Best way to break in the new LCP?

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djseto1200

Bearcat
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Aug 4, 2009
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I picked up a new LCP today to replace my Glock 23 as my CCW. I've always read that you shouldn't consider a gun broken in unless you've put several hundred rounds through it. With the shortage of ammo (even cheap ammo) especially in the .380 size, how many rounds do you guys think is needed to consider the LCP broken in and reliable for a CCW? I really hate the thought of having to buy Federal HydroShock or Hornady ammo to break it in, but I haven't been able to find any cheap .380 ammo to run through her. At $25 a box, give or take, 200 rounds is damn near the price of the LCP.

Thanks
 
Thanks for the welcoming.

The Glock 23 is just too big for a daily CCW especially wearing light, summer cloths. While I feel a bit better with .40 cal stopping power, I think the .380 Hornady Critical Defense Load should be sufficient enough. Hopefully I'll never need to find out. I do miss the peace of mind of knowing that with a Glock it's pretty much going to go bang every time I pull the trigger. I can only hope the LCP is as reliable. Everything I've read about the LCP has been good. The store I went to did show me the new Sig P238....WOW...talk about pretty pistol that will compete with the LCP

How many rounds have you put through the LCP? Break in? Any problems thus far (FTE, FTF, etc.)?
 
djseto1200":v090vr8v said:
Thanks for the welcoming.

The Glock 23 is just too big for a daily CCW especially wearing light, summer cloths. While I feel a bit better with .40 cal stopping power, I think the .380 Hornady Critical Defense Load should be sufficient enough. Hopefully I'll never need to find out. I do miss the peace of mind of knowing that with a Glock it's pretty much going to go bang every time I pull the trigger. I can only hope the LCP is as reliable. Everything I've read about the LCP has been good. The store I went to did show me the new Sig P238....WOW...talk about pretty pistol that will compete with the LCP

How many rounds have you put through the LCP? Break in? Any problems thus far (FTE, FTF, etc.)?

Well I don't have an LCP, but I was posting as a former Glock owner. I also had a .380 for a while it was a Sig P230 Stainless /nightsights. It had an amazing grip on it. The wife had a Bersa thunder .380 for a while.

I didn't care for the .40 S&W round that much, still have a few boxes of it sitting around not being used. The grip of the glock never fit my hand well. I had all 3 sizes (the 17 9mm, the 23 .40, and the 26 9mm.) None of them fit well.

We both felt that the full size 9mm would be a more efficient round. (Thats just a personal opinion though)

She no longer has the Bersa thunder .380 and I no longer had the Sig 230. NOW she has a Bersa thunder Pro Compact 9mm. She loves the grip and the size/feel...
IMG_2468.jpg


I use a Kahr CW9 for my main CHL gun (its about the same size the Sig 230 was but I feel alot more comfortable with the full size 9mm round the kahr offers. I keep it loaded with Winchester Ranger SXTs.

For an alt carry gun I now have a Sig P239 chambered in .357 Sig with Nitron coated stainless slide and nightsights...
IMG_2104.jpg


My Full Size 9mms are a Ruger P89 and a Desert Eagle (baby eagle) AKA: Jericho 941.
 
I've put a few hundred rounds through my LCP (had it about a year now) and intend to shoot only 50-100 per year from now on just to keep the muscle memory alive. I can usually find some Blazer or other FMJ for $20-24 and I buy about 4 of them. That's enough for me.

I shoot my other guns plenty, my LCP is a tool for ccw, that's all. So far it's never failed to fire or had a ftf. I've put about 5 different types of ammo through it. I have confidence it will work just fine.

My carry ammo is Remingtion Golden Saber JHP. It weighs about 10% more than more other HPs and get props from most people who use it.
 
When I first got mine I could not find any ammo for it other then the 25 rounds that I got with it. I spent ALOT of time dry firing and cycling snap caps through it. Now the shortage is easing up. IF you check in the morning you can find ammo fairly easily.
 
aside from personal defense rounds, there isn't any "range" .380 in Georgia. Would you guys suggest at least putting 20+ rounds through it or what? I'm kind of torn here. I want to start carrying it, but I don't want to carry a gun that might not fire since it's not broken in. The though of spending the cost of the gun in personal defense ammo just to break it in makes me cringe
 
Check out the ammo section on Gunbroker. Though pricey, you can find range ammo for relatively decent prices if you are diligent.

I bought 100 rd boxes of WWB last week for $50 or less on Gunbroker.

$25 for a 50rd box is still HIGH, but given the alternatives, you do what you gotta do.

Academy Sports here in Birmingham are getting in intermitent shipments of 380 ammo, but I haven't caught any yet. When they do, they have Monarch (Russian) 380 in the $15-16 range for 50 rds.

It's SLOWLY getting better.
 
If you have a Wal-Mart nearby, keep checking their supply. Mine has been getting wwb 9mm and 380 in. I'm paying $19.87 for 100 round value pack of 9mm.
 
I don't know how much breaking in they need. I just took mine out for the first time and it ran without a hitch. I put 200 rounds of ball and hollow points through it. Fortunately I had the ammo in my stash since before the shortage. :)

I was amazed at how accurate it was for such a little gun with tiny sights!
 
I purchased my LCP in February before I had received my CCW (which took until JUNE) and spent most of that time searching for ammo, which I have a small stockpile of now, but I also spent that time shooting the gun and getting used to it. after the first 50-100 rounds and getting familiar with the gun, I would have had no problem carrying it. I have had 300 or so rounds through it and never a ftf or fte, have shot magtech, remington, federal, fiocchi, some spanish military(9mm corto) and my reloads without a hitch. I now carry it every day in a blackhawk pocket holster and when I venture out to shoot other guns, I normally run a mag through it just to keep fresh, when it gets home, it gets the pocket lint cleaned off. I feel very confident in this gun going bang every time.

btw as far as 380 ammo goes, put it on backorder at cabelas, basspro, midway. I know that it might say 5-6 weeks or more but it usually isnt. Plus the price it was when you backordered it, is what you pay, in my case 13.99/box and 16.99/box
 
djseto1200":18z6tryz said:
aside from personal defense rounds, there isn't any "range" .380 in Georgia. Would you guys suggest at least putting 20+ rounds through it or what? I'm kind of torn here. I want to start carrying it, but I don't want to carry a gun that might not fire since it's not broken in. The though of spending the cost of the gun in personal defense ammo just to break it in makes me cringe

You can find the .380 "range" bullets in American Classic Marksman in Peachtree Industrial Blvd, which is also a shooting range, and where I bought my LCP. They sell the range bullets at $20.00/a box of 50. I shot the first 50 rounds there.
 
chad.snyder":ermlhnu5 said:
If you have a Wal-Mart nearby, keep checking their supply. Mine has been getting wwb 9mm and 380 in. I'm paying $19.87 for 100 round value pack of 9mm.

Is the Wal-Mart value pack re-loaded ones?
 
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