(C) LSA 2015

This post is not a complicated tutorial like the Ruger SR22P one was at:

http://www.ar15.com/forums/t_5_4/148288_Beginner_Level_Set_Up_Of_A_New_Pistol.html

Nor is it one like the Ruger LCR .38 Special test results with a large number of ammo types:

http://www.ar15.com/forums/t_5_32/158221_LCR__38_Special__P_Review.html

It is just a simple short shoot of a new Ruger LCP .380acp with four ammo types.  Factory Site:  http://www.ruger.com/products/lcp/specSheets/3740.html

1)  As always though, the shooter with a new firearm should read the manual for any unexpected quirks and to learn how to operate an unfamiliar firearm.



2)   Discretely number the magazines that go with that pistol. Fingernail polish, electro-pencil numbers, or your own system. The reason is so that you can attribute any firing difficulty to a particular magazine or know it happens with all of them.  These three simply had one dot (.), two dots (..) and three dots (...) impressed into the bottom of the floor plate.  The spare floor plate is the Ruger factory flat floorplate.  The Rugers come with both floorplates and you can choose the one you want.  With large hands, the little hook gives you a genuine two (2) finger hold on this little firearm.



3)  With the Ruger LCP .380acp, a bit of pre-shooting break in is a good idea.  I stripped the pistol using the manual instructions.  Then I cleaned it and lubed it with oil where things rotate and with a bit of Mobil 1 grease where things slide.  Then I worked the slide 50 times and dry fired it 25 more.  I repeated this four cycles so it had actually run back and forth 300 times with 100 dry firings.  It moved noticeable easier and the trigger pull got smoother a bit with the red aluminum trigger.  That pre-shooting break in taken care of, it was time to pick some ammo.



4)  The ammo above is simply common Hornady 90 grain Critical Defense, Federal 95 grain FMJ ball, WW Silvertip 85 grain aluminum jacketed hollow point, and Remington 88 grain JHP.  (An addendum is below with the results of a separate day shooting a hand load using a 98 grain RNLBB bullet at 10 yards.)

The LCP Custom version sights are unlike the original and second generation versions of the LCP.  They are meant for a shooter, not for a pointer, and are a tall front post with a photo luminous dot in it.  Shine a light on it and it glows in the dark for a long time.  The rear sight is a likewise tall notch  l__l  that makes finding the front sight easy and affords a REAL sight picture.  These are very much unlike the original LCPs and unlike a lot of lesser featured small semi auto pistols for whom sights are an after thought or very skimpy.



5)  Shooting was done on an IPSC cardboard target with five magazines fired on two targets.  Five times (6+1) for 35 shots.  Range was 15 yards two handed sitting in a chair with no support.  Sorta like a wheelchair shooter, if you get the idea.  The fifth magazine was transferred by marking the first target.  Each magazine of ammo is identified on the target with the holes correspondingly marked.  The fifth magazine strikes were simply marked on the first target as finding holes was getting complicated with the clutter.



6)  The last photo is just a closeup of the "A" zone showing strikes better and the legend of ammo and impact centers.



7)  Observations:

7a)  The Ruger LCP fired the first 35 rounds out of its tube perfectly.  The very first shot fired from the gun hit dead centered on the triangle of the "A" of the IPSC center.  Then the shooter noticed that the little gun hopped around a bit.  (:>)  Every round fed, fired, extracted, and ejected.  No magazines fell out.  No sights fell off.  It simply worked perfectly.

7b)  35 rounds with four ammos may not sound like a lot of shooting, but it was enough for one session with a 9.5 ounce gun.  It is less hoppy than I expected, but wacks your hand a good one and it accumulates.  35 was enough for one day.

7c)  Noteworthy is that of thirty five rounds, 33 landed in the A zone.  I promise I did the one way low and the one way left.

7d)  The LCP was easy to aim with its good sights.  The trigger was very easy to manage pulling through with no fuss, catches, hitches, or jumps.  This is a Glock/Shield/M&P340 shooter talking.  You aimed the LCP, pulled the trigger, and it did its job noting the unsupported position used.

7d)  Brass was ejected to the right rear about 6-8 feet in a large zone due to differing ammo being used.

7e)  All three magazines were used and all three worked.  The fifth magazine full of ammo was just a mix of extra rounds.  The four Critical Defense and three SilverTips were similar in weight and made a nice group by themselves centered on the target.  Since they were centered, I think the factory zero is close.

7f)  Since I have some of it, I think the Hornady Critical Defense will be the usual ammo since it groups well and is centered well.

7g)  The rear sight is adjustable for windage in a dovetail, but until I shoot it more, it is so close to centered there is no point in fooling with it.  There is a set screw in the rear sight.  Then the sight can be drifted.  The likelihood of getting it right seemed slim so I left it alone until shot more.

7h)  All in all, for a 9.5 ounce gun, no surprises.  Just performance.

7i)  Laugh if you must for a 35 round test, but this is the last in a series of small autos I have tried and the first one that actually seems to work.  A Walther PP .380, a BodyGuard .380, a CW9, a PF9, did not work.  The LCR has so far and straight out of the box.  I will update this with more firing.

8)  Even a pocket pop gun needs a proper holster to keep fingers, trash, and coins by accident out of the trigger guard.  It also serves to orientate the grip up so you can "grip" it without fumbling.  This one is a good design with the leather rough out and hooks front and rear to make sure it stays in the pocket as the hand and gun come out.  Its a one-off home made, but of a generally common design.  There is room between the frontstrap and the leather to fit fingers through.  



Avoid the slippery plastic, supposedly sticky rubbery kind, that draw with the gun.  Oddly, Sneaky Pete's famously poor customer service cannot tell you if their flat floor plate or finger grip floor plate fit the Ruger LCP Custom with its higher sights.  The finger grip one's dimensions seem close, but their CS tells you to order at your own shipping money risk.  Bulldog has a number of less expensive cases, but the dimensions seem off, either too large or just a tad too snug.  Generic sizes.

9)  Reality Check:  Having used everything from a .22 Short Colt derringer to a 629 CDX .44Mag to 1911s and Glocks through a 21/.45acp, I understand shootability and recoil considerations.

An honest assessment is that the LCP is not a beginner's gun.  It is not the first thing you would want to shoot.  It is not your wife's gun.  It is not what you give your girlfriend.  All that would happen is you make sure they would never shoot a gun again.  A negative result.  A beginner is best served with the likes of a SR22P or some other variety of medium to large .22LR.

The LCP is not your first choice for a CCW firearm.  A Ruger LC9s, Shield, or other small sized 9mm would serve better and be shot far easier and more accurately.  Both of those can be shot without pain and with relative ease.  The LC9s Pro has such a good trigger it is easily shot well, but the Shield has a better overall setup of ergonomics and capacity alternatives with the two mag sizes.

The LCP is best thought of as an expert's gun or a back up gun for a law enforcement officer or the CCW that you carry when just nothing else will get dragged along today.  In those cases it is small enough and thin enough that it can be carried and hidden if you wish to.

As with any small pistol, regular practice is a good idea.  But not to excess at any one session or you will discover the "next day" sore hand.  25 rounds to a box of 50 is probably a limit unless you have an iron hand.

If you cannot carry the LCP, you just don't want a gun to CCW.

But if you do carry and use this LCP Custom version, the sights and trigger make it shootable, controllable, and accurate with a reasonable, if not ideal, cartridge.

Or put another way, do not bring an empty pocket to a life or death confrontation.

10. Addendum:  The 8" steel plate below was hit with 35 of 35 reloaded .380acp rounds at 10 yards using a seated un-supported position atop a riding lawn mower.  Centered on plate and 100% function.  Load used in my LCP was:

Cases:  mixed pickup .380acp
Primer:  Federal small pistol
Powder:  2.95 grains Bullseye (RCBS Little Dandy Rotor #3)
Bullet:  Dardas lead round nose 98 grain cast 0.356"

http://www.dardascastbullets.com/mm5/merchant.mvc?Screen=CTGY&Store_Code=dardas&Category_Code=380

COAL:  0.966"

(Always do your own loading data search.  Load safe in my LCP only.  You will probably find it is a moderate .380acp load.)

Load functioned properly ejecting to 4:30 about 6 feet.  Recoil like factory ammo.



Quite an economical practice load matching factory ammo zero.

11. Yet again the LCP-C was taken out and shot without malfunction.  This time the above handload was fired offhand two handed standing at 20 yards.  All rounds landed in the "A" zone of an IPSC cardboard target.  Rounds were well centered and concentrated toward the center.  Both LCP and the hand load seem good to go.

12.  And continues to run without a single malfunction.

(C) LSA 2015

I'm the happy owner of a new LCP custom. I traded in my first gen LCP (plus $100) to Cabelas once I felt the new trigger and saw the new sights on the Custom. To me it was a no brainer deal.

I have put ~250 rounds through it with only one hiccup on a Fiocchi XTP somewhere around round 50-60. I have found that the Hornady American Gunner XTP's and Winchester white box 100 round value pack fmj's both shoot tight POA groups at 7 yards. Remington and Herters fmj groups were acceptable, but noticeably larger than the WWB. As stated previously the Fiocchi Extrema XTP's had a single failure to feed whereas the Hornady ammo is 100% reliable after 50+ rounds.

The new sights and trigger take a good ccw and make it a great ccw. I do agree with LampShadeActual, this is not a gun for a beginning shooter. It takes lots of practice to shoot this gun well.

I bought an LCP about two months ago. Turns out it was the Custom model, although I just took what my LGS had. I'm pleased with it. No hiccups at all. Ate any and all ammo I put through it, both target and SD.

I'm recoil sensitive so 50-60 rounds at a time hurts some, but a couple of mags doesn't.

I usually carry a 9mm Shield, but I got the LCP for deep concealment. I wear it in the Marilyn bra holster from the Flashbang Company. Goes inside your bra strap under your armpit. I had to do a few tweaks, but it works very well and is invisible even under just a t-shirt. It's lovely to be able to be armed if I'm in a dress or an outfit without belt loops, as I don't have to worry about my purse, as I would otherwise purse carry if wearing a dress.

I have a good chuckle to myself imagining people's reactions if they knew I had a pistol in my bra.

FYI according to Shooting the Bull over on Youtube, the Hornady Critical Defense under penetrates.  He did extensive testing on short barreled .380s.

I agree the Critical Defense 380 with the FTX bullet is not a great combo. The Hornady American Gunner is loaded with the XTP bullet. Shooting the Bull's final recommendations included three loadings with XTP bullets.

Where do I buy one?

Any of the usual places. Just make sure you get one with the red trigger. That's the Custom model.

Thanks for the practical, and effective review!

Like you, I've found most of these small .380s don't work, and I'd pretty much given up on them. Maybe I'll try an LCP after all.

I've had zero issues with mine. It eats all ammo I've put through it (not WWB flat nose, though). No FTF/FTE. My only issue is that it's hard to get a grip on the slide with somewhat sweaty hands.

Bump up.  

Nice review. Mine has been flawless with the different types of ammo. I put through it. The only gripe I really have with it is the height of the sights and my front sight worked itself loose and almost fell off( not sure what type of material Ruger used for securing the screw but I just used some Loctite to put it back on). Personally, I think the sights are too tall and I have issues trying to unholster it with  the different holsters I do have. This pistol is definitely not meant to be placed in a pocket holster like the soft type(Remora,etc.), as it will come out with the pistol when drawn,like you said.  I wound up filing down the sharp edges  on both the front sight and even shortened the height  of the rear sight a little.  It has made a difference in drawing the pistol from any holster I own(IWB,pocket,etc.).

Hopefully another manufacturer will come out with some new sights,maybe a fiber optic front. Like the op said, this design was meant for a little more than a point and shoot gun. I am glad Ruger decided to make these changes.

Months later it continues to run without error.  Hand loads and SD ammo and FMJ.

In a decent holster, there are no sight height issues.  See design in main post. Leather.

I have been tempted to order one to replace my Keltec P32.  I have been using that since before Keltec offered a .380 version.

On the sight height issue:

The holster I use for my LCP is a molded plastic one. The taller sights on the Custom model still fit just fine.

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Good write up. I keep wanting to order one for the measly sum of $200-220 these days. I disagree with you only on one thing in the review...I much prefer everything about the LC9S Pro over the Shield! I own both, and with the exception of the sharp sight edges on the Ruger it wins everywhere else for me.  Cheers and back to the LCP!

Are the sights on the custom steel, aluminum, or plastic?  I have one coming and may do some filing but I want to know what chemical I will need to use to re-black them

The sights are metal, I know that as my front worked it's self loose as was stated above. It fell off when I took it apart to clean it.

I re-installed it with a bit of blue Lock-Tite.  It seems to be staying.  There are no decent options for replacement sights (that I have been able to find) for this model.

I realize it's a "get off me" gun, not a "get away from me" gun and sights aren't really that crucial.  But I would like to be able to use them should the need arise.

Other than the sight issue, my custom has run like a champ. Even with the WWB rounds.  I normally carry it with Federal hydra-shock 90g. But all other brands I have tried worked well. No FTF or FTE, no stove pipe issues at all.

I really like it, this write up is what sealed the deal for me.  I got mine as a Christmas present.

I just tried out one of the LCP Custom's and was disappointed that the slide does not hold open on the last round.  I googled it and there is plenty of threads online about it, but I never once heard anyone here mention it in any of these threads and there have been a few lately.  Basically you fire through the mag and the last pull of the trigger is just click.  Anyhow, now it has been mentioned in one of these threads.

Yeah, I only discovered that after I had bought it. Not that much of an issue. I use the LCP for a New York reload most of the time anyway.

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The Glock type front sight retention screw coming unscrewed inside the slide, not being noticed while cleaning or shooting, and letting the front sight detach is not a firearm defect.

LockTite, cleaning, and checking are necessities if the factory tension or threadlocker allows unscrewing.

More important is to realize the screw is what holds the front sight in place to begin with.  And keep it tight, gently.

As to filing metal sights, better holsters make that un-necessary.  And un-wise from my viewpoint.  The sights are the reason it can be shot easier than earlier versions.

From above:

8)  Even a pocket pop gun needs a proper holster to keep fingers, trash, and coins by accident out of the trigger guard.  It also serves to orientate the grip up so you can "grip" it without fumbling.  This one is a good design with the leather rough out and hooks front and rear to make sure it stays in the pocket as the hand and gun come out.  Its a one-off home made, but of a generally common design.  There is room between the frontstrap and the leather to fit fingers through.  



Avoid the slippery plastic, supposedly sticky rubbery kind, that draw with the gun.  Oddly, Sneaky Pete's famously poor customer service cannot tell you if their flat floor plate or finger grip floor plate fit the Ruger LCP Custom with its higher sights.  The finger grip one's dimensions seem close, but their CS tells you to order at your own shipping money risk.  Bulldog has a number of less expensive cases, but the dimensions seem off, either too large or just a tad too snug.  Generic sizes

From what I can tell, the corbon dpx bullet is the best trade-off for expansion and penetration in the 380 caliber.

IIRC, there's at least 5 ammo makers using this bullet. I bought a bunch of HPR since Cabelas sells 50rd boxes for about $30.

All the DPX ammo performs well...I made my decision based on price and availability.

It doesn't expand as much as other loads, but it goes deeper.

 bump.

Just keeps running lead cast reloads like a Singer.

The gun works perfectly and can be shot accurately.  



50 rounds the other day.  I did practice.  I can shoot it.  

It has never malfunctioned or broke or screwed up in any way. 700+\- rounds.  But I do not love it.  

It instinctively points at the ground about 20' in front of you.  The ground. You have to cock your wrist up intentionally.

It is so slow to line up due to the odd grip angle that it takes thinking.  That and the l o n g reset two click trigger has me going back to my S&W M&P340.  

The revolver aligns instantly with my wrist and arm and the trigger cycle actually has a purposeful motion.  And my Glock 19.

Fair evaluation. Deep cover necessity for the LCP only.  With a lot of practice needed.  And even then a question mark.

It is by far the BEST of the little guns.  And the only one you should expect to work.  I just have two many choices.  That are better.

I'm going to add my thoughts about the front sight.  It should have been dovetailed in place instead of the crappy screw.  Mine launched never to be seen again in less than 30 rounds from factory new.  Don't know if the screw  came loose or broke. If  Ruger  isn't loctiting them in place they should be.  Even without a front sight I point shot  it  till my hand had enough and managed a reasonable group.  It point shoots just fine if you shoot a 1911, HP, Sig, etc.  It is a gun to be carried a lot and shot little.

At least the slide is going to have to go back to Ruger for a new sight as I don't think my big mitts would be able to manipulate a tiny screw into the sight.  Once that happens I'll shoot it a bit more with the addition of a Hogue Handall to help the grip fit.  I'm also going to add a Galloway 13# recoil spring.  I've heard the addition of those 2 items greatly help with felt recoil.

Glock Sights seem like they would fit. Maybe with a little modification to the sights themselves.

I should be getting my slide back from Ruger Tomorrow. My LCP Custom shot fine with no malfunctions. But the rear sight got loose after the range trip. I attempted to tighten it back down but the set screw stripped out really bad. It didn't even bottom out.

12 day turn around with shipping time included is amazing though.