[nobodyspecial]

Hello, new member here. Bought my wife a new 22LR LCP 2 and we have been test firing it the last couple of days.

100 rounds of Rem Thunderbolts--flawless operation
50 rounds of Norma Tac 40 grain lead--also perfect
70 rounds of CCI mini mag 40 gr. --numerous failure to feed and eject
40 rounds of CCI mii mag 36 gr hollow points--also numerous failure to feed and eject
50 rounds of CCI standard velocity 40 gr--failure to feed and eject plus 3 light primer strikes
I know these little guns are ammo specific sometimes but this dislike for CCI ammo is strange to me.
I'm happy it eats Thunderbolts cause I've got plenty of them and they are affordable but still...

The feed ramp looks nice and shiny with no burrs and I hesitate to polish it due to the perfect operation with the cheaper ammo. Also that is one tiny, steep ramp.
Anyone have any suggestions on what to do with this pistol. Just shoot the cheap ammo and enjoy it or what?

 

[nobodyspecial]

Just for future reference in case anyone is interested. We put a Hogue Handall grip on this pistol today and shot another 200 rounds through it.
Seems that the grip improved the reliability of the pistol to some degree. My wife says it feels much better.
The failure to feed and eject problem are much reduced but the slide is occasionally locking back on a partial mag. maybe once every couple of mags.
The overall experience was a lot better and she loves the gun but I still cannot trust this as a carry gun for my wife. Perhaps it will continue to improve...time will tell I suppose.

 

[LMB]

Hello, new member here. Bought my wife a new 22LR LCP 2 and we have been test firing it the last couple of days.

100 rounds of Rem Thunderbolts--flawless operation
50 rounds of Norma Tac 40 grain lead--also perfect
70 rounds of CCI mini mag 40 gr. --numerous failure to feed and eject
40 rounds of CCI mii mag 36 gr hollow points--also numerous failure to feed and eject
50 rounds of CCI standard velocity 40 gr--failure to feed and eject plus 3 light primer strikes
I know these little guns are ammo specific sometimes but this dislike for CCI ammo is strange to me.
I'm happy it eats Thunderbolts cause I've got plenty of them and they are affordable but still...

The feed ramp looks nice and shiny with no burrs and I hesitate to polish it due to the perfect operation with the cheaper ammo. Also that is one tiny, steep ramp.
Anyone have any suggestions on what to do with this pistol. Just shoot the cheap ammo and enjoy it or what?

I own aan LCPII and it works fine with everything I feed it. You must run more rounds through it to smooth things out. Also, Check the magazines with each ammo, see how the rounds sit in the mag, see if there is any glaring differnce. Some rimfire ammo has differences in rim size & thickness. Also, be extremely careful when shooting not to touch the slide at all, Even the slightest touch can cause a failure. Some one mentioned the Hogue grip. I use one, it helps the pistol sit firmly in the hand, less movement, less possibility of limp wrist and touching the slide. IMHO

 

[Twobits]

Just for future reference in case anyone is interested. We put a Hogue Handall grip on this pistol today and shot another 200 rounds through it.
Seems that the grip improved the reliability of the pistol to some degree. My wife says it feels much better.
The failure to feed and eject problem are much reduced but the slide is occasionally locking back on a partial mag. maybe once every couple of mags.
The overall experience was a lot better and she loves the gun but I still cannot trust this as a carry gun for my wife. Perhaps it will continue to improve...time will tell I suppose.

I discussed the issue of locking open while still having rounds it the magazine in another thread about the lcp2 in 22lr. I found that for the most part it had to do with the tab that is supposed to contact the magazine follower when magazine was empty and locking back the slide was being bumped by the bullet in the magazine. It has to do with magazine design in that the bullets stack up so that they criss cross. I corrected it by shortening the tab that engages the magazine follower by about a 1/32 of an inch. Worked fine after that.

 

[nobodyspecial]

Thanks for the comments. I read the post on the cause of the slide locking back but the strange thing is it never happens with cheaper ammo. We now have around 600 + rounds through it and it is shooting better. The pistol will run Thunderbolts flawlessly and CCI standard velocity with a few fail to feed problems but will not run even a full mag with mini mags or aquila . My wife wants to carry this in her purse but I have doubts about that. Besides who wants to carry the gun around with T-Bolts in it? We will keep working with it until I can find some confidence that it is going to run reliably.

 

[Twobits]

All I know is when it would happen to mine I would look inside the gun and would see the next cartridge touching or almost touching the tab on the hold open arm. I removed about a 32nd of an inch to give it more clearance and it never did it again. Someone else said he noticed it happening when his pinky was under the bottom of the magazine. That never happened with mine.

 

[LMB]

Thanks for the comments. I read the post on the cause of the slide locking back but the strange thing is it never happens with cheaper ammo. We now have around 600 + rounds through it and it is shooting better. The pistol will run Thunderbolts flawlessly and CCI standard velocity with a few fail to feed problems but will not run even a full mag with mini mags or aquila . My wife wants to carry this in her purse but I have doubts about that. Besides who wants to carry the gun around with T-Bolts in it? We will keep working with it until I can find some confidence that it is going to run reliably.

The Thunderbolts will work as well as most any other .22lr round. I have the LCPII and I carry it on occasion, but I do not kid my self that there is some magic .22lr round that will make it more effective. I use standard velocity ammo, several different brands. Reliability is what I want. In a 3 in barrel, the .22lr will rarely expand etc, it is penetration that counts so use solids, be close, and make hits that matter. Again, reliabilty is paramount so use the ammo that works best. IMHO

 

[nobodyspecial]

Twobits--I'll take a look at that next time we shoot the pistol with CCI rounds and see if it is doing that. thanks

LMB--I agree that reliability is the main thing and the Thunderbolts work well in this particular pistol but there seems to be a lack of consistent powder loading in these rounds. There is a definite difference in sound and recoil from one shot to the next. Maybe just a .22LR thing.

 

[LMB]

Twobits--I'll take a look at that next time we shoot the pistol with CCI rounds and see if it is doing that. thanks

LMB--I agree that reliability is the main thing and the Thunderbolts work well in this particular pistol but there seems to be a lack of consistent powder loading in these rounds. There is a definite difference in sound and recoil from one shot to the next. Maybe just a .22LR thing.

When you have the .22lr as a defensive weapon, unless you are a World Class Assasin and can pop them in the head twice , we ae talkimg about using the entire mag. This is not a firearm to engage the hordes of Living Dead etc. I practice using mine and can empty the mag into the A zone at 5yds in under 2 seconds. That's 10 rds , 40gr a round , 400 grs hitting virtually all at once and making a heck of a mess, to try and stop bleeding, etc. If you have ever read some reports from ER Dr's and Coroners etc. The .22lr does strange things in the human body, it goes in multiple directions, bounces from one bone to another into vital organs etc.,and causes damage way out side its "weight class" , It is a dirty round, and multiple holes are hard to fix! You may not die on the spot, ie, keel over, but you will die without serious help!! IMHO

 

[nobodyspecial]

I agree that the 22LR can be deadly if the weapon can reliably deliver the rounds on target. I see your point that it really doesn't matter what brand ammo it is as long as it will fire when needed so perhaps the Thunderbolts will work well enough. Unfortunately it seems that if you do have a malfunction it is also a major problem to clear the action on this gun as the magazine has to be ejected to clear most jams or light strikes. We will continue to test it and try to find the best ammo for it. So far this particular gun has not earned enough trust to be a self defense tool. Appreciate your comments.

 

[LMB]

I agree that the 22LR can be deadly if the weapon can reliably deliver the rounds on target. I see your point that it really doesn't matter what brand ammo it is as long as it will fire when needed so perhaps the Thunderbolts will work well enough. Unfortunately it seems that if you do have a malfunction it is also a major problem to clear the action on this gun as the magazine has to be ejected to clear most jams or light strikes. We will continue to test it and try to find the best ammo for it. So far this particular gun has not earned enough trust to be a self defense tool. Appreciate your comments.

Understood. However, clearing a jam on almost any auto usually starts with the Tap/Drop, Rack , Bang drill. As a refresher. If you just get a "click" FTF,you tap/hit the mag to make sure it is seated correctly, rack the slide to clear the rd and put a new one into the gun, then bang. The only change could be in the first step if you have a stove pipe FTF or FTEvwhen you then "drop" the mag, insert a new one, then proceed to Tap, rack ,Bang. When doing the drill it helps to rack with the slide/ejection port facing down at a 45 degree angle to help any cartridge/shell case exit the firearm, then roll back to upright with a quick glance to see the breech is clear, etc. Once practiced enough it all becomes very fluid and seamless. Each firearm is different. LCP II,Std Rugers and the 22/45, as well as the S&W Compact 22 and Taurus TX22 style have a closed breech so the "roll" goes to the ejection port side, and is more important. Browning Buckmarks, Berettas and others have an open breech with the slide back, so you can roll either way and get the job done. IMHO

 

[nobodyspecial]

So, is this just an isolated problem with this particular pistol? Cause if we have a light primer strike on this gun and try to rack the slide to eject the round we will get a double feed every time. Then we have to drop the mag and get things cleared out. Unlike most of our other pistols. Somehow I got the impression that this is just an issue with the LCP II light rack from reading other posts.My wife shoots a TX22 as well as a couple of 380 pistols and usually has no problem clearing the gun but this little pistol gets her all flustered when it has a jam or light strike. By the way, shot 50 rounds of Thunderbolts this morning with no issues so there is that. Thanks for the advice.

 

[LMB]

So, is this just an isolated problem with this particular pistol? Cause if we have a light primer strike on this gun and try to rack the slide to eject the round we will get a double feed every time. Then we have to drop the mag and get things cleared out. Unlike most of our other pistols. Somehow I got the impression that this is just an issue with the LCP II light rack from reading other posts.My wife shoots a TX22 as well as a couple of 380 pistols and usually has no problem clearing the gun but this little pistol gets her all flustered when it has a jam or light strike. By the way, shot 50 rounds of Thunderbolts this morning with no issues so there is that. Thanks for the advice.

That is the conundrum with small ,light pistols. They are 'easy" to carry , but difficult to shoot well and clear jams etc., due to their small size.

 

[Illinois sucks]

I’ve never owned a .22 revolver or semi auto that worked reliably with every brand of ammunition.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[nobodyspecial]

Yeah, I get that. But it's just weird that it will not run any of the CCI rounds. Mini Mag 40 gr solid, 36 gr hollow point or standard 40gr solid. Also chokes on Aquila super 40gr. but runs T-bolts all day. I've got a MCarbo recoil spring and rod coming and may try the Galloway spring kit later. If nothing else the pistol is fun to play with. Also put a couple of the TandenKross +4 bumpers on 2 mags, looks funny but makes the gun feel like a full size pistol. Not really trying to nitpick this gun although it may seem that way. My wife really loves it.

 

[Twobits]

Yeah, I get that. But it's just weird that it will not run any of the CCI rounds. Mini Mag 40 gr solid, 36 gr hollow point or standard 40gr solid. Also chokes on Aquila super 40gr. but runs T-bolts all day. I've got a MCarbo recoil spring and rod coming and may try the Galloway spring kit later. If nothing else the pistol is fun to play with. Also put a couple of the TandenKross +4 bumpers on 2 mags, looks funny but makes the gun feel like a full size pistol. Not really trying to nitpick this gun although it may seem that way. My wife really loves it.

Notice any thing different between those that run consistently and those that don't. Ones that do run consistently are cone shaped and those that don't are rounded nose. No take the end of the slide open lever that contacts the magazine follower and file about a 1/32" off of it and see the difference. I am not kidding. It was discussed in another thread and it works. The lead of the bullets of the round nosed ones hit that end ever so slightly and cause it to rise up and hold the slide open. It doesn't happen all the time because every other one angles the opposite direction and when bullet is angled towards the lever it will on occasion contact that tip of the lever and bingo slide stays open. Put a slight angle on that end with the forward portion a tad longer.

 

[nobodyspecial]

Twobits-- I remember reading your thread on that modification but after scrolling through numerous pages have been unable to find it again. I would like to see the photos again. Could you possibly post a link to it? I'm really not just being lazy, simply can't find it. Thanks

 

[Twobits]

Twobits-- I remember reading your thread on that modification but after scrolling through numerous pages have been unable to find it again. I would like to see the photos again. Could you possibly post a link to it? I'm really not just being lazy, simply can't find it. Thanks

I am sorry but I am unable to pull up neither that discussion nor the photos. Not sure why. Won't even let me go back that far on this forum. I do know that discussion was from late 2021 into early 2022. I sold the gun in April of 2022 not because it had problems but decided to buy an lcp2 in 380.

 

[nobodyspecial]

Thanks for looking. I thought it was just me.

 

[nobodyspecial]

For future reference.....We installed the MCarbo stainless recoil rod and extra power spring on this pistol yesterday. Fired 3 mags of CCI mini mags with only one slide lock back problem , no other failure. Fired 3 mags of CCI standard rounds with no issues. Fired 2 mags of Aquila super extra 40 gr hollow point rounds with numerous fail to feed problems. Fired 3 mags of Thunderbolts with no problems.The MCarbo setup seems to have made quite a difference in the pistol's performance.We now have somewhere around 800 rounds through the pistol and it just gets better as it goes.Will probably install the Galloway spring kit next to test what difference that makes.