I have always said I would not buy any of the LC series pistols for various reasons, but this week I proved myself wrong. In true fashion, a deal on a gun is a deal on a gun. A good friend of mine decided to purchase a P238 and I must say this is a fine pistol. As a result this left the owners LC9 falling short of anything she wanted to ever shoot again. Also, being she is very practical and not a gun enthusiast, the idea of two weapons with different yet similar ammo was foreign to her. I was looking for something to carry that I frankly cared nothing about. A small cheap light gun that is accurate and reliable with none of the anxiety associated with putting a value destroying battle scare on a 1911. So after some horse trading I got into a slightly used LC9 for well . . . nothing. Trade for trade I am somewhere in the 2 bill range, but only if I put the effort into selling the stuff I traded.
I have never been an LC fan, but thought this was a chance to really tear into one and see what it was about. The LC9 like most new Ruger semi autos is a joy to hold . . . notice I didn't say shoot, but we will get to that. Its grip is ergonomic and proper and points well. Upon inspection I noticed the gun was loose and cheaply made. The external design is OK and parts are rough in finish, except for the barrel and slide, springs appear cheap but do the job. The one aspect of this gun that should make it have a very good fit, but doesn't, is the machined aluminum insert in the frame the slide rides on. Both it and the slide are well machined and finished, but tolerances are more like a WWI 1911 that was reissued in Vietnam. Currently this gun has about 300rds on it. I guess I should expect this as every Ruger I have owned has never had a tight slide to frame or slide barrel fit.
The most interesting, but not in a good way aspect of this gun is the take down. A little door that must be opened and a tiny pin pushed out. This little door is my issue. With no tension on the pin this door is it.
The guide rod is very thin plastic and the recoil spring looks like two tangled bic pen springs. Spring is a bit too weak for heavy loads, but fine for 115FMJ. Galloway recommends changing the stock 16 for their 20lb to help tame recoil. I believe this would help as this gun bounces like a Mexican jumping been with high power self defense ammo. I don't fear the plastic piece, all my glocks performed for decades with the stock plastic rod.
Sights are standard Ruger three dot fair, although this gun like most new Rugers has a poor rear sight dovetail fit. Dovetail is way too small for the cut and the set screw lifts it. Sight is raised off the slide enough to see light under it. In a short sight radius gun this will has a POA vs POI effect. Both of my P345s had this issue.
However, not all is bad. I like safeties and this gun has one. It manipulates off easily and looks like a mini 1911 safety lever. It does not go back on as easily, but the most important aspect of the safety in self defense is getting it clicked off. Nice slide release that can be used unlike some "coughglockcough"
The internal mechanics is where this gun fails. The trigger . . . well it is one. Too long, too heavy and too much reset. None of this is needed with a safety lever pistol. This gun should have been a concealed hammer single action pistol. I don't understand Rugers engineers on this one. Kinda SA, kinda DA but really neither, half cock bullsh!t. Dry firing reminds me of why I didn't buy this gun retail. I will add that the trigger is long but smooth and after about 200 dry fires I got a pretty good read on it despite having a cup of coffee while waiting for the trigger to commute from one end of the frame to the other. My biggest trigger complaint is the same with the P345. The trigger breaks as it hits the frame so you always get an incorrect read on trigger pull. Maybe this is OK for small handed folks, but I am 6'2" with large hands. My hands are big enough to where I could not physically hold and fire a North American Arms mini revolver.
So after reassemble and a little oil . . . off to the range. After all no gun is fun on the kitchen table. At first I was wondering if I could even get this gun on paper, being I couldn't figure out where it was hitting to adjust to shoot beer cans (in all seriousness they were soda cans, never drink and use firearms). The long trigger on a light pistol makes it hard to be consistent and as a defense weapon you need quick follow up shots. There is no double tap with this gun. It's a .357 revolver hidden in a tiny automatic body. Rapid fire was a disaster . . . no since in talking groups here. I was disgusted and went to the house. That night I really focused on the trigger and practiced a few hundred more times, drawing and firing. Next day . . . off to the range again with a box of WWB and Blazer 115FMJ as well as a box of 147JHP. This time I brought targets instead of cans and a rest.
Top of rear to top of front on target at 15 feet . . . 6 inches high. I thought . . . what is this. Then I looked at the dots and it became clear. All three dots lined up, on target . . . bulls eye!
So then for some off-hand shooting. Pulled all my shots but a few to the left and all were high. This is me and the trigger not getting along. After a little work, groups were pretty good, but high. It is my conclusion that without the aid of the rest, my hand action is lifting the gun. I even adjusted sight picture and was pulling high so I know it is me.
It feed 115 FMJ from both mags with no issue although some 147 hydro shocks I had were a bit of an issue on the first round. The long flat bullet and the steep feed angle is not ideal. I currently have it loaded with these after I put several mags through with no failures but I still think hummm . . . that first shot maybe all I get.
So after all this work, I feel I could carry the gun and be OK, but this gun takes work. More than the average gun. Would I buy this gun at retail . . . not a chance, but at the current market range around $300? Sure. For the money it is a good weapon . . . for the money. At my price it is great. Don't hate me if you don't agree, just remember I am a gun person. I have no loyality to a brand. The LC9 is a tool and I evaluated it as a tool.
I admit if I had paid cash money for this gun I would be selling it and never looking back, but since I didn't, maybe it's time to make it what it should have been in the first place. A quick call to Galloway gave me some hope. I have heard about their trigger parts . . . some like them, some hate them. Their new LC9 kit contains a new trigger bar springs and a trigger with adjustment screw. These parts reduce pull length by approx. 50%. A quick measure puts release right about where it should be for someone my size. Reduced power springs and corrected geometry reduce the trigger pull weigh by 1.5lbs as well as delete the magazine disconnect. I say corrected, because I have to think the Ruger engineers made a mistake somewhere. Complete kit is only $99 with your choice of trigger color. Of course this is no barbeque gun so good ole black will do.
I think I will also look at swapping the sights, recoil spring and steel guiderod. I hate stock Ruger sights, but I also hate Glock sights. I grew up with plain black sights. This is one of my favorite things about my Kimber Custom II . . . plain sights. No dots, no fiber, no tritium and maybe an occasional gold bead or white or orange front. Also I can't help but wonder if that sight being raised off the slide is causing my POI to be a bit high. And I hear Novak has some nice sights for this little guy.
Stay tuned as I will give a full run down once the new parts are installed.
I have never been an LC fan, but thought this was a chance to really tear into one and see what it was about. The LC9 like most new Ruger semi autos is a joy to hold . . . notice I didn't say shoot, but we will get to that. Its grip is ergonomic and proper and points well. Upon inspection I noticed the gun was loose and cheaply made. The external design is OK and parts are rough in finish, except for the barrel and slide, springs appear cheap but do the job. The one aspect of this gun that should make it have a very good fit, but doesn't, is the machined aluminum insert in the frame the slide rides on. Both it and the slide are well machined and finished, but tolerances are more like a WWI 1911 that was reissued in Vietnam. Currently this gun has about 300rds on it. I guess I should expect this as every Ruger I have owned has never had a tight slide to frame or slide barrel fit.
The most interesting, but not in a good way aspect of this gun is the take down. A little door that must be opened and a tiny pin pushed out. This little door is my issue. With no tension on the pin this door is it.
The guide rod is very thin plastic and the recoil spring looks like two tangled bic pen springs. Spring is a bit too weak for heavy loads, but fine for 115FMJ. Galloway recommends changing the stock 16 for their 20lb to help tame recoil. I believe this would help as this gun bounces like a Mexican jumping been with high power self defense ammo. I don't fear the plastic piece, all my glocks performed for decades with the stock plastic rod.
Sights are standard Ruger three dot fair, although this gun like most new Rugers has a poor rear sight dovetail fit. Dovetail is way too small for the cut and the set screw lifts it. Sight is raised off the slide enough to see light under it. In a short sight radius gun this will has a POA vs POI effect. Both of my P345s had this issue.
However, not all is bad. I like safeties and this gun has one. It manipulates off easily and looks like a mini 1911 safety lever. It does not go back on as easily, but the most important aspect of the safety in self defense is getting it clicked off. Nice slide release that can be used unlike some "coughglockcough"
The internal mechanics is where this gun fails. The trigger . . . well it is one. Too long, too heavy and too much reset. None of this is needed with a safety lever pistol. This gun should have been a concealed hammer single action pistol. I don't understand Rugers engineers on this one. Kinda SA, kinda DA but really neither, half cock bullsh!t. Dry firing reminds me of why I didn't buy this gun retail. I will add that the trigger is long but smooth and after about 200 dry fires I got a pretty good read on it despite having a cup of coffee while waiting for the trigger to commute from one end of the frame to the other. My biggest trigger complaint is the same with the P345. The trigger breaks as it hits the frame so you always get an incorrect read on trigger pull. Maybe this is OK for small handed folks, but I am 6'2" with large hands. My hands are big enough to where I could not physically hold and fire a North American Arms mini revolver.
So after reassemble and a little oil . . . off to the range. After all no gun is fun on the kitchen table. At first I was wondering if I could even get this gun on paper, being I couldn't figure out where it was hitting to adjust to shoot beer cans (in all seriousness they were soda cans, never drink and use firearms). The long trigger on a light pistol makes it hard to be consistent and as a defense weapon you need quick follow up shots. There is no double tap with this gun. It's a .357 revolver hidden in a tiny automatic body. Rapid fire was a disaster . . . no since in talking groups here. I was disgusted and went to the house. That night I really focused on the trigger and practiced a few hundred more times, drawing and firing. Next day . . . off to the range again with a box of WWB and Blazer 115FMJ as well as a box of 147JHP. This time I brought targets instead of cans and a rest.
Top of rear to top of front on target at 15 feet . . . 6 inches high. I thought . . . what is this. Then I looked at the dots and it became clear. All three dots lined up, on target . . . bulls eye!
So then for some off-hand shooting. Pulled all my shots but a few to the left and all were high. This is me and the trigger not getting along. After a little work, groups were pretty good, but high. It is my conclusion that without the aid of the rest, my hand action is lifting the gun. I even adjusted sight picture and was pulling high so I know it is me.
It feed 115 FMJ from both mags with no issue although some 147 hydro shocks I had were a bit of an issue on the first round. The long flat bullet and the steep feed angle is not ideal. I currently have it loaded with these after I put several mags through with no failures but I still think hummm . . . that first shot maybe all I get.
So after all this work, I feel I could carry the gun and be OK, but this gun takes work. More than the average gun. Would I buy this gun at retail . . . not a chance, but at the current market range around $300? Sure. For the money it is a good weapon . . . for the money. At my price it is great. Don't hate me if you don't agree, just remember I am a gun person. I have no loyality to a brand. The LC9 is a tool and I evaluated it as a tool.
I admit if I had paid cash money for this gun I would be selling it and never looking back, but since I didn't, maybe it's time to make it what it should have been in the first place. A quick call to Galloway gave me some hope. I have heard about their trigger parts . . . some like them, some hate them. Their new LC9 kit contains a new trigger bar springs and a trigger with adjustment screw. These parts reduce pull length by approx. 50%. A quick measure puts release right about where it should be for someone my size. Reduced power springs and corrected geometry reduce the trigger pull weigh by 1.5lbs as well as delete the magazine disconnect. I say corrected, because I have to think the Ruger engineers made a mistake somewhere. Complete kit is only $99 with your choice of trigger color. Of course this is no barbeque gun so good ole black will do.
I think I will also look at swapping the sights, recoil spring and steel guiderod. I hate stock Ruger sights, but I also hate Glock sights. I grew up with plain black sights. This is one of my favorite things about my Kimber Custom II . . . plain sights. No dots, no fiber, no tritium and maybe an occasional gold bead or white or orange front. Also I can't help but wonder if that sight being raised off the slide is causing my POI to be a bit high. And I hear Novak has some nice sights for this little guy.
Stay tuned as I will give a full run down once the new parts are installed.