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I wanted a gun for those times when I wanted to carry a gun but didn't want to carry my regular P2000sk. a low cost gun to throw in my pocket or IWB for a quick trip or walk. the original plan was to pick up a Glock 42, but after handling the store model I realized the 42 is bigger than I thought it was. it feels right on the borderline of what can be considered a "pocket gun". the guy showed me a LCP max saying it was smaller than the Glock but can hold more rounds in the mag felt good in the hand and the total out the door price was still under $500 so I bought and 10 days later picked up my fist modern micro gun. I don't know if Ruger is going to make a CA friendly version of this gun, it seems like their entire reason for making the LCP max was to create the smallest ,cheapest double stack .380 they could produce. adding CA features would increase production costs and i am not sure if they would do it for a .380 as micro 9's are the new hotness. if they do or you find a good deal for PPT I would recommend it if you are looking for a pocket/backup gun.
what's included
the LCP max comes with one 10 round magazine, a pinky extension for that one magazine, a mag loader that is absolutely required to load the last round, a pocket holster, cheap useless cable lock, some stickers and paperwork.
I would have appreciated a second mag be included, but I guess that's how Ruger is keeping the cost of the pistol low and getting you to purchase a second 10 round or 12 round magazine after you buy the pistol.
the gun
defiantly not a "fun" gun to bring to the range and run 500 rounds. it does make nice fireballs out of the 2 inch barrel, but that novelty wears off quick. I don't think anyone buying one of theses expects it to be fun though. its a small gun that's super easy to carry and has a nice 10 or 12 round capacity. sights are nice ,Ruger didn't cut any corners to save a buck with the sights. they give you a steel u notch rear with a high visibility tritium front. the gun is supposed to accept Smith and Wesson bodyguard sights so if you wanted to replace them you can. the lcp max is a 2 finger grip, 2.5 if you add the pinky extension to the 10 round mag, and a 3 finger grip with the 12 round mag. i just use the 12 round mag because it still fits in the pocket makes it easier to grip and draw wile taming some of the snappy recoil.
the trigger
the trigger sucks, its the bast**d child of glock and a 1911............ technically the LCP max is a single action only gun but it does not feel like a single action gun. the trigger has a spur, long take up to a 5ish pound wall then a long reset. i am sure with practice I can get faster, but double taps feel slow with this gun. the trigger also pinches. i have heard that if you replace the trigger with a aftermarket aluminum trigger it fixes the pinching, but I don't see the need to invest any more money into this gun as i am not going to be bringing it out to the range every time I go. i already bought a IWB holster and magazine twin pack, that's enough money spent on this gun...besides if I get into a situation with this gun, I am sure the last thing on my mind will be how the trigger bites.
me being OCD
its been reliable at the range, but one potential problem i see with this gun is just how open it is. if you are pocket carrying the lcp max, any dust bunnies/ lint or whatever else is in your pocket can find its way into the gun. the back of the slide has a massive opening for hammer travel so when you look inside you can see the hammer, firing pin and the next round in the magazine. maybe I'm being paranoid, but after I pocket carry the max I alwase disassemble it to make sure its clear of pocket debris. I also sent the first pack of 12 round magazines back to the mag shack, the metal appeared to be separating in the back of the magazines. the replacements I got were much better and the metal separation dose not appear to be present. they are impossible to load without the magazine loader though. they are worse than Glock mags with a +2 baseplate
ammo
I have ran some JHP's through it at the range, without any problems. mostly I have fire FMJ through it and it has not had a issue. I am currently carrying the same FMJ ammo I use at the range. after watching a bunch of gel tests using the LCP I have come to the conclusion that JHP's do not reliably expand out of its 2 inch barrel. they either get sh*t penetration with partial expansion or decent penetration with no expansion. I haven't seen a JHP that has contestant performance out of the two inch barrel so i would rather save money and go with 12 rounds of guaranteed penetration. if you know of any JHP's that preform well out of a 2 inch barrel please let me know.
conclusion
i like it. I'm carrying it a lot more than I thought I would. haven't had a issue with it yet at the range and its a great affordable grab and go gun that packs a lot of firepower into a small snappy but controllable package.
pictures!
what's included
the LCP max comes with one 10 round magazine, a pinky extension for that one magazine, a mag loader that is absolutely required to load the last round, a pocket holster, cheap useless cable lock, some stickers and paperwork.
I would have appreciated a second mag be included, but I guess that's how Ruger is keeping the cost of the pistol low and getting you to purchase a second 10 round or 12 round magazine after you buy the pistol.
the gun
defiantly not a "fun" gun to bring to the range and run 500 rounds. it does make nice fireballs out of the 2 inch barrel, but that novelty wears off quick. I don't think anyone buying one of theses expects it to be fun though. its a small gun that's super easy to carry and has a nice 10 or 12 round capacity. sights are nice ,Ruger didn't cut any corners to save a buck with the sights. they give you a steel u notch rear with a high visibility tritium front. the gun is supposed to accept Smith and Wesson bodyguard sights so if you wanted to replace them you can. the lcp max is a 2 finger grip, 2.5 if you add the pinky extension to the 10 round mag, and a 3 finger grip with the 12 round mag. i just use the 12 round mag because it still fits in the pocket makes it easier to grip and draw wile taming some of the snappy recoil.
the trigger
the trigger sucks, its the bast**d child of glock and a 1911............ technically the LCP max is a single action only gun but it does not feel like a single action gun. the trigger has a spur, long take up to a 5ish pound wall then a long reset. i am sure with practice I can get faster, but double taps feel slow with this gun. the trigger also pinches. i have heard that if you replace the trigger with a aftermarket aluminum trigger it fixes the pinching, but I don't see the need to invest any more money into this gun as i am not going to be bringing it out to the range every time I go. i already bought a IWB holster and magazine twin pack, that's enough money spent on this gun...besides if I get into a situation with this gun, I am sure the last thing on my mind will be how the trigger bites.
me being OCD
its been reliable at the range, but one potential problem i see with this gun is just how open it is. if you are pocket carrying the lcp max, any dust bunnies/ lint or whatever else is in your pocket can find its way into the gun. the back of the slide has a massive opening for hammer travel so when you look inside you can see the hammer, firing pin and the next round in the magazine. maybe I'm being paranoid, but after I pocket carry the max I alwase disassemble it to make sure its clear of pocket debris. I also sent the first pack of 12 round magazines back to the mag shack, the metal appeared to be separating in the back of the magazines. the replacements I got were much better and the metal separation dose not appear to be present. they are impossible to load without the magazine loader though. they are worse than Glock mags with a +2 baseplate
ammo
I have ran some JHP's through it at the range, without any problems. mostly I have fire FMJ through it and it has not had a issue. I am currently carrying the same FMJ ammo I use at the range. after watching a bunch of gel tests using the LCP I have come to the conclusion that JHP's do not reliably expand out of its 2 inch barrel. they either get sh*t penetration with partial expansion or decent penetration with no expansion. I haven't seen a JHP that has contestant performance out of the two inch barrel so i would rather save money and go with 12 rounds of guaranteed penetration. if you know of any JHP's that preform well out of a 2 inch barrel please let me know.
conclusion
i like it. I'm carrying it a lot more than I thought I would. haven't had a issue with it yet at the range and its a great affordable grab and go gun that packs a lot of firepower into a small snappy but controllable package.
pictures!
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