Ruger LC9 - looking for some info / thoughts from owners. Thanks.

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bedbugbilly

New member
Normally, I carry a Ruger LCR for CCW - but I do have a Ruger SR9 that I sometimes utilize. Like most of us on here though, a person sometimes gets a "bug" to try something new. I've searched on here in regards to the LC9 and found some info on it but would like to hear from some of you who actually own and shoot one.

I'm a "Ruger fan" - own a number of them as well as S & W and Colts but I'd like a smaller 9mm semi-auto for CCW at times. I've looked at the .380s - Bodyguard, LCP, etc. and I just don't know how much I'd like one that small - plus I primarily shoot 38spl and 9mm - so would like to stick with a 9mm as I like the cartridge and sometimes it is easier for me to find the 9mm cartridges in the areas I'm in.

So . . . .

For those of you that have the LC9, after having it for a while, shooting it and possibly using it for CCW . . . what are your thought on it?

Size wise, it looks like it would be a decent compact size semi to carry. I'd be more than comfortable with the capacity of the magazine and the single stack mag certainly helps to keep the pistol thinner than the SR9.

What about recoil? Comfortable or uncomfortable to shoot?

Overall function . . . . are the "bugs" worked out of the design and have you experienced many problems with yours? FTF, FTE, etc.? If you've had any problems, what were they?

Accuracy at SD distances? As far as practice at a range, are the sights adequate?

Your overall thoughts on the LC9? Would you recommend one or not? Would you get one again?

Yea, I know there are a lot of other makes and models out there but the LC9 is the one I'm interested in hearing some thoughts on. It looks like a decent compact 9mm that would be an nice CCW . . . I'd just like to know more about 'em before I decide to drop the cash on one. Thanks! :)
 
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Yung.gunr

New member
We had one for my wife for a little while. She did not like shooting it at all, snappy recoil. I didn't want it because it is too big for pocket carry and if I am going to carry something on a belt holster I would want a double stack.

Quality looked nice, but the safeties were a bit much. It had the thumb safety AND a long trigger pull. I'd prefer one or the other. My TCP has a long tigger pull and no active safety. My Sig P238 has an active safety and a short light-ish trigger pull. Give me one or the other...

One gun I have no regrets about getting rid of.
 
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MJFlores

New member
I have and carry an LCP during this warmth...but GF has an LC9 that I shoot quite a bit. I think the LC9 in a nice little gun. It's accurate, slim, sights are nice. I think the LC9 recoils less than my LCP, and both have the same accuracy. To date, both guns have a ton of rounds through them and neither has ever had any malfunction of any kind with several types of ammo so the design is sound. I would say try renting one at a range and see what you think.
 
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Fishbed77

New member
My bother has an LC9, and I've shot it quite a bit. It's a superbly reliable pistol, and the stock 3-dot sights are quite nice, but the trigger is TERRIBLE. The pull is very long, but not smooth at all, and by the time it breaks, your trigger finger is in an awkward position. Fit and finish is pretty nice, and the pistol is slim, and well-contoured for concealed carry, but the thumb safety (which is pretty much pointless on a pistol like this) is small, stiff, and hard to actuate.

I much prefer my Kahr CM9. It too has a long trigger, but the feel is so much smoother and crisper, and despite being a slightly smaller pistol, the Kahr shoots quite a bit more softly. It's also been 100% reliable.
 
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hodaka

New member
My wife just got her carry permit and after shooting my LCP decided to get an LC9. As previously stated by others, it has been 100% reliable with a variety of ammo, mostly my reloads. She can shoot it well, probably because she doesn't realize how terrible the trigger is. It is an extremely long pull and not very smooth and I can't shoot it well. Other than the trigger it seems like a well thought out pistol. For a defensive pistol I guess it is okay but don't expect to shoot targets with it.
 
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Kreyzhorse

New member
My buddy owns one and I've broken it down and cleaned it as well as spent some time at the range with it.

Overall, it's a decent gun. Fairly accurate at the range and certainly no problems at self defense range. The trigger isn't great but after getting used to it, it is sufficient.

It performed well for me but my buddy has reported some FTE issues over the weekend. I've not looked at it yet but he thinks the mag was loose and wasn't seating correctly.

Would I recommend the gun? Yes. Are there better guns out there? Yes. It wouldn't be my first choice but if you like it, I think it's a good gun for the money.
 
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Pico

New member
Does what it is designed to

Cons, long trigger.

Pros, easy to carry and conceal, smoothed design so it sits comfortably in your hand, reasonable accurate, reliable.

Several safety devices all of which you may choose to override or bypass. If you have an SR9 this gun is an easy transition.

Remember it is NOT a range gun and does not pretend to be. There are trigger mods out there if you have to smooth and shorten the trigger but a CCW pistol with a long trigger pull is not a bad idea IMHO.

Pico
 
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TLeo

New member
I had one and liked it and found it very reliable. The recoil didn't seem much to me and the long trigger pull seemed more like a revolvers which I used to shoot a lot so it didn't bother me. I found it easy to carry in a pocket and the only reason I let it go was the length of the grip was a bit too short for my hands. I hated that ugly loaded chamber indicator on top but lately I have thought about getting another.
 
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01frida

New member
It performed well for me but my buddy has reported some FTE issues over the weekend. I've not looked at it yet but he thinks the mag was loose and wasn't seating correctly.

Purchased the LC9 for the wife a couple months ago and had a mag keeper problem as well sent it back to Ruger and they corrected the problem and turned it around in a week! She enjoys it and shoots it well.
 
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phubai

New member
I'd recommend you rent before you buy, but...

I have an LC9, and don't really have anything negative to say about it. I got used to the long trigger pull but, primarily due to boredom I guess, replaced the trigger (RTK) and did the GallowayPrecision mod to shorten the pull and reset distance and am very satisfied with the results. Again, I don't think this is critical, but it's made it easier to shoot accurately at least. I've had zero problems with this weapon, and for the money, it's a pretty good deal.

However, in my opinion, it's not that much easier to carry IWB than my double-stack Glock 27, so the LC9 has been relegated to car and kitchen drawer duty (there if I need it). The LC9 actually exceeds the dimensions of the G27 except for thickness, and for me, it's just not bothersome; hardly noticeable. If I were to purchase again, it'd probably be the LCP rather than the LC9. I'd like a pocket pistol in certain situations, and the LC9 just won't work for me in that fashion... just too big.

On a scale of 1-10, with 10 being my highest recommendation, I'd give it about a 7, and that's with the trigger mods.

Rent one, and shoot it...see how it fits otherwise, before making your decision. It's a good gun..no doubt.
 
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Pahoo

New member
Try it before you buy it !!!

From a recent post and my reply. .... ;)
Yesterday I put in some range-time and shot my buddy's two CCW's. one was the Ruger LC9 and the other was a Taurus 9MM snub-nose revolver. Going in, I was really looking forward to shooting the LC9, for future considerations, not so much the Taurus. Well, afterwards, had to do a 180 on these two as I preferred "this" Taurus. ....

Came away with a new understanding on usage. I feel that even though it's for compact CCW, you should expect a certain amount of basic shooting characteristics as well as handling. I think that is what you should consider when making a selection. ....

Be Safe !!!
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Be Safe !!!
 
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Theohazard

New member
Fishbed77 said:
the trigger is TERRIBLE.
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This is an understatement as far as I'm concerned. The LC9 has one of the worst triggers I've experienced in a semi-auto pistol. Ever.

And I've dry-fired ones with the trigger mod and they're better, but still not great. And at that point you might as well have invested in one of the better sub-compact 9mms like the PPS, Shield, or XDs.
 
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Pico

New member
Terrible trigger

A trigger is subjective as is recoil but neither is really terrible on this pistol. I prefer an SR9-c hands down for recoil management and a better trigger. But the LC-9 is for carry and it works better in that role than the SR9-c, at least for me.

Shooting 500 rounds? No, I would rather have another weapon. Lugging a small dependable pistol around with sufficient power to protect myself, the LC-9 is perfect.

And I would like an SR-45c AND LC-45.....

Pico
 
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cheezhed

New member
The LC9 is my most carried pistol and I like it a lot. Some people do not like the trigger but after a little use I got quite used to the long pull and considering the way I carry it in an IWB holster pointing in the general direction of my junk I think that a long trigger is a good idea. I have also been hit it the belt area by my grand kids and the long trigger makes me more comfortable and if I am more comfortable I carry more.
 
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Fishbed77

New member
A trigger is subjective as is recoil but neither is really terrible on this pistol.
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Recoil is not subjective. It an action/reaction described by Newton's Third Law of Motion. FELT recoil is subjective, and I will admit that the felt recoil of the LC9 feels heavier than some other pistols in its class, possibly as a result of the thin-ness of its backstrap, or the awkward angle your trigger finger is at the break of the trigger.

Trigger feel may be subjective, but smoothness and consistency of the trigger are not. Nor is geometry.

Some people do not like the trigger but after a little use I got quite used to the long pull and considering the way I carry it in an IWB holster pointing in the general direction of my junk I think that a long trigger is a good idea
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Let me clarify. I find nothing wrong with the length of the LC9's trigger pull. Kahr pistols have long (but very smooth) trigger pulls, and I have no problem with them. My DA/SA Walther P99 has a long (but smooth and very crisp) first double-action pull (followed by short single action pulls). Its trigger is the best I've ever encountered in a polymer pistol.

What I find inferior about the LC9 trigger is how inconsistent the feel of the trigger is (i.e., how un-smooth and irregular it is), married with the geometry, which seems completely off.

That said, see my previous posts. There are a number of positives to the design, and I think it will serve well as a reliable defensive pistol. My brother likes his LC9, and I know it will serve him well. There are just other designs I prefer over it.
 
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Skans

Active member
For those of you that have the LC9, after having it for a while, shooting it and possibly using it for CCW . . . what are your thought on it?
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My LC9 has been my carry gun now for over one and a half years. I have shot it a lot, but don't track # of rounds. I shoot about 1 box (50 rounds) whenever I go to the range, which is about once every month to two months.

I carry it daily; have carried it while backpacking and hiking as well. I also have left it in my hot (sometimes humid) car locked up. I carry it in a Desantis pocket holster. Do I wish it was a tad smaller - yes, but it still works for me. I've considered going to the Diamondback DB9 - but I'm concerned about reliability problems and just won't go there.

The gun performs flawlessly. I can't recall having even one malfunction. I typically shoot wolf steel-cased ball ammo in it; and the LC9 doesn't seem to mind. The trigger is good enough for a dao semi-auto. I do wish Ruger made a da/sa version of the LC9, but if they did, I wonder if it would be as reliable.

Recoil isn't that bad to me, but I'm somewhat used to shooting small guns like the AMT .45 backup and STI LS40, both of which have harsher recoil than the LS9.

Accuracy - well, it's not a Sig X-Five, but more than adequate at 30 feet. The sights are good for a carry gun and don't snag. I tend to shoot it a tad high and to the right - takes me a few shots to get my shots where I want them. Still, I'm about as accurate with the little LC9 as I am with my Glock 17 - acceptable for the little LC9 (not for the full-sized Glock, which is one reason I'm not a Glock fan).

The bottom line is that the LC9 is rugged, durable, reliable and easy to carry. I have not experienced any rust on the metal parts. Nothing has worked loose. No parts have broken or needed to be replaced. The gun shows no visible wear. The only way I see that I can upgrade from the LC9 is to replace it with a Boberg XR9-S at roughly 3x the cost.........and even then, I am not sure that would actually be an "upgrade".
 
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K31Scout

New member
I've dry fired them and did not want to learn a trigger that different from my other pistols. Check them out at a gun shop and try it in your pocket or IWB; it's wonderful. Dry fire it a dozen times and feel where the reset is (it's way out there). Even the CLP has a much better trigger and I don't understand the reason the LC9 has that horrible trigger. The M&P Shield would have had some competition if that LC9 trigger was better. I really want to love the LC9 but can't.

For me the trigger is more important than the grip, the recoil, the appearance
and maybe even the front sight. If the trigger sucks, the gun sucks, for me anyway.
 
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