Are The Ruger LCP Models Durable?

[OkieStubble]

Nano 9mm, Pico .380…. Got it.

 

[OkieStubble]

So I have a upgraded magazine latch spring coming in the mail from M-Carbo for my .380 Ruger LCP II. I got on the official Ruger website and what did I see? Ruger has now discontinued the .380 model of the LCP II. The LCP II in .22 Long Rifle is still available but not the .380. I visited several other Ruger gun communities and verified that Ruger has stopped making the LCP II in .380.

After I found out this info, I was watching an M-Carbo video on the removal of the Ruger OEM mag latch spring which Ruger customer service did replace when I sent it back to them. However, I found out something interesting and a bit different. When I took my LCP II apart, the new OEM latch spring that was in the new lower frame that Ruger replaced for me, has a different kind of spring?

The old OEM spring from the older frame that Ruger replaced looked like this:

The mag spring latch in the new lower frame Ruger replaced for me, now looks like this:

If you look into the mag well, you can see a now, red colored magazine latch spring? Not only is it red compared to the older stainless looking spring, but the red spring appears to possibly be a bit thicker in diameter? I have been working the mag button by dropping and re-inserting a magazine and it also possibly feels like it is a stronger spring because the mag snaps in with a louder click when it seats then what I remembered before; and it also seems to eject a bit more forcefully then before?

My dilemma now, would be; do I keep this never seen before red colored OEM spring from Ruger, or still replace it with the aftermarket M-Carbo spring which should be here any day now? The M-Carbo reviews are all very positive, saying their thicker diameter spring with a few tactically placed bends in the spring, make it 30% stronger than the Ruger OEM spring. But they are probably referring to the older OEM spring and not this ever seen before red colored spring Ruger has sent back with my gun?

Now that the .380 LCP II has been discontinued, I'm sure there is still some back stock left at many gun retailers, others on the Ruger forums are already saying they are getting harder to find and are already raising in price.

 

[Filudo]

Keep it as is, put it in the safe and get something else for carry...... Just the thought of the mag falling out when you need it would keep me awake

 

[OkieStubble]

Keep it as is, put it in the safe and get something else for carry...... Just the thought of the mag falling out when you need it would keep me awake

I scoured the internet researching many gun forums where I found many other LCP II owners who have had the exact same problem as me with the magazine dropping after every round fired.

Most said it happens around the 400-600 round mark; and the wife and I probably had about 600-700 rounds thru it over a decade.

Most of those who replaced their OEM spring with the M-Carbo spring say that it has fixed the problem even after putting another 400-600 rounds thru it.

They still carry theirs EDC. I traded out the wife’s LCP Max for a Glock 42; and I got her a Tulster AIWB holster and xtra mag carrier for it. My LCP II has been pretty reliable over the last 10 years, so if a magazine button spring can fix the problem of dropping magazines, I want to try and keep it for a deep concealment mouse gun.

 

[Filudo]

or you could buy a new one....$199 at Academy.....they have all sorts on sale.....probably cheaper than fixing the old one.....just a new one, good for 1-5yrs....

 

[OkieStubble]

or you could buy a new one....$199 at Academy.....they have all sorts on sale.....probably cheaper than fixing the old one.....just a new one, good for 1-5yrs....

I think the older one has better steel. It only costed me $10 for the aftermarket magazine button spring to fix it from M-Carbo?

 

[5whiskey]

A good very small CCW option that isn't very expensive is a Kahr CM9. A little larger than an LCP, but it's a 9mm. It can be pocket carried in the right pants. And I have one with thousands of rounds through it.

 

[nortac]

A good very small CCW option that isn't very expensive is a Kahr CM9. A little larger than an LCP, but it's a 9mm. It can be pocket carried in the right pants. And I have one with thousands of rounds through it.

I've been very satisfied with my Kahr PM9 and carry it often.

 

[kfd518]

Another that I have found to be very reliable is the smith and Wesson CSX pistol though it is heavier with the aluminum frame. I won’t carry something until I have put at least 1k rounds through it with no malfunctions. This little guy is at +3.5k and still going strong. It is an EDC and I would estimate it is what I carry 95% of the time. I have not had any of the internet gun tubers mentioned issues of mags not seating or crappy trigger re-set.

I do have an original LCP with around 2k through it that I got in 09 or 10 that I still carry when wearing shorts since it is light weight and low profile.

 

[Curly Straight]

So I sent back to Ruger, my LCP II and the wife’s LCP Max which both, broke in just a couple of days of each other.

Ruger only had them a couple of days and FedEx notified me I should be getting them at my door tomorrow. Here in lies the problem. I don’t know if I have confidence in them anymore?

I have several other different Ruger firearms with no questions in their quality of construction or reliability. My SP101 is a tank, so is my Blackhawk, Single Six and I’m pretty sure my stainless 10/22 is good to go also.

At one time, I also thought the LCP’s were good to go also, but now I don’t know? The LCP II showed no troubles for at least 600 rounds or more in a 10 year time frame? It was never used as a range gun, but it was carried a lot previously by the wife before I got her the Max and I have carried it last summer quite a bit. So why is it breaking after just 600 rounds?

We did have trouble with the Max right out of the gate when we first got it a year ago with reliability and accuracy problems when it was new, but after them mailing a second Complete upper with new slide and barrel to me, I had to send it back to Ruger two different times. So after 3 different slides and barrels and then addressing the horrible trigger issues, it has been good to go now for somewhere around the 400-500 round mark. So why is it breaking now?

I called Ruger customer service today and asked them if they could tell me what problems did they find with both pistols and what specific repairs did they do for both pistols to rectify their issues?

Almost immediately, the customer service representative who I was speaking to, her tone of voice went from helpful and pleasant to a tone of being guarded and adversarial. She stated that a full explanation would be in each pistol’s box. I advised her, that years ago, I sent two original LCP’s back into Ruger for repair and neither had an explanation of repairs in their boxes. I also advised her that I sent the Max in twice over the last year and no note of an explanation of repairs came back with it either?

She stated that these would. So I asked her; “if the LCP II and Max come back and these explanations of repair are not in the boxes, can I call you back and get an explanation on the phone?” She said that I could. So I asked her; “if I can call you back then and you can tell me, why can’t you just tell me now; and make a customer very happy?” Her tone seemed to get even more serious and she asked me for their serial numbers. I very nicely, recited the serial numbers to her. She checked her computer logs and very unhappily, advised me that the entire lower frame of the Ruger LCP II was replaced. She also told me, that again, for the fourth time, Ruger has again replaced the complete upper slide assembly, including the barrel and guide rod assembly and are sending them back to me.

I again asked her specifically; “ what did they find wrong with both pistol’s?” And she stated, she can only tell me what was replaced, not what was wrong.

While I couldn’t see what was wrong with the LCP II’s frame and why it was ejecting the magazine after every round fired, I could easily see the broken steel on the slide of the Max where the hole on the front of the slide where the guide rod goes thru was chipped and made bigger so that the recoil springs were also going thru this hole when they are not supposed to go thru that hole.

Should I keep these guns? I’m sure a new frame on the LCP II will fix the mag from ejecting after every round, but for how long? For only the next 600 rounds? I carried it all summer in that condition without knowing it?

Should I keep the Max? It’s only a year old with already 4 different slides, barrels and guide rod assemblies? Will the steel in this new fourth slide begin to break around the hole in the slide that’s made for the guide rod to pass thru and not the recoil spring? This was after only 400 or so rounds?

My wife carried it every day last summer. Took it to the range and the steel on the slide broke! If that would have been a self defense incident instead of the range?

How many rounds do you guys have thru your LCP’s? What models of LCP is yours?

And the biggest question; when is the last time you had your LCP at the range to make sure it’s still good to go when you need it to be?

OkieStubble,

My friend,

Very sorry to hear of your troubles. In all fairness, I did not read this entire thread in order to respond to your original post title; “Are the Ruger LCP’s Models Durable?” I didn’t need to, based on my experience.

Nope.

Buy a SIG P365. They are. And they’re unbelievably reliable and extraordinarily accurate in the right hands. Here’s a target I shot from an off-the-shelf P365. 12 rounds, 12 yards, slow fire. It was a range rental gun with well over 5000 rounds through it.

It did shoot a bit to the right. Needs a sight adjustment. Probably got dropped.


Curly out.

 

[OkieStubble]

OkieStubble,

My friend,

Very sorry to hear of your troubles. In all fairness, I did not read this entire thread in order to respond to your original post title; “Are the Ruger LCP’s Models Durable?” I didn’t need to, based on my experience.

Nope.

Buy a SIG P365. They are. And they’re unbelievably reliable and extraordinarily accurate in the right hands. Here’s a target I shot from an off-the-shelf P365. 12 rounds, 12 yards, slow fire. It was a range rental gun with well over 5000 rounds through it.
View attachment 1803572
It did shoot a bit to the right. Needs a sight adjustment. Probably got dropped.


Curly out.

Wow, a picture is worth a thousand words…. Can’t argue with that ragged hole.

 

[Omega48]

...
How many rounds do you guys have thru your LCP’s? What models of LCP is yours?
...

My wife and I had two LCP's, first version. I shot definitely more than 2000 rounds with mine, and if I remember well I replaced the recoil spring one time, just because I had one spare. My wife, maybe 400 rounds.
Then we "upgraded" to two LCP Custom, the ones with the red trigger. My wife carries hers, I don't, so she uses "mine" for practice at the range. She has shot maybe 700-800 rounds. The one she carries has not shot more than 200 rounds.
So far we have had no failures and I have always considered that platform super reliable. But that was before reading of different experiences here.

 

[OkieStubble]

My wife and I had two LCP's, first version. I shot definitely more than 2000 rounds with mine, and if I remember well I replaced the recoil spring one time, just because I had one spare. My wife, maybe 400 rounds.
Then we "upgraded" to two LCP Custom, the ones with the red trigger. My wife carries hers, I don't, so she uses "mine" for practice at the range. She has shot maybe 700-800 rounds. The one she carries has not shot more than 200 rounds.
So far we have had no failures and I have always considered that platform super reliable. But that was before reading of different experiences here.

Great post my man! I would like your permission if I might; and be able to offer up a small bit of advice? I don’t know if this would be of any help to you or not as you probably know something about the situation that I don’t?

I noticed you said, that since you don’t carry your LCP anymore, your lovely wife uses it when practicing at the range, but still carries her own personal LCP with only 200 rounds thru it?

So, her LCP will only ever have that 200 rounds thru it unless she might need it to defend herself? It sounds like with all the practice she is getting at the range with your LCP, it seems quite reliable, but her personal LCP doesn’t yet and she carries it thinking it’s as reliable as your LCP?

Is it because, since they are both the exact same brand and model, since yours is getting rounds thru it, it’s assumed hers is ok because of the only 200 rounds?

Do you see where I’m going with this?

Humbly speaking, I dunno, you might have an understanding about something I’m just not aware of? But if not, I would like to humbly and respectfully suggest maybe her taking her own LCP that she carries to the range since putting round’s down range with it will help you both know if the actual pistol she carries is always good to go when she really needs it, not because your LCP is getting the work to prove it’s good to go, but because, her LCP is getting the work to prove its good to go?

 

[Omega48]

...
it will help you both know if the actual pistol she carries is always good to go when she really needs it,
...

This is a good point and I have thought about that several times, not only for the LCP but for the pistol I carry (and for the ones used to carry before).
My point is this. You can shoot a pistol reliably as long as you want but that does not give you a guarantee that the pistol may not have a component failure with the next round. Actually the more you shoot it the more the probability of a component failure increases. So, as a rule, I do not practice with the pistol I carry, however I practice with he exact same model. I have two APX Carry. Before I had two APX Centurion, when I was carrying the Centurion. The same was for other pistols I used in the past. As far as the EDC, I shoot enough rounds with the ammunition that I use for personal defense, to be confident that the pistol functions properly all the times. After that I shoot it periodically only to "refresh" the ammunition that are in the magazines, and few more. Of course 200 rounds for the LCP may not be enough, with my APX I have shot more than twice that amount but I definitely don't think that routinely practicing with your EDC gives you better insurance that the pistol is going to work when you actually need it, on the contrary.
Hopefully we will never be put in conditions to prove that we are right (or wrong ).

 

[OkieStubble]

I can see your reasoning, but if it does break, wouldn't you want it to break at the range? Last summer, I carried a LCP II and the wife carried a LCP Max. I took my LCP II to the range on a Thursday and the magazine latch spring broke and dropped the magazine on the ground.

Went back to the range two days later on a Saturday to let the wife shoot her LCP Max and the steel on the slide broke just below the guide rod and the spring and guide rod shot out the broken hole on the front of the slide and landed out in the middle of the range. My LCP II, is a decade old with at least a case of ammo thru it and the wife's LCP Max was new, with only around 200-300 rounds thru it. Pretty much like your wife's?

If I would have only let my wife practice with my LCP II at the range, but let her carry the Max? Her Max wouldn't have broken at the range? Where we could know to fix it?

It would have broken on her in real life instead; when she would have needed it the most? Pistols don't need alot of rounds to break? Her LCP Max proved that? However, if your wife's 6 round LCP has shot a 1,000 rounds at the range? it will most likely shoot to number 1,006 if/when she needs it in real life?

 

[Omega48]

I can see your reasoning, but if it does break, wouldn't you want it to break at the range?

Well, the only way to make sure that if it has to break, it happens at the range, is to use it only at the range.

Anyhow, I think that we are looking at the same potential problem from two different angles. I think that the more you shoot a pistol the higher is probability of a part failure (even if I think that it’s still a very low possibility unless you shoot an enormous amount of rounds without any preventive maintanance). Once the pistol has proven to be functionally reliable with the proper ammo, I tend to limit its use.
You instead think that the more you shoot it the more you can test its reliability, and that the probability of a failure happening at the range instead of a street corner is high enough to keep doing it.
Both theories have their merit.
One objection I may have, is that soon or later you have deal with new parts, a new recoil spring, or other components depending on the platform that you use, and you have start all over again.

 

[OkieStubble]

Well, the only way to make sure that if it has to break, it happens at the range, is to use it only at the range.

Anyhow, I think that we are looking at the same potential problem from two different angles. I think that the more you shoot a pistol the higher is probability of a part failure (even if I think that it’s still a very low possibility unless you shoot an enormous amount of rounds without any preventive maintanance). Once the pistol has proven to be functionally reliable with the proper ammo, I tend to limit its use.
You instead think that the more you shoot it the more you can test its reliability, and that the probability of a failure happening at the range instead of a street corner is high enough to keep doing it.
Both theories have their merit.
One objection I may have, is that soon or later you have deal with new parts, a new recoil spring, or other components depending on the platform that you use, and you have start all over again.

I can agree with absolutely all of this.

 

[Rob72]

There are certainly different philosophies on this, e.g., "break in" and "failure testing."

I don't do break-in, I do break down. Every firearm gets full detail strip, clean, deburr, polish as needed, and reassemble. After that, I feel fine with 250-500 rounds of low-end, but reliable, testing ammo (WWB, Monarch, Wolf) and 25-50 of Good Stuff. Then, a repeat of detail strip, parts check and clean.

Bad stuff can happen anytime, but with a reputable maker, failure is generally a faulty part from the factory, and fractures will usually open up in ~500 rounds, so...

 

[OkieStubble]

There are certainly different philosophies on this, e.g., "break in" and "failure testing."

I don't do break-in, I do break down. Every firearm gets full detail strip, clean, deburr, polish as needed, and reassemble. After that, I feel fine with 250-500 rounds of low-end, but reliable, testing ammo (WWB, Monarch, Wolf) and 25-50 of Good Stuff. Then, a repeat of detail strip, parts check and clean.

Bad stuff can happen anytime, but with a reputable maker, failure is generally a faulty part from the factory, and fractures will usually open up in ~500 rounds, so...

When my Ruger LCP II's magazine release button spring broke, researching the online Ruger forums showed I wasn't alone and there were many others. Most said, their springs busted at some point after the 600 round mark. My LCP II made it at least 10 a 10 years and a 1,000 rounds. Ruger replaced the entire, complete lower frame. While Ruger had it, I purchased an aftermarket mag release spring from M-Carbo who makes a beefed up mad button spring for the LCP II.

When I got the LCP II back from Ruger, I noticed in the new frame they put on the upper, was a different looking mag button spring then the one that broke. In fact, it looks a bit larger then the one that broke and instead of a stainless steel color the spring is a red color. (I think I posted a pic in this thread.

Well, since getting it back, I haven't shot it yet, but that red colored spring ejects the magazine out of the frame like a rocket!

It also, makes a loud click when inserting the mag into the mag well. That red spring seems to be a really strong spring on it's own, without putting in the MCarbo aftermarket I bought.

 

[Rob72]

Roll your own springs. No sendouts.

Take your wife to Hobby Lobby. In the jewelry making section they have tapered ring-making pliers and tapered round-nose. Grab those, fire up your oven & you're all set!