LCP trigger wouldn't pull back, any idea why?

C

Carmady

New member
This is a LCP Gen2 (not LCP II). A few days ago I let someone try shooting it, fully loaded 6+1 with American Eagle 95gr FMJ, and hot.

The chambered round fired, the slide cycled and went back into battery, but the trigger would not pull again, even with more than usual force. After a few tries I put it away.

Back home it was stripped, cleaned, lubed, and tested with three snap caps in a mag several times. Rack the slide, dry fire, rack the slide, dry fire, rack the slide, etc. It worked just fine. It was much harder than usual to remove the takedown pin, and during the cleaning/lubing there was a lot of surface rust on the patches.

I'm baffled as to what could block the trigger from being pulled.

The last time I shot it was in June. This is my "sweat gun," the one I carry while doing yard work. During July and August it gets hot and humid, and the LCP is carried AIWB in a kydex holster. After such days, the LCP got the exterior wiped down and light coat of CLP.

I found this video and tried to learn what could cause that problem, but wanted to ask here in case someone knows or has had a similar experience.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jp0bhJMvMGc
 
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I would bet it is the trigger bar. offset or Something lodged in between it. . Just curious, does your friend like to try a short stroke a trigger? You can break down a LCP all the way and look at the trigger bar and spring. Not that easy to break down, but can be done and you can fix it yourself.
I had this happen on my Pico. Turned out that when I replaced a grip to a new one, I did not seat the chassis correctly and the trigger bar was off. Simple fix. If you cannot break it all the way down, then just call Ruger. I do not shoot LCP's any longer, but they repaired a lot of the ones I did own and were fast to get it back.
Good luck. (personally I don't loan out my guns)
 
I'd just contact Ruger and send it in for service. Let them figure it out and fix it for you, they stand by their products and are obviously more qualified to diagnose/fix the issue than anybody here who can't even examine your firearm personally.
 
It works now. I forgot to say that it fired all 6+1 pretty fast after the cleaning and testing with snap caps. My mistake.

I was trying to find out what could prevent the trigger from being pulled back.
 
Congrats! Always nice to try and fix things or do a little trouble shooting before sending a gun off. Most of the time, they are simple fixes.
FYI, did a little research and saw where a few others had the same problem. And saw this on a Ruger Forum with some nice Pics. These guns are easy to work on for the most part. Regardless, you seem likes the kind of guy that like to see how they work.
Liked The Video you linked to by the way.

FYI
Check out these pic.

https://rugerpistolforums.com/forum...e-control-components-function-w-pictures.html
 
Just curious, does your friend like to try a short stroke a trigger?
Click to expand...

After fiddling with it some more I think that's what might have happened, with part of the trigger linkage getting stuck. By "stuck" I mean with the trigger not returning forward to completely reset. There was no slack or take-up when pulling the trigger, iirc. That would also leave the hammer in the normal half-cock position, which is how it was.

I'll use this video as a guide for disassembly, and give it a good cleaning. I'll also be going back to Hoppe's #9 bore cleaner and oil.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1zE-GTMNyHk
 
The original LCP (and the original LC9) had triggers with a false reset; there would be an audible and tactile click about halfway though the trigger reset stroke that could easily trick the shooter into thinking the trigger was reset. But if you try to press the trigger to the rear after this false reset (but before the real reset) it hits a wall and won’t budge.

Try this: dry-fire the gun and keep the trigger held to the rear after it breaks. Then with the trigger still held to the rear, cycle the slide fully. Now slowly release the trigger. You’ll feel this false reset when the trigger is about halfway out. My guess is you hit this false reset when shooting your LCP. That’s why I think the triggers on the LCP and the LC9 were so terrible: it was less about how long they were and more about the false reset issue.
 
Try this: dry-fire the gun and keep the trigger held to the rear after it breaks. Then with the trigger still held to the rear, cycle the slide fully. Now slowly release the trigger. You’ll feel this false reset when the trigger is about halfway out. My guess is you hit this false reset when shooting your LCP.
Click to expand...

I did that yesterday, but upon releasing the trigger after pulling it on the short stroke the trigger would go forward and fully reset.

That was not the case when the trigger wouldn't pull back. The trigger would not pull back at all, and the trigger wouldn't spring forward and reset. It just stayed there. I didn't try to force the trigger forward, and don't remember it looking like it was too far back.

I guess he short stroked it and kept trying to pull it until something (no idea what) got wedged and stuck, which held the trigger back and prevented from fully resetting. That's just a guess, and I didn't notice the trigger being too far back, but it may have been.
 
Carmady said:
I did that yesterday, but upon releasing the trigger after pulling it on the short stroke the trigger would go forward and fully reset.

That was not the case when the trigger wouldn't pull back. The trigger would not pull back at all, and the trigger wouldn't spring forward and reset. It just stayed there. I didn't try to force the trigger forward, and don't remember it looking like it was too far back.
Click to expand...
Sorry, guess I missed that part. Yeah, with the false reset it will reset properly if you let the trigger all the way out. If yours didn’t, then you’re right that something else was going on.
 
I removed the chassis and soaked some small rusty parts in distilled white vinegar for a day or so.

The trigger pivot and the magazine latch catch came out rough, rough enough to tear at your skin if you slid you finger across them. It's back together, but I'll ask Ruger to send some new parts to replace those.

I've soaked many rusty axe heads in distilled white vinegar, and never experienced anything like this. Maybe the parts are MIM, and that's why the metal got all scratchy feeling.
 
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