Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Handguns Long term observations on the LCP

I bought a first generation LCP shortly after they became available and have worked with it a bit. These are some of the things I've found. I guess I've put around 800 rounds through it,...many of them fairly warm cast bullet handloads. Currently I keep it loaded with these.

https://www.budsgunshop.com/product...42/legend+pro+380acp+100gr+hp+100rd+pack

They're Berry's 100 grain, copper plated serrated HP's. They seem to be plenty accurate and although I haven't chronographed them, reports indicate that they'll do about 925 fps out of an LCP and will expand nicely and penetrate 9" of ballistic gel. (video at end of post) 9" isn't enough penetration to pass the FBI requirements. But it's a .380 pocket pistol. 9" and expansion in ballistic gel after passing through 4 layers of denim is all I expect out of a defensive load from a .380 pistol the size of a pack of cigarettes.

I practice with it at 7 yards. At that distance, with slow, careful aim, I can keep a full magazine in about 4". I realize that's not great. But that's what I can do with this little pistol. Emptying the magazine as fast as I can will keep them all inside a 7" circle. Again,...not great, but that's all I expect from such a tiny pistol such as a first generation LCP.

Beyond all of that,......

The Hogue slip on (and pin on) grip is the best 10 bucks that you can spend on a 1st generation LCP. It definitely needs more handle.

https://www.cheaperthandirt.com/hog...-rubber-black-18100/FC-743108181003.html

The factory 9 lb recoil spring started looking a bit raggedy on the ends after 350 rounds, or so. I replaced it with a Galloway 13 lb spring. I haven't noticed any difference in function after 100 rounds with the Galloway spring. In my opinion, the 9 lb spring is too weak. The 13 lb Galloway spring is about right.

https://gallowayprecision.com/ruger/lcp/13-lb-recoil-spring-set-for-ruger-lcp-pistols/

The magazines from "Pro-Mag" don't work. They're junk. I just threw one in the trash can. Only use genuine Ruger Magazines.

Anyway,....that's what I've learned after living with a first generation LCP for a few years and a few hundred rounds.

I have no real complaints with it. It's capable of doing as much as I ever expected it to do. But in my opinion, it's greatly improved with the Hogue grip and the 13 lb Galloway spring seems to be able to hold up better than the factory 9 lb spring without making any sacrifices in reliability.

I might replace the LCP someday. But it's now as good as a first generation LCP can be, in my opinion. I've beat on it pretty good with warm cast handloads and warm factory ammo and it's held up well.

I have an early LCP that was my BDU/ankle gun my last 5 years behind a badge. It was used when I got it, I retired 2016 and still have it, though the wife has claimed it. She's had a couple of hand surgeries and didn't care for the recoil. I put a pin-on Hogue grip and she handles it fine now; but it ruined the gun for me.

It saw 200-250 rounds a year when I carried it and has seen about 250 more since then, so around 1200 total. It is more accurate than it has any right to be and might have choked once or twice when I let it get too dry. If you want an LCP to work, run it wet and use factory mags only. I had several officers with LCP and a few tried to cheap out with ProMags, etc. No bueno.

My carry load for years has been the USA 95 grain FMJ flat point.

Mines an old one. It’s been extremely reliable with everything I’ve run through it. Even the Buffalo Bore Hard Cast load.
Mine stays loaded with the Speer Gold Dot HP load.

Great info. I've got one of the pre-II LCPs, also. Mine is the last series before switching to II, so it has all the last improvements. Never a jam, but I doubt I've put a hundred rounds through it, total. Good to know they hold up. I've always liked the concept of a tiny, slim, .380 like that, but have a hard time assigning a mission to it, since when I carry, I tend to carry at least a .38 or 9mm.

I call it "the gun you can carry when you can't carry a gun". Here in AZ in the summer, there's no coat or thick clothes to hide it under. I can use an ankle holster, a wallet holster, slip it in the pocket of shorts, etc. It's not perfect and I would normally prefer to carry something more substantial, but there are times when it keeps me from going unarmed.

I have the LCP II and mine has yet to malfunction. I will second the recommendation for the HandAll grip sleeve. It makes a huge difference if you have larger hands.

I like the concept of the Hogue handle for the Ruger LCP. I wear an XL glove and 2XL with some gloves so for me it should be an improvement. But I got used to one finger crunching the little pistol and anything else seems abnormal now.

That's what I used to call my Kel-Tech P32, which was the LCP before there was an LCP.

Don't own one, but a couple are in the family. The one I've shot the most and that sees the highest round count has an aftermarket trigger and steel guide rod. It is a great shooting little pistol.

The original guide rod broke during a range session.

Galloway makes a stainless steel guid rod for the original LCP and in their ad they say that it replaces the original "pot metal" guide rod.

It made me curious so I took mine out to give it a good look. I appeared to be made of steel so I checked it with a magnet and found that it was indeed steel.

It appeared to be made well enough to handle what it's for. But if there's a history of them breaking, I might give the Galloway guide rod some thought. Even though the guide rod in mine doesn't seem to be suffering any wear.

The original broken guide rod was plastic.

The original LCP is one of the best defensive pistols ever made.

LCP II has high profile sights and a hair trigger.

Makes a dandy miniature target pistol - but, If you pocket carry an LCP II, take care not to blow your nuts off.

The big trend these days is essentially making carry pistols with single action triggers. I'm relative certain that I could shoot an LCP 2 better than I can the original LCP. But I'm not real keen on carrying a single action auto pistol hot,....just like I wouldn't want to go around carrying a 1911 cocked and *not* locked.

I think the best idea is lots of practice with a traditional DAO type pistol.

Ditto.

And oddly enough, it's easier to hit with a LCP (original version) than it is (D.A.) with a 1 7/8" J frame smith.

Yeah,...it is.

That's exactly my position on the two, as well.

Just trigger gauged my wife"s LCP II, average of 3 pulls was 7 pounds.
Hardly what I would call a hair trigger

I had a Kel-Tec P32 (.32 acp) for several years and it was surprisingly accurate, but I wanted the "power" of the .380 in the same size gun, so I sold it and bought one of their P3ATs from a guy I worked with. Never could shoot it worth a darn because the sights were almost nonexistent.

So, I bought the LCP "Custom"- the one with the big sights and the red "improved" trigger. I think I found the perfect little gun when I got it. I can hit whatever I need to and it never seems to bobble. Here's a side by side comparison between the LCP "Custom", and the P3AT that I had hard chromed.

B,

Midway sells those Hogue grip for a lot less money after shipping is included.

https://www.midwayusa.com/product/1151194422?pid=695949

Yeah,...I just said $10 to round it out. I bought mine at Bud's. I don't even remember what I paid. But it was just a little pocket money.

I read the reviews on the Midway page. They're almost all positive. The one complaint I saw was that the grip makes the pistol thicker on the back and positions your trigger finger differently. That's definitely true. But I consider that to be a big advantage of the grip. I guess it depends on the size of the person's hand, but the thickness on the back of the grip puts *my* trigger finger in a much more natural position.

Mine is an original from 2008.
Had to go back for the recall, so now it has a diamond stamped on the frame.

I don't know if I've ever had a malfunction of any kind.
Over 1600 rounds through it now.
When Ruger had it back for the recall they replaced the springs, but I'm almost to 1500 rounds on the new springs so they will be replaced soon.
My guide rod is steel. Not sure if it was replaced during the recall or if I ordered one. I'm thinking a KelTec P3AT guide rod would fit so I may have swapped it.
The only other "upgrades" I've done are the Decal Grip and a dot of white enamel on the front sight.

It shoots anything, except Wolf steel cased.
You could get them from Palmetto State Armory last year for $150.
One of the best values in the firearm market.