Thoughts After 500 Rounds with the LCP II

This week I finally got some time to shoot my LCP II and I wanted to share my experiences regarding the gun and my thoughts on it regarding CCW. Disclaimer: Most of my experience regarding CCW, firearms, and training have all been in a military capacity, but I will try to stay away from “CCW theory” and talk strictly about shooting the LCP II. TL;DR: After 500 rounds w/ the LCP 2, it’s a great pocket pistol for the price.Why the LCP II? The LCP wasn’t my first choice. I originally really wanted a sub-compact 9mm, so I bought the Beretta Nano, which I really hate. I found myself regularly not carrying because the Nano was so clunky that I decided I needed something that was lighter and more comfortable to wear in the south when its 100 degrees. Being burned the Beretta, the Pico was out the question, Colt’s & Kimber’s was way too expensive, and I hated the feeling on the M&P Bodyguard. I liked the feeling of the LCP II and thought they made some good improvements from their no-sight LCP original. I was lucky enough that Cabelas price matches, was doing a 5% off firearms sale, plus another 5%, so I got the thing around 275 new after taxes.Ammunition. I shot 500 rounds including Remington FMJ 95 grain, Winchester FMJ 95 grain, Federal FMJ 95 grain, Winchester JHP 95 grain, Ruger ARX 56 grain, and some garbage “range special” 100 grain reloads.Feel: It doesn’t feel like a 380. I shot my Glock 19, then my Nano, then the 500 rounds on the LCP II. Surprisingly it didn’t feel like I was shooting a 380, but more like 9mm. Comparing it to other single stacks and sub-compacts, the LCP II felt like it had much more punch to it, without the insane amount of recoil I originally pictured.Accuracy: At the 25-30 ft range, I was able to maintain a decent grouping, despite having such a small frame. It is often phrased as a point and shoot gun but after 500 rounds I feel confident in being able to hit center mass accurately at the 21 ft mark. I read another user said something along the lines of “the Nano is a sniper compared to the LCP” which is relatively accurate, but I didn’t buy a pocket pistol to do marksmanship shooting.Gripping: This should be obvious for pretty much any grown man attempting to get a full pistol grip on a pocket-sized gun. I noticed that my grip and aim was fantastic for the first 4-5 rounds, but I had to catch myself readjusting for the last round. Especially so when I practiced 6+1. An easy remedy was gripping tape and a firm “lean into it” type grip. The gripping on the slide was actually very impressive. Wet hands or oiled hands had no problem racking that slide whatsoever.Magazines: Six rounds go quickly. When I shoot my CCW guns I practice for CCW scenarios, not marksmanship practice like a lot of the guys I see at the range. Following range rules (I hate this one) of one round per second, those six go quickly. There is an odd feeling though when having one 6+1, that 7th round really makes a difference. It is important to note that the LCP original 7 round extension mags are compatible with the LCP II; however, the new LCP II’s lockback feature when the mag is empty will not happen with the old LCP magazines. 7+1 would be nice. It’s a bigger shame given Ruger has yet to release a 7 round mag like they did for the original LCP. A Gentleman at the range stopped by to show me he had a 10 round mag (similar), but that kinda defeats the “pocket” in “pocket pistol”. Even wearing that bad boy at 4 o’clock would print pretty badly.Reloading: Magazine reloads never felt natural. This could be I’m so used to dealing with the P226 or Glock 19, both full sized double stack mags, but attempting to do quick mag reloads never felt comfortable. I found myself resetting over and over just picking up the gun and attempting to get the magazine in. Additionally, when inserting the magazine, it needs a firm smack to be properly seated. The problem is, the gun isn’t large enough to even wrap your pink around the bottom, so you have to open your hand up to smack the magazine. It didn’t feel anything like reloading any other gun and I feel that if I had to handle a failure to feed/extract situation, that I would likely be screwed. Even my Nano has a decent sized magazine where it is easy to pull out, hold the mag, triage the weapon, and the reload the mag. The LCP 2 just felt a little off. I’m sure with more practice and drills this might be lesser, but I think a second magazine would be necessary.Common ComplaintsFailure to feed/extract: Surprisingly, the only ammo that I had some failure to feed/extract were the Ruger ARX rounds and those reloads. It ate the other ammo like a charm. During the 500 rounds, I never applied any additional oil or lubricants.The sights: They are a huge improvement over the original LCP which had none. The LCP 2 has raised sights, but could definitely use a splash of bright color, or at least white spotting. Still, for a 21 ft gun, I think it is plenty for the day time, dark scenarios may be a different situation.Magazine Release: Some people have complained that mag release is too loose, but I found this was only an issue at the very beginning. Newer LCPs (even the older models) have always had issues with new magazines. They aren’t shaved down well, and often end up catching the release as the go in. When I first bought it, the magazine wouldn’t even go in and I was too nervous I was going to break it. Google quickly showed this was common and that it was a “new magazine” problem, not the LCP. Right they were! After doing several empty reloads, back and forth, smacking them in and taking them out, I never noticed any issue regarding the magazine dropping out. If you put a brand new magazine in, you’ll discover the issue, just make sure to slap it in and take it out a couple dozen times.Conclusion: I really enjoyed shooting and getting to know the LCP 2. I think it is a great pocket pistol as long as you understand what role and purpose it has, especially for the price. I don’t think it is a replacement for all the 1911’s, the full sized, or single stack 45’s out there, as some people refuse to carry a 380. For me, I didn’t find any of the sub-compact 9mm’s were comfortable enough while wearing to the point I wasn’t carrying a firearm, many a times I wish I had. Now, as soon as I can sell my Nano, I’ll be standing in line for a G43! via /r/CCW http://ift.tt/2u8qr9X