Ruger LC380CA. Multiple QC Defects. Reader Discretion Is Advised

[MrMausGuns]

Just wait until the gun has its first malfunction since all the work was done, and watch op become unhinged again

That's just silly. It's mine now, and it's mine because I made it that way. If it fails, it's on me. When I feel like that about a personal item it's because that's the relationship that I was seeking. Some stuff just needs love, and some stuff just doesn't work no matter how hard you try, no matter how much you love the thing.

My firearms malfunction occasionally, and I always welcome the opportunity to learn about why as long as my greedy mitts don't clear it too quickly just for the fun of clearing it quickly.

Sorry about the Wall-O'-Grandma thing. I apologize.

P.S. If you really want to get upset about something? I'm the guy that's going in to all the local grocery stores and buying up all the Fancy Feast Gravy Lovers! Salmon Flavor cat food.

I'll stop if you ask nicely.

[BradleyAbrams]

I like Ruger, I don't love Ruger. Reliability of their "original" designs are typically more reliable than any designs they may be derived from IMHO.

My buddy likes his LC9 just fine.

I have a often derided Kahr P380 that I like a lot and as far as I recall, has never jammed with PMC fmj or Flexlocks. I deburred mag feed lips and broke in mag springs and slide prior to first range session while hunting down .380 ammo deals years ago.

One thing about guns... if yours is not reliable, no one else's is going to make you like yours.

I'd send it in.

I have a Kahr CW9. It has had over 1500 rds of varied commercial ( JHP, FMJ ) ammo through it and has never had any issue of any sort. Not even when new.

Granted, it is a 9mm and we are talking .380 here; but I just want to state that a few people opined that the Kahrs were prone to issues. That they had to be "broken in" when new, with about 200 rds.

Well, I ran over 400 Rounds through mine on the first try, and it ran flawlessly. I even brought 3 magazines so that I could cycle quickly through the ammo to get the gun hot, trying to induce a failure; any kind of failure.

But that was never the case. The slide locked open after every empty mag, and slid into battery perfectly every time. No stovepipes, perfect ejections.

The Kahr CW9 is my EDC.

.

[Mayor McRifle]

That's just silly. It's mine now, and it's mine because I made it that way.

How much has the whole thing set you back?

[MrMausGuns]

How much has the whole thing set you back?

Ugh.

Is it okay if I just say that with the required changes it cost just about 110.00 more than MSRP. Last night I could no longer find the CA version on their site.

Thought that I would add that I had a new Rossi R92C .38 Special/.357 mag that I was getting ready to "grease" via the Steve's Gunz instructions. But the surgery came up and that's was no longer the appropriate gun. I had to take it back, and the Ruger seemed to be just the thing. Which it is now.

Thanks for asking. Also, I had had plans to tackle the Appleseed events. Just going to take a little longer to get to them.

[Mayor McRifle]

Also, I had had plans to tackle the Appleseed events. Just going to take a little longer to get to them.

[MrMausGuns]

I was thinking that I would take a Savage A22 if I had to stick with .22.

But since you mention it, what I would really like to take is a Mini 14 chambered for 5.56 with hopefully a 20"barrel. Is that okay there? Or too much grunt? I've been hoping to get some help narrowing it down, if the Mini 14 won't be welcomed.

[NATEWA]

[Oldmandan]

Since you mention it. I was sort of hoping that the mods would maybe change the title of the thread so that it's not so awful.

Maybe: "Ruger LC380CA. Multiple QC Defects. Reader Discretion Is Advised".

As the OP, you can change the title yourself, by hitting “edit”, then “Go Advanced” on the opening post

[D.A.V.I.D.]

Was just gonna say this until I got to your post.

[MrMausGuns]

I never, ever thought I would come across someone on Calguns who could reference both Homer and Tolkien in one post. Well Done.

Hey, thanks.

I really appreciate that at this point. I worker some Robert E. Howard in to another thread about selling guns that I thought was funny, but "ah well".

I suppose I should divulge my final cache of Ruger Strangeness here before we wrap up. I want to bring it on home with Hotel California sumpin sumpin.

[MrMausGuns]

Was just gonna say this until I got to your post.

Hey,

You must mean that I took all that time to select the right cartridge, and I chose .380 when I shouldn't have. Have I got that right?

After reading the part about me not being able to operate more powerful firearms (no longer the case, due to whatever is in those vaccination guns in basic) and facing several weeks commanding my minions from a recliner you still think that, let me know.

I'm totally down for the whole ancient argument. I am MrMausGuns. My first selection was a Buck Mark. It's still my favorite of the broken handguns that I've dealt with since the beginning of last August .

[crufflers]

I was thinking that I would take a Savage A22 if I had to stick with .22.

But since you mention it, what I would really like to take is a Mini 14 chambered for 5.56 with hopefully a 20"barrel. Is that okay there? Or too much grunt? I've been hoping to get some help narrowing it down, if the Mini 14 won't be welcomed.

You can get 16.12" barrel or 18.5" barrel as far as I know... Target model used to have a 22" barrel.

Mini-14's are good if you think they are good, most people have an opinion about them. If you like them, get one.

[MrMausGuns]

What I'm going to print here is only based on information and anecdotal stories that I have found on the internet while trying to understand what was wrong with the Ruger LC380CA. Anything else is just my speculation, or me slapping parts of different stories together to try and make sense of what I read. Buut...

From what I am able to gather, the LC380 was dropped from the CA roster. It was then reintroduced, at a higher price point, as the LC380CA in May of 2015. Ruger seems to have solved the de-rostering problem by having a "previous vendor" (I don't know who) manufacture the full upper assembly. I assume that means there was something about the original LC380 (not the CA) upper, and the folks that were making it, that caused the gun to be knocked off the roster.

So how is that reflected in my experience? The upper on the new LC380CA just did not work. The "old" manufacturer that was re-engaged to get it back on the roster made it poorly, and out of poor materials. Through and through, the LC380 used replacement upper is simply better stuff. You can see where the replacement LC380 upper withstands abuse as good steel should, and the CA version (the new one from the old manu) chips. Yes, chips. The whole CA upper is also smaller and narrower and lighter. It flaps around on the frame in a bad way. It flaps around back to front, and it does so pivoting on the very poorly made slots in the barrel lug. It makes the whole upper system teeter-toter on the "breakdown pin". And yeah, 150 grit, Flitz, and about three hours and I had the snag til it was barely perceptible and then let 100 rounds (or so) try and machine off the rest. It didn't work (accuracy is blown when the barrel jogs around like that). But I had it cycling like a champ. "It's the LC380CA upper, Buckaroo (Ruger)". It is inherently broken.

It strikes me as odd that while Ruger was waving both hands in the air (along with S&W), saying how they were out of CA forever, with some third hand they were making sure that the LC380 got right back on that roster as the LC380CA.

[Mayor McRifle]

Is anyone else having flashbacks of Donald Babbit?

[MrMausGuns]

Is anyone else having flashbacks of Donald Babbit?

Holy Moses, Captain Wifflebat.

Given 2 pages of stuff to work with you are only clever enough to put "smart people" together with guns and get Donald Babbit?

The less words you use, the more traction I get. Smaller sticking platform.