Racking the slide for a chambered round

[sandbunkerblues]

I have a quick question about how other lcp's react. When I rack the slide slowly, it seems that the bullet gets stuck because of the feed ramp not settling down all of the way. I have already polished the feed ramp and part of the magazine chamber under the feed ramp to see if this would fix the problem. It did not. This is the first pocket pistol that I have ever owned so I took it back to the store where I purchased it and the guy behind the counter said that on small firearms the racking of the slide needs to be done very aggressivly in which he did and it chambered fine. The gun cycles without a problem when fired but it seems funny to me that you cant control the initial speed in which you can chamber a round. Does anyone else know what I am talking about? Is this common for this type of firearm. I have a Springfield XD-45 that racks like butter at any speed. 

[TRIGGER_1]

Treat it like a slingshot ...and try not to ride the slide after you let go.......
Pull the slide back and let it rip...............

[jestmaty]

Welcome to the forum sandbunker....

My LCP behaves exactly the same way.  Try to baby it and it'll never get a round chambered.

Load your magazine, release slide hold, and let 'er slam forward to chamber the round.  Then go about loading the six in the mag.

[jestmaty]

On a side note, I'm still very new to handguns.  Didn't have a pistol on Thanksgiving 8 months ago, now I have 10!

I initially thought to release the slide while slowing it down with my free hand on my first semi-autos.  I figured it couldn't be good for the gun.  It took me a while to realize that it probably wasn't that different than what happens during a regular shot.  In fact, I'm pretty sure that when shooting, the action gets more of a 'beating' than when you just chamber a round by releasing the slide-stop hold.

My routine when I'm changing magazines, or loading fresh, is to load a few rounds in the mag and let the slide slap the +1 into the chamber.  Then I drop the magazine and make sure I have 6 more loaded when I put it back for the last time.

[Rum Raisin]

Treat it like a slingshot ...and try not to ride the slide after you let go.......
Pull the slide back and let it rip...............

+1 Exactly!!  This is typical with the LCP.

[3Coyotes]

Glad to have you on board.  My semi-autos all hang one way or another when feathering the slide.   They're made to cycle under extreme pressure in which even an aggressive hand rack barely qualifies.  Relax, load and let the springs slap that first round into position.  It's all good. 

[sandbunkerblues]

Thanks for the responces, I was beginning to think that it was the gun but as you guys said and the person at the store said as well is that the gun is made for a high pressure reload between each shell fired. I will no longer worry about this as being an issue. This is good news due to me spending this much money on the gun and thinking that something is wrong.Wheeeeeew..........wipes sweat from the forehead.

[jestmaty]

Thanks for the responces, I was beginning to think that it was the gun but as you guys said and the person at the store said as well is that the gun is made for a high pressure reload between each shell fired. I will no longer worry about this as being an issue. This is good news due to me spending this much money on the gun and thinking that something is wrong.Wheeeeeew..........wipes sweat from the forehead.

Ain't the internet just grand for buyer's remorse and/or finding out you paid too much for something, or just wondering if yours is broken or not? 

Just remember to point in a safe direction when chambering a round.... my concealed handgun instructor told me he's seen slam-fires before and they're not pretty.  Not with the Rugers....

FWIW, I am also blessed to have a Taurus TCP 738, which is almost identical to the LCP.  It, too, wants an aggressive chambering of the first round.  Behaves exactly like my LCP.

Since we all like pics.....

[mightymouse]

I find another issue when removing a live round FROM the chamber. Some rounds like the Blazers pop out neatly with little effort on the slide, while longer rounds like Corbon DPX want to hang on the extractor and frame unless you really pop it back. Fingers way off the trigger, please.
I was instructed to rack with arm straight pointing away from body. I've taught my son the same. I've seen too many YouTube videos, at the range, and my pa-in-law racking with the business end pointing at their opposite elbow and finger on the trigger.

[ponz]

Bingo!  This is the thread I needed to see!  I feel much better now.  My XD 9mm Sub will chamber that first round no matter what....

Ponz

[austinmike]

I find another issue when removing a live round FROM the chamber. Some rounds like the Blazers pop out neatly with little effort on the slide, while longer rounds like Corbon DPX want to hang on the extractor and frame unless you really pop it back. Fingers way off the trigger, please.
I was instructed to rack with arm straight pointing away from body. I've taught my son the same. I've seen too many YouTube videos, at the range, and my pa-in-law racking with the business end pointing at their opposite elbow and finger on the trigger.

Also keep your hand away from the ejection port.  I see a lot of people getting part of their hand over it when racking the slide.  The ejecting round can hit your hand, failing to eject, and possibly ending up at the right angle and velocity to have the ejector set off the primer.  I've seen pictures of what that does to your hand and it ain't pretty.