LCP Max /LCP shoots low

[superhondaz50]

I have an old LCP, circa 2009, and just upgraded to a LCP Max for higher capacity, better trigger and better sights. My old LCP shot 4" low at 7 yds. If I aim 4" high I can keep an apple size group. The new Max does the same thing. A bit disappointed but something I'm used to with the old one. This is using a combat sight picture. Dumped a few hundred rounds through the gun today. As long as I'm 4" high I can keep and Apple size group on the bullseye. Has anyone else experienced this with these guns?

[foothillman]

Never shot one but you sparked my curiosity and found this.

https://www.rugerforum.com/threads/for-anyone-experiencing-the-lcp-max-shooting-low-or-way-off-read-this-before-sending-it-back-to-ruger.308539/

Disclaimer: I'm sure some people had legitimate issues with their Max but for those who the problem seems to never go away, this might help:

I saw several posts about the LCP max shooting low and it usually goes like this:

1. Person says the gun shoots way off they have been shooting for years, small guns, etc.
2. Person says they gave it to others to shoot and the same thing happened so it isnt the shooter
3. They send it back to Ruger, Ruger sends it back with barrel and/or slide replaced and a target with a 2-3" grouping at 7 yards
4. They say the gun still shoots low, go back to step 1 and repeat.

I was really concerned that this was going to be my fate, but I took the advice that others gave and really made sure it wasn't me and my shooting first.

I thought, "Hey, I've shot micro compacts before there's no way there isnt something wrong with this gun."

The truth is, this thing is absolutely tiny. The fact that I had been accurate with a P365 has no bearing on accuracy with the Max. It is a fraction of the mass and barrel length of semi automatics that used to be considered tiny.

The solution:

First, I tried one of those laser training cartridges and checked where I was really aiming. One of the advantages of those is the light lasts for a split second so you can tell if you are making jerky movements as you'll make a line.

Sure enough I found that what I thought was good was all over the place. I used a rest and really dialed in my grip and focused on stability. Sure enough, with the combat sight picture it was dead on the bulls eye.

I then brought little pillow style rest to the range and was able to get 3-4" groupings at 7 yards. Importantly there was no "shooting low" like I thought I had.

After practicing with a rest and a few magazines of 380 target ammo I realized how important it is to dial in your training if you want to be even mildly accurate with this gun. Even with a rest, if you get lazy or distracted for a second, you will be way off not a little off.

I finished off by shooting a rapid fire magazine at a clean target from 7 yards and landed the shots solidly in the middle of the target (approx 10"). Before this exercise I could barely get them on the target at 7 yards.

Hope this helps if you're having accuracy issues with the LCP max.

Have a good one!

[sigfan91]

^^^
That is my experience. The Max is absolutely tiny and light, therefore hard to control. Add the horrible trigger to the equation and you got a gun that moves a lot at the instant the trigger breaks. I was shooting about 5" high and slightly to the left. Eventually I was able to hit "near" the point of aim. I see the Max as a semi-auto derringer. It's not a target pistol. It's uncomfortable to shoot. It's easy to carry. It beats a sharp stick.

[stormvet]

I have an LCP Max and an LCP II, both shoot point of aim as long as I do my part. Shooting small guns, makes the fundamentals of handgun shooting even more important. Any lax in the fundamentals will show up quickly and to the extreme, the smaller the handgun the harder it too shot accurately.

[Scotty]

I always tell people to shoot off a bench to verify the sights on a brand new pistol at a reasonably close distance. It's almost as their fragile ego won't let them.

[superhondaz50]

I even tried it off a sand bag, smooth trigger pull, no flinch. 4" down. But shoots dead center 4" below the bullseye. I don't have this issue with any other gun, Hellcat, J frame, slightly larger but shoot th center out of the target at 7 yards. I'll try go go.shoot again in the next week to sanity check I guess.

[Spyder]

File the front sight down like has been done since handguns were a thing?

Or shoot heavier bullets.

[superhondaz50]

File the front sight down like has been done since handguns were a thing?

Or shoot heavier bullets.

Has a tritium front sight. I have no issue aiming up, it's an arms length gun anyways. Just wondering if others have the same experience.

[foothillman]

Think the take away is you give up "accuracy" for the smaller size.
The sight radius is so much shorter.
Very small sight picture deviation is compounded.
The turning radius of a Jeep Wrangler 34.5ft vs. Jeep Gladiator 44.5ft
It is why some people think the Wrangler is unstable since small steering wheel movement results in faster turning response.
The wheel base is like the sight radius "The longer the sight radius the more accurate you will be"