by After building suspense for it throughout the New Year’s Weekend, Ruger annouced they are introducing the LC9 effective February 1, 2011. It is a slightly larger 9mm version of their popular LCP .380 pistol. MSRP on the LC9 is $443.
From their press release:
The LC9 has a 3.12″ barrel, is 6.0″ long and 4.5″ tall, making for a very compact 9mm pistol. The LC9 is impressively narrow at a mere .90″ wide, and weighs only 17.1 ounces with an empty magazine. Featuring a black polymer (glass-filled nylon) frame and blued alloy steel slide and barrel, the lightweight, full-featured Ruger LC9 offers the versatility and capability of the popular 9mm cartridge in a highly compact, reliable, and user-friendly pistol…
The LC9 is a double-action-only, hammer-fired, locked-breech pistol with a smooth trigger pull. Control and confident handling of the Ruger LC9 are accomplished through reduced recoil and aggressive frame checkering for a positive grip in all conditions. The Ruger LC9 features smooth “melted” edges for ease of holstering, carrying and drawing.
Specifications:
| Caliber: | 9mm Luger |
| Capacity: | 7+1 |
| Sights: | Adjustable 3-Dot |
| Barrel Material: | Alloy Steel |
| Barrel Finish | Blued |
| Slide Material | Through-Hardened Alloy Steel |
| Slide Finish | Blued |
| Grip Frame | Black, High Performance, Glass-Filled Nylon |
There has been a lot of talk on the blogs, podcasts, and forums that pocket or micro-9’s were going to be the next wave after the slew of .380s introduced in the last couple of years. It looks like Ruger took that seriously and wants to be one of the first out with a pocket 9. SigSauer introduced their Sig P290 which is another of the polymer pocket 9’s not that long ago. I’m sure we will see a number of these pocket 9’s introduced at SHOT.
As to whether I want to buy one, I’d have to shoot it first. I could see the recoil on something this small being rather snappy. Still, this new LC9 did catch me by surprise as I was expecting a full-size SR45. Maybe that is being left for introduction at the SHOT Show.
UPDATE: Michael Bane reviews the LC9 and compares it head to head with the LCP in the video below. He also has a full post on the micro or pocket 9’s here. In the comments there has been some criticism of the external manual safety. Bane comments that he likes it for carrying outside of a holster such as a fanny pack or a Wilderness Tactical Safepacker.
Not for me, unless Ruger decided to deep-six the magazine safety.
Why not a striker instead of an extermal hammer? Does it have a drop safety?
@ Federale: From Ruger's website – SAFETY FEATURES include internal lock, manual safety and patented loaded chamber indicator which provides visual and tactile indication that chamber is loaded.
Or you can buy a Kel Tec PF9 NOW for about $250 with no "magazine safety" or manual safety. Oh, and just like the 380 that Ruger copied, this Ruger appears to be a copy of the PF 9.
Internal lock means one of those key locks or a drop safety?
I looked at the PF9, and ended up selecting the P11 from KelTec. It is very close in size, and, with the optional magazine, holds 12+1. It will also take S&W M59 magazines.
You can see my comparison of the two KelTecs at http://goodhillpress.blogspot.com/2010/11/brace-of-9mms-part-ii.html
I think I would like this gun, too.