The Ruger LCP pistol: Undercover Cool by Nutnfancy

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The 9.6 oz Ruger LCP is another excellent choice as both an officer's backup gun or a civilian's primary carry gun. As stated in the review video, a 24/7 carry system generally has to be comfortable for its user to employ high percentage carry. And the LCP is indeed comfortable in carry. It is a close copy of the proven Kel-Tec P3-AT but does incorporate a couple of notable improvements: a memory groove above the magazine release, a convex shaped manual slide lock (should be function as last shot hold open as well!), a recessed mag release button, more precise molding on frame (glass-filled nylon), excellent build quality, and a slightly smoother trigger. For these reasons I do slightly prefer the Ruger LCP over the Kel-Tec P3-AT (with more competitors on the way) since their cost is similar. But the LCP also shares several of the design limitations inherent in these sub-compact polymer pistols: like low contrast milled-in sights, stiff DAO trigger, and mag release that can be easily actuated with the thumb. The sights are unimpressive and provide little precision. But with proper trigger control, the Ruger LCP with its 2.75 barrel is capable of impressive accuracy for its category. Expect to spend some time mastering this trigger and learning to maintain sight picture throughout the pull (rec. dry fire practice with snap caps for this). Rapid firing benchrest groups with the LCP (or any tiny pistol) is pretty much impossible but rounds can easily be kept into a plate sized area with practice. Field stripping, like the P3-AT, is relatively easy and reliability was excellent on this LCP with NO stoppages experienced. However some firing of your defensive load choice should be performed to ensure function. As noted in the table top review, Ruger has instituted a recall for early Ruger LCPs due to reports of ADs when dropped on hard surfaces (no details provided by Ruger). Factory upgrades to these models include a new hammer mechanism, heavier firing pin spring, and a titanium firing pin and these upgraded pistols can be identified by a diamond stamping in the portion below the hammer (pistols with the 370- serial number prefix need modification, 371- and subsequent models do not). I applaud Ruger for the recall and it does not affect my very favorable impression of the model. A nice Ruger soft case and lock (unneeded) are included with the LCP. Downsides of the LCP are few but might include non-functioning checkering on the grip, fewer factory accessories (vs Kel-Tec), and the mag release can still be accidentally actuated during firing (I think all these small pistols should have a heal mounted mag catch). But that's about it. Overall it's an impressive little gun that sets a new standard for super compact pistols that can comfortably and reliably serve as part of your personal defense systems. /////////////////////////Nutnfancy Likeability Scale: 9 of 10

Category: Tech
Uploaded: February 3rd, 2009 @ 10:43 am
Author: nutnfancy

Length: 24:03
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