Just a rant on background checks --

So, a week ago Sunday, I buy a pistol at Cabelas. A used but seemingly minty-fresh Ruger LC9 if anyone cares.

A whole lot of interesting things went wrong technically (long story of computer issues that I won't get in to). Long story short, I can't pick it up until Thursday. Thursday rolls around, I'm at Cabelas picking it up. Straight to the range where unfortunately, I loaded it up with "nice" ammo (Hornady Critical Defense and what not). Fired a shot and --- no hole in the paper.

Never having shot this particular LC9 before, I dropped the mag and made sure I didn't have a squib thing going on. She's clear, so I load up again and fire again --- No hole in the paper.

I'm on the rest, on a bag, blah, blah, blah, I want to see where the sights are going. Put a rifle silhouette up and fired dead center -- Hit around 18" low and to the left at 7 yards. Couldn't believe it. Next shot all the way to the right on the paper. A few shots later, it actually hit within a foot. It's absolutely stunningly bad -- Hitting all over the extra-large target seemingly at random.

I figure the best that's going to happen is that Cabelas is going to send it to Ruger and see if they can tweak it. But I called them up and told them how awful the thing was, making sure to use words and terms like "defective" and "unsafe in this condition" and what not.

Side-story on Cabelas' customer service -- Not only did they take it back for credit towards another gun, but the department manager spotted me a $25 gift card for my time and trouble.

So that's it for the LC9... I didn't really care for my buddy's that much although I thought it was a nice 'packable' option. Add this episode and I don't care if I ever see one again. After throwing about a dozen compact 9's across the counter, I settled on (yet another Ruger) a SR9c.

Of course, I'm sort of expecting to have to wait another three days just because it wouldn't be as stupid for some reason if I walked in with one and walked out with another. But sure, I was hoping someone was going to say "Oh, when you're really just exchanging, you don't need to wait again."

Sure enough, I need another background check and another 72-hour wait. I just passed a test four days ago, I passed the "big" tests with UT & FL, not to mention another test a month or so prior with another pistol -- But I can't do a simple exchange without another 4473 and another 72-hour waiting period?

I dunno... Am I overreacting?

(EDIT) Adding a public apology for using an "improper abbreviation" which has been edited out. Will try not to let that sort of stuff happen again. :embarassed:

climbing up onto soapbox...aaahhh...climbing down off soapbox....I don't want to get angry and say something I shouldn't...

Yeah, that's quite a rant. But it may be attributable to general, pent-up frustration from being...in Illinois. FYI, your NRA Life Membership gets you unlimited Kentucky citizenship simply by moving Southeast 'till you cross the Ohio River. Come on. We'll be glad to have ya'!

seem strange to me also as I have no trouble in grouping 8 shots (1mag+1) within a 7" circle with LC9....at 25 yards....7 yards is a really tight group and 15yards almost as good...but in your defense have to say with a double action trigger it takes some getting used to and adjusting.

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Originally Posted by MASSIVE

...Hitting all over the extra-large target seemingly at random...

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Okay, I've gotta' ask. How well have you previously shot other pocket pistols with excessively l-o-n-g DAO triggers and tiny sights?

Sure -- Plenty. Even other LC9's.

That's what I mean... Something was seriously wrong with this particular one. It was all over the place even from a rest/bag. With my buddy's LC9, I was shooting "typical" (well, typical for me with a mini-pistol) groups -- Inside the 7-ring type stuff.

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Originally Posted by lchamp

climbing up onto soapbox...aaahhh...climbing down off soapbox....I don't want to get angry and say something I shouldn't...

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Well, hopefully without getting too angry, I'd love to hear what you have to say about it. To me, it seems overly unreasonable.

Unless you're just agreeing and angry about it... Then I'm right there with ya!

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Originally Posted by ghost tracker

Yeah, that's quite a rant. But it may be attributable to general, pent-up frustration from being...in Illinois. FYI, your NRA Life Membership gets you unlimited Kentucky citizenship simply by moving Southeast 'till you cross the Ohio River. Come on. We'll be glad to have ya'!

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Believe me... The TN/KY area is very high on a very short list of places I'd be willing to relocate to if it's ever possible. For so many reasons up to and including an extended motorcycling season!

Own LCP ,LC9 and SR9C everyone of them as good as it gets. back rounds checks is a money maker they rake in the cash so don't expect to see it go away anytime soon.
At what they charge for a few minutes on the line it pays better than adult entertainment phone lines. (That wording won't get me band I hope)
http://i259.photobucket.com/albums/h...rin/ruger2.jpg

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I'm on the rest, on a bag, blah, blah, blah, I want to see where the sights are going. Put a rifle silhouette up and fired dead center -- Hit around 18" low and to the left at 7 yards. Couldn't believe it. Next shot all the way to the right on the paper. A few shots later, it actually hit within a foot. It's absolutely stunningly bad -- Hitting all over the extra-large target seemingly at random.

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Well, some folks are actually quite accurate with various mouseguns, while some get stunningly bad results. Myself, I have found several Kahr PM9 and P380 examples to be exceptionally accurate, though less so than full-sized pistols. Several of these same guns were all but impossible for a few friends to accurately shoot. Same gun, different people, amazingly different results. Rest or not, the issue with these wasn't in the gun itself; rather, it was in the suitability of the gun to the person.

Unknown whether your specific LC9 happened to be crap, or whether all LC9's are so, or merely that your style of shooting (strength, comfort/preference with balance or whatever) matches well with the LC9. I'm sort of this way with the "airweight" S&W snubbie revolvers. For whatever reason, I simply can't keep bullets on target beyond about 4-5yds. Performance at 7yds is, as you say, absolutely stunningly bad by comparison with other guns. Yet, many shoot them just fine.

Whatever else is true, you found out that this particular mousegun isn't for you, accuracy-wise.

Another side note -- They waived the fee on the background check. *And* threw in a $25 store credit for my troubles.

And to clarify -- The "bad" LC9 (I'm quite sure it was defective somehow as my buddy's wasn't nearly as freaky) was really just a lead-in to the additional background check and 72-hour wait on what IMO could've been a simple exchange.


(EDIT) -- For the record, the last time I shot a LC9 - and a LCP for that matter - I had what I would consider a fairly 'typical' experience (at least for me) of high-and-right due to the odd pull and my giant paws. Took a few shots to correct it and then everything was fine. This particular one was just whacko... I couldn't make a two-foot group on the paper from a bench rest and a very slow, controlled pull.

I don't think the law allows a "simple exchange". A gun of a different serial number demands another complete 4473 and complete background check. Its all in the serial number. You simply cannot "exchange" a gun. Not under the current laws. Unfortunately. If your state requires a wait, then that has got to be followed time after time. Our state doesn't require a wait. There would have been no wait here. But there would have had to be a transfer back to the FFL.. of the old gun... and a transfer (4473) to you of the new gun. Its going to have to be logged in and another gun logged out of their bound book. So they both are transfers.

Can you say "......shall not be infringed".

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Originally Posted by MASSIVE

So, a week ago Sunday, I buy a pistol at Cabelas.

A whole lot of interesting things went wrong
Never having shot this particular LC9 before, No hole in the paper.
Hit around 18" low and to the left at 7 yards.[/I] Couldn't believe it.
Next shot all the way to the right on the paper. A few shots later, it actually hit within a foot.
It's absolutely stunningly bad -- Hitting all over the extra-large target seemingly at random.

Cabelas' customer service -- Not only did they take it back for credit towards another gun, but the department manager spotted me a $25 gift card for my time and trouble.

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This thread should be called, "Just a thanks to Cabela's for above & beyond customer sevice".

All told, it actually sounds like a fairly positive experience (as positive as it could be with a defective pistol). The three-day wait is a hassle, but it's honestly not so bad. If you're the easy-going sort, you'll be 'over it' fairly soon. It was wise of the store to compensate you with goodies - that can go a long way when it comes to mollifying people

Got'a love being from a state like Arkansas where there are no waiting periods, no permits to buy or own and, with a current CCL, no background check.