This Ruger LCP MAX review is going to cover Ruger’s newest .380 offering.
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The Ruger LCP and LCP II have been a staple in the American concealed carry market ever since their introduction. These .380 pistols are extremely popular for concealed carry, but despite their popularity, they lacked capacity and suitability.
These guns are very small, holding only six rounds in the magazine. They are not much fun to shoot.
Ruger came up with the Ruger LCP MAX to try and rectify some of those issues.
Role
Ruger LCP MAX isn’t what I’d call a small gun. It’s not large either, but it’s definitely much larger than the Ruger LCP and LCP II by comparison.
Almost anybody can pocket-carry a Ruger LCP or LCP II. The LCP MAX is not within the size limits where I would suggest everyone could pocket-carry it.
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Shooting
I was excited to get this gun out to the range. When I got to shoot it, I was somewhat impressed by how low the recoil was when comparing it to the Ruger LCP and LCP II.
There was still a lot of muzzle flip and the gun definitely bucked in your hands, but it wasn’t painful to shoot like its smaller LCP brothers. Now, when it comes to actually hitting the target, that’s another matter.
This gun takes a lot of concentration to shoot accurately.
I’m a big fan of the Glock 42, and the first time I took the Glock 42 out to shoot accuracy at distance, I managed to pull a three to four-inch group off at 25 yards without trouble in around 12 to 15 seconds.
Accuracy
I would be lucky to shoot a similarly-sized group with the Ruger LCP MAX at three to five yards.
If you’re three yards in, this gun will get the job done.
If you have the time to try to place an accurate shot at five to seven yards, it can work, but it’s just a much harder gun to shoot than the Glock 42.
My friend, a humble marksman who is a masterclass USPSA shooter in both Production and Open classes, acquired a Ruger LCP MAX for review.
He had a similar experience shooting the gun.
He’s a much better shot than I am and can get decent results with the gun. Still it’s still exceptionally hard for him to shoot and requires a lot of concentration.
Because of how hard this gun is to shoot, I’m going to take some points away from the Ruger LCP MAX.
Final Thoughts
Would I buy the Ruger LCP MAX for personal use? No.
This is not a gun that I plan to carry. Despite the Glock 42 holding only six rounds, its shootability makes it much more enticing to me than the Ruger LCP MAX.
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