull a little lighter and kept the resistance consistent for the full stroke.
3) The trigger bar (#5) has about .040" take up before it contacts the hammer (#6). This translates to about .250" of movement at the trigger tip. I sectioned the trigger bar by cutting it right in the middle of the straight section and welding it back together. I found that a standard hack saw blade removed the perfect amount of length. This then allowed me to file fit the tab at the bottom to achieve the minimum amount of free play. I presume that each LC9 would need to be evaluated to determine the exact amount the trigger bar would need to be shortened. But regardless, it's the file fit that gives the "right" amount of free play.
Modification #3 had the most effect. The trigger's at-rest position moved forward by ~.050" and the stroke shortened by ~.250". This moved the break point forward by ~.300"! While I had the frame insert out I went ahead and removed the magazine disconnect and spring (#11 & 12). This had no affect on the trigger's action but I wanted to remove it anyway. All together these changes made the trigger silky smooth, slightly lighter, and most importantly, shortened the trigger pull and moved the break point. I attribute most of the improvement in accuracy to the more-forward break position of the trigger. Since the trigger travel is less it allows me to keep the weapon aimed more consistently. I have only shot 150 rounds since the modifications but see no ill affects and am confidant my weld will hold for the life of the weapon. Ruger did a great job with the LC9. I feel that all my modification did was to remove some "legislative" features and tighten up normal manufacturing tolerances. I have made a call to Arthur at Ghost Trigger to see if he will consider supplying a shorter trigger bar for anyone who may want to make this modifications but unable to do it as described. I will keep you posted…