Ruger LCP MAX

[LDB415]

I just got an email from Ruger promoting their new LCP MAX. A 12+1 .380 in the same form factor as their 6+1 models. I'm looking forward to seeing one and maybe putting one in rotation.

[JRG]

It is already garnering positive vibes from the various U-tube gun channels. I'm interested also.

Joe

[Tex1961]

Unfortunately I’ve had 2 bad experiences with Ruger pistols, the LC9s and LCP. The LC9s had a broken seer and the LCP was never reliable at feeding the next round. I carried the 9s for 3 weeks with the seer broken and never knew. Had I carried both at the same time, I might have gotten 1 round off.

No more Ruger semi automatic pistols for me. That being said, I love my GP100 revolver and PC carbine.

[chamberc]

Unfortunately I’ve had 2 bad experiences with Ruger pistols, the LC9s and LCP. The LC9s had a broken seer and the LCP was never reliable at feeding the next round. I carried the 9s for 3 weeks with the seer broken and never knew. Had I carried both at the same time, I might have gotten 1 round off.

No more Ruger semi automatic pistols for me. That being said, I love my GP100 revolver and PC carbine.

I've had a pair of LCP's since 2008 and an LC9s since it was released. I've fed at least 1000 rounds through the LCP's and at least 400 through the LC9s without issue. Prior to the LCP's, I was not a Ruger fan always running Browning Hi Powers and S&W revolvers. To each their own....

[LTUME1978]

My experience (and date of purchase) closely resemble that of "chamberc". I practice with my reloads and carry with Speer Gold Dot. I don't carry the LC9 often as I have other pistols that came out later that I prefer to carry but I am not getting rid of it. The LCPs are handy when I can't carry anything bigger. Paul Harrell has a video (search for the one on the 32 ACP as he is showing how much better the 380 is) where he tests the LCP 380 with Speer Gold Dot on the "meat target (simulate the human chest cavity)". Reliable feeding and excellent expansion of the bullets. Damage to the "meat target" was surprisingly good for that little pistol/cartridge. I still prefer to carry my compact commander 1911 in 45 ACP when possible but don't feel like I am empty handed with the LCP.

[denwego]

So, my thoughts on the MAX are twofold -

Number one, Ruger always, ALWAYS has a recall on new guns after they're released. ALWAYS. I can't think of a new model in the past 15 years which didn't have a send-it-back-to-us type of thing in the first six months. And they'll figure that stuff out and in December, new MAXes will be just fine, but there's no reason why you should do some of the R&D that the company should've done on their own dime and in their own time and delayed the release another half-year.

Number two, and probably the more relevant thing in my mind, is that the notion of subcompact 380s going back to the original LCP and the Keltec 93AT suffering a death of a thousand papercuts as they're "improved" and "iterated" in order to continue to drive sales... each little step in the road is, "oh, it's just a tiny bit longer!" or "oh, it's just a tiny bit wider!", but you add each of those little "insignificant" increases and you end up, to me, that the LCP MAX is basically on the edge of subcompact double stack 9mm and has stepped out of the whole point of their existence. The MAX is a full 23% longer in the grip than the original LCP, and about 20% heavier when fully loaded with flush mags, and to me, the whole point of the LCP is to be as small as possible. Yeah, on paper, twice as many rounds and a better trigger and blah blah blah, but if I'm gonna increase the height and weight to an honestly noticeable degree, I might as well take one more small step and carry a Springfield Hellcat and get even more capacity and a stronger cartridge and, honestly, a more pleasant gun to shoot by rather-uncomfortable guns to shoot standards. It's certainly a very fine gun, but now it just seems to be in this nebulous, undefined area of "oh, it's small, but not as small as it could be, and it's pretty high capacity, but not as high as it could be, and it's OK to shoot, but not as nice as it could be".

[LDB415]

Interesting comments so far. Comparing the Hellcat to the MAX, provided the specs I found online are accurate, the Hellcat has a 0.2" longer barrel, is 0.83" longer, 0.19" wider, 0.38" higher and 7.7 ounces heavier empty. The Hellcat does hold 1 round more ammo with basic magazines. Given the slightly greater weight per round plus 1 more the weight difference loaded is probably more like 9 ounces. All interesting things to spec on. Looking forward to more discussion.

[aaangel]

why can't ruger put a take down lever and a captive spring?? and yes as previously stated, I'll wait a year or after the recall plus where can you find defensive .380 ammo these days?

[oohrah]

Have had an LCP as my EDC for some years. It is very comfortable. I love its flatness and size. I belt carry at 4 o'clock, and usually forget it is there even on long drives. I can't see going to a longer wider version just for more bullets.

[Lumberjack98]

Interesting comments so far. Comparing the Hellcat to the MAX, provided the specs I found online are accurate, the Hellcat has a 0.2" longer barrel, is 0.83" longer, 0.19" wider, 0.38" higher and 7.7 ounces heavier empty. The Hellcat does hold 1 round more ammo with basic magazines. Given the slightly greater weight per round plus 1 more the weight difference loaded is probably more like 9 ounces. All interesting things to spec on. Looking forward to more discussion.

Also, the Hellcat is 9mm and the LCP MAX is .380.

[LDB415]

Have had an LCP as my EDC for some years. It is very comfortable. I love its flatness and size. I belt carry at 4 o'clock, and usually forget it is there even on long drives. I can't see going to a longer wider version just for more bullets.

Actually just longer by only 1/2 inch in grip length to go from 6 to 10 rounds in the magazine. The width of the MAX is actually 0.01" narrower according to Ruger specs. Four extra rounds and an arguably more comfortable and controllable grip seems like a win-win.

[oohrah]

Have had an LCP as my EDC for some years. It is very comfortable. I love its flatness and size. I belt carry at 4 o'clock, and usually forget it is there even on long drives. I can't see going to a longer wider version just for more bullets.

Actually just longer by only 1/2 inch in grip length to go from 6 to 10 rounds in the magazine. The width of the MAX is actually 0.01" narrower according to Ruger specs. Four extra rounds and an arguably more comfortable and controllable grip seems like a win-win.

I guess I'll have to check it out. Altho, if I need more than a few rounds in a defensive situation, I'm in the wrong firefight.

[LDB415]

Have had an LCP as my EDC for some years. It is very comfortable. I love its flatness and size. I belt carry at 4 o'clock, and usually forget it is there even on long drives. I can't see going to a longer wider version just for more bullets.

Actually just longer by only 1/2 inch in grip length to go from 6 to 10 rounds in the magazine. The width of the MAX is actually 0.01" narrower according to Ruger specs. Four extra rounds and an arguably more comfortable and controllable grip seems like a win-win.

I guess I'll have to check it out. Altho, if I need more than a few rounds in a defensive situation, I'm in the wrong firefight.

Yeah, but as they say, better to have it and not need it than to need it and not have it.

[NotRPB]

.delete browser went wacko

[NotRPB]

. delete browser went wack & triple posted