A really dumb semi-auto question.

[Cal44]

How do you tell if your pistol is in battery?

I have a Ruger LC9 -- the original model, not the S.

I didn't list it on my CCW license because I'm not confident in it yet.

So it's been in my safe for a year, and I'm using revolvers I'm more familiar with.

The problem is, when I load the LC9 and cycle the slide, sometimes it doesn't go into battery. This is when I do it by hand. After the first shot it works reliably.

At first, I found myself guiding the slide the whole way with my hand, and that was causing it to not return fast enough to get fully into battery.

But, even without that obvious mistake, It still sometimes isn't ready to shoot.

At the range I can test to see if it's in battery by pointing it at the target and then pulling the trigger.

But at home, before putting it into my holster, how do I tell it's ready to shoot? I can't exactly try a test shot in the bedroom.

I'm afraid I'll get into a SD situation, pull the trigger, and nothing will happen.

Dave

 

[groberts]

I have a leather holster that has a similar issue. It's new so when I re-holster I often have to wiggle my pistol in to get it all the way down. That sometimes causes the slide to move back around an 1/8 of an inch.

 

[loaded round]

You should never ''ride the slide'' into battery. That's what the slide release is for, just use the release to drop the slide. Your pistol should lock into battery assuming you don't have bad ammo or a gunked up pistol.

 

[Mike J]

You should never ''ride the slide'' into battery. That's what the slide release is for, just use the release to drop the slide. Your pistol should lock into battery assuming you don't have bad ammo or a gunked up pistol.

This is right.

 

[roylt]

Actually the slide stop is just that. A STOP. The Ruger manuals I have read say to slig shot the slide. The slide stop is not a release. So read you manual and then if it says that the slide has a release, use that.

Now with that said, I have used my stop as a release too but not as a rule.

The simplest way to do it is to load a mag in the gun and pull the slide back as far as you can and then let go. The slide will go to battery under spring pressure just like if a round had been fired.

 

[loaded round]

What are you trying to say in your 2nd and 3rd sentences? They don't make any sense.




quote="roylt"]Actually the slide stop is just that. A STOP. The Ruger manuals I have read say to slig shot the slide. The slide stop is not a release. So read you manual and then if it says that the slide has a release, use that.

Now with that said, I have used my stop as a release too but not as a rule.

The simplest way to do it is to load a mag in the gun and pull the slide back as far as you can and then let go. The slide will go to battery under spring pressure just like if a round had been fired.[/quote]

 

[5of7]

If the slide is flush with the back of the frame, it is in battery. 8)

 

[Cal44]

If the slide is flush with the back of the frame, it is in battery. 8)

OK, that is the type of comment I was looking for.

So, if it's not quite flush, can I just push the slider forward until it's flush and then it will be ready to shoot?

After the first shot, the gun works fine for subsequent shots.

 

[jnichols2]

Cal44,

The LC9 has a very short barrel, and a very light slide. Unless the slide is pulled ALL the way back, it WILL NOT have enough momentum to strip and load the round.

It always loads properly when firing, that's because the round going off forces the slide ALL THE WAY back before letting it go forward.

DO NOT use the slide release. Pull the slide ALL THE WAY BACK, then release it. Don't follow it forward with your hand, that will slow the slide down.\

Rack the slide like you mean it. Then the LC9 will do it's part.

Happy shooting.

 

[pjvrefugee]

it is never a dumb question if it might mean the difference between your duty weapon functioning or not. with a short action pistol like that one, slingshot the slide.

 

[Mike J]

Actually the slide stop is just that. A STOP. The Ruger manuals I have read say to slig shot the slide. The slide stop is not a release. So read you manual and then if it says that the slide has a release, use that.

Now with that said, I have used my stop as a release too but not as a rule.

The simplest way to do it is to load a mag in the gun and pull the slide back as far as you can and then let go. The slide will go to battery under spring pressure just like if a round had been fired.

You are right Roylt. I don't own one of the Rugers that specify a slide stop to only be a slide stop. My old P series & SR 1911 will let me do it either way. I forgot that some of the newer Rugers wont let you do it that way. Slingshotting is better anyway. The biggest thing is not to ride the slide.

 

[mysquishy]

dont forget to get the new recoil spring and rod for the lc9s not sure if the lc9 has the same issue, if the guide rod and spring are not fully lined up it can prevent the gun from going into battery fully, the new guide rod fixes this issue.

 

[blume357]

Watch the movie 'Heat' with Al Pacino and Robert De Niro ....

 

[kbm6893]

Doesn't the red chamber loaded flag tell you what you need to know?

 

[pjvrefugee]

Doesn't the red chamber loaded flag tell you what you need to know?

NO! it tells you there is a round under it holding the LCI up. round in chamber does not mean in battery, your pistol could still be slightly out of battery and that flag be up. I had a few out of battery situations with my SR45 before I broke her in and polished the chamber a little. click no bang and when I examined the weapon the slide was ever so slightly back, just barely out of battery. then (pre polish) during the balance of that session I would pay extra attention to the slide after each round. a couple required a little movement foreward to obtain battery.

 

[MountainWalker]

How do you tell if your pistol is in battery?
The problem is, when I load the LC9 and cycle the slide, sometimes it doesn't go into battery. This is when I do it by hand. After the first shot it works reliably.
Dave

Dave, Not a dumb question at all!
1. The advice of using the slide stop is not good. It is much better to get into the habit of pulling the slide back all the way till it won't go any further and suddenly release the slide to feed the cartridge into the chamber and lock the pistol into battery. To double check that you are fully in battery all you have to do is push on the back of the slide with your thumb. This assumes that your using factory spec ammo and have a light coat of lube on moving parts.
2. Ruger refers to the slide stop as the "Slide Hold Open" for good reason. You should be aware that the Slide Hold Open is made of a harder steel than the slide. When you release the slide, using the slide hold open, that hard steel presses against the notch in the slide under spring tension. Each time you do that, you wear/polish/round off that little notch area in the slide. When this area is worn or rounded, it will be less reliable in securely holding the slide open. The lever on the slide release is really there so you can rack the slide back and press up on the hold open to lock the pistol in an open "T" position. Good for clearing jams or malfunctions. If you insert a fresh mag into a locked open LC9, just pull back on the slide and release the slide to prepare the gun for firing. See the section on Page 17 of your manual. I almost never use the slide hold open(slide top) as a loading release, but it is there in rare or unusual circumstances if needed. I am so programed to racking the slide back and suddenly releasing it, that I find it just as fast and convenient as using the slide hold open.
3. IMO the LC9 is an excellent little pistol given it's nice small size, very light 17o oz., and good construction. The trigger can be mastered just like a revolver to achieve very good results.

 

[MountainWalker]

Actually the slide stop is just that. A STOP. The Ruger manuals I have read say to slig shot the slide. The slide stop is not a release. So read you manual and then if it says that the slide has a release, use that.

Now with that said, I have used my stop as a release too but not as a rule.

The simplest way to do it is to load a mag in the gun and pull the slide back as far as you can and then let go. The slide will go to battery under spring pressure just like if a round had been fired.

This is exactly correct and well stated.

 

[MountainWalker]

What are you trying to say in your 2nd and 3rd sentences? They don't make any sense.




quote="roylt"]Actually the slide stop is just that. A STOP. The Ruger manuals I have read say to slig shot the slide. The slide stop is not a release. So read you manual and then if it says that the slide has a release, use that.

Now with that said, I have used my stop as a release too but not as a rule.

The simplest way to do it is to load a mag in the gun and pull the slide back as far as you can and then let go. The slide will go to battery under spring pressure just like if a round had been fired.

[/quote] IMO the 2nd & 3rd sentences make perfect sense. I think the communication problem might be that you are calling the slide hold open(slide stop) a "release" when it is not intended to be used that way.

 

[loaded round]

To each his own, I was not an English major.

What are you trying to say in your 2nd and 3rd sentences? They don't make any sense.




quote="roylt"]Actually the slide stop is just that. A STOP. The Ruger manuals I have read say to slig shot the slide. The slide stop is not a release. So read you manual and then if it says that the slide has a release, use that.

Now with that said, I have used my stop as a release too but not as a rule.

The simplest way to do it is to load a mag in the gun and pull the slide back as far as you can and then let go. The slide will go to battery under spring pressure just like if a round had been fired.

IMO the 2nd & 3rd sentences make perfect sense. I think the communication problem might be that you are calling the slide hold open(slide stop) a "release" when it is not intended to be used that way.[/quote]

 

[DA_TriggR4Ruger]

How to tell if my pistol is in battery? I pull the trigger and it goes BANG.

 

[MountainWalker]

Interesting video shows correct use of slide stop: http://www.thetruthaboutguns.com/2010/09/robert-farago/the-rabbi-speaks-dont-use-the-slide-stop-to-release-the-slide/

 

[exavid]

If you have a doubt about the LC9 being in battery just lift your thumb from the grip and feel the back of the slide to see if it's flush with the frame, If it is, it is. My LC9 is my daily carry and has had a lot of rounds fed through it at my club and our county range. It takes a good bit of practice to do well with these little guns. Mine has been utterly reliable which is why it's one of my primary carry guns.
I just wish it didn't have that big California "chamber loaded" flag and safety. Those and the magazine safety are not needed on the gun.

 

[freedomcosts]

Seems to me I would want that foxed- if it's not obviously going into battery, the spring must be too weak or something. I want to know for sure, just like the OP- I have a Taurus that would stop just short of battery- sent to Florida and they replaced the springs. Ruger would be glad to look at it, and correct. Don't know their turnaround time now, was really good a year or so ago.

 

[ncvikingfan]

^+1. If one has to stop, think, check to make sure a gun is fully in battery to fire if needed, I won't be carrying it. If I owned an LC9 with this issue, it would go back to Ruger. The only reason that I would purchase an LC9 would be concealed carry.

However, all guns have human input in the manufacturing process so any could fail at a time of stressful need or in just day to day target practice.

It is, however, your gun, your time, your money, your intended use, etc.

 

[LC9Lover]

You should never ''ride the slide'' into battery. That's what the slide release is for, just use the release to drop the slide. Your pistol should lock into battery assuming you don't have bad ammo or a gunked up pistol.

I agree absolutely. I have version 1 of the LC9. I have a tight fit OWB Galco/Viridian ECR and an ECR IWB holster that is much looser than than the OWB. I have no problem being in battery in either holster. I did have an 'in-battery' problem when I tried flat nose FMJ rounds but no problem with FMJ RN.

The flaw in the 9mm Luger round is that it is tapered being narrower at the neck than at the base. That can cause FMJ FN rounds to hang up and prevent proper feed and then cause an out-of-battery situation. It is something to consider if you use FN ammo.

 

[MountainWalker]

^+1. If one has to stop, think, check to make sure a gun is fully in battery to fire if needed, I won't be carrying it. If I owned an LC9 with this issue, it would go back to Ruger. The only reason that I would purchase an LC9 would be concealed carry.

However, all guns have human input in the manufacturing process so any could fail at a time of stressful need or in just day to day target practice.

It is, however, your gun, your time, your money, your intended use, etc.

I think the OP will be just fine now that he knows how to charge his pistol with the slingshot method as described in the factory manual.

 

[5of7]

^+1. If one has to stop, think, check to make sure a gun is fully in battery to fire if needed, I won't be carrying it. If I owned an LC9 with this issue, it would go back to Ruger. The only reason that I would purchase an LC9 would be concealed carry.

However, all guns have human input in the manufacturing process so any could fail at a time of stressful need or in just day to day target practice.

It is, however, your gun, your time, your money, your intended use, etc.

On my LC9s, when it is loaded with one in the barrel and the safety is engaged, the slide will not move. So if the safety is engaged, it is in battery and it will not be pushed out of battery by a tight holster or whatever.... 8)

 

[loaded round]

That has also been my experience with the LC9s.

 

[Rabon]

I can't remember for sure but I think if you can engage the safety the slide is in battery on the LC9 and it doesn't hurt anything to press your thumb against the rear of the slide when holstering the weapon if you don't engage the safety.

 

[Rei40c]

I can't remember for sure but I think if you can engage the safety the slide is in battery on the LC9 and it doesn't hurt anything to press your thumb against the rear of the slide when holstering the weapon if you don't engage the safety.

I developed this habit myself after carrying a G26 in a Kydex holster that wasn't exactly %100. The fit on the holster was too tight on the front end and would often move the slide ever so slightly backwards but still out of battery. Not a terrible practice to get into.

That's one disadvantage of the Kydex with leather it would eventually wear in properly.