LCP inner recoil spring and slide lock weirdness

C

Carmady

New member
Mine's a 2nd generation LCP.

I had my inner recoil spring properly installed, and after round #10 (I was loading 5 rounds in the magazine) today the slide locked back, and the guide rod was sticking out in front.

I field stripped it and noticed a little gouge mark on the guide rod. I couldn't make up any false conclusions as to why the incident happened, but I did install the inner recoil spring backwards (on purpose) during reassembly. The big end of that spring looks like it was made to butt up against the nail head looking part of the guide rod.

Fired 30 more rounds without a failure of any kind with the backwards inner spring (other than losing some brass).

I came to search about the inner recoil spring and found an old thread, but figured I'd start a new thread since the slide locked back after the last round. Any insights?
 
For those unfamiliar with the LCP the slide does NOT normally lock back after the last round.

Any chance you inadvertently pressed up on the slide release lever while you were shooting?
 
Now that you mention it, I did look and the "manual slide hold open" was down.

That makes me think the gouge in the guide rod had something to do with the slide being locked back.
 
When I was researching buying my LCP I found that the factory guide rods do normally show signs of gouging with wear. I don't know what that "normal" wear looks like compared to yours. There are a couple of after market retailers selling harder guide rods that supposedly resist gouging better.
 
I studied it a bit and was happy to see that the inner and outer recoil springs twist in opposite directions, I suppose to prevent them from interlocking and creating a mess.

All I can guess is it's a case of operator error. The night before shooting I probably reassembled it and failed to have the ends of the springs properly seated in the front of the slide. Just a hunch. I didn't see any other threads about locked back slides, so I'll have to assume I did something wrong which took 10 rounds to come to light.
 
No repeat of the slide getting stuck after another 46 rounds. The springs were correctly installed the whole time.

I'm pretty sure that the gouge in the guide rod came about from the nail head end of the rod becoming dislodged from its pocket in the barrel, and that threw the guide rod out of alignment with the guide rod hole, and the slide went back (as it should have) causing the guide rod hole to bind/gouge the guide rod to the point of being stuck together, which kept the springs compressed so they couldn't expand and push the slide forward. Everything suggests that the little hole is what caused the wear on the rod. Of course I'm guessing about the rest.

I learned some about bullets too, and glad I did. There was Win 95gr FMJ/target (flat nose), Fed American Eagle 95gr FMJ, and PMC StarFire HP's of some sort. I haven't shot this gun much, but have been carrying it for a good while.

The Winchester stuff was flawless.

The PMS (I'm leaving that typo, what a name for a cartidge) seemed to hit very low, but I really don't know where this gun shoots. It also felt/sounded underpowered.

Am Eagle 95gr FMJ, this is the stuff I was saving for SD and what was in the LCP everyday I carried it. I didn't have the box of ammo with me, but thought I check out 7 rounds of the "good stuff" for comparison with the others. One in the chamber, 6 in the magazine, and the only ammo failure in about 75 rounds. It didn't make it past three or four shots, and these were the very same bullets I'd had in the pistol for EDC.

In conclusion, I'm pretty lucky to have learned about these things. No one to blame but myself. I took a few things for granted even though I knew better.

This crap doesn't happen with revolvers. :D
 
In conclusion, I'm pretty lucky to have learned about these things. No one to blame but myself. I took a few things for granted even though I knew better.

This crap doesn't happen with revolvers.
Click to expand...

Which is why I'm considering dumping my formally fairly reliable LCP for a S&W 442 very soon. Was at the range yesterday with my LCP testing out a variety of ammo which I have successfully shot in the LCP in the past. Nothing but one failure after another. I could rarely get through a full mag without the LCP taking a dump. Way too ammo sensitive for my taste.
 
"I could rarely get through a full mag without the LCP taking a dump. Way too ammo sensitive for my taste."

Maybe your magazine is the culprit. It was part of the equation every time you fired it. If you have access to another factory mag you could compare.
 
"I could rarely get through a full mag without the LCP taking a dump. Way too ammo sensitive for my taste."

Maybe your magazine is the culprit. It was part of the equation every time you fired it. If you have access to another factory mag you could compare.
Click to expand...

Unfortunately, it happens with both factory mags I have for the LCP.
 
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