LC9 reviews?

[gpasp101]

Looking for info from conumers not salesmen

 

[Larryjr]

I don't own one yet but I've handled em a couple times and talked with a few folks about em. They feel very nice and never been told about any problems. Probably not real helpful but it's a start.

 

[IndyGunner]

If you are unfamiliar... hickok45 is a great source of info. Some claim he is biased (to glock), we all have biases... but he is very thorough with his reviews and never tries to make up YOUR mind.

[ame]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HeLxP6Kywzk[/ame]

[ame]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EiXbGwnVhVY[/ame]

[ame]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0Av9COfLB_Y[/ame]


Finally, and please understand I am NOT trying to be rude here... but there is a search bar up top next to FAQ that can probably answer most if not all your questions about specific firearm reviews. Please keep in mind guns are like Chevy vs Ford... everyone has an opinion but that doesnt make it right. Go to a local store and hold one. Try and rent one or find a friend that will let you test it. Ive shot a few guns in my life that I thought were going to be great/terrible... but ended up being the complete opposite of what I had expected.

 

[TVon]

Do a search on "LC9". There are a few threads on this forum talking about them. I have one and like it a lot. Usually, the number one beef with it is the long trigger pull. It never really bothered me though.

It doesn't like S&B ammo but I've had no problems with WWB or Winchester Supreme Elite JHP.

The one problem I had with Failures to Eject turned out to be a bad ejector. I returned it to Ruger and they had it back to me in 10 days. I've since put 250 flawless rounds through it. Their customer service seems to be top notch.

 

[Armed-N-Ready]

I really like my LC9.

I've put about 300 rounds through it. It does not like S&B (light primer strikes) but will eat everything else without a problem. Easy to field strip and clean too. Not a bad little pistol, easy to carry and reasonable recoil. It is very similar to the Taurus 709 slim and the SCCY CPX-1 in size. The trigger is not the best, long pull and unusual reset. Once you get use to the trigger you can get reasonable groups out to 15 yards easily. I really wish it came with two magazines but for the price, you can't have it all.

 

[gpasp101]

thank you all for the replies, still on the fence. hoping to try one @bud's this weekend while visiting our grandson

 

[IndyGunner]

What are you looking for exactly? Are you set on ruger?

 

[mpluers]

I'll throw out a third on the S&B light strike issue that has been mentioned because I'm encountering the same thing (I encounter the issue once every 20-30 or so rounds). I've also grown trusting of Hickok45's reviews. For the $, I really like the pistol, but if I planned to carry it (I don't) I might be a little concerned about the issue, if only because I've never had the same problem with any of my other pistols, including others that are "comparable" to the LC9 - Kahr PM9, KT PF9, Sig P290. I've only run about a box of good defense ammo through it and didn't encounter any problems, but that wasn't enough to really determine for me whether it's a problem or just a pistol being picky. Until now I assumed that mine was just picky, but it seems weird to me that a pistol would be picky about S&B.

I haven't written up any LC9 range reports, but I can give some comparisons to the PM9, PF9, and P290.

Fit and finish - exactly like a ruger, which is to say that it seems very well made, no flaws, but also not made in such a way where you'd be blown away with the attention to detail like you might with a Kahr. It's probably the same as the PF9 in my eyes, but that might just be my stylistic preference for the PF9.

Trigger - to each his own on this one. They all have long trigger pulls, and they're all a little different. The PF9 and LC9 are similar and I guess you could say they're glock-like (although I prefer glock triggers over either the ruger or keltec). The P290 and PM9 have long smooth pulls that are more D/A revolver-like. My thumbs-up goes to the Sig and Kahr here, but that doesn't take $ into account.

Shootability - they're all plenty accurate. As pocket or IWB pistols from which you might need to shoot 20 rounds in a really insane defense situation, it's a wash. If you're taking them to the range to shoot 200 rounds, then the PF9 and LC9 become easier to shoot since they're a little larger. Sight-wise, my P290 and PM9 both have nice night sights and are easier to acquire, but again, this carries directly to the bottom line $-wise. An LC9 with upgraded sights would be very nice for under $100.

Carry - to each his own between these 4. I carry the PM9. At its widest (slide release) it's probably a hair wider than the other 3, but the overall perception (to me) is that it's the easiest to pocket carry (Desantis Nemesis.) They all vary a little, but generally speaking, the P290 and PM9 are "smaller" than the LC9 or PF9. Depending on what you wear and how you attend to carry, however, any one of the 4 may work out the best. YRMV

Reliability - the S&B light strike issue with the LC9 is the only issue of any sort that I've had with any of them. They're generally completely boring reliability-wise - like Glocks.

Coolness - the PM9 exudes cool. It's really well-made, and it shows. The Sig is cool in that it appears really well-made and is a DAO tiny-hammered Sig, athough it's far more understated than the Kahr. The LC9 and PF9 are cool in the same way that glocks are cool - they're black and menacing. I mean that in a really positive way - I don't buy pistols that I don't find "cool" for one reason or another.

Value - none of these are a rip-off. Although the prices on these range from $225 (PF9) to $900 (PM9 w/ NS), you can justify the price pretty easily for the more expensive ones. Taking the price into consideration, the PF9 is awesome. Being below $300, everyone should have one - why not? The LC9 is $100 more. To me it's harder to justify the $100 difference between the PF9 and LC9 than it is the extra $350 or between the LC9 and P290. I can't look at the PF9 and LC9 and say "that's where the extra $ went". Moving to the Sig, it's clear that it's more complex, that there's more fit & finish work, closer tolerances, nicer sights, etc... The Kahr is just more of the same. At the end of the day, the PF9 is the one that stands out.

What do I recommend? Take a look at the Kahr CM9 - it's a PM9 with significant cost-saving measures that don't really affect anything that counts.

 

[NickL45]

I bought a LC9 two weeks ago and shot it last weekend. I shot 100 rounds of Remington FMJ rounds through it without a hiccup. I also shot 50 rounds of old, mixed carry rounds I had accumulated through the years. All but one of them fired flawlessly. The one that didn't was an odd shaped hollowpoint that caught a little on the feed ramp. I taped the back of the slide and it chambered and fired with no further issues. I also shot around 25 rounds of 124 grain carry ammo with no problems. I found the accuracy to be very acceptable at 7 and 15 yards at an indoor range. I'm left handed and didn't have any problems with magazine releases, manual safety engaging, or slide failing to lock open when empty. I'm planning on carrying it in my front pocket with a Nemesis holster. I'm very pleased with it so far, overall.

 

[Bapak2ja]

I compared one to my Taurus 709 Slim. I'll take the Taurus. Reliable. Accurate. Compact.

 

[AutoMovt]

I had one I liked the size and feel of it, but when I took it to the range I could not get past the long trigger and reset. It shot well and my grouping was good at 7 yards so it is a solid firearm, but was not the firearm for me. I sold it and purchased a Glock 26.

 

[jimes]

I am a proud owner of the LC9. I've had it for about 9 months now and it is my primary EDC. Never had one malfunction or jam.

 

[midget96]

Is there anything you can do about the long trigger pull ? Have both the LCP and LC9 really like em'

 

[gpasp101]

thanks again, now I want all of the carry guns mentioned

 

[IndyGunner]

Guns are like tattoos, once you get one its hard to stop. Good luck with your purchase!