I just recieved my LC9 a week ago and have shot 500 rounds in three sessions through it with three cleanings between.
This is my first modern semi auto pistol, I shot Black powder pistols for years before this, so double action is really new to me.
If i sound like a newby it is because i am.. a total nugget.
So take my words as such.
Here are a few notes from my brief time so far with the LC9.
That is one long trigger pull, but it is smooth and for a newby like me it is fine.
The trigger feels even smother now at 500 rounds but that could be in my head too.
My black powder guns have a hair trigger by comparison.. i mean the dang thing moves 10/1000 of an inch and BOOM
The LC9 moves 3/4 of an inch before BOOM
Yes, it has been quite an adjustment.
Recoil is very manageable. I actually am more accurate than i thought I would be at this point but still need a lot of practice.
I can hit a man sized object 10 out of 10 (er should i say 7 out of 7) times at 20 yards with this pistol at this point.. lets leave it at that for now.
The slide release is still almost impossible to activate with an empty magazine.
With a full magazine the slide release works quite easily.
This was a distinction the gun store folks did not understand. None of them owned the gun so they did not realise that the full magazine removes tension from the slide release sping.
Even if they had shot the gun they might not have been able to make the distinction.
Essentially the "last shot hold open" mechanism is what makes the slide difficult to release with an empty magazine.
Since you are always gonna load a full magazine the issue is irelevant in a practical sense.
At the gun store ,with an empty gun, it seems like a malfunction or a quirk.
In real life after 500 rounds the LC9 slide release works beautifully with a flick of a finger on a loaded magazine.
Ditto for the manual safety.
My rear sight came loose at round 200 during my first shooting session.
I tightened it with an allen wrench and 300 rounds later it has stayed put without loctite.
I shot a few hollow point defense rounds(Remington Golden Saber 124 gr) through it early on and had trouble loading the first round.
Now at 500 rounds the hollow points load easily on that first rack so long as it is a swift clean rack.. slowly racking the first round makes the hollowpoint dig into the magazine instead of climb into the feed ramp of the barrel.
After 500 rounds i have not had any FTFire, FTE or FTFeed.
This is using Blazer 115 gr FMJ, Remington 115 FMJ, Federal Eagle 115 FMJ, Remington Golden Saber JHP 124 gr, and Federal Hydo-shock 134 gr JHP's.
I have only shot 20 of the hollow point defensive rounds through the gun. The rest of those 500 rounds are round nose target ammo.
The only modification i have made to the gun was remove the magazine safety. It actually took longer to watch the you-tube video on how to do this than it actually took to do it.
I have noticed the slide seems a bit loose when fully retracted but is totally tight when locked in the firing position and for the 1/4 inch or so when the slide and barrel travel backwards together. I assume the bullet has already left the barrel by this time.
The only other wear issue I have is the bluing of the breech block is wearing off due to contact with the slide.
As a side note, my co-workers H & K USP 40, bought on the same day as mine and with exactly the same amount of rounds through it, shows the same loss of bluing on the breechblock.
On a final note, I actually like the Loaded Chamber Indicator... Yes, I am aware that statement is sacriledge.
For a newby like me, I feel more comfortable with an extra reminder of the state of my gun. Yes, I always rack the slide and make it safe anyways. But for the times it is loaded, such as during the night, it is nice to have that tactile reminder of the state of the gun in the dark.
So far i like my Ruger LC9.
This is saying a lot because I did not like my previous Ruger rifle, the Mini 30, due to it not being capable of firing cheap Russian ammo reliably.
I know, i did not do my homework on that one and it is not Rugers Fault. They specifically state only American brass through the Mini 30.. but i digress.
Anyhow, my second try at a Ruger product is so far, a very happy one.
