New Ruger LCP Max

[David]

Found a 50 round box of 90g XTP rounds for $25 (plus the ridiculous S&H) from Freedom Munitions. So I ordered a box. Figured it was time to swap out the carry ammo in the first Max and needed it for the second. Hopefully it will arrive quickly.

[Erich]

I can understand why your son likes it so much: it's just almost not there at all - but with 13 rounds if you need them!

[David]

Just got back from the range a little bit ago. All went well with the Max. No malfunctions and worked well with the XTP's I will load it up with. Shot pretty much like my other one so I have to give a (y)

I really don't thing the previous owner shot it at all.

[David]

I can understand why your son likes it so much: it's just almost not there at all - but with 13 rounds if you need them!

Yep, he really needed something small/lighter with less of a footprint. Glad I was able to gift one to him.

[David]

My son has been carrying the LCP Max now for 6ish months or so. It has become his main go-to carry pistol. He likes it because he can easily carry it in his gym shorts.

I'm glad I was able to pick up the second Max for me because it's still a pistol I carry often. Usually in/around the house but also if were going over to friends/family. I will still have my M-Tac sling bag available, usually in the vehicle, with my P365XL. But on my person the Max is great for an extended day.

[Erich]

I wore mine the other day when I had to dress up fancy.

[Mac66]

So I just went through and read this whole thread again. After much pontificating on my part on the LC9 and G3c I'm looking at the LCP Max as a replacement for my wife's EZ380.

The EZ is pretty much the only centerfire pistol my wife actually likes to shoot. I like the added capacity and better ergonomics of the Max however.

For those who may have shot both, what's your opinion?

[Erich]

Hi Mac,

Did she ask for an LCP Max?

The M&P EZ380 is a gun for a non avid shooter. The LCP Max is a wonderful gun for an expert.

Both are locked breech, lightweight .380s, as you're aware. Inherent accuracy for the guns is the same, although practical accuracy depends on a given shooter's ability to hold the thing still on target while pressing the trigger. I disagree that the Max has better ergonomics for the non-avid shooter role you describe: The EZ feels substantial enough to be a real gun and makes newbies squeal with delight; the Max is almost not there (although the gripframe is great with the 12-rounder aboard) and requires more attention to hold still. Both have perfectly adequate sights. Both have trigger pulls that are "different" from what we'd have considered giving a newbie when we were getting started shooting decades ago. The EZ's is mushy; the Max's is long/kinda mushy with a weird really long re-set. Both are hammer-fired, but the S&W's has a "real" hammer and the [s]Kel-Tec[/s] Ruger's has one of those tiny "inertial" things that George Kelgren first was selling in 1988 (with the Grendel P-10); while I've never had a light-strike issue with the Max, I'd think of it would be a hell of a lot more likely to have such issues than the EZ with the heavy hammer.

So let me ask you since you're concerned about capacity: when was the last time your wife needed to reload her EZ in a firefight?

My wife likes my Lew Horton Model of 1989 625-3 .45 ACP six-shot S&W N-frame 3" revolver; I've often thought she'd be better off with something like the S&W M&P Compact .22. But she likes what she likes - the gun with collector value (lucky me). If you want a Max for yourself, go for it. Personally, I'd never switch a gun my wife liked for one that I thought would be better.

Whatever works for you!

[Mac66]

Thanks for the comments Erich. Very helpful. Capacity isn't really an issue, just though she might carry the Max (since it's smaller) more often than her EZ which she considers a "big gun" and rarely carries. She won't shoot my regular LCP because it's too small and hurts to shoot so there's that

[David]

Thanks for the comments Erich. Very helpful. Capacity isn't really an issue, just though she might carry the Max (since it's smaller) more often than her EZ which she considers a "big gun" and rarely carries. She won't shoot my regular LCP because it's too small and hurts to shoot so there's that

I agree with Erich's comments. My wife has the 380EZ and I have the Max. The EZ is easier to shoot overall in terms of felt recoil and (of course) being able to easily rack the slide. My wife is recoil sensitive due to hand and balance issues and she was easily able to shoot a box of 50 without issue through the EZ.

The Max is easier to shoot than the original LCP and easier than the LCP2 as well. It is not quite as easy as the EZ. Whether or not your wife would like shooting the Max is something I couldn't answer. But again, it is significantly better than the original LCP because the slightly wider back strap distributes the recoil much better. As I put in my original review, after a couple of mags through the LCP I'm done. And I'm use to magnums. In the LCP2 I'm good for a box of 50 and then I'm done. With the Max I shot 168 on the first range trip and that was strictly one-handed because at the time my other wrist was in a sling because it was broke).

She might like the Max just fine and it would definitely be easier to carry.