Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Handguns Ruger Max 9 - It's Nice!

I went shooting twice today with two different groups of friends. In the afternoon group one of the guys had a Ruger Max 9 fresh from the box with a Holosun 407K X2 on it. Naturally we all had to shoot it. He planned to zero it first and then let the rest of us have at it, but the dot was only off by about 3/4" out of the box so he didn't even mess with it. (He'll fine tune it with his carry ammo.) He paid $470+tax at a LGS that isn't known for being the best deal around, but at least it was in stock.

I liked the gun very much. It has no external safety and shipped with 2 magazines (1 10 round, and 1 12 round). It has a black rear sight and a green fiber optic front sight. The grip is a bit more square than a Sig P365, but nothing close to a Glock. I have small hands and it fit me perfectly. The trigger was different--not bad, just different. It was like there was virtually no wall. At first, you just increased pressure until it suddenly pulled straight through. It was smooth; really smooth. As I shot it a bit more, I could stage the trigger just fine but it still didn't have a build up to the wall; you just pushed until you knew to stop and then pushed some more to break it. Like I said, it was different, but I liked it. I like the Sig flat trigger shoe on my P365XL better, though.

The gun ran just fine. I can't say how many rounds went through it, but it shot 3 different kinds of factory ammo plus my handloads and it didn't hiccup at all. The first 8 rounds I shot were at my own target at 25 feet. 4 were through one hole. I was still getting to know the trigger, and I think I could tighten that up a smidge with some practice. Either way, it's close to as good as I can shoot a handgun.

8 shots:


The gun's grip is about the same length as the P365XL and the Ruger slide is a little shorter:




Anyway, over all I say it's a winner. I liked it every bit as much as my 365XL. Hopefully it continues to run well. If my buddy ever decides to part with it, I will seriously consider buying it.

Looks like it’s a shooter! I’ve yet to see one in a Gun store.

Its kind of a big LCP. Has a takedown pin and is kinda blocky. Honestly when i took it out of the box to look at it before putting it out here at the store, I thought it was too cheaply built and styled to go for the msrp they want for it.

However I am open to being proven wrong. If its a good gun then we can always welcome one more.

The photo does remind me of one of my LCP’s.

Which, by the way, have functioned flawlessly for YEARS.

I am a ruger fan. I just don't like the takedown pin idea and I don't feel the kind of build quality I do from Sig and glock and Springfield etc, in this one.

Just one guy's opinion. Haven't even shot one so what do i know.

I’ll have to admit I really like the quality of my Sig P365.
I don’t think it can be beat for a 9mm in that size range.

The pinnacle of modern Ruger pistol production were: P95/97, P345 hammer fired and SR series for striker fired. Now Ruger is working hard to improve their product line ie make it cheaper produce in quantity. There was one cheaper to make concept that translated into a better pistol which was the E where they utilized less expensive slide finish and got rid of that penile "loaded when up" indicator. One does not even have to watch any U-Tube videos to realize this. Gentlemen, all you have to do is look at availability of guns on second-hand market provided they were made in very large numbers to begin with.

I didn't even look at the gun from a maintenance perspective (2 other guys were pushing me out of the way to get their turn). I don't like the takedown pin idea either--good on you for bringing it up.

As for the build quality, I suppose that's something only time will tell. Holding my Sig in one hand and the Ruger in the other, I didn't notice anything that felt noticeably cheap about the Ruger, but I don't work at a gun store and handle a dozen or more pistols everyday for a living. I'm happy to defer to somebody who's had the time to pick over a gun in detail versus my 10 minutes with it.

It does shoot though...

That price includes the holosun red dot? It appears the sights co witness with it too.

It does fit my hand and has some nicely thought-out design ideas. Didn't mean to run it down. I just thought it felt more like a $379 gun than the $579 it was marked.

And obviously it is accurate, or at least the one you shot for sure.

No, the red dot was purchased separately.

Their new LCP Max looks extremely promising, too. It's their LCP pockeet .380, but with the newer, high cap type, magazine permitting 10 rounds of .380 ACP in the mag.

You can buy a beefier pin from MCarbo. I put one in my LCP custom and my wife’s LCP2. Along with they’re trigger spring kit and stainless rod. The kit noticeably improved the trigger.
Sorry I just realized this thread is for the max nine model.

Haven’t seen that one yet. I’ll have to check it out.

I really like my LCP .22 also. It’s actually an LCP II
Holds 10 rounds plus 1 in the chamber.

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I'm a little concerned for you guys.

https://www.ruger.com/products/lcpMax/models.html

I thought it would be obvious to anyone that the Max resembles the LCP when Ruger has titled it the LCP Max.

Enjoy the LCP, LCR, 365s, Hellfires etc. We'll never see them for sale in Canada, barrel is too short. Ruger could fit them with a 4.25" barrel that sticks out of the frame. That kinda ruins the look and defeats the purpose of such pistols. Only 10 round magazines. Can't shoot them except at the range. Obviously, can't carry a handgun.

The smallest 9mm I own is a Glock 48.

I could get a Browning 1911-380.

I don't like the little take down pin, but then my 1911 pistols have one too.

Yeah, I'll accept that sort of take down procedure on a little pocket .380, but not so much on a 9mm belt gun.