LC9 feed ramp issues?

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DBelite05

Bearcat
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Feb 14, 2012
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I just bought my wife a a brand new LC9 and we've both noticed it doesn't always want to chamber a shell when racking slide. The shell get chambered only partially and the slide doesn't come all the way forward and the only way to fix it is to eject the shell completely, even when working the slide to get it to feed it doesn't budge. Any one else have this problem? Should i wait to put some rounds through it before contacting Ruger or having the ramp machined?
 

hittman

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DBelite05 said:
Should i wait to put some rounds through it before contacting Ruger or having the ramp machined?

Yes, 3 or 4 hundred rounds would be a good start. And try a variety of ammo brands too, make sure the problem isn't specific to ONE magazine, no limp-wristing, etc.

Welcome to the Forum!
 

exavid

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Loading the magazine with fewer rounds until it breaks in may help. Also I'm not clear from your post whether the problem is when firing or hand racking the pistol. If it's during hand racking it could be caused by not yanking the slide backward all the way or riding it forward with your hand.
 

DBelite05

Bearcat
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No the problem is when hand racking, and you could say I "rack it like a red head step child" for lack of a better pun. but no limp wristing, no riding it forward i would suspect these issues if it only happened when my wife was racking the slide but it is happening to be as well. I make sure to give it a hard rack to the rear and let it loose so it rides forward on it own will. i worked with it a bit more last night, tried different ammo and still had some issues but far less than right out of the box i stripped it and made sure all part were well lubricated and just spent time racking full clips through the gun. I don't think it's going to be an issue after a few hundred more rounds i don't anticipate any problems. However, until I'm positive it's not an issue that would be detrimental in a life or death situation the wife will just have to carry another gun. Thanks for all the input and advice guys.
 

exavid

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One other possibility could be slightly bent or misshaped magazine lips not holding the top round at the right angle. I had a feed problem with another pistol and found the inside of the magazine gritty. After disassembling, cleaning and lubing the inside of the magazine the problem with the gun was gone. It sure would be easier to diagnose these kind of problems if Ruger would ship all guns with two magazines. I just got a SR22 and it came with two magazines. All the pistols I have from Ruger came with two magazines except the LCP and LC9.
 

ryan9896

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Jan 25, 2012
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first thing, i smooth and polish EVERY feedramp on EVERY gun i buy....it only helps, it doesn't hurt.

second thing, on my LC9, if i pull the slide all the way back and let it go, it will chamber the round perfectly and positively. if i "go easy" and ride the slide back into position, it will hang up right at the very end. the slide will push the round out of the mag, up the ramp, and into the chamber, but right at the last step it will hang up. at that point, all i have to do is tap the back of the slide with the palm of my hand and it closes (like a Forward assist on an AR). again, this is only when i go easy when releasing the slide. during live firing, it's like butter. 300+ rounds not one FTF for me, or any other malfunction. this is with remington, winchester FMJ's and Hornady HP's.

as a note: i have intalled the 18lb spring from Galloway and feel this mod is GREATLY under-appreciated. this tightened up the performance of my LC9 tremendously. the recoil is softer, the performance is 10x better, highly recommended!! it seems that yes, maybe ruger could have done better overall with the small details, but with a few mods and some TLC, this gun can be a beast!! in my case, it's reliable and i carry it everyday.
 

Rei40c

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ryan9896 said:
first thing, i smooth and polish EVERY feedramp on EVERY gun i buy....it only helps, it doesn't hurt.

second thing, on my LC9, if i pull the slide all the way back and let it go, it will chamber the round perfectly and positively. if i "go easy" and ride the slide back into position, it will hang up right at the very end.
a

Different gun I know just throwing in that my SR40c does the exact same thing and I've heard the SR9's as well. I doubt I'll polish the feed ramp any time soon, maybe one day. For now though a solid rack seats it perfectly every time.

I don't really see it as a problem but admit a polished ramp as far as I can tell from reading can only be a good or better thing.
 

exavid

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Riding the slide back with your hand or slowing its momentum when closing will prevent most autoloaders from going fully into battery. The most resistance to the recoil spring closing the action is when the slide is stripping a round from the magazine. The resistance is at its highest when the magazine is full and the follower spring is pressing the cartridge more tightly against the lips of the magazine. To rack any autoloader one should pull the slide all the way back and release it cleanly.
 

RICHGCOOP

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I all ways hone my new guns before I ever shoot them. It takes out the brake in time.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9urvFnOnjl0

RICHGCOOP
 

justcallmedoc

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Got my lc9 a couple weeks ago.. I've put about 200 runds thru it so far, No Issues.. Going out next week to try some different federal fmj and try out some Hornady 90252 9mm Luger 115 Grain JHP/XTP..
later,
doc
 

justcallmedoc

Bearcat
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Feb 26, 2012
Messages
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Location
Central Indiana
justcallmedoc said:
Got my lc9 a couple weeks ago.. I've put about 200 runds thru it so far, No Issues.. Going out next week to try some different federal fmj and try out some Hornady 90252 9mm Luger 115 Grain JHP/XTP..
later,
doc
Both ammos worked flawless..
 

CET2012

Bearcat
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Salt Lake City, UTAH
I've shot all kinds of ammo through my LC9 and have not experienced this.

One thing you can do when you are trying to adjust for an issue like this with feed ramp polishing, mag lip adjustment etc is get some dummy 9 mm rounds and work the slide by hand.

You should be able to feel when you are getting it smoother.

Disassembly would be a good way to start. You're going to need to do it eventually anyway for cleaning and maybe you can see where the hang up is on yours?
 

lotsasawdust

Bearcat
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Sep 4, 2012
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Hi All, I don't mean to hijack this post but I having the same problem with a small twist. My rounds are getting stuck at the edge of the feed ramp when hand racking the slide. Unless I do it really hard the round gets stuck. I have to pull back several times to clear it. HP's and RN both do it.
Thanks and sorry
Rick
 

CET2012

Bearcat
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You might try looking at the magazine lips. If the round isn't positioned at the right angle, more or less 45 to 55 degrees then you might try carefully bending the magazine lips slightly open with pliers to allow the round to be in the optimum feed angle. To see if your adjustment worked fill the magazine with a full 7 rounds and then thumb out the cartridges one by one to see if they all have the right angle. If they all sit at the correct angle when they are at the top then you have probably fixed the issue.
I doubt there would be any other reason for it to fail to feed but I am not a gunsmith and so I can't promise you that the magazine feed angle is the issue. It's what I would try in your position.
Remember to bend the mag lips only slightly; just enough to let the top rounds pointing up to the feed tray. If you bend it too far they will either pop out too fast or they won't stay in the magazine.
Good luck!
 

GeorgeP

Single-Sixer
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Sep 1, 2010
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A couple of hints. First, the next time the barrel is out hold it muzzle down and drop rounds into and out of the chamber. Smooth or not? Look at the mouth of the chamber and see if there's a little chamfer...should be. Second, being able to slingshot the slide is important but during the first 2 or 3 hundred rounds of break in use the slide release, (no, it won't hurt it) later work on the slingshot. Can't do that on SRs but it works nice on the LC9. Don't know if this really helps the situation you are in but I shortened the cam on the loaded round indicator...still high enough to see but less getting in the way.
 

CET2012

Bearcat
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Salt Lake City, UTAH
@George P, I like your idea of shortening the cam on the loaded round indicator. if I have mine loaded with safety on it catches just a bit on the loaded round indicator on my favorite holster. if I take it down by about 40% the indicator still works and won't grab on my holster.
Thanks!!
 

Bronco89

Bearcat
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I just purchased my SR40 about two months ago, Brand New. Mine does the same thing. I only have 150 rounds through mine though. Shoots great, never a FTF.
I did try something.
I put the slide back, in lock position. Then put the mag in, and let it rip! 9 out of 10 times, it is fine. If I hand rack it, it does it 50% of the time. And I know how to rack.
I also did this:
"Don't do this unless you know exactly what your doing"!!!!!
I found a small burr on my feed ramp. Which did not make me happy!!!!
I filed it slightly and polished. It helped. But do "NOT" do that unless you are really aware of what you are doing!
I am currently carrying my Springfield XD45, until I am feeling better about this SR.
 

Cheesewhiz

Hunter
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This thing went off the tracks in about post 5. I beat the crap out of every misbehaving pistol I have with a 2# ball peen and then pour gas on it and set it on fire. I reload, so I have gunpowder and I pile that on after the flames go down and then fire that off just to make sure. I have no eyebrows but if my gun isn't working right it will be punished. I mean, if I can't fix it with a dremmel and a file, I'll bring out the big guns, those are broken also.

I remember Rev asking me how many used guns that I could have possibly seen that had been hacked up by their previous owners. Rev, I give you this. :D
 

Cheesewhiz

Hunter
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Rev, I saw a unfired Pyhton 2" barrel (very rare) at a gun shop the other day, timing was off, cylinder swiveled in the frame and every screw was buggered with crappy bone grips installed. I almost cried.
 

CET2012

Bearcat
Joined
May 28, 2012
Messages
49
Location
Salt Lake City, UTAH
Wow, Cheese, you punish your guns that don't work right? Isnt that like punishing yourself since you bought them?

I like the guns I currently have because they didn't cost a fortune but I know they are midrange quality at best. I always tune them up so that they work properly. Since I am a life long mechanic and machine operator, who has worked on everything from multi million dollar factory machines to trucks, forklifts, cars, houses, lawnmowers, washing machines, sewing machines and guns, I haven't found a gun yet I could not fix. If I could choose a career all over again I'd go learn to be a gunsmith because I love doing it. I hope to get an upgrade and buy or trade for an S&W or a Kimber at some point in the future.

ANYWAY - back to the LC9 feedramp issue; this little gun comes apart nicely and then you can see each component. I polished my feed ramp, magazine lips, the entire barrel and anything else I could find that looked rough. After shooting well over 2000 rounds my LC9 has never malfunctioned in any way and I've shot all kinds of ammo including the very crappy Tulammo that I could never get to work in any other semi autos I have had.
I love this little gun because it's small and thin but there is nothing small and thin about the way it shoots.
 

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