My Dremal Tool + LC9 Ruger
Bought a Ruger LC9 on Thur. Just chambered a round and much to my shock I see something about the gun that makes it look very ugly. It is the "loaded chamber" indicated. It is a small (about 1 & 1/4 in long and about 1/8th in thick) that has the words "loaded when up" on it and also when the loaded chamber is up, it reveals red paint on each side of that little loaded chamber bar. It is ugly and goofy as he##. With a loaded chamber, the little bar sticks way, way too high. About 1/8 to 1/4 inch. First time I have some spare time to waste, I'm go to remove that little loaded chamber indicator, use a Dremal tool on it and grind it down to where it does not stick up but very slightly. Will probably also take the red paint off and blue the metal.
I guess the anti-gun, nanny state crowd has forced the gun makers to build some kind of loaded chamber indicator into their guns because my XD40 and S&W M&P 40 also has one. But the one on XD40, while very similar to the Ruger LC9, the XD40 is much smaller and doesn't stick up nearly as far when it is on a loaded chamber. It is not an eyesore like the one on the LC9. The loaded chamber on the S&W M&P 40 is nothing more than an extra, tiny hole in the top of the chamber. The idea behind that one is that you can peer into that hole and see the cartridge case. Man that thing on the LC9 sure makes the gun ugly. It has got to go.
Any advice?
I guess the anti-gun, nanny state crowd has forced the gun makers to build some kind of loaded chamber indicator into their guns because my XD40 and S&W M&P 40 also has one. But the one on XD40, while very similar to the Ruger LC9, the XD40 is much smaller and doesn't stick up nearly as far when it is on a loaded chamber. It is not an eyesore like the one on the LC9. The loaded chamber on the S&W M&P 40 is nothing more than an extra, tiny hole in the top of the chamber. The idea behind that one is that you can peer into that hole and see the cartridge case. Man that thing on the LC9 sure makes the gun ugly. It has got to go.
Any advice?
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Yes...lots of advice...just get rid of it and Get a Glock!
Best0 -
I suppose this is more a general discussion discussion, as you do not ask anything?
One fact though, is load indicators have been around lots longer than nanny with her drawers all in a tither. In a fire-fight they do have their place, I'd say, for quick glance and/or feel to ascertain whether a cartridge is up the spout or not, ugly they be or not.
Another factor to ponder, speaking of a gun battle, is if altered will the ambulance chasers take you to the cleaners for an "altered gun"? just saying.
EDIT Oops-- didn't see your "any advice" asked for sitting above the photo. Anywho, you got it, and a-plenty. And they stack up not for what you may have wanted to hear, it seems? But-- your peashooter, do what you want with it to make it more prettier, I guess[:D]?
45er0 -
I think you should just leave the gun in its original condition. At some point along the way, you may wish to dispose of the gun and then who will want it with some jury-rigged fix? 0 -
quote: Man that thing on the LC9 sure makes the gun ugly. It has got to go.
Any advice?
-Next time you might want to actually look at the gun before buying it. [;)] (OK, I know you couldn't load it in the store!).
-Write Ruger a strongly worded letter expressing your dissatisfaction. That'll teach their lawyers a lesson!
-Guess what. . .the rest of the gun isn't all that attractive anyway! (I kid. . .I kid)[}:)][:p]
Seriously, before you destroy a "safety" device on your gun, you might want to think twice about it. Are you looking at this gun, or carrying it? If I were you, I'd just leave it and chalk this up as a lesson learned.
If you just "must" grind away the tab, how about first getting an extra part from Ruger first so that if you ever want to sell the gun, you can just drop it in and restore the gun to its original condition?0 -
quote:Originally posted by beantownshootah
quote: Man that thing on the LC9 sure makes the gun ugly. It has got to go.
Any advice?
-Next time you might want to actually look at the gun before buying it. [;)] (OK, I know you couldn't load it in the store!).
-Write Ruger a strongly worded letter expressing your dissatisfaction. That'll teach their lawyers a lesson!
-Guess what. . .the rest of the gun isn't all that attractive anyway! (I kid. . .I kid)[}:)][:p]
Seriously, before you destroy a "safety" device on your gun, you might want to think twice about it. Are you looking at this gun, or carrying it? If I were you, I'd just leave it and chalk this up as a lesson learned.
If you just "must" grind away the tab, how about first getting an extra part from Ruger first so that if you ever want to sell the gun, you can just drop it in and restore the gun to its original condition?
Good advice and all, but I wasn't planning on totally destroying or totally removing the LCI. My plan was to grind down only a tiny portion of the underside, where it meets the chamber/cartridge rim and therefore is caused to stick up and reveal a loaded chamber. Even if someone actually loves such a LCI indicator, there is no need for it to have to stickup as far as it does. About half way would still let that little bar easily function as a LCI and therefore make the profile of the gun look a whole lot better. It that is good enough for my XD40 subcompact LCI, it should have been good enough for Ruger and their LC9. And probably nobody would even notice what I had done to the LCI as my small amount of grinding would be in a spot that is rarely looked at. Probably even other Ruger LC9 owners would not even notice. They would probably just vaguely wonder why my gun looked better than theirs.0 -
They do serve a purpose in crisis situations, especially in the dark when you can feel the indicator sticking up if you have a round in the tube. I would rethink the idea of grinding the contact surface as that would leave another person handling the weapon to ASSUME there is an empty chamber if the indicator isn't up. As someone else mentioned the LCI has been around for a while - Lugers have had them and they are probably not the first. May want to sell the Ruger aand get a Kahr PM-9 or 40. It's extractor serves as the LCI, but doesn't have the label on it. 0 -
quote:Originally posted by 62fuelie
They do serve a purpose in crisis situations, especially in the dark when you can feel the indicator sticking up if you have a round in the tube. I would rethink the idea of grinding the contact surface as that would leave another person handling the weapon to ASSUME there is an empty chamber if the indicator isn't up. As someone else mentioned the LCI has been around for a while - Lugers have had them and they are probably not the first. May want to sell the Ruger aand get a Kahr PM-9 or 40. It's extractor serves as the LCI, but doesn't have the label on it.
Sigh............in red above. Once again, IF I do a little grinding on the LCI, it WILL NOT BE SO MUCH that the LCI will NOT stick up enough to see and feel when it is on a loaded chamber. It will just not stick up the excessive amount it sticks up now.
Regarding the term "weapon." A baseball bat is not a weapon until used as such. The great majority of guns are never ever used as a "weapon." A gun is not a weapon until used as such. Until and if that use happens then that "tool" or "machine" THEN becomes a weapon. To think or act otherwise merely makes it easier for the anti-gun crowd to make us gun people look dangerous because we all like to have "weapons." Right out of the gate, it makes for a hard case to present when you are campaigning for the right to own and carry "weapons."
Not trying to snarl at you, merely trying to make things clear.0 -
quote:Originally posted by tr fox
And probably nobody would even notice what I had done to the LCI as my small amount of grinding would be in a spot that is rarely looked at.
Then why even bother?
If this LCI really sticks up so far that its going to snag on something or rub a hole in your pocket, then, OK, I could see smoothing it down, but short of that. . .eh. . .
quote:
Right out of the gate, it makes for a hard case to present when you are campaigning for the right to own and carry "weapons." Well, in my case, the state-issued ID card in my wallet is labelled "concealed weapons permit." So I guess that horse is out of the barn[;)].
You might make an argument that my Pardini match .22 pistol isn't a "weapon" because its a pure target gun not designed nor really even suitable for anything other than sporting purposes. It might as well be a golf club or baseball bat (both of which, not incidentally, could be "weapons" depending on context).
But without getting into a semantic argument here, I think by any definition of the term (and by law in all 50 states) a gun carried on the person for purposes of self-defense is a "weapon". The fact that it can be used to inflict serious injury is the whole point of it, and that's true whether its being carried by a cop, soldier, security guard, or civilian.
Note that I do get what you are saying, and I was told the exact same thing by the gun guys in MA (where the gun carry permit is called a "license to carry"). Namely, I was told that the idea of ordinary folks carrying "weapons" scares the crap out of legislators and common folk, and that we need to call our guns "guns" (or "pistols") and not "weapons".
My take on that is that the problem isn't in what we call the guns, its in the public and legislators mistaken conceptions about firearms and their owners.
Call it a "weapon" or call it a "gun" or call it a "fluffy bunny" and the legislators in MA still aren't going to want anyone to have them!0 -
quote:Originally posted by beantownshootah
quote:Originally posted by tr fox
And probably nobody would even notice what I had done to the LCI as my small amount of grinding would be in a spot that is rarely looked at.
Then why even bother?
If this LCI really sticks up so far that its going to snag on something or rub a hole in your pocket, then, OK, I could see smoothing it down, but short of that. . .eh. . .
quote:
Right out of the gate, it makes for a hard case to present when you are campaigning for the right to own and carry "weapons." Well, in my case, the state-issued ID card in my wallet is labelled "concealed weapons permit." So I guess that horse is out of the barn[;)].
You might make an argument that my Pardini match .22 pistol isn't a "weapon" because its a pure target gun not designed nor really even suitable for anything other than sporting purposes. It might as well be a golf club or baseball bat (both of which, not incidentally, could be "weapons" depending on context).
But without getting into a semantic argument here, I think by any definition of the term (and by law in all 50 states) a gun carried on the person for purposes of self-defense is a "weapon". The fact that it can be used to inflict serious injury is the whole point of it, and that's true whether its being carried by a cop, soldier, security guard, or civilian.
Note that I do get what you are saying, and I was told the exact same thing by the gun guys in MA (where the gun carry permit is called a "license to carry"). Namely, I was told that the idea of ordinary folks carrying "weapons" scares the crap out of legislators and common folk, and that we need to call our guns "guns" (or "pistols") and not "weapons".
My take on that is that the problem isn't in what we call the guns, its in the public and legislators mistaken conceptions about firearms and their owners.
Call it a "weapon" or call it a "gun" or call it a "fluffy bunny" and the legislators in MA still aren't going to want anyone to have them!
Other people would not notice the small amount of grinding I might do. They probably will notice that ugly LCI will look much better, and function just as well, because it does not stick up so damn much. (Geez. Am I ever sorry I brought this up)
In red above. Smart people try and resist their opponents in every way possible. By some gun people so willingly tagging each and every firearm with the name of "weapon" basically they are helping the "public and legislators mistaken conceptions" way of thinking be spread far and wide among the undecided public. Why help that happen by giving your equipment the "evil" term of weapon?
But anyway, without me meaning it to, this topic is starting to look like a general discussion forum posting. Somebody please lock this topic. Thanks.0 -
Do what you want! Who cares what others think. I don't like those LCI's either. 0
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