Ruger LCP Max .380 ACP 2.8 10RD 75th Anniversary - 2.8" Barrel, 10+1 Rounds

The short version is it’s a pretty good lil pistol and a keeper. Now for the long version... The following observations and commentary are based upon ME shooting MY pistol. I just wanted to point that out. The primary testing/break-in ammo was LAX 100 gr RNFP. I have a 500 rd ammo can full and it seems pretty good and consistent. Also, I ran a few magazines of Hornady 90 gr FTX Critical Defense through it as this is my preferred .380 carry round. I didn’t have much in stock so I saved the last 11-rounds to carry. The test protocols I used were not high-tech nor tacti-cool by any means. Primarily, I wanted to make certain it functioned reliably as there’s been some various complaints regarding the piece. Second to that was (combat) accuracy. This is not a target pistol and, due mainly to medical reasons, I am not the marksman I was a few years ago. Out of the box the pistol was stiff, for lack of a better term, and the trigger pull was heavy, et cetera. Keep in mind, that Ruger’s cramming a lot into a package the size of some .25 ACPs. Therefore, it’s no surprise to me that this pistol requires a break-in period. Some will argue that all pistols do, nonetheless, I’ve shot some, right out of the box, that were just fine. One example was my Glock 30 (except for the mag spring). Others took 300 rounds to smooth out, especially the old all steel pistols. Any-who, this LCP MAX came around fairly fast, noticeably so. After the mandatory clean & lube (it was very clean as shipped, BTW), I dry fired it a few dozen times to see if the trigger got any better. It seemed to, somewhat, yet it’s not as smooth or light as I’d like it. That’ll probably change with use and I don’t want it too light either. Since there’s no trigger reset, this required me to work the slide fully each time. The benefit was that got a little smoother as well. The pistol comes with one 10-round magazine. This has an optional finger rest base plate, which I installed right away due to my large, long, hands. It’s not much, but it helps and is not a problem for me while pocket carrying. A big complaint with these pistols is the magazines; mainly they don’t activate the slide lock on the last shot or, at times, when the slide is pulled back manually. Luckily, I had neither problem. Also, they’re hard to load and difficult to seat when fully loaded and the slide is in battery. This is true and they do come with a loader, which helps with the former. However, need I mention that 10-rounds of .380 ammo are being crammed into this small magazine, of course it will be difficult. Load 10-rounds of .45 ACP into a new G30 magazine sometime. The first three or four magazine loadings, I had to use the loading jig to get the tenth round in there. After that, I could load it completely by hand, with little difficulty. Since I have only the one mag, so far, I loaded the pistol 10 1 each time. This worked on that tenth round issue and helped with the seating and the difficulty of racking the slide with a full magazine inserted. The latter was another complaint that some had. I intentionally did not take any easy routes with the test/break-in, such as only loading ten and/or inserting the mag with the slide locked back and so forth. All I can tell you is, by the time I was done, these concerns were either gone or improving rapidly. On to the shooting. I did have one jam or “FTF”, as they’re called nowadays. With the first magazine full of the LAX ammo, about the third or fourth round did not fully load. I intentionally did not do a tap, rap, bag, because I wanted to see what the actual problem was. I have no idea why this occurred, a slight rap on the back of the slide chambered the round. That was the only FTF I had; no other problems were encountered with the LAX or Hornady ammo. Not that I fired a lot, maybe 150 rounds or “theres abouts”. Honestly I lost count, D’oh. The sun was high and at my back yet there was no glare off the stainless steel slide. Ruger did a nice job of, what appears to be, fine bead blasting on the top of the slide. The sights were easy to pick up, even for me. There’s a large tritium dot on the front post, the rear is black, both are steel. The pistol and my shooting both surprised me. FYI, I’m right-handed but have macular damage in my right eye. So I had to train myself to shoot using my left eye, but I digress. My impressions are, as I said, she’s a keeper. Either I got a good one or Ruger has quietly fixed some of the glitches or there’s a lot of people out there complaining about things from initial impressions and not getting enough rounds through the pistol. I’m not saying these complaints aren’t legit; it’s just that I do not know the circumstances of the occurrences and if they’re chronic or not. In my opinion, there’s a large amount of pistol crammed into a very small package. From my example, I think Ruger did a good job. I have, potentially, a 12 1 round pistol, in a reasonably effective caliber, that’s scant larger than a Beretta 950, and slips into (and out of) my front pocket with ease. What more can you ask for? There was also a legitimate complaint of trigger finger pinching, which I neglected to mention earlier. This I can see happening from the design, nonetheless I thankfully didn’t experience any during my shooting session. The web of my hand was slightly sore after the session though, as there is some recoil from the little pistol. As mentioned, I have somewhat large, long, hands and couldn’t get up, into the back strap area well with the web of my hand. I’m thinking a Hogue Handall Beavertail grip sleeve is in order. These solved the problem on my LCP and my Kahr Arms P9. I do need a couple of extra magazines. My pistol functions flawlessly with the 10-round magazine it came with, even activating the slide lock on the last shot. Additionally, considering my location and lifestyle (rural and old), I can’t envision even needing the pistol (however I do carry religiously). If I should, I highly doubt I’d need more than a few rounds to solve the problem and currently have 10 1 in the pistol. That tells me to just get a couple of 10 rounders. It’s just the allure of a couple of extra rounds, for literally only a few bucks more, that’s causing my quandary. Well, that and the reliability question of the 12 round units versus the 10.

Great little carry gun. Fairly accurate and light weight. As usually working with Bud was a pleasure. thier the best.

The LCP Max is accurate for it’s size, light and very concealable. I live in the south and being in my pocket for extended periods, the stainless slide will help prevent corrosion. Grip angle and pointability feels natural to my hand. It comes with an extra baseplate to help the pinky get a grip. It also came with a 12rd mag and a pocket holster. The only thing I didn’t like about it is the trigger pull which is horrible though it could be it’s safety feature. I estimate a trigger pull of around 8-10 lbs and hopefully it will be lighter with more rounds shot and dry fire. There’s a slight slide rattle when the firearm is in battery but this is not a precision target pistol so it does not matter to me. This seems to be the case because my friend’s LCP Max also rattles.

I wanted a small, easy to conceal firearm for personal protection an this fits the bill perfectly for me.

I purchased this gun to replace an original LCP my wife purchased a few years ago. This item works for her because she has small hands and arthritis in her wrists. The purchase process was very easy but the amount of time to process payments leaves something to be desired. Bud's did keep me updated throughout the process right up to the time my order was shipped. I will definitely purchase from them again if my local vendor can't match the price or doesen't have the item I wish to purchase. JG

Exactly as expected. The little LCP Max has performed flawlessly with all the ammunition I’ve tried and it fits perfectly in my pocket. I actually like the little pocket carry holster that Ruger provides. Dealing with Buds Guns was a pleasure, the transaction was seamless.

Great little pocket gun, fit and finish is very nice. Would buy again if I need one!

The trigger on this gun is pathetic. If you try to pull it with your finger near the top of it, the trigger safety will not let that happen. In addition it's super hard to pull. I ordered an aftermarket trigger to replace the unsafe and undependable trigger from Ruger. I won't change the trigger springs, after all it's just a belly gun. I took it to the range, fired 170 rounds, one FTF which could have been my fault, aside from that function was fine and the pistol is accurate for it's size. The sights are nice and overall the pistol is better than the first incarnation of it. Ruger is a marginal manufacturer in any case, that's my opinion.

It's a great little pistol for concealed carry. Extremely comfortable and easy to carry. Shoots well for its size. Improved trigger over the standard LCP Max.

I guess this is the quality we can expect these days...or lack there of. As lots of others have noted. There is NO way I could put the 10th round into the magazine.I can't be sure, but is the frame where the slide rides in really completely plastic? or is there metal inserts covered with plastic? Other brands, such as Glock, you can clearly see metal inserts. I noticed Ruger quality has been steadily going downhill for a long time. I used to be a tried and true fan of Sturm Ruger. I am not anymore. I will stick to the European brands. But Buds Gun Shop has been Great! I really love the selection. I think Buds really does have the Best selection to choose from. The prices are Very competitive.