Need to resolve FTF issues

5383 Views 29 Replies 6 Participants Last post by Ooben, Jan 11, 2009

maximus83

Discussion Starter · Jan 6, 2009

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?

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Ooben

· #6 · Jan 6, 2009

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

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Ooben

· #8 · Jan 6, 2009

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

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Ooben

· #10 · Jan 6, 2009

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

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Ooben

· #16 · Jan 6, 2009

DesertPunisher425 said:
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

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Ooben

· #21 · Jan 6, 2009

DesertPunisher425 said:
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.

No problem DP....I think I was using my Idaho slang and who knows what slang jocko was using.. ;D but we were saying the same thing...sort of, well kinda....anyway I told you we would confuse you

Mike

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Ooben

· #23 · Jan 6, 2009

jocko said:
used to bowhunt in Idaho, u weren't the guy that burned my tree stand was u?????

Yep, that was me, I got your deer first then burnt your stand.... ;D

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Ooben

· #25 · Jan 8, 2009

Sounds like you got it, bad ammo. If the primers that didn't fire have the same size dimple as the ones that did, can't really call it a light strike, good to get it narrowed down anyway!

Mike

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Ooben

· #30 · Jan 11, 2009

maximus83 said:
I've had another thread here recently describing a problem I've had with repeated failures to fire with Magtech ammo (about 2 to 3 per 50 rounds) since my LCP had its recall work done. The only other type of ammo I had the chance to try since the recall was my carry ammo--Speer Gold dots loaded by DoubleTap--and those have fired perfectly with no issues.

Tonight, I had a chance to try some Win white box ammo. Put 100 rounds through it, and again everything ran perfect.

So basically, I've got two types of ammo where I have no issues (DoubleTap JHP and Winchester WB). And then I have Magtech FMJ, where I get repeated failures to fire. But other people here say they have no issue with Magtech. In fact, I have yet to hear of anyone else who gets failures to fire with Magtech, AFTER the recall work.

What should I try now? I can't trust this thing enough to carry it yet. But I'm not sure Ruger will take it back if it only misfires with one ammo type. Would the reasonable thing be to just keep test-firing, and if I get no failures with other ammo types, just start carrying it after awhile and forget the Magtech?

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