Report on Return of LCP from Ruger. * reassembly warning*

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Eghad

New member
The Ruger folks were very nice when I e-mailed them about my Ruger LCP stove piping spent cartridges. The called me the next business day and that afternoon I had the shipping label. They told me it would take 14 days plus shipping time to get it back. Right on the money again. I couldn't find my original box I purchased it in. Ruger sent me a whole new box and material set with the pistol.

The only thing that concerns me is the diagnosis The repair order no. from the factory was 121001

Notes: Pistol was received incorrectly reassembled (inner recoil spring on back wards). For questions regarding reassembly please contact our Customer Services Department at: (XXX)XXX-XXXX.

After repair, pistol was function fired 24 rounds (using customer magazine) without malfunction.

I picked up the LCP instruction book and read about disassembly and reassembly. There were no remarks in those sections addressing this. I looked at the exploded drawing and I see how the springs are supposed to go.

I probably reassembled it wrong. I did read the directions in the manual.

However, if the spring reassembly is so critical to proper function I think Ruger should have added a remark.

So if you have an LCP you might want to check this out.

I have not had time to go fire the pistol I will try and make time Thursday and let you know how it goes.

P.S. I spent 9.99 on some Pearce grip extensions for my LCP. Better than the factory extension. I can now get my pinky on the handle. Well worth the bucks.
 
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flyinpolack

New member
a backward recoil spring can mess with quite a few pistols. On others it doesn't seem to matter. They should probably say something about it in the manual for ya though..
 
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Hose-Zay

New member
I didn't put the spring in wrong because I learned about it on the Elseapea/LCP forum but I am sure I would have. It probably does need more splaining from Ruger.
I also love the extensions, they made it an even more useful BUG carry.
 
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Elvishead

Moderator
As wise old man says (in my best wise Indian chiefs voice) look at every thing how it is during disassembly.

That applies to car's and what not.
 
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Kreyzhorse

New member
Good information to make note of.

Yet another reason to continue to buy guns from makers who actually support their product and customers after the sale.
 
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Hose-Zay

New member
Actually, there is an inner and outer spring with the inner spring being not that much larger than an ink pen spring.

I will now order a set of springs just in case/when I do lose one.
 
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dgludwig

New member
I, for one, was certainly not aware of the requirement to orient the recoil spring in the "right" direction in order to insure the proper function of the pistol. I agree with others who believe it should be incumbent on Ruger to make the reassembly process clearer in terms of how the spring should be reinstalled (there are more than a few semi-autos that don't have a "front and back" recoil spring installation requisite). If nothing else, it might save them from having more than a few unnecessary returns.
 
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Eghad

New member
I have been thanking Ruger since 1978 with my money ;)

In fact I just sold My Ruger Super Blackhawk that I used for For IMSHA shooting in the 80s when it started. :(

I just purchased the LCP and plan to purchase a SR9C.

I have two fine Ruger New Vaqueros in the collection and have purchased other Ruger firearms since 1978.

Still have my 10-22.

I also thank the folks at Ruger by e-mail and telephone for making a fine product and standing behind it.

My point was that I have been shooting since 1975 when I joined the military. and if I made the mistake how easy would it be for a first time purchaser who is making a LCP purchase to do?

If the proper positioning of the spring is that important and this pistol is being touted for self defense I would have made a note in big red letters under Reassembly. Because if something can go wrong it will.

Now that I know its as good as emblazoned on brain.

P.S. If you do not visit the Ruger web site on a regular basis they have a Good Things Come in 3 sweepstakes you can enter in a couple of minutes. :D
 
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Mokumbear

New member
Hmmm....

Yes, Ruger customer service was kind, indeed, to return an improperly reassembled gun at no charge.

That being said, the P89 and P90 manuals specify in the instructions how the springs should face. I think the LCP should specify that in the instructions if it is so critical.

You shouldn't have to depend on the "exploded diagram", IMO.
 
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davebob

New member
Nonsense

I vote BS. I had the same problem, and I returned it to them without dissambly. Same answer. I suspect someone there is not assembling them properly. Anyway, sorry I bought one. Trigger pull is horrible, and I defy anyone to hit a man-sized target at 20 feet, consistantly. This may be the only gun I've ever owned i'm going to sell!
 
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Eghad

New member
Took it to the range today and it went through a box of 50 plus some leftovers in FMJ without a hiccup. So yes that inner spring must be placed correctly now . Instead of having 1-2 stovepipes every magazine I got before sending the pistol back to Ruger.

I do not think I put the spring in backwards. I purchased the LCP and a box or 380 ACP and proceeded to the indoor range that is in the pistol shop after buying. It had malfunctions right after I purchased it. I had the failure to eject problem before I cleaned it. I figured it was still in need of breaking in,


The only disassembly I did was to clean off any excess oil from the factory. I remember taking the guide rod off the pistol. As a habit I never take the springs off the guide rod except for my 1911 because the guide rod is so short it falls off and I lay it down with the rear facing the guide rod and oriented to the frame.

So I am going to agree with Mr. davebob that it came to me that way.

As far as not being able to hit anything. I ran my silhouette out to 15 yards and plowed away with iron sights and got a palm sized group. The trigger reminds me a little of the 92F in the length of pull. Its like a DA trigger you have to have a constant trigger pull till it breaks. In my S&W DA revolvers which is the only way I shoot a DA revolver I can almost feel the point before the trigger breaks on the S&W. You just need to practice to get a feel for the trigger.

My advice to anyone buying a LCP is to pay attention to the spring on your first dissassembly and make sure it is correct. If it not properly put in and you have failures with the LCP drop Ruger and e-mail or call and let them know.
 
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Dashunde

New member
Its pretty obvious how the inner spring goes in - with the flaired end toward the front.
But what about the outer spring? Is there a specific orientation for it too?
 
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Eghad

New member
According to the exploded drawing on page 29 of the owners manual that I am looking at right now the flared end of the inner spring goes towards the front end of the pistol. The drawing I am looking at does not seem to indicate that either side of the outer spring is flared but you can bet I will look when I dissassemble it.

Like I said before I had malfunctions before I even disassembled the pistol and after I dissassembled it the first time to wipe of the excess oil they continued. So the spring came in wrong from the factory.

Now after return from the factory the performance of the pistol is like night and day and I would swear they replaced the pistol except the serial number is the same
 
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Eghad

New member
Sonny

I have already sung the parises of Ruger here and have been buying thier great products since 1978.

If you read the post above this the pistol had problems after I took it out of the box fresh from the factory unless somebody at the gun shop disassembled it and put the springs back in wrong.

When I purchased it the first time the pistol came out of the box was to get the serial number and record it on the ATF Form. It was put back in the box. I purchased a box of .380 ACP and then proceeded to the indoor range there without disassembling the Ruger LCP. I had 1-2 stovepipes per magazine for a box of 50 rounds. I figured the pistol just needed breaking in.

I took it home and cleaned it did not take the springs of the guide rod just used my green toothbrush to clean it in place and wipe it down with a clean rag as it had plenty of lube in place already.

I am pretty anal retentive about how my ritual goes of breaking down a weapon and cleaning it and the parts layout after 29 years of military service that ended in 2004. I lay the weapon down with the front end oriented to my left when the parts come out they get oriented the same way in the order they came out in.

Took it back to the same range and had the same problems. That is when it went back to the factory and I received a written report the spring was in backwards.

It functions like a different weapon now. So the culprit is the factory.

We are in need of a more civil discourse in America these days.
 
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