[Swordsman]

Hey guys! I just picked up an LC9 over the weekend. It's my first handgun purchase. I have a Hi Point C9 and an American European Armory .22 revolver that I received as gifts, but I needed something that lent itself better to concealed carry. I had planned on picking up a Kel-Tec PF9, but after handling it, I simply couldn't bring myself to buy... it absolutely felt like junk, and they looked beat up even though they were brand new!

Anyway, I haven't fired the LC9 yet, wanted to make sure I understood all the workings first. I've read the manual twice and done countless internet searches without finding an answer to this question: why does the LC9 half cock? What purpose does it serve? It seems odd to me that it does this when it's already double action.

Also: I can't find a way to un-cock the half cock. Can it be done? Should it be done?

Thanks a bunch!

~SM

 

[yuccales]

Welcome from Northern California. Not sure what your problem is with your LC9. Ours does not half cock. I'm sure others will chime in soon.

 

[Swordsman]

Welcome from Northern California. Not sure what your problem is with your LC9. Ours does not half cock. I'm sure others will chime in soon.

Um... according to the manual, it does. Racking the slide sets the hammer to a half cocked / semi cocked (I forget exactly how they phrased it) position. And every time the slide cycles, it resets again to half cocked. Pulling the trigger finished the cock and then drops the hammer.

So, seems like the only time it wouldn't be half cocked is when the hammer falls without a round in the chamber (no boom, no slide action, no reset), unless the hammer doesn't reset somehow when you've fired the last round and the slide locks back...?

~SM

 

[plunker22]

You're right, it is half-cocked! I think it is a way Ruger made it safer to carry, and shoot. Easier then full DA, but not 'ready'.

As far as un-cocking, only way is pull the trigger! Hopefully on a empty chamber! (unless you are shooting it!!) The safety only works in the half-cocked position. It locks the hammer in place, and from what I have read, blocks the firing pin.

Mine has a 8# trigger pull, and carried in a holster with the trigger covered!

 

[WheelyGuy]

Hmm. Never thought of it as "half cocked". Guess you could look at it that way.

One reason is that you don't have the hammer setting completely down on a loaded round. Just a safety thing, lessens the already low possibility of a drop jarring the hammer and firing pin enough to have an unpleasant event.

I would also think it lessens the amount of effort needed to actually fire since you are part way there with sping tension.

And yes you would need to pull the trigger on an empty chamber to completely uncock the hammer.

Just kind of thinking this through logically. Other folks with better understanding of the inner workings of these things may chime in and correct me.

 

[Swordsman]

One reason is that you don't have the hammer setting completely down on a loaded round.

DOH! Why didn't I think of that!

Just for my own FYI, does anyone know if dry firing the LC9 is a bad idea? i didn't spot any warnings about it in the manual.

~SM

 

[Trucker]

Just for my own FYI, does anyone know if dry firing the LC9 is a bad idea? i didn't spot any warnings about it in the manual.

Dry firing the LC9 won't hurt a thing. Actually it's great training for you and helps wear off the "new" which will tend to smooth out the trigger. Practice shooting the LC9 a lot. It's not a easy gun to shoot accurately and takes practice. The gun itself is quite accurate.

 

[Rat]

They should have designed it so that it was not half cocked and went with a full cocked and got rid of the double action trigger.

 

[Swordsman]

They should have designed it so that it was not half cocked and went with a full cocked and got rid of the double action trigger.

Heh, well, I was looking for a DOA, so you won't hear me complaining about hat particular feature.

Now the loaded chamber flag, that might be a little overkill when there's a view port right below it. The LC9 appears to be the ultimate nanny gun, which I personally don't have a problem with. I know a lot of people would prefer to keep things simpler and let Darwin deal with the rest!

~SM

 

[jlh820]

Agree with the above, most likely a safety feature.

 

[jimnor]

Yes, the only way to take tension off the hammer spring when it's half cocked is to pull the trigger. I carry mine every day and when I unload it at night I have an empty mag ready to insert just so that I can pull the trigger and store it with the hammer down.

 

[BuckeyeBlast]

Yes, the only way to take tension off the hammer spring when it's half cocked is to pull the trigger. I carry mine every day and when I unload it at night I have an empty mag ready to insert just so that I can pull the trigger and store it with the hammer down.

Why do you unload it every night? Is this a CA storage requirement thing?

 

[Rat]

Heh, well, I was looking for a DOA, so you won't hear me complaining about hat particular feature.

Now the loaded chamber flag, that might be a little overkill when there's a view port right below it. The LC9 appears to be the ultimate nanny gun, which I personally don't have a problem with. I know a lot of people would prefer to keep things simpler and let Darwin deal with the rest!

~SM

The flag is a pretty easy fix if you have a dremel with a cut off wheel. The DAO trigger can also be shortened if you like. I only have to pull mine 1/2 inch or so now.

 

[Swordsman]

The flag is a pretty easy fix if you have a dremel with a cut off wheel. The DAO trigger can also be shortened if you like. I only have to pull mine 1/2 inch or so now.

Hm, may look into it later. I consider the long pull one of the safety features, so I probably won't muck with that. Besides, I'm used to long trigger pulls... ever fire a Hi Point C9? I'm just glad the Ruger appears to be a smooth pull, whereas the C9 is (for lack of a better word) "grindy" and catches a couple times before you finally reach the break!

I really need to take down the C9 and work with it a bit....

~SM

 

[andybothel]

The LCP is the same way I believe.

I would really like it if the LCP (and guessing LC9) had second strike capability, but the half cock eliminates that possibility since you can't fire the gun from a uncocked position, it has to be in half cock before the trigger works. That being said, it's not a limitation that would keep me from using it. I'm sure there are good reasons for why they did it.

 

[qcsmitty]

The flag is a pretty easy fix if you have a dremel with a cut off wheel. The DAO trigger can also be shortened if you like. I only have to pull mine 1/2 inch or so now.

Ok, Rat. Sounds like you have the ideal LC9. What/who is LCI and what did the mods cost? Is there a website to get the options from?

 

[jlh820]

Smitty, check out Galloway Precision. They've got all kinds of great stuff and really know their Rugers.

BTW - LCI = Loaded Chamber Indicator

 

[jimnor]

Why do you unload it every night? Is this a CA storage requirement thing?

Ha ha! No, it's a wifey requirement thing.

 

[BuckeyeBlast]

Ha ha! No, it's a wifey requirement thing.

Maybe consider getting a handgun safe and explaining to wifey that the higher probability of having an accidental discharge while unnecessarily loading/unloading?

Good luck man. I was just curious.

 

[jlh820]

Ha ha! No, it's a wifey requirement thing.

I understand. My son's wife won't even be in the same room with a gun, loaded or not. I don't agree with it, but I understand it.

Most gun battles are over and done in a few seconds. And those few seconds it takes to load and chamber a round could cost your or your wife's life. Maybe you could get your wife to take an instructional gun course with you? She might not be so afraid of a loaded gun if she became more familiar with them.