how good is your ruger lcp and a flipping .380 ammo question!

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cajun47

New member
how many times has your lcp malfunctioned? was it easily cleared? did it malfunction with hp or fmj?

from what i have seen on many youtube videos the .380 hp ammo penetrates an average of 10" except for gold dots which may or may not penetrate more. im more comfortable with 15+ inches so i avoided the lcp even though i love its weight.

but today this guy post several .380 ballistics videos with a kahr 2.5" barrel. the lcp has a 2.75" barrel. not sure if that would make a difference in his test. it looks like the non +p, slightly slower or slightly heavier .380 bullets does a flip and causes a nice wound channel but they get much better penetration than most hollow points. 17 to 18 inches! imo thats perfect penetration. my question, are the flipper fmj or fmj flat nose gonna flip most of the time?? im thinking of loading the lcp mags rotating flat nose and gold dot rounds.

here are his videos. should be on the top. notice how the buffalo bore non +p flips and the +p does not.

http://www.youtube.com/user/PocketGunsandGear/videos?view=0
 
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dgludwig

New member
how many times has your lcp malfunctioned?
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Never-but I've only got a couple of hundred rounds through it so far. I suppose the jury is still out in terms of how reliable the little Ruger is but they're starting to drift in. The other caveat is that I've shot mostly hardball but did run a magazine full of Federal Hydra-Shoks through it without incident.
I'm not a big proponent of shooting +P anything in the LCP.
 
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weldonjr2001

New member
I think the jury spoke on the LCP's reliability long ago.

Two LCPs here. Both perfect with Speer Gold Dot 90s, Winchester Ranger 95s, Federal HydraShok 95s, S&B 92s, WWB 95s, and CCI Blazer 95s.

Most of those fired pulling it from the weak-hand pocket, fired weak-hand, and mostly double or triple taps.

That's how my LCP will be used. It's always a backup to whatever else I'm carrying.

I didn't keep a round count like I do with most of my pistols, so won't manufacture a number, but it's been at least 500 rounds between the two.

I do have the Wolf 11 lb recoil spring in both as I thought the ejection distance was too far with the factory spring.

I carry it with the Speer Gold Dots, mainly because the quality is better than any of the FMJ rounds.

If I could find a flat-nosed bullet in a nickeled case with a powder that didn't burn as dirty as the FMJ rounds I've found, I'd buy a bunch of them.

I think some of my handguns may come and go, but I believe I'll always have a LCP in my pocket.

I've had the Kahr P380 and the S&W BG380. Both good guns, better sights than the LCP, both with slides that lock back on an empty magazine, but the sleekness and simplicity of the LCP are the reason I still have it.

The Kahr gave me many, many malfunctions, and took three trips back to Kahr to get it straight. Never could really trust it after that.

The BG380 never had a feeding or firing malfunction, but once, fortunately at the range, the setscrew for the laser assembly backed out and locked the slide from going back far enought to strip a new round from the magazine. Had to send it back also.

The LCPs just work for me.
 
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thedudeabides

New member
Malfunctoned pretty reliably every 100 rounds for the 650 I owned the gun.

Stovepipes were the most common, but failure to eject happened twice where the case just got jammed into the chamber and I had to use the slide to try to force it out. The last time I had this happen I needed a wooden punch to bang it out.

Brass went everywhere. Mostly up, tho.

The pins also backed out of the frame every 150-200 rounds and had to be pushed in.

The gun wasn't very accurate, mostly because of the dreadful trigger, and the best I could achieve was 10" groupings at 5 yards (and this is coming from someone who can reliably shoot 6" groupings at 25 yards with a 1911).
 
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hodaka

New member
Mine has about 300 rounds through it, 50 Prvi hardball and the rest my reloads using Hornady 90gr HTP's. I do not think it has ever missed a beat. My wife shoots it better than any of my other pistols. It is one of the earlier ones.
 
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Gdawgs

New member
When I shoot mine, the magazine releases on occasion. Not sure if it's something I'm doing or something wrong with the gun.
 
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Mosin44az

New member
6 or 7 malfs, either FTE or FTF--in 2000 rounds......and most of them were early on. I don't think the LCP--or any small pistol with a short slide--will run EVERY load, but the LCP is definitely not finicky.

I have owned several Kel-tecs, the SW Bodyguard 380, and several small Kahrs, including the disastrous P380. The LCP is the pocket pistol I kept....
 
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michael t

New member
I have several 100 rounds thru my KelTec about 1/2 that Corbon JHP and then Corbon DPX . I will take either of those rounds before I TRY TO RELIE ON A 380 TO DO A FLIP. Majority of SD shooting are at a few feet and pretty much face to face .So 10 to 12 " with expansion should work fine. I like better than a hole thru target in fraction of a second Then flying up street. Its likely he really never felt that bullet.I want exansion and what little engery their is staying in target not going up street . You can shoot a couple times also .


If you want 12" or more Use a 25acp with ball that 13 to 16" jell in tests. Of course bullet doesn't flip. :rolleyes:
 
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ritepath

New member
My LCP has had almost two Fail to Feeds in around 7XX rounds. By almost I mean I was shooting and nothing, by the time I tilted the gun up to see the problem it went the rest of the way into battery. First time it happened was on round 6 the second around 200 or so. Not a problem since...
 
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CSG

New member
I've had no problems with my relatively new LCP and have fired a few different hardball rounds through it as well as Speer Gold Dot. It's become my primary carry as it's small enough, reliable, and .380 sd loads can more than do the job.
 
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riggins_83

New member
I've never had a jam with my LCP, about 200 rounds through it. I do run a +2 lb recoil spring (11 lb) in it which makes it a bit softer kicking and more sure into battery. Generally carry it with Speer Gold Dots...
 
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LockedBreech

New member
1 user-induced limp wrist malfunction by a friend who is recoil averse in well over 1000 rounds. The gun has proven itself with 102-grain Remington Golden Saber (my carry load), 95-grain Winchester PDX1, and about 4 brands of FMJ including Federal Champion and WWB.

It's a little tank. Mine is my EDC. Some might scoff at it, but I leave my house with my gun 100% of the time it's legally allowed where I am going.
 
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Cheapshooter

New member
My Elsie Pea is approaching If not exceeding 500 completely reliable rounds. With mostly WWB FMJ practice ammo, and some Remington UMC FMJ. But also at least a box each of Speer Gold Dot, Winchester PDX1, Remington Golden Saber, and my carry round of choice Hornady Critical Defense. All have function perfectly, and accuracy has been acceptable.
I have not, nor will not violate the owners manual warning against using +P ammunition. Especially when considering there is no SAAMI +P standard for 380 ACP. It's just boutique ammo makers hype for over pressure ammo.
Where any 380 round can be less effective as more powerful guns the little mouse guns It is chambered in can sometimes make the difference in having a gun on you, and not.
 
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michael t

New member
I have not, nor will not violate the owners manual warning against using +P ammunition. Especially when considering there is no SAAMI +P
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Corbon 380 JHP or DPX are not Plus P and within SAAMI specs . That why I use over the other brand which uses the Plus P in their ad.
 
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