[maximus83]

Hi, I'm new to the forum, just ran across it today.

I've had my LCP for a few months, and it's been back for the recall. I like the pistol a lot, but the problem is I'm still getting FTF's in the form of light primer strikes. The ammo will always fire on a second try, if I reinsert into a mag. Have noticed that I only get the FTF's when I load up the mags with a full 6 rds. If I use 5 rds, no FTF's.

After searching the forums today for related posts, I think I've narrowed it down to the most likely possible causes for the light primer strikes:

1. The ammo itself. Although I don't think this is it, because it does always fire on the second attempt, and I've gotten some misfires with both Magtech FMJ, and with DoubleTap (90Gr Gold Dot JHP). Just ordered some Win White Box FMJ, and will try this next time at range to test a 3rd ammo type.

2. The magazines. As noted, I could MAKE the issue repro if I loaded 6 rds into a mag. And it seemed to happen equally on 2 mags that had the Kel-tec extensions, and the new Ruger mag with OEM extension. Although to be safe, after reading the forum today, I removed my Kel-tec mag extensions. Question: Do the Ruger mag extensions cause any issues?

3. Short-stroking the trigger. I don't THINK I was doing this, but will check it out next time at the range.


Any other tips or suggestions of things I should check?

 

[DesertPunisher425]

Hi, I'm new to the forum, just ran across it today.

I've had my LCP for a few months, and it's been back for the recall. I like the pistol a lot, but the problem is I'm still getting FTF's in the form of light primer strikes. The ammo will always fire on a second try, if I reinsert into a mag. Have noticed that I only get the FTF's when I load up the mags with a full 6 rds. If I use 5 rds, no FTF's.

After searching the forums today for related posts, I think I've narrowed it down to the most likely possible causes for the light primer strikes:

1. The ammo itself. Although I don't think this is it, because it does always fire on the second attempt, and I've gotten some misfires with both Magtech FMJ, and with DoubleTap (90Gr Gold Dot JHP). Just ordered some Win White Box FMJ, and will try this next time at range to test a 3rd ammo type.

2. The magazines. As noted, I could MAKE the issue repro if I loaded 6 rds into a mag. And it seemed to happen equally on 2 mags that had the Kel-tec extensions, and the new Ruger mag with OEM extension. Although to be safe, after reading the forum today, I removed my Kel-tec mag extensions. Question: Do the Ruger mag extensions cause any issues?

3. Short-stroking the trigger. I don't THINK I was doing this, but will check it out next time at the range.


Any other tips or suggestions of things I should check?

If you've had the recall performed on your LCP, it SHOULD be impossible to short stroke it. If your malfunctions are ALWAYS a light strike and never a feed issue, you may have some hammer spring problems, or maybe even debris in the firing pin bore... Or hell, you could have a damaged pin. That's really a hard one to call. I think I'd send it back to Ruger.

 

[jocko]

maximus: It is not the ammo. A week hammer spring should do it all the time, very odd about partial full magazines working ok. I would pressure clean that firing pin channel really well, (no lube in that channel either).

You can basicaly short stroke the Ruger new mod, it just eliminates the need to rerack the slide when you do so. All you need to do is completley release up on the trigger to reset everything, where as in the old system, you had to rerack the slide at leat a 1/2" to reset the hammer block.

So quite possably u you are short stroking it and not realizing it. Just my 2 cents worth here. Just not to many reasons why lite primer hits will occur with the lcp.

 

[maximus83]

Called Ruger this morning, and they confirmed that it is indeed still possible to "short stroke" the trigger after the recall. They do not think that it likely has anything to do with the mags, or with the new mag extensions. The tech support guy suggested I check into the following 3 possibilities, and if still getting light primer strikes, I will need to send it back:

1. Try one more ammo type. Have already tested two, and I have some Win White Box on the way, so I'll try that as well.

2. Check trigger usage. I will just make sure I'm not short stroking the trigger, and will also confirm whether I can intentionally cause FTF's by short stroking.

3. Ensure that slide is going into battery. I'm certain that slide always was in battery on my FTF's, but will check again.

 

[jocko]

Called Ruger this morning, and they confirmed that it is indeed still possible to "short stroke" the trigger after the recall. They do not think that it likely has anything to do with the mags, or with the new mag extensions. The tech support guy suggested I check into the following 3 possibilities, and if still getting light primer strikes, I will need to send it back:

1. Try one more ammo type. Have already tested two, and I have some Win White Box on the way, so I'll try that as well.

2. Check trigger usage. I will just make sure I'm not short stroking the trigger, and will also confirm whether I can intentionally cause FTF's by short stroking.

3. Ensure that slide is going into battery. I'm certain that slide always was in battery on my FTF's, but will check again.

ruger is right witht hose 3 things to check for. You can short stroke ANY SEMI, All Ruger did was to eliminate the need to rerack the slide, which is good..

 

[Ooben]

I think there must be a couple of explanations as to what short stroking is. There are 2 distinct clicks when the trigger resets. On my pre-recall LCP you could pull the trigger on the first click which would drop the hammer from the half cocked position. The hammer did not have enough momentum to set off the primer from the half cock notch, thus the light strike. With the post-recall LCP you can not pull the trigger after the first click, you have to let the trigger reset completely. I'm not sure what the tech meant about still being able to short stroke the LCP after the recall....
Regards,
Mike

 

[jocko]

I think there must be a couple of explanations as to what short stroking is. There are 2 distinct clicks when the trigger resets. On my pre-recall LCP you could pull the trigger on the first click which would drop the hammer from the half cocked position. The hammer did not have enough momentum to set off the primer from the half cock notch, thus the light strike. With the post-recall LCP you can not pull the trigger after the first click, you have to let the trigger reset completely. I'm not sure what the tech meant about still being able to short stroke the LCP after the recall....
Regards,
Mike

Until the the trigger is let up for the hammer block to reset, I am quessing the tech person feels that is short stroking it. Nothing happens now when that is done and once that first click is heard, you cannot short stroke it like u could in the past. Only thing I can figure from his comment... They did not eliminate that first click, only the racking of the slide to recock the hammer block...

 

[Ooben]

Yep, I think you and DP have got it nailed, either a weak hammer spring or a firing pin hanging up. Since you can't drop the hammer from half cock, that can't be causing the light strikes...
Mike

 

[maximus83]

Yep, I think you and DP have got it nailed, either a weak hammer spring or a firing pin hanging up. Since you can't drop the hammer from half cock, that can't be causing the light strikes...
Mike

Thanks for the reply. Still, I doubt that weak hammer spring or firing pin "hanging up" are the cause. If they were, I would be getting CONSISTENT light primer strikes, but currently, I am only getting them at the rate of 2 or 3 out of 50 rounds, and even then, ONLY when I pack the mags with 6 rounds. Actually, I am not confident about Ruger's belief that the mags are uninvolved. I'm still wondering about the mags.

 

[Ooben]

Have you compared what the primers look like between the fired and the FTF's? Do they look the same?
I messed around with my LCP just now and found that the disconnector will allow the trigger to trip with the slide back about an 1/8 inch. I think you really need to watch and make sure that the slide is going all the way into battery. If the round is hanging up in the chamber a little and the hammer falls with the slide back an 1/8 inch that might not give the hammer enough momentum to set off a hard primer? Maybe with 6 rounds in the mag it might be slowing down the slide enough to keep it from going into battery? Heck, I don't know, just throwing out some ideas....
Mike

 

[jocko]

Have you compared what the primers look like between the fired and the FTF's? Do they look the same?
I messed around with my LCP just now and found that the disconnector will allow the trigger to trip with the slide back about an 1/8 inch. I think you really need to watch and make sure that the slide is going all the way into battery. If the round is hanging up in the chamber a little and the hammer falls with the slide back an 1/8 inch that might not give the hammer enough momentum to set off a hard primer? Maybe with 6 rounds in the mag it might be slowing down the slide enough to keep it from going into battery? Heck, I don't know, just throwing out some ideas....
Mike

sounds like a hell of a good idea IMO. cerrtainly something to watch out for.

 

[maximus83]

I messed around with my LCP just now and found that the disconnector will allow the trigger to trip with the slide back about an 1/8 inch. I think you really need to watch and make sure that the slide is going all the way into battery. If the round is hanging up in the chamber a little and the hammer falls with the slide back an 1/8 inch that might not give the hammer enough momentum to set off a hard primer?
Mike

Yes thanks. The thing about the slide possibly not going fully into battery is a point that Ruger made, and I will be checking it more closely next time I shoot. Also, the possible tie-in with the mags is plausible.

Hope to get this resolved, so I can start carrying the thing with confidence. I've started carrying it anyway, because I figure what the heck, I don't have another BUG, so if this works I'm better off, and if it fails, I'm no worse off than before, without one. But I'd like to think that this thing is at least LIKELY to work, should I ever need it.

 

[DesertPunisher425]

You can basicaly short stroke the Ruger new mod, it just eliminates the need to rerack the slide when you do so. All you need to do is completley release up on the trigger to reset everything, where as in the old system, you had to rerack the slide at leat a 1/2" to reset the hammer block.

OHHHH... I haven't had mine fixed yet and was under the impression from what others have said, that it cannot be short stroked at all. So the only difference is that it has a second strike ability now which it didn't before. Interesting!

 

[Merlinspop]

I've started carrying it anyway, because I figure what the heck, I don't have another BUG, so if this works I'm better off, and if it fails, I'm no worse off than before, without one. But I'd like to think that this thing is at least LIKELY to work, should I ever need it.

On the other hand, the time you spent drawing it, aiming it, pulling the trigger, and then the pause before you realized what the "click" sound means to you immediate future, you could have spent running. Better to be 100% sure it'll work.

 

[jocko]

You can basicaly short stroke the Ruger new mod, it just eliminates the need to rerack the slide when you do so. All you need to do is completley release up on the trigger to reset everything, where as in the old system, you had to rerack the slide at leat a 1/2" to reset the hammer block.

OHHHH... I haven't had mine fixed yet and was under the impression from what others have said, that it cannot be short stroked at all. So the only difference is that it has a second strike ability now which it didn't before. Interesting!

NO there is no second strike ability. If you pull the trigger and it does not go bang, then you must eject or rerack the slide about 1/2" to reset the hammer block. Short stroking is not the same as pulling the trigger allthe way. What Ruger did is what kt also did earlier, they eliminated the need to rerack the slide 1/2" to reset the hammer bock. now if u "short stroke" ,just release up on the trgger andit will reset and then pull away to go bang, no bang then, you must eject or rerack the slide as u have a dud round.

Now if what I just said here doesn't screw ur mind up even more then I apologize. Basicaly it is a non issue before the mod fix with 95% of the shooters, certainly was never a safety issue (go bang type) and probably something that indeed we talk about way more than it needs to be talked about. As 90% prior to this recall never even knew what "short stroking" was..

 

[Ooben]

OHHHH... I haven't had mine fixed yet and was under the impression from what others have said, that it cannot be short stroked at all. So the only difference is that it has a second strike ability now which it didn't before. Interesting!

Well, it isn't really a second strike.......the first click you hear when letting up on the trigger is the disconnect resetting, the second click is the trigger resetting. On the pre-recall pistols you could pull the trigger at the first click, but since the trigger hadn't reset (that's the second click) it would drop the hammer from half cock instead of the trigger fully cocking the hammer before releasing. On the post-recall pistols Ruger made it so you can not pull the trigger after the first click, you have to let the trigger fully reset before you can pull it.
Mike

(Edit) Oops, I see jocko beat me to the punch, and if you're not confused by his answer, I'm sure my answer will put you over the edge ;D

 

[DesertPunisher425]

Okay... so just to clearify...

Can the hammer still drop after the first click on post recall guns? Some of this info seems conflicting

On the post-recall pistols Ruger made it so you can not pull the trigger after the first click, you have to let the trigger fully reset before you can pull it.

What Ruger did is what kt also did earlier, they eliminated the need to rerack the slide 1/2" to reset the hammer bock. now if u "short stroke" ,just release up on the trgger andit will reset and then pull away to go bang, no bang then, you must eject or rerack the slide as u have a dud round.

With the post-recall LCP you can not pull the trigger after the first click, you have to let the trigger reset completely.

 

[jocko]

DP, the answer is no, once you hear or feel that first click, u not gonna pull through on it . You have to let up completely on the trigger.

 

[jocko]

OHHHH... I haven't had mine fixed yet and was under the impression from what others have said, that it cannot be short stroked at all. So the only difference is that it has a second strike ability now which it didn't before. Interesting!

Well, it isn't really a second strike.......the first click you hear when letting up on the trigger is the disconnect resetting, the second click is the trigger resetting. On the pre-recall pistols you could pull the trigger at the first click, but since the trigger hadn't reset (that's the second click) it would drop the hammer from half cock instead of the trigger fully cocking the hammer before releasing. On the post-recall pistols Ruger made it so you can not pull the trigger after the first click, you have to let the trigger fully reset before you can pull it.
Mike

(Edit) Oops, I see jocko beat me to the punch, and if you're not confused by his answer, I'm sure my answer will put you over the edge ;D

no I think u even explained it better than I did....

 

[DesertPunisher425]

Alright... got it! No more confusion. I was either reading things wrong or something, but it seemed like everyone was saying something a little bit different.