NEW Ruger LCP Jams 3 times ?

[Tmarkert]

Just bought the LCP on Wednesday and took it to the range today.
Gun is new straight from the factory, spent 1 day in the store.
Fired 65 rounds through it and love it, BUT:
3 times it jammed during ejection.
When this happened the round entering the chamer got jammed halfway up the ramp and pinched the spent shell and holding the slide open.
One of the staff said it maybe due to me not holding it tight enough and that this would cause the slide to not go back far enough for the spent to eject fully.
How much faith do I put into this theory? Is this common? If my gun is defective I want to know now so I can return it under FULL warranty.
Thanks

[DefensiveCarry.com]

[dben002]

Tmarkert...????? Have had my LCP for about 2 months now...probably 500 rounds fired....400 target and about 100 JHPSD rounds...no jams, misfires or any problems whatsoever. Same thing true with my LC9 which I have only had for about a month and about the same number of firings..Make sure your weapon is held correctly without your grip impeding the slide, also make sure your weapon is cleaned and oiled well. If problem continues return to Ruger as they will correct or replace.

[mkh]

Not sure what caused it but limp writing it ( what the staff was describing) can cause that.

[ctr]

Clean the pistol thought and use a new magazine and different ammo. I own 2 LCP pistols and neither will feed Remington ammo but are flawless with all other ammo.

Btw, the stove pipe jam is a classic sign of limp writing. Try the above and if the problem persists, your grip technique needs work.

[iguanadon]

I've had my LCP for 2 months and the first trip to the range I had 2 failures to eject. Both times it was the 5th or 6th round in the magazine. I too was concerned and read from others that it's not completely uncommon with the LCP. Not necessarily a great thing to have happen to be sure. The next time I took it out, I ran 50-75 rounds through it without a single issue.

I have heard/read from friends and here on the forum to give it a few trips to the range and see if it rectifies itself. Again, not really the best situation, but I was glad my last trip went without a hangup and I feel comfortable with it.

But of course, do what you feel you have to in order to have the confidence in the firearm.

Good luck.

[dben002]

Limp wristing is a phenomenon commonly encountered by semiautomatic pistol shooters, where the shooter's grip is not firm enough to hold the frame of the pistol steady while the bolt or slide of the pistol cycles. This condition often results in a failure to complete the operating cycle, properly termed a malfunction, but commonly (and incorrectly) termed a jam. Rifles and shotguns, if fired without the stock in the shoulder, may also be prone to limp wristing. Of the important variables involved in this type of jam, bullet and gas momentum, slide and barrel mass, recoil spring pre-load and spring rate, and shooting hand and arm mass are much more important than the compliance (limpness) of the wrist.

How limp wristing can cause a failure to cycle

Depending on the operating mechanism, there are a number of places that limp wristing can cause a failure to cycle. Recoil operated firearms are more susceptible to failure of this type than blowback and gas-operated firearms, and lightweight polymer framed handguns are more susceptible than heavy steel framed handguns. When there is not enough energy to move the slide back far enough relative to the frame to cycle the action, it is called limp wristing. When there is too much energy in moving the slide back relative to the frame, it is called slide slam.

In blowback and gas operated firearms, the slide reacts against the frame pushing the frame forward slightly against the recoil of the bullet leaving. In recoil operated firearms, the slide reacts against the bullet, and the frame is under no force at the time of firing. As the slide begins to recoil to the rear some of that energy is transmitted to the frame through the locking mechanism (in locked breech designs) and the recoil spring. This transmitted energy accelerates the frame to the rear as well. If the frame is not sufficiently restrained by its mass and the shooter's grip, the frame will "catch up" to the slide, and the recoil spring will not be fully compressed, and the slide will return forward under less than the designed force.

One common result of limp wristing is a failure to eject, as the slide will be moving too slowly at the point where the ejector is activated. The slow moving case will be caught as the slide closes, resulting in a stovepipe jam. These jams can be easily dealt with by knocking the used brass out of the way with the side of your hand or closed fist. The other common result of limp wristing is a failure to return to battery; the slide will be moving too slowly to move the new cartridge fully into the chamber, so the slide will stop partially open. The least common form of failure is a failure to feed, where the slide returns to battery on an empty chamber, because the slide moved back just far enough to eject the fired cartridge, but not enough to strip the next round from the magazine.

How to address limp wristing

As the name suggests, the problem occurs most often with shooters who have a loose grip. A firm, two handed grip will often solve the problem. Some shooters, however, just lack the strength for such a firm grip, and in that case there are two avenues that can be explored: changing the firearm, or changing the ammunition.

In the event that proper grip and follow through cannot be obtained because of physical limitations an alternative would be to use a manually cycled firearm action, such as a revolver. Revolvers are viable option for shooters who have difficulty with semiautomatic designs. The other alternative is to pick a firearm whose frame is heavier in relation to its slide. Polymer framed hanguns have the lightest frames, and as the frame is flexible, it absorbs more energy than metal frames. Aluminium and titanium alloys are slightly heavier and much stiffer than the polymers, and steel is the heaviest frame material generally used. Full sized frames are also heavier than compact frames. The heavier frames will have more inertia, and will rely less on the shooter's grip strength to hold the frame still.

The other approach is to alter the ammunition used.

[lchamp]

A friend of mine had similar problems with a new P938. He went to the police range and had one of the range officers fire his new gun and there were no problems. It wasn't his gun that was causing the problems.

[dukalmighty]

Hopefully you field stripped cleaned and lubed the gun before shooting it,sometimes in a new gun if your running a dry gun it can prevent the slide from cycling all the way to the rear causing the spent case to not eject and picking up the next round in the mag and trying to feed it.Lock your wrist when shootiing,my friend bought an LC9 after shooting a few of my pistols,never shot any handguns before and he hasn't had any problems with his

[Tmarkert]

thanks all for your help.. I think dben002 hit the nail on the head.. I think my grip needs to be a bit firmer with a locked wrist. Will also have a more experienced shooter run a few dozen rounds through and see if it happens to him.
Being an automotive technician (mechanic) I would assume my wrist strength is fine but I also have the habbit of not wanting to over due it on torque so i was probably babying LuCy P

[Smitty901]

LCP is a good weapon as others have said Clean it well get a firm grip on it a burn some cheap Winchester ball or flat nose it should be fine

[dben002]

Tmarkert...if you still experience problems try a higher grade of Ammo....I use PMC bronze for target practice and Hornady Critical Defense hollow points for everyday carry. Never had a problem with this ammo.

[Aimless]

Limpwristing is an excuse most often used for a firearm that's not as reliable as should be.Unless you have a grip comparable to a child you should look for other solutions.I had similar issues with my lcp which have subsided since switching ammo and higher round count.Many reported issues with the lcp have been solved by switching ammo.

[1 old 0311]

Gee a 'bottom feeder' that has problems? Who would have thought?

[bmcgilvray]

You're rude, you are! Putting a revolver up there like that.

The mighty mite .380s seem to be a bit more prone to functional issues if personal experience, observing others' experiences, and reading here on the forum are any indication. The advice suggesting finding the ammo that LCP likes is helpful.

Personally, it bugs me when an automatic won't run despite being limp-wristed, even deliberately.

[Smitty901]

Well this one eats anything you feed it and never an issue When it was new the first mag it failed after that never an issue again and it had some rounds fired
Nothing Ruger makes is a bottom feeder.