LC9 front sight rusted

[GKC]

As the title says...

For several reasons (travel, illness) we haven't had my wife's LC9 out of the safe for a while. I bought her a hand tooled leather pistol rug, which has a lining that is more like hair rather than wool or foam. I usually always keep my guns in a silicone pistol sock in the safe, and not in pistol rugs. For some reason, I put her LC9 in the leather rug, and then in the safe...I suppose it's been in there for a month or two. When I pulled it out this morning, I immediately noticed that the front sight is rusted...on the top, horizontal surface of the sight, from where it meets the slide to the top edge, where it becomes vertical (hers is the TALO Gold model, and has a stainless slide.) The sides of the sight are not rusted, nor is there any rust elsewhere on the pistol.

The other pistol rugs I have, and use to carry my handguns in (while in the car, traveling, or on the nightstand) don't have this kind of lining, and I've never had a problem with any gun rusting in them. I have one rug that I've had for many, many years, and it's held a number of handguns as described...in the car, on the nightstand...and never a sign of any problem (polymer handguns, 1911s, revolvers, etc.) I know the culprit was the leather pistol rug and the "hair" lining...so, I won't be using it anymore. (She likes the looks, but she will be pissed when she sees her gun!) I knew better...like I said, I always put my guns in silicone socks before putting them in the safe.

I guess I can buy a new front sight from Ruger and have it installed...or I might try sanding this one with some fine grit sand paper, and then oiling it good. I suppose the sight is painted, though, so if I do sand it, I should paint it afterwards...right? Suggestions or thoughts?

It's probably easier just to buy a new front sight.

 

[GKC]

The culprit was actually the leather...leather held the moisture that caused the rust. I have left guns uncovered in my safe for years and never had rust issues. But, I only recently and inadvertently, left a Smith and Wesson 457 in a leather Don Hume belt slide for about a month and it caused the slide to rust.

The other rugs I have are not leather...they are some sort of material that didn't grow on anything with a heartbeat, so you're probably right. They also have a smooth, polymer (I assume) foam like lining.

I'm sorry to hear that it happened to you. I checked the Ruger store, and replacement front sights are less than $5...but the question now is, do I want to just replace the front sight with another one just like it, or go with night sights (if any are even available.) I did see fiber optic sights for the LC9 in the Ruger store, but I'm not a fan of FO sights.

 

[George]

I used the original leather holster with a closing top flap on a Beretta model 1935 gun and it was in it from 1944! Yes it get used once in a while like every 10 years or so.. I do pull out the gun from the safe and give it a good oiling every 6 moths or so but I also oil the holster with Hoppes gun oil inside and out too.. No rust at all after so many years.. Only light rust i have ever seen on my guns is a light coat on the swing link on a Colt Officers Mod. steel link but gun is all Stainless steel. This I can't understand as this gun is almost never in a safe but in a cheap nylon Uncle Mikes holster but gets oiled and wiped down a lot more " night stand gun".. George

 

[George]

GKC, Sorry I forgot to give you some useful info.. You can get some #0000 steel wool and use that on the top of the front sight first degrease lightly steel wool then degrease again.. Now there are 3 products that I have use one is a cold bluing in a tube made by BIRCHWOOD/CASEY Works but I find it a little hard to get just right.. Next Made by the same place comes in a felt tip pen " easy to use and works well" They make two types one is for Anodised aluminium " Dark black" the other again felt tip pen for Parkerized dark charcoal black. I think I would use this one.. But buy all three as they are very useful for touching up all your nicks and scratches in the finishes of most types of firearms. let me know how you make out with it.. The wife will never know! George

 

[GKC]

The wife will never know!

Thanks, George...but I had to tell her. Actually, I was trying to clean the rust off at the kitchen table, when she came in unexpectedly.

We definitely need a new sofa...the one we have now is not very comfortable to sleep on.

 

[George]

LOL!! You have a good sense of hummer! But sleeping on the sofa is still way better then no Noggy Or my favorite, Oh guess I can't say what that is on here as it would be a mouth full!! George

 

[Cholo]

We definitely need a new sofa...the one we have now is not very comfortable to sleep on.

What do you care if she's comfortable or not? :wink:

 

[GKC]

We definitely need a new sofa...the one we have now is not very comfortable to sleep on.

What do you care if she's comfortable or not? :wink:

I get the impression that you aren't married...'cause if you were, you wouldn't ask that question. :lol:

Actually, my wife didn't make me sleep on the sofa. It was my choice...I thought it was better than trying to sleep in our bed with one eye open. The sofa is in the den, and the door has a lock on it. :shock:

 

[George]

LOL!!!! G

 

[GKC]

I sent an e-mail to Ruger CS on Saturday, asking about the sight, and they replied this morning, saying to call them and they would send me a shipping label. I'm going to ask them to check the lock-open function while they have it...and maybe they'll take a look at the trigger too! (I read that the 2013 LC9 models have an improved trigger mechanism.)

Gotta love Ruger's CS!

Edited to add: I talked to Ruger CS (very nice lady) and she said the trigger improvements were to the LCP, not the LC9. So, apparently the standard LCP (not the LC380) has a better trigger now...I'll need to check that out sometime.

 

[George]

Thanks for the update! I hope Ruger does a good job with the front sight and your happy with there work. I'm happy with the trigger on the wife's LC9 and would not change it. Nice and smooth! George

 

[Bud0505]

If you don't already have one I would suggest adding a Golden Rod dehumidifier to your gun safe.

 

[GKC]

If you don't already have one I would suggest adding a Golden Rod dehumidifier to your gun safe.

The Ruger CS rep asked me if I had one, and I told her no. I do have some individual packs that I will use for now. I've stored many guns in this safe for several years now, and this is the first one I've ever had any problem with.

Last night, I put some oil on the sight, and this morning I can't see any rust. I'm still sending it in, though, because they need to check the slide lock open on an empty mag function, as well as the trigger.

 

[GKC]

UPS delivered my wife's LC9 last night. In the box, there was a summary of the work performed, which was:

"Replaced slide assembly. Fired 28 rounds using customer magazine, no malfunctions."

Hmmm...I'm not sure what is meant by "slide assembly." Her's is the TALO Gold edition, which I thought they didn't have any of left. Maybe they meant the internals of the slide? I can't see any reference to replacing the front sight. The slide still doesn't lock open on an empty magazine when I manually rack the slide, as do all my other pistols, and there was no mention of it failing to lock open on an empty magazine, nor any mention of anything done (other than to replace the slide assembly.) I can't tell if the front sight was replaced or not...but if they replaced the entire slide, then it would have a new sight as well.

At first I also wondered why 28 rounds...then it dawned on me, that's 4 magazines of 7 rounds. Duh.

I guess I'm just going to have to take it to the range and see if it locks open on an empty magazine with live fire. That is more of a concern to me than dry firing. If it does, fine...if it doesn't, then I guess I'll call Ruger again.

 

[George]

GKC,
Glad your wife's gun is back from Ruger. What I always do when getting something fixed or replaced is mark my item in a very inconspicuous way . Something with a fine point permanent sharpie or a pointed punch light dimple.. Just so I know what was done for sure.. As you know your slide lock should hold the slide open as long as you have the mag in it by retracting the slide by hand .. You should be able to see if the slide is coming back far enough to engage it slide lock lever into the slot in the slide.. Your other issue was a very hard slide release button.. My wife's had this when she got it. I took the slide off the gun and worked the sharp edge on the lever with a diamond stone.. Any thing will do fine emery cloth or crocus cloth will work too.. Check the slide where the lever engages too you may need to clean that up I did.. Then lube with a drop of your most slippery lube for me it's Seal 1, works well and treats thee metal.. Some say that this lever is only a slide stop and should not be used for a slide release.. I say hogwash! My wife's works as it should now even when a empty mage is in place.. Keep it lubed like a 1911 and you are not going to have issues with it... My concern now with your wife's gun is the slide lock going to hold the slide open reliably on a empty mag? if so the release fix is easy.. If you could not tell if they replaced the slide with and or the front sight I think you must have done a great job cleaning it up.. I have my doubts they replaced the slide with the sight on a TALO slide.. Let e know how she works. "The gun"! George