Ruger LCP MAX: 1 Year Review — Gasoline and Gravel

Resuscitating the .380 ACP

Pros

Doublestack capacity
The definition of concealable
Stock night sight
Tiny even for a microcompact

Cons

Slippery grip texture and ergonomics
Snappy recoil impulse
It’s still a .380

I’m going to level with you right out of the gate; I don’t like the .380 ACP cartridge. And if you’ve spent any amount of time in the gun community you know that this isn’t a controversial opinion.

.380 is essentially a shorter, lighter, and slower version of a 9mm cartridge, which is already one of the weakest handgun chamberings to begin with. In recent years with the introduction of pistols like the Glock 43X and Sig Sauer P365, options emerged with doublestack 9mm capacity in the same dimensions as the older single-stack .380s. To put it simply, for the same size as a 7-round .380, you could get more power with double the ammo. The .380, it seemed, was dead. And none of us were mourning the loss.

But whether out of sales desperation or undying Fuddlore, Ruger refused to give up on the dainty little .380 even after everyone else in the subcompact/microcompact game had called Time of Death. But Ruger must know something we don’t, for out from the smoke of their secret labs emerged a gun that surprised me so much that I’m still surprised by it to this day after a full year of ownership. Surprised by the audacity of Ruger to keep the .380 on life support, and surprised by how good this little micro blaster actually is.

I cannot overstate how tiny this gun is. My Sig P365 is small, but this gun is the very definition of micro-compact deep-carry pocket-pistol. Without a magazine, this thing damn near fits behind my phone. But with that size comes pros and cons. Let’s investigate.

For a carry gun, visuals should be last on the chopping block. However, when scanning the local gun store’s glass cases of delectable matte black, we’d all be lying if we said appearance didn’t play at least some role in our carry pieces. Unlike my Shadow Systems MR920’s sharply angular edges evoking an aggressive and sexy apperance, the smoothly round edges of the Ruger make it look more like a blobby beluga whale in comparison. But the proportions kind of make up for it. It looks much more athletic than the LCP II and the deep slide grooves accent the look. As far as micro guns go, it’s on the positive side of “fair.”

Initial impressions when grabbing the LCP MAX are of the grip. The texture feels much improved from the LCP II or the LC9, but the shape somehow felt… incomplete? The front strap of the Ruger is considerably skinnier than something like a P365. The broader, squared off front strap of the Sig’s grip fills out the three lower fingers of the shooting hand, making it feel more like a solid handful. The Ruger’s front strap is not only skinnier, but it rounds off sooner and offers much less grip texture, leaving a dead area where you never feel like you’re gripping it fully. This is coming from a guy with small hands, so I can’t imagine what it must be like to shoot it with normal or large hands.

The slidelock, magazine release, and takedown lever are very low profile. Dropping the slide with the slidelock is difficult just because of how little surface you can press on, and I really recommend just going over the slide and racking it like normal.

The typical Ruger flimsiness I’ve felt on so many of their pistols persisted. The broader trigger feels much beefier and sturdier than an LC9 or LCP/LCP II, but sore spots still persist. The polymer frame still doesn’t feel as upmarket as it could compared to its competitors; it doesn’t feel bad, it just feels cheaper. Even with a fully loaded magazine seated in the magwell, the slide is allowed to rock quite a bit. The trigger has a decent wall and breaks fairly crisp, but the reset isn’t very tactile and is quite sloppy. Overall, it didn’t feel like it was punching below its class, but it also wasn’t a knockout, either.

Dry firing the LCP MAX induces a weird “sproing!” noise. A quick search of the guts reveals that the hammer spring is long, cheap-feeling, and exposed in the backstrap of the grip. The noise is created by a combination of location and harmonics of what the spring mounts to, and doesn’t seem to affect shootability or durability in any way. It’s still odd and makes the gun feel like an airsoft toy, but this is a very mild complaint since it doesn’t seem to negatively affect its operation and performance. SPROING!

The slippery feeling frame did translate into less controllability when shooting for speed. Rapid controlled pair drills wouldn’t shake my grip, but dumping any more than five rounds at a time (for instance, what you would do in a life-and-death scenario) would force me to readjust mid-magdump. It’s not a positive attribute by any means, but I suspect some Talon grip tape will help immensely. Not only will grip tape help negate the LCP MAX’s atrociously slippery frame, but it will also help fill out your fingers more and provide a meatier handful to grip on to.

Recoil impulse is quite snappy since this featherweight comes in at 11 ounces unloaded. It’s not a deal-breaker, but it’s definitely noticably snappier than other subcompacts and microcompacts. You may have to modify placement of your support hand because it’s such a short gun, but with some trigger time it became predictable and controllable. The stock night sight glows decently in the dark and the white ring is plenty bright in daylight. The rear sight is disappointingly featureless which severely affects the ease of medium-range accuracy. This gun is designed to be an up-close personal defense weapon, but being able to confidently attempt shots out to 40 yards is always something you should consider in your carry piece (just ask Eli Dicken).

Most guns have some sort of unspoken wear-in period, where there are some quirks to iron out with the new steel and polymer. I experienced one out-of-battery midway through my first ever mag, but never had another hiccup afterwards. No failure to feeds, no stovepipes, nothing. Despite the cheapy feel, this gun just ran.

The width of the grip seems to be its worst attribute, as it discourages you from placing the pad of your finger on the trigger like normal. The gun is so skinny that an instinctive reactionary grab of the gun places the trigger in the crook, the first bend, of your index finger. Not only can this contribute to inaccuracy, but it also is uncomfortable. During the split seconds of a life-and-death scenario you won’t care about ergonomics, but practicing to hone your skill with this gun to razor sharpness becomes a chore due to comfort.

I don’t recommend pocket carry as your daily driver, but the LCP MAX does come with one and that’s pretty damn cool. To have an option for carry right out of the box is kind of rare and I give credit where credit is due. When I do pocket carry the Ruger, I carry on an empty chamber out of safety, and simply train to rack the slide as part of my draw and presentation. I actually rack the slide as I’m punching the weapon out to full presentation and fire the first shot one-handed. Consistent training has given me a consistent sub 1.75 second draw. Considering I’m drawing from the pocket and adding an extra step by chambering a round, I’m happy with that kind of draw-a-bility.

Carrying in an actual holster, this thing is so small it really doesn’t matter what location you carry it in. Appendix, 4:00 position, belly band; it just disappears. I carry appendix in a Vedder holster with the concealment claw, and you truly cannot tell when I have this gun on me. It’s small and concealable, but it’s also lightweight and comfortable.

The smooth and round frame, while a bit detrimental when sending rounds downrange, makes it imperceptible when you’re wearing it. It doesn’t snag on clothing or flesh and the texture doesn’t rub a rash on your stomach, either. The only thing that keeps the LCP MAX from a full 10/10 is that its size becomes a detriment. The grip is so short and the gun is so skinny that you really have to mount it up high in order to get a consistent, full tang grip during your initial draw. And holsters that restrict a full-tang grip like a VersaCarry are completely out of the question.

Verdict — 78% - C

I should clarify something: this gun is phenomenal… for what it is. This gun is not for everyone. As stated, gripping this gun isn’t comfortable even for my tiny hands. And once again, it’s still one of the weakest handgun cartridges you can buy. So why did I get this gun? Why do I think this gun is for me?

This is a perfect second concealed carry option. It’s perfect for all the times you can’t or don’t want to put on your full rig. If I’m just walking to my mailbox or going on a run, do I really want to have to strap on a belt, mag carrier, holster, gun, and two full mags? No. The LCP MAX allows me to have self defense that I can just toss in a pocket holster, shove it in my gym shorts pocket, and walk out the door. It’s so light that you can’t feel it, it doesn’t weigh down your shorts, and it’s so small that you don’t even need to wear it on your waist. This thing lives perfectly concealed in my athletic shorts in the pocket holster that came with it. Shorts don’t have a pocket? Throw it into an appendix holster with an Ulticlip.

But this isn’t purely a second gun, because that would be silly. The micro mouse is also great for sweltering hot days when I’m rocking a tank top, making it harder to conceal my Glock 19. The P365 is quite small and easily concealable, but the smoother edges of the LCP actually make it blend more into the waves of the shirt. However, I won’t go anywhere with this gun without having two full 12-round magazines. There’s a reason capacity is king these days: handguns are weak, and .380s are weaker.

Given that this gun is in my carry rotation, I can’t claim that it’s a bad firearm. As much as I bash the .380 cartridge, I’ve never met anyone who wants to be shot with one. Modern ballistics and powder has made hollowpoint defensive options sufficiently powerful even in weak chamberings. It’s good enough that I trust my life with it, and that’s a high bar. Saying that about a gun I just gave a “C” to seems crazy, but it’s because this isn’t my daily driver. There are TONS of better handguns out there, but there are no better .380s.