NOTE: THE FOLLOWING IS COPYRIGHT 2011 BY James Bell Jr.
ALL RIGHTS ARE RESERVED.
As many of you know, we had the opportunity to handle - very briefly - the Ruger LC9 at Media Day at the Range as part of the 2011 SHOT Show. At that time I posted a video on our YouTube channel stating that I felt that I wasn't sure how I felt about it, and that I needed more trigger time on it. Lots of folks were dissaponted - they wanted to hear a glowing review.
I had the chance last week to test out a production model along with a few other folks. I really like Ruger revolvers and long guns, and their SR-series semi-automatic pistols are a major improvement over their P series firearms. So, now that I have hand the chance to shoot the LC9 a little more, how do I feel about it?
I have to report that I'm not wild about it. This isn't a fully detailed product review as we would normally do here on JeepGunner.com, but based on what I observed, I don't think we will need to say much more about this one. I'll devote the typing-time to something a little better.
I shot a quick video to answer the most frequent question I’m asked about the latest Ruger semi-automatic firearms (how far does that loaded chamber indicator stick up?) and to show one of the things that was VERY notable the first time I shot it.
The baseplate of the magazine moves. It moves a LOT. There is a sub-floorplate in there, and it seems they used one from an LCP magazine. This is purported to be identical to shipping products, so I’m not impressed. You can check out the video at www.YouTube.com/JeepGunner, but here are a couple of photos that really show that floorplate movement...
That is a LOT of movement in that floorplate. Also note the added thumb safety.
I'm not impressed at all there.
In terms of shooting it, the recoil isn’t that bad to me, but I try to take into account that some people are more sensitive to it than others. I don’t see anyone having issues with it with standard 9mm range ammo, but I do think that some will find it a bit too much when shooting 9mm +p defensive loads. The frame isn't very forgiving.
Groups were terrible. All of those shooting it felt that the trigger pull was inconsistent, and the accuracy was not really good. Several of us had rounds that were way off. Expect to require a lot of practice with it in order to reliably hit your target with good shot placement every time. Much more than with a Glock or Springfield XD right out of the box.
I also noted that during cycling of the action, the guide rod never comes to rest at exactly the same point - and sometimes comes clear up to touch the muzzle. Take a look...
That may partially account for some of the terrible groups that folks encountered when shooting it.
The three-dot sights are far better than what you have on the LCP. But the way it performs, it’s still a close-range gun - not a good target firearm. I would not classify it as being suitable for 25-yard shooting without a TON of practice at the least.
In practical terms, the .380 LCP is a contact-range to 5 or 7 foot gun. The sights on it pretty much preclude any real target use, and it's not comfortable enough to shoot for long durations.
This 9mm LC9 is also a close-range firearm, out to about 21-feet at most - and that with a good deal of practice. I recommend a ton of practice with it, until you are able to accurately place shots consistently at that distance, before you carry it.
Before I forget, there is a magazine disconnect in this firearm. It will not shoot without a magazine inserted - even if there is a round in the chamber. I’m not a real fan of that feature, and one person that looked the internals of the LC9 over (take down isn’t uber simple) felt that this part of the mechanism was weak. We’ll see where it goes - he's expecting a recall.
9mm is certainly better than .380 auto, and this is a very thin gun. At the price point I can see a lot of folks looking into it, but I’d go a little bigger (and a bit more money) and get a Glock 26, Ruger SR9c, Springfield XDm, or consider a Kahr.
At this point, that’s my opinion. If you are going to get one, practice with it until you can reliably, consistently, make accurate shots at a minimum of 21 feet before you actually carry it.
James Bell, Jr. -JeepGunner / ATVGunner / HondaGunner