Are The Ruger LCP Models Durable?
- Thread starter OkieStubble
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Hear, hear.
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- #43
The thing I like best about Winter is my wife will strap on her Glock 43 more often. I just wish she had a few more rounds in the pistol? I know @joel keeps Maggutz springs in his G43. I wonder if he would pop in here and give me a brief review on what he thinks about them and their reliability?
While the pragmatic thing to do is to get rid of my LCP Max and move on, I hate getting rid of guns. It may be a fool's errand to try to make the LCP Max reliable, but I love to tinker. I will eventually put in an M*CARBO trigger and spring kit and re-evaluate. Then I'll do the same with my Kel-Tec P11, another gun one could argue that should be replaced. But I'm stubborn.
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- #45
What can you do for the quality or lack thereof in the slides steel? The actual steel in the slide where the guide and recoil springs sit in and returns the slide to battery broke? And it was the 4th slide replaced by Ruger? You can fix reliability issues, but grade of steel? Or hardness? Or heat treatment and temper?
One can never know when the next slide they so easily swapped out and replaced breaks? I get not getting rid of it, but how can trusting it ever again as a carry pistol happen?
It’s too small to have fun as a plinker or range gun?
Point taken, but I do have an extra upper assembly. Of course that doesn't preclude a failure at a critical moment. May not carry it at all, who knows. Is there a similar sized .380 that is utterly reliable? May as well carry my Kahr PM 9.
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- #47
This is what I'm thinking...
The differences? Your Kahr has already proven itself to you.
I had a LCP II & LCP Max, both break within 2 days of each other and Ruger received them and then shipped them back to me in less than a week?1. Great customer service, doesn't happen in a week?
2. Did Ruger investigate the troubles and fin out why it's happening, in order to not just fix my pistols, but to make sure their entire product lines for everyone else that they are marketing to as self defense pistols are getting a reliable product to use for something as important as self defense?
3. Or, did Ruger just swap out the cheap, low quality broken parts and quickly replaced them with the same cheap, low quality, not broken parts and quickly sent it back in less than a week's time, with no care or consideration if they break again during a time we absolutely need to depend on them?
So far, I have researched multiple reviews and forum posts in Ruger and other firearms forums just on the LCP Max. It isn't a pretty picture at all! If I posted all the links, this post would be TL;DR.
But the one that stuck out to me and exactly reflects my thoughts?
" I just lost all confidence in the gun and had no desire to keep it. Especially since it was purchased as an EDC pocket pistol. I sold this one as well and replaced it with a Taurus GX4. A $300 firearm that feels solid and has performed flawlessly. I have never been a Taurus fan, but after all the positive reviews I’ve watched/read on this firearm, I figured I give it a shot. I must say that I’m impressed!
I’ve owned/own several pistols over the years. That list includes:
-Ruger Lc9s
-Glock 19
-Glock 43x
-Sig Sauer p365
-Springfield Armory XDS mod 2
-Shield Plus
-Taurus GX4
Never have I had an issue with any of those firearms that I’ve had with the LCP MAX. I feel Ruger should put a “stop sale/recall”on the LCP Max until these issues can be rectified. Clearly from all of the post’s that I’ve read, I’m not the only one who has dealt with these same issues."
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My lcp II had to go back shortly after I got it. It got a new barrel if memory serves me right. It had fte on occasion before the new barrel.
I shot over 400 rounds in one day with it. 100 of it was sd ammo. I have shot well over that much since then in smaller quantities. I got to be over 1000 by now. It seems solid so far.
In the end it is not a tank and hot sd rounds probably wear parts out. Anything mechanical can break. I just shoot it every so often and inspect it when I clean it. I still carry it.
My old 642 is just as likely to be carried. I do have unlimited confidence in the revolver….
My old Kahr cw9 is also a gun I have ultimate confidence in. Never a problem, not one…. Several thousand through it. I have replaced the guide rod and spring a couple times. Also the little spring that keeps the pin secure that you have to pull to take down the gun. These were preventative measures on my part. I still love this gun.
I guess if I lose confidence in one of my carry pistols I would sell it…. I have been lucky so far.
I shot over 400 rounds in one day with it. 100 of it was sd ammo. I have shot well over that much since then in smaller quantities. I got to be over 1000 by now. It seems solid so far.
In the end it is not a tank and hot sd rounds probably wear parts out. Anything mechanical can break. I just shoot it every so often and inspect it when I clean it. I still carry it.
My old 642 is just as likely to be carried. I do have unlimited confidence in the revolver….
My old Kahr cw9 is also a gun I have ultimate confidence in. Never a problem, not one…. Several thousand through it. I have replaced the guide rod and spring a couple times. Also the little spring that keeps the pin secure that you have to pull to take down the gun. These were preventative measures on my part. I still love this gun.
I guess if I lose confidence in one of my carry pistols I would sell it…. I have been lucky so far.
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- #49
Makes sense.
My Ruger LCP II has been reliable for somewhere between 700 and 1000 rounds over the decade my wife carried it, until she got the Max and I took the LCP II for myself. Doing my research and due diligence on the online forums, I think if I replace Ruger’s OEM mag button release spring with the heavier duty mag spring that Mcarbo makes I should be able to keep my LCP II for pocket carry.
The Max, after it’s 4th complete upper assembly, slide, barrel, guide rod and springs, it’s definitely out the door. But at least now that it’s back from Ruger, it is a brand new gun basically with the new upper and I can sell or trade it as such with the caveat of communicating to the buyer The Ruger Max’s history and my experience with it.
This way the buyer will at least get a new Max and I will have a clear conscience knowing they purchased it with full knowledge.
I’m probably going to pick up the Mag Guts +1 extension magazine springs for the wife’s G42 so she will at least have 7+1 on hand and another 7 in the extra magazine. They seem to be reliable with good reviews. It seems all they did was change out the Glock’s thicker polymer follower, for a thinner metal follower which makes more room in the G42 mag for an xtra, 7th cartridge in the mag.
Probably put Pierce’s pinky rest extension floor plates on her mags while I’m at it.
I'm not sure, but there may be a compatibility issue with putting the Pierce pinky floor plate on a Maggut's conversion. I believe I read somewhere that the position of the tab and hole in the floor plate were in a different spot when someone tried something similar with a different floor plate.
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- #51
Well this could be a possibility with the Pierce +1 extension floor plate. There are guys who are trying to get +2 by adding the +1 Mag Guts with the +1 Pierce floor plates. I have read about those issues.
However, on the original and regular Pierce floor plates that doesn’t add anything? The Glock button plate, will sit between the Mag Guts +1 spring and the original Pierce floor plate.
I think those are reliable if I’m not mistaken, but I will research it again to be sure. Along with my own testing. Of there’s any caliber I hate testing a bunch of for reliability, it’s the hard to find and expensive .380 ACP.
All of the extra trouble I go thru, just cuz my stubborn sweetheart won’t just carry her 9mm 43.
And your stubbornness not to reload! Just had to throw that in there, it's been awhile! LOL
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- #53
I need a “what” icon and a troll icon for that post. They only allow one choice!
you are gonna laugh but my 2 pesos.. dump the rugers and get either a Sig 365 or a taurus G3c. the taurus triggers in that class are about as good as you are gonna get outside of something like a colt mustang/sig p938. and I can tell you the 938 from the factory could use a trigger job
Ruger LCP Max…If I could sell the entire package-spare magazines, Grizzle holsters, plus a couple others; the whole enchilada, for a reasonable price, I’d be at GT Distributing tomorrow and walking out with a Glock 42. Andrews and/or Grizzle leather close behind.
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- #56
Really? What are your experiences with the Max?
Nothing terrible. Slide can be “notchy”; pistol as a whole feels like it still came out of the box. Not broken in feeling. Lacks an ergonomic attitude I find a tad uncomfortable. In all a very serviceable sidearm but there’s much room for improvement. The Glock? Well…it‘s just like my other Glocks. The consistency is almost scary.
For the most part the LCP sees use as an around town pocket gun, very light and limited duty. The SIG P365 seems to get the most use but not by a large margin. The Glock 43 is a very very close second to the EDC of choice in most applications. The Beretta Nano is the easiest to conceal of the lot. In those situations requiring lots of being discreet, it usually gets the call.
For the most part the LCP sees use as an around town pocket gun, very light and limited duty. The SIG P365 seems to get the most use but not by a large margin. The Glock 43 is a very very close second to the EDC of choice in most applications. The Beretta Nano is the easiest to conceal of the lot. In those situations requiring lots of being discreet, it usually gets the call.
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- #58
Great review Tim! I don’t know why I didn’t consider the Nano? Don’t usually see them in gun stores or range rentals. Out of sight out of mind. How many .380’s does the Beretta Nano hold?
I have the Beretta Pico and it holds 6 + 1. Really small, Really slim and surprisingly soft shooting.
Nano is a 9mm
6 rounds or 8 with the extended magazine.
6 rounds or 8 with the extended magazine.
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