Ruger announced its first LCP at the 2008 SHOT Show. Not long after, a friend of mine showed me his pocket gun, which was an LCP. He wasn’t a gun guy, but he knew I was. I think he was hoping his little gun would impress me. It didn’t.
My exposure to little guns up to that point had left me with a couple of observations: First, they weren’t easy to hold onto, and second it hurt to shoot them. My friend had not asked for my professional opinion, so I just smiled. I had no desire to follow suit.
Eight years later when the LCP II was introduced, I was commissioned by a major magazine to review it. This was a .22, so I figured the pain in shooting wouldn’t be there. I arranged for Ruger to send me one.
Lite Rack .22 LR
The Ruger Lite Rack LCP II .22 LR should be considered a training tool for learning to shoot .380 or 9mm guns. However, if these higher calibers absolutely don’t work for you, the .22 could be considered a bona fide carry gun. Once, I was adamantly against using a .22 as a defensive gun.
Years have passed, and I’ve found the effects of aging and body abuse catching up with me. I’ve become more understanding. If a .22 is the only option for you, this little gun is built for the job. But it will require some dedicated practice for you to learn to shoot it well.
Let’s talk about how it shoots. The LCP II .22 LR (we call her Elsie Pea 2 in the business) utilizes a blowback operation with a single-action trigger. There’s about a ¾-inch take up with a smooth, crisp break. The pull to get that break averages 6 pounds, 2 ounces on my test gun.
The frame is made of glass-filled nylon and is 5.20 inches long. The slide is made of alloy steel and is .81-inch wide. The barrel is stainless steel, 2.75 inches long with 6 grooves and 1:16 twist. The gun weighs 11.2 ounces total. That weight alone makes it easy to see why people are attracted to it for a carry gun.
The LCP II .22 LR’s Lite Rack system includes slide serrations, cocking ears, and a lighter-than-normal recoil spring to allow for easy slide manipulation. The manual external safety is a bit different because it is oriented vertically while most handgun safeties are oriented parallel to the frame. It’s very easy to push off with your thumb as you’re acquiring the target.
The gun is equipped with a magazine disconnect safety, so it will not fire when the magazine is removed. There’s a blade trigger safety and a drop safety that consists of a sear engineered with strong spring tension. It has a hammer catch to help prevent the hammer from contacting the firing pin unless the trigger is pulled.
Texturing on the front, back, and sides of the grip ensures you can hold the pistol securely while operating the trigger. The fixed front and rear sights are black and integral to the slide. The gun ships with one 10-round magazine, magazine loader, and a pocket holster made from a textured material designed to keep the holster in your pocket when the gun is drawn. 10+1 rounds of .22 LR ammunition makes it a viable defensive weapon in the hands of someone who has trained and can shoot well.
It took a little getting used to for me to shoot the LCP II consistently well. That’s actually an advantage considering training is one of the natural roles of the gun. There’s not enough real estate on the frame for my normally aggressive grip. I can only wrap two fingers around the gun’s grip and then use a modified teacup with my support hand.
The more I shoot the gun, the better I get at adjusting for the small sights and grip. The smooth trigger pull makes it easy to keep sights on target through the break. The ammo is inexpensive, and Ruger says it’s okay to dry-fire this gun, so practice, practice, practice. The sights, though bigger and better than those on the LCP and LCP II .380, are challenging for folks with old eyes.
I know some people like all black sights, but my trifocals required a particular tilt of the head to find and focus on the front sight — that took some getting used to. Ruger says the LCP II .22 LR accepts all LCP II .380 accessories except magazines. I found a couple of lasers that fit to the front of the trigger guard and are grip activated. I think adding one would be a serious consideration if I were to make this a carry gun.
It’s a given that a semi-automatic .22 is going to be ‘ammo sensitive.’ Slow rounds aren’t going to cycle the slide reliably. The owner’s manual for this firearm indicates subsonic or match-grade ammo may not cycle the slide, but it should handle pretty much any factory normal or high-velocity rounds including hollow points.
I put it to the test by trying normal and high-velocity rounds from several manufacturers. At one point, I thought I was having a gun or ammo issue, but it turned out to be me. My strong side thumb was pushing up the slide lock while shooting. This caused the slide to lock back while rounds were still in the magazine. Once I figured out what was happening, I had no issues with any of the six or seven brands of ammo I had in my range bag.
What I like most about the LCP II .22 LR is how it encourages carriers of mouse guns to practice. The argument about how tough mouse guns are to shoot goes away if you practice with them enough to be proficient. In my own experience, over the course of testing this gun, I became pretty good at shooting it. With that improved skill came a new appreciation for how a pocket gun could fit into the lifestyle adjustments people have to make as they age.
How about the LCP Max?
I recently took delivery of an LCP Max. I’m perplexed. Even with my battery-powered digital measuring devices, the difference in size between the LCP II and LCP Max is infinitesimal. Yet, the LCP Max holds 10+1 rounds of .380 ACP. It was time to prove my hypothesis that shooting the little .22 gun would prepare me for shooting the same form factor in larger calibers. It did, and it didn’t.
Shooting the .22 LR had become fun for me. Shooting the .380 is not particularly fun. It’s going to be more of a last-ditch emergency life-saving tool. Or, if it’s the only gun you’ll carry, maybe a first-ditch emergency, life-saving tool. Fun to shoot? I don’t think I’ll ever get there.
It has taken me four range trips and more than 300 rounds to feel as if I’m proficient with the gun. And proficient is a relative term. Put any mid-size 9mm or .380 in my hands and from a distance of 5–7 yards, and I can shoot a pretty tight group around my aiming point. With the .380 LCP, the group is somewhat looser, but all within what could be identified as center mass on a bad guy, and for some reason it’s always lower than my aiming point.
Then there’s the trigger. The trigger pull measured 7 pounds on both guns. The take-up was a little over .75 inch on both guns. The problem I have with the trigger is by the time the take-up is done, and you’re ready for the break, the trigger feels like it’s all the way back against the frame. Essentially it is too.
To me, it just took some getting used to. If I’m not careful about finger placement, my finger gets pinched in the gap between the trigger and the frame, forward of the trigger. It’s because of my short, stubby little fingers. Likely, you wouldn’t have that issue.
One big difference in the guns is the sights, and I’m not sure on a gun with a sight radius of only 3.5 inches that it really makes that much difference. The .22 has a small, notched rear sight with a very small post in front. It’s mostly a point and shoot gun. The .380 has a rather large green dot surrounded by tritium night sight in front with a deep notched rear sight. This sight would work when things go bump during the night. However, in order to make the gun truly accurate, some adjustment to the front sight height would need to be made. My plan is just to aim slightly higher than normal to get my hits where I want them.
With 11 rounds of .380 ACP on board, I have no trouble identifying the Ruger LCP Max as a defensive carry pistol for a competent shooter. For a new shooter who wishes to carry the LCP Max, I say practice, practice, practice. And, don’t let too much time go by before you practice, practice, practice some more.
The gun operated trouble-free for me, and I tried several different brands of .380, both ball and JHP. At close ranges, the .380 cartridge should do a decent job of stopping bad guy activity, if you do your job handling the gun. The economic price of both guns leads me to recommend you get one of each, shoot the .22 a lot, and shoot the .380 enough to maintain proficiency.
Are you a fan of pocket pistols? How does the Ruger LCP II .22 LR and Ruger LCP Max .380 ACP rank with you? Share your two cents in the Comment section.
If ever there was a matched pair for training and carrying this is it. The Ruger LCP II that carries 10+1 rounds of .22 LR on top and the Ruger LCP Max that carries 10+1 rounds of .380 ACP on the bottom. No matter how you measure it, the LCP II .22 and the LCP Max .380 are essentially the same size. The .380 is pretty hot in the hand, but with practice you can do a pretty good job of getting the rounds where they can do you some good in case of emergency. Pocket guns aren’t expected to be tack drivers, but the .22 LR version can put its rounds within a 4-inch target at 5 yards. These two guns really are alike in every way, except what happens when you pull the trigger. You can’t really tell the difference from the outside of the gun, but the ammo brings out the difference. Carrying an 11-round pistol that will fit in your pocket and weigh next to nothing is tempting, but don’t do it unless you practice with the gun a lot. The .22 version can help with a lot of the practice but not all of it.
I will share a true story regarding an LCP.
A few years ago I was riding to a business meeting with a female colleague. She had an angry ex so she carried a gun in her car. It was a Ruger LCP. She said her ex had run her off the road a few months ago then came over and jerked the door open. I asked if she had drawn her gun in case he got violent, which he had before. She said no because she never practiced with it and wasn’t confident enough to use it. I asked why and she said she’d shot it once and it was so painful to shoot and difficult to use that she’d never wanted to shoot it at the range again. Fortunately, that time he just yelled at her for a while and then left. I told her to get rid of the LCP and get a decent gun like a small Glock, P365, or M&P Shield and practice with it.
Bottom line, people tell women to buy these tiny guns but since they aren’t fun to shoot they never practice with them. Much better to get a 9mm or .380 that is a bit larger so they enjoy shooting them and gain confidence.
@Lou Stitzer. My point is and always has been using a sub-par weapon is more dangerous to the shooter than the shootee. I have seen dozens of cases where people attempted to defend themselves with inadequate weaponry. I referenced the .38 LC which was carried by the US Army, but was found inadequate to stop the enemy. Some of the enemy died but not before killing the shooter. If anyone is carrying a weapon that will not stop the attacker from killing the shooter, what is the point of carrying a weapon?
I have been told by dozens of cops over several decades that many of the people carrying those weapons probably would NOT have been killed if they had surrendered their valuables to the robber and NOT drawn a weapon that just pissed off the thug when he was shot. That was not my assessment, but of the officers who were taking the report as we were saving the bad guys who killed the good guys with an inadequate weapon. Too many people who carry a weapon that will not meet the need to stop the bad guy are killed ONLY because they brought a weapon to bear. That is according to the cops at the scene.
That leads me to ask you, would you go into a firefight carrying a .38 LC, knowing its history? If you aren’t familiar with the .38 Long Colt, see https://www.browning.com/news/articles/history-1911-pistol.html. The .380 is NO better than the .38 LC if you compare the numbers. It does not have sufficient velocity even with a 4” barrel to have any real expansion, which mean it will just punch a hole and cause bleeding and little soft tissue damage.
From what I have seen in the ER, fewer than half the people shot with .22, .25 ACP, .32 ACP, and the .380 even succumbed to the injury. We saved their sorry @$$ so they could go to prison for killing the person who shot them. That was why dozens of the local cops called those caliber “The Last Bad Choice Of Dead People Everywhere.” What they reported to me, and others in the ER, was people who carried those calibers were more likely to die than the people they shot. That leads me to ask, what are you basing your affection for the .380 on? I have seen no evidence that it will stop any attacker. Would you consider carrying a weapon that had a likelihood of blowing up and killing you? From my perspective, there is little difference between the two. Either way, the shooter is more like to die, than the shootee. So yes, it just might be safer to not carry a weapon at all. I would rather lose my wallet and watch than my life.
For the record, starting some 50 years ago, I had many instances where there was greater than a 50-50 chance that I was not going to be alive in the next few minutes. I did not like those experiences and would rather avoid getting any closer to death than I did back then. I do not carry a gun every day, but when I do, I carry something that has been proven to stop an attacker with a greater degree of reliability than the calibers I mentioned above. My weapon is NOT a bad choice of dead people everywhere. It was created in response to sub-par caliber failures.
@RAINMAKER, when it comes to tactical, it is no longer Left hand vs Right hand, but rather ambidextrous, as in tactical training, you will be forced to use your weak hand side at times. Ambidextrous should be a requirement for “Mil-Spec”, period. Yes, the AR platform is really over due for an ambidextrous update.
These little Rugers are true pocket guns, not meant for a battle but a surprise encounter & close up. They’ve taken the place for me of older pocket guns like .25’s, some .32’s ,derringers & mini-revolvers. I carried them all & a High Standard .22 mag. derringer saved me from a bad situation long ago. Nowadays, I assume the bad guys are packing 9mms & I do carry heavier traveling or going into any bad area. Walking in the neighborhood or shopping in a good area fits these Rugers just fine for me. It’s usually a Sig P220 in the car traveling.
Bo,
So its better to have no gun than a .380 in less than a 4 inch barrel? You have a great resume and I get it that most are unprepared, but no gun? I guess we will just have to disagree on this one.
@Glenn; As a former Army medic and retired ER Nurse, who has seen hundreds of GSW victims over 45+ years in healthcare, I have heard people verbalize a lot of misconceptions concerning GSWs. What kills people who get shot is usually one of two things; blood loss or neuro trauma. Blood loss or exsanguination is caused by holes punched in either vital organs or major vessels. Smaller caliber rounds cause smaller holes with less lethality unless a major organ is struck and even then the chance of stopping the perp is poor. I have seen very few people who died or were even deterred from villainy after being shot with .22 LR multiple times. What I have seen is more times than I can count, those who used a .22 LR, for self-defense were more likely to die than was the shootee, because the shootee frequently killed the shooter. It is sad when the shooter dies and the shootee doesn’t. Seen that happen dozens of times in the ER. The .22 LR is a sub-par weapon and is tantamount to committing suicide to use it for self -defense.
One other thing people do not understand is the stress that comes with drawing a weapon. Ed LaPorta talked about Fight or Flight in his blog “The Reaction Time Deficit.” In the Fight or Flight response, it becomes very difficult to acquire the sights due to the tunnel vision that happens. No one has control over those responses. It takes repeated episodes of taking incoming fire for soldiers to become remotely inured to the Fight or Flight responses. I speak from experience as a 72 year old Army vet who spent time overseas doing SAR and Recon 50 some years ago.
Multiple studies have shown that in multiple Police shootings, generally fewer than 25% of rounds fired hit their target. I had friends who were cops on the pistol team. Several were involved in a shooting in a restaurant with a man wanted for murder who drew on the officers. The officers drew their weapons and emptied them at spitting distance. Fewer than half the rounds fired struck the suspect at close range and fewer than a third of those hits were mortal wounds. These were officers who practiced more than anyone I knew and they still missed at a range of a few yards. It is harder than you think to draw on another person. If you have never been there, you have no idea.
@Glenn; As a former Army medic and retired ER Nurse, who has seen hundreds of GSW over 45+ years in healthcare, I have seen people verbalize a lot of misconceptions concerning GSW. What kills people who get shot is usually one of two things; blood loss or neuro trauma. Blood loss or exsanguination is caused by holes punched in either vital organs or major vessels. Smaller caliber rounds cause smaller holes with less lethality unless a major organ is struck and then you have maybe a 50-50 chance. I have seen patients with major vessels (femoral artery) punctured by .357 who survived. I have seen very few people who died or were even deterred from villainy after being shot with .22 LR multiple times.
Another thing people do not understand is the stress that comes with drawing a weapon. Ed LaPorta talked about Fight or Flight in his blog “The Reaction Time Deficit.” In the Fight or Flight response, it becomes very difficult to acquire the sights due to the tunnel vision that happens. No one has control over those responses. It takes repeated episodes of taking incoming fire for soldiers to become remotely inured to the Fight or Flight responses. I speak from experience as a 72 year old Army vet who served 50 some years ago.
It is very difficult to hit a human target in times like that. Multiple studies have shown that in Police shootings, fewer than 25% of rounds fired hit their target. I had friends who were cops, on the pistol team. Several were involved in a shooting in a restaurant with a wanted man who was alleged to have committed murder. The officers drew their weapons and emptied them at spitting distance. Fewer than half the rounds struck the suspect at close range and fewer than a third of those hits were mortal wounds. These were officers who practiced more than anyone I knew and they still missed at a range of a few yards. It is harder than you think to draw on another person. If you have never been there, you have no idea.
And using a sub-par weapon for self-defense is tantamount to suicide. More than likely, shooting someone with a .22 LR, will result in severe injury on the part of the shooter of that weapon, more so than the person who gets shot, because the shootee frequently kills the shooter. It is sad when the shooter dies and the shootee doesn’t. Seen that happen dozens of times in the ER.
@Glenn; As a former Army medic and retired ER Nurse, who has seen hundreds of GSW over 45+ years in healthcare, I have seen people verbalize a lot of misconceptions concerning GSW. What kills people who get shot is usually one of two things; blood loss or neuro trauma. Blood loss or exsanguination is caused by holes punched by bullets in either vital organs or major vessels. Smaller caliber rounds cause smaller holes with less lethality unless a major organ is struck. I have seen patients with major vessels (femoral artery) punctured by .357 who survived. I have seen very few people who died or were even deterred from villainy after being shot with a .22 LR multiple times.
Another thing people do not understand is the stress that comes with drawing a weapon. Ed LaPorta talked about Fight or Flight in his blog “The Reaction Time Deficit.” In the Fight or Flight response, it becomes very difficult to acquire the sights due to the tunnel vision that happens. No one has control over those responses. It takes repeated episodes of taking incoming fire for soldiers to become remotely inured to the Fight or Flight responses. I speak from experience as a 72 year old Army vet who served 50 some years ago.
It is very difficult to hit a human target in times like that. Multiple studies have shown that in Police shootings, fewer than 25% of rounds fired hit their target. I had friends who were cops on the pistol team. Several were involved in a shooting in a restaurant with a man wanted for murder who drew on them. The officers drew their weapons and emptied them at spitting distance. Fewer than half the rounds struck the suspect at close range and fewer than a third of those hits were mortal wounds. These were officers who practiced more than anyone I knew and they still missed at a range of a few yards.
It is harder than you think to draw on another person. If you have never been there, you have no idea. Shot placement is important but when one develops tunnel vision, you cannot see the sights. This is when people resort to spray and pray. Col Cooper said it best “Blessed are those who, in the face of death, think only about the front sight.”
And using a sub-par weapon for self-defense is tantamount to suicide. More than likely, shooting someone with a .22 LR, will result in severe injury on the part of the shooter of that weapon, more so than the person who gets shot, because the shootee frequently kills the shooter. It is sad when the shooter dies and the shootee doesn’t. Seen that happen dozens of times in the ER.
@Jack: I would disagree with your premise that “Any firearm is better than no firearm…” I spent more than 30 years working in civilian ER’s and have seen hundreds of GSW patients. Before that, I was an Army medic overseas oon a team doing fun things like Search and Rescue, as well as Recon some 50 years ago.(I am 72 for another month or so and the word fun is very tongue in cheek there.) I have been shot at, more than once. I have drawn weapons to return fire more than once. It is not as portrayed on the big screen, or small one, either for that matter.
I would refer you to The Shooter’s Log column “The Reaction Time Deficit, By Ed AKA “The Real Most Interesting Man In The World” Laporta. He begins to touch on some of the reactions people experience in times of crisis and being in a real firefight or even thinking one is about to enter a firefight is a crisis unless that person is so oblivious to the severity of the situation that they do not know enough to be afraid. Read my comments on what people go through in that situation. I have BT, DT.
You mention the .380 as a self-defense round. I looked up the numbers on the .380. The Hornady BLACK® 380 Auto 90 gr XTP® has a MV of 1,000 ft/s and ME of 200 ft/lb., again with a 4” barrel. Any weapon with a shorter barrel will not meet, let alone exceed, these numbers. That is running almost dead even with the .38 Long Colt which got a lot of American soldiers killed when they used it for self-defense. That round led to the Army developing the .45 ACP. If you are called upon to use a .380 for self-defense, you had best hope that your assailant is not on drugs. I have seen too many people shot with .22 LR, .25 ACP, .32 ACP, and .380 who did not succumb to their wounds, partly because they were on drugs. We saw them because they killed their shooter after they were shot. The local cops did not believe that those rounds were valid for real self-defense and called them “The Last Bad Choice of Dead People Everywhere.” In my experience and that of dozens of metropolitan cops, those caliber choices were tantamount to committing suicide if they ever had to shoot someone.
It always amazes me that people who have never even seen a GSW victim, but somehow “know” what happens in those situations and what they would do. They have no clue, any more than men can understand what it is like to menstruate or give birth, or any parent can imagine what it is like to bury a child, unless they have walked that path. (I have, it is worse than you can imagine. I knew too many men who went home in a box covered with a flag because they “knew” how they would respond to incoming fire and some lusted for the experience of engagement. They were wrong on all counts and they were more trained than most of the people who carry weapons on the street today
The LCP II was my first CCW carry gun. While overall good, I had to send it back to the factory twice. The first at around 1400 rounds thru after about six months then again after only about another 900 rounds after another four months. (The decrease in rounds thru comes from that I felt sufficiently practiced in shooting this gun.) Ruger actually told me these guns weren’t meant for high volume shooting!
My biggest complaint with this gun is that, as I practice shooting using various hand positions as two hand, strong hand, off hand, from the hip strong and weak hand; that when shooting left hand, extended arm, almost every single spent case would come flying back and hit me in the face. I even had a few spent and very hot cases make right down the front of my shirt! Where upon I would, after setting the gun on the bench, jump into my version of a break dancer flipping around trying to get a burning hot case out of my shirt. At least it didn’t go down my pants!
I would still like to get the LCP Max as well as the .22 version. I think these would make good “up close and personal” defense weapons when carrying a larger gun wasn’t done. Plus the.22 would be a whole lot cheaper and fun to shoot.
Lets leave the left hand-right hand for an article discussing that. perhaps Cheaper than Dirt can do one, unless I missed it
I own a lcp2 22lr I pocket it it’s great gun I bring to every range trip because I do carry it
I may be an odd ball? But my hand/eye coordination works very well with my Ruger LCP .380. I find it difficult to aim, so have practiced more with targets 7-12 feet away.
Hard to believe the author is a ” gun guy” and complains about recoil from a .380. Pathetic , really. I carry an LC9 and have put over 6,000 rounds through it. The recoil is nothing. My 120 lb. wife doesnt even mind shooting it.
I received my LCP II 22lr 3 weeks ago, My 71 yr 0ld eyes needed help with the sights, so I painted the front orange and rear green. That helped a lot but I needed more. I mounted a Viridan green laser which was a game changer. Zerod laser at 7 yards, good for short and long. Had to cut the stitches on the pocket holster it came with, to fit for the laser. That pinch above the trigger, I filed that a bit, and that is gone, I’m getting 3-4″ gropes using the sights and shooting from the hip. Lots of fun to shoot. The manual recommends CCI Mini Mags and that’s what I shoot. 1 failure to fire out of 500 rounds. I agree the magazine disconnect is over the top but is able to be removed. As for self-defense with a 22lr round, it’s going to hurt, shot placement is critical, and you have 10 rounds to stop the threat. We hope we never HAVE to pull that trigger, but in this world, we should be prepared!
Bought the original LCP .380 not long after it came out. My big hands had a little trouble with the grip. Purchased the rubber grip for it and it worked beautifully. I, and many of my retired police friends carry that very weapon. We don’t expect to be shooting like on the range. For heaven sake, it’s a point and shoot weapon for personal protection at close range. All of us that own the gun love it. Great pocket gun for those days in summer when you have difficulty concealing a larger weapon like my Glock .40 cal. No need to get too technical.
I’m a retired LEO and have been carrying a gun for 40plus years. After carrying a S&W J Frame 642 for the past 20yrs either in a small fanny pack or ankle holster. Well about 5yrs ago I was looking for a change and purchased the Ruger LCP 380 as my ever day carry gun. After I purchased the gun I took it to the Range and it preformed flaws. Handles and takes any Ammo with no issues.
I still use it as my everyday carry gun in ankle holster and on occasion a pocket holster. I prefer a Ankle Holster because I have great access at all time while seated in a vehicle or walking about. I have made a few upgrades like the Hogue Rubber Grip Beaver Tail style made for the LCP and a extended magazine with a pinky extensor. I have large hands and the Hogue Grip & Extended Magazine work well. Also added a Larger White Dot Sight.
This is also a very safe gun to carry because of the Double Action Only feature.
I work in NYC and sometimes I wear shorts. The LCP is nice and small, fits in my pocket and any gun is better than no gun. For what it is, its OK. Wouldn’t be my first choice in a gunfight but its better than nothing. I also have a S&W 642 Hammerless that is almost as small. First rule of a gunfight is bring a gun.
I love my LCP II .22. It is fun to shoot and easy to operate. I keep one on a magnet behind my night stand as a back up home security gun. As a carry, if I’m wearing comfortable fitting jeans, I don’t even notice that it is in my pocket since it is so slim and light. A very handy gun to have around for different uses.
I do not have the Ruger LCP but a berretta 10 +1 tip up barrel very close to the same size. The small pistol shoots well for me at 5 to 7 yards. It is double action. I carry it as a back up pistol. And am a confident threat with it. A 22 is not to be under estimated for the damage it can cause. Practice often!
LCP, bought one several years ago and did not like it! The trigger was awful, take up almost all the way to the frame. Put in a sweet pea trigger kit and now one of my favorite carry, fits in front or back pants pocket and almost weightless for neighborhood walks.
I am 73 years old and have been carrying a Ruger LC9 since they first came out. This new Ruger LCP II 22LR looks to be a lot of fun and cheap to shoot practice pistol. For a carry pistol, I prefer centerfire. The pinky off the grip and the bit of bite in a defensive situation is much better than the alternative. Please stop prejudging the LC9, it is better than a .380.
I love how you snobs prejudge small pistols.
You bitch about the grip! Learn by shooting.
You bitch about recoil! Learn by shooting.
I am 73 years old and carry a Ruger LC9 since they first came out. Yes your pinky is off the grip. Yes it has a bit of bite. I don’t mind any of that as I don’t foresee using it in a tactical situation. All the defensive shootings I can recall are less than 10 yards and one, maybe two shots. Get a grip on reality.
@COLONEL K, It looks like the truth is finally coming out that the 10% number of the population being correct-handed, is WAY LOW! It is looking like it may be closer to 30+%. The ranges I have frequented, seem to actually have more correct-handed employees, than right-handed one. At any rate, it is high enough that it is a great profitable business adventure for manufactures, and we are seeing more and more firearms to be at least partially ambidextrous. Companies like RedX arms, cannot keep their Left-hand items in stock. Companies like TandemKross, and M*CARBO who make parts to convert many popular makes to be ambidextrous, like the [TK] Cornerstone Safety (an ambidextrous AR style safety to replace the cross-bolt safety) for the popular 10/22, and Ruger PCC, are game changers for correct-handed people. Companies who do not at least attempt to cater to my needs, I don’t buy their products.
Yup, tipping my head back to see small front sights through bifocals, also. Glad I’m not alone.
Any firearm is better than no firearm although I understand your hesitation to endorse a .22LR as a self defense firearm. 11ounces and 10 rounds are pretty good selling points. Don’t think I’ll buy a LCP, but I understand better as I too grow older.I do have a S&W M&P .380 loaded with Hornady rounds. Handy to pocket carry while walking the dog in the winter or summer.
William, I think David would disagree with your rock theory. 🙂
The author’s description of the two Ruger pistols is reminiscent of putting lipstick on a pig, or in the case of the .22, a piglet.
Why does Ruger continue to ignore the 10% of the population who sit on the left hand of God?
“The gun is equipped with a magazine disconnect safety”. I stopped reading right there. I don’t care who the manufacture is, because a magazine disconnect for “safety” is the most unsafe dumb idea ever implemented to any firearm. It is a band-aid solution for people who should not be anywhere near a firearm, due to, for whatever reason, their incapacity for understanding logical safety procedures, like when cleaning, make sure it is empty, NOT reinstalling a magazine to be able to pull the trigger. Dumb idea. No matter how desirable a firearm is to me, if it has a magazine disconnect, it is a DEAL BREAKER!!!!
Ill put it this way. It is better than carrying a pocket full of rocks to throw.
I bought the LCP II and a week later the Max came out. DARN! My first experience was 50 rounds in a 4” group at 5 yards. Better than I usually shoot and brought a what the **** are you shooting. He was impressed.
I too have short fingers and get trigger finger punch so I wear a glove when practicing. So does one of the range officers who has long skinny fingers.
But, in a self defense situation one will not notice the trigger finger pinch.
I like shooting .22 LR, so maybe I’ll pick one up.
BOTTOMM LINE – GREAT GUN!