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"R" on side of barrel hood

11679 Views 48 Replies 32 Participants Last post by  Tarheel
"R" on side of barrel hood

I've had the LCP since last July, sent it in for the recall in December. It's running fine before and after but the new magazine requires the mag release to be pushed in order to seat. Anyway, I was cleaning the gun and noticed an inscribed R on the barrel hood after the caliber marking. Either I've never noticed it before or they did it during the recall. Anybody know what it means? I know some said that the barrel was going to be reamed out more to accept a wider variety of ammo.....is that what that means or is it just saying the gun went through the recall but I thought that was what the diamond under the hammer was for?
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Re: "R" on side of barrel hood

I was wondering the same thing.
Re: "R" on side of barrel hood

Ditto, saw the "R" on my barrel hood as well after the recall.

What I've assumed is that this means part of their recall changes involved working on the barrel assembly. The "R" would indicate that the barrel has been enhanced. The most common operations to improve reliability would be (as mentioned above) reaming the barrel, and also possibly polishing the ramp, etc.

Maybe the reason for the separate "R" on the barrel is that the recall involved more than one system on the gun being changed. The MAIN issue for the recall was to update the trigger assy and fire control system to prevent AD's during drops. But, if they decided to upgrade the barrel assembly to improve reliability, the "R" marking would be a good way to indicate that change was actually performed on a given pistol as well, in distinction from the changes to the trigger assy. I don't know, though, just speculation.
Re: "R" on side of barrel hood

Mine has not yet been sent in for the recall work and it has an 'R' on the barrel.
Re: "R" on side of barrel hood

revance said:
Mine has not yet been sent in for the recall work and it has an 'R' on the barrel.
Same for me.
Re: "R" on side of barrel hood

mine too. John
Re: "R" on side of barrel hood

I'll just take a moment to make this a little more confusing...

I have two LCP's, both 371 serials, one with a Diamond, one without..

371 without a Diamond clearly has the "R" stamped on the barrel

371 with the Diamond has a backward "D". Now, they may have tried to stamp an R, but if they did, they did it upside down and the bottom legs did not make a mark in any way or fashion. So to look at it, it reads as a "D" with the curve facing the opposite direction.

Hope that makes things "clear as mud"
Re: "R" on side of barrel hood

rmhignite said:
........Now, they may have tried to stamp an R......
My "R" does not appear to be stamped. It looks like someone used a handheld engraving tool to free-hand the "R".
Re: "R" on side of barrel hood

Interesting. I was just curious if anybody knew what it stood for.
Re: "R" on side of barrel hood

Its a barrel proof mark. They stamp it on after firing the "blue pill".

Hip Shot
Re: "R" on side of barrel hood

Hip Shot said:
Its a barrel proof mark. They stamp it on after firing the "blue pill".

Hip Shot
It's on my blued Ruger barrel also..
Re: "R" on side of barrel hood

My serial # is 370-58*** and my barrell is gray looking and has what looks like a backwards P on the barrell right after the 380 AUTO mark. Just got mine back from the recall and I'm pretty sure it was there before the recall too.
Re: "R" on side of barrel hood

i bought my LCP in sept 08 and the R was stamped on it back then ,this was before i sent it in for recall
Re: "R" on side of barrel hood

Upon reinspecting, it looks as though I may have a partial "R" stamp. Mine has not been sent in for recall yet.
Re: "R" on side of barrel hood

The "R" on mine looks more like it was scratched in than stamped. There must be a reason for this.
Re: "R" on side of barrel hood

Got mine back tonight and its the same way: kinda scratched or etched after the "380 AUTO"
Re: "R" on side of barrel hood

I have a low numbered 370-07xxx that has not been in for the recall as of yet.

It is not blued and has the poorly stamped R on the barrel after the caliber designation.

It's funny but I thought it was a scratch from a bad eject and was bummed.... but read this thread and now that I look at it closely it is definately an incomplete R with the legs heavier stamped than the D portion of the R...
Re: "R" on side of barrel hood

Mine's just the opposite... the D part is very clear and I had to look close to see the legs. And it was done after the barrel was blued, as the .380 is blue, but the mangled R isn't. I wonder if come careful application of CB blueing would look good.
Re: "R" on side of barrel hood

Mine is a 371 series but I'm sure it's a q on my barrel. Thought it might be a badly stamped R to begin with, as everyone was talking about R's until I saw the R stamping on another LCP and it's nothing like it. There is no D shape its a mirror image and only one vertical straight leg it looks close to the q as typed here.
Re: "R" on side of barrel hood

Redhawk4 said:
Mine is a 371 series but I'm sure it's a q on my barrel. Thought it might be a badly stamped R to begin with, as everyone was talking about R's until I saw the R stamping on another LCP and it's nothing like it. There is no D shape its a mirror image and only one vertical straight leg it looks close to the q as typed here.
Simular here. Mine is a "R" but the rounded portion of the "R" is also stamped in a fashion that looks like a "q" Ass-backwards "R" if you will.

No complaints however...

Best!
Craig
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