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By Daniel English
If you poll gun owners about what they consider to be the most appropriate handgun for concealed carry, you’ll likely get answers ranging from a .22 mini revolver to a .50 AE Desert Eagle. Suffice it to say that opinions vary, and it’s up to each individual to decide what size gun they feel comfortable with as a carry weapon. Personally, I feel that single-stack 9mm handguns strike an excellent balance between concealability and effectiveness, so I typically use one as my EDC weapon. And when this category of guns comes up in conversation, the Ruger LC9s Pro is almost always mentioned, and for good reason.
Ruger has released a total of three guns in the LC9 series. The original LC9 was introduced at the 2011 SHOT Show and included a notoriously bad double-action trigger, a frame-mounted safety and a magazine disconnect. They updated the design in July 2014 with the LC9s, which replaced the double-action trigger with a striker-fired design but retained the manual safety and mag disconnect. In December 2014, Ruger came out with the LC9s Pro, further building on the LC9s by removing the manual safety and magazine disconnect.
You’ll find endless debate in the gun community about whether features like manual safeties and magazine disconnects are a help or a hindrance. Ruger, wanting to cover their cases, offers both options in the LC9s and the LC9s Pro.
Ergonomics
Size and shape are clearly important aspects of a handgun intended for concealed carry, and the LC9s Pro holds up well in this regard. The frame has smooth, rounded edges, which not only makes the gun more comfortable when pressed up against your body for long periods of time, but also reduces the likelihood of the gun’s outline being noticed by others when wearing tighter clothing.
The top and front of the slide are curved slightly too, and the factory sights are a low-profile design that won’t snag on clothing or holsters during the draw. On this Pro model, the lack of a manual safety also means that the only protruding controls are the slide stop and magazine release. All of these factors work together to make a very concealable handgun.
Of course, a smaller gun also means less space for ammo, so magazine capacity is typically lacking in handguns intended for concealed carry. The LC9s Pro is in the middle of the pack in this regard, with a fairly standard 7+1 capacity. Ruger only provides one magazine with the LC9s Pro—although mags are readily available, I’d have been a lot happier if a second magazine had been tossed in the box from the factory.
Ruger makes an extended 9-round magazine which lengthens the grip of the gun. It’s also possible to swap out the base plate on the flush-fit 7-rounder for one with a pinky extension. That should please shooters who don’t appreciate a dangling pinky.
Since both the extended 9-round magazine and the pinky extension make the gun slightly larger, they also make the gun less concealable. I prefer to carry the LC9s Pro with a flush-fit magazine in the gun and a 9-rounder (or a 7-round magazine with the pinky extension) in a separate mag carrier.
On the Range
One major downside to concealed carry weapons is that some of the qualities that make them excellent for concealment can make them miserable to actually shoot, so I was interested to see how the LC9s Pro would fare in a standard target shooting session. I ended pleasantly surprised at how things went, although at times I was definitely reminded of the fact that I was shooting a gun that’s more intended for slipping into a pocket holster than making bullseye shots at 50 yards.
My first impression: it’s definitely a bit harder to get a firm grip than it would with a larger pistol, but the LC9s feels substantial enough that I was able to easily maintain control of the weapon through the aiming and firing process. The 7-round magazine with pinky extension and the 9-round extended magazine both provide a noticeably larger grip area than the flush-fit 7-rounder, but I’d be hesitant to train exclusively with those options unless I intended to carry the gun in that configuration.
One thing I’ll point out here is that with any handgun of this size, most shooters will need to be careful when reloading to get their ring and pinky fingers out of the way of the magazine. I managed to pinch myself a few times when reloading before I figured out that I needed to pull my fingers away from the grip a bit before inserting a new magazine into the gun. Not a major issue, but something to keep in mind with a gun this small.
The factory sights on the LC9s Pro are acceptable, but not the best I’ve seen on a handgun of this size. This is one of the cases where concealment is at odds with usability. Although the sights are small and unobtrusive, they can be hard to visually pick up when shooting quickly, making it more difficult to take accurate shots at distance.
The sights are a standard white 3-dot arrangement. That’s fine during the day, but less than ideal for low-light shooting conditions. Fortunately, there is a decent selection of aftermarket sights available so you could easily swap in a set of fiber optic or tritium night sights if desired.
Having had previous experience with the double-action trigger pull of the original Ruger LC9 (horrible as it was), I was very interested in seeing what kind of improvement the striker-fired design of the LC9s Pro offered. Fortunately it seems that Ruger has done a lot of work here. The trigger on the LC9s Pro is a night-and-day difference from the trigger in the original LC9.
The there’s a short take-up followed by a smooth, clean break with a bit of overtravel. The trigger has to be released a bit farther than I’d like before it resets, but it’s easy to tell when the reset occurs, which helps with rapid follow-up shots. I didn’t have access to a trigger pull gauge for this review, but it feels to be a standard pull weight for a striker-fired handgun, in line with a typical GLOCK or Springfield XD trigger. Overall, the trigger on the LC9s Pro is above average for this category of handguns, and lends itself well to accurate shooting.
Speaking of accuracy, I had little difficulty making accurate shots with the LC9s Pro, largely due to the excellent trigger on the gun. Small carry handguns aren’t typically used for precision shooting for a reason, but I was able to easily put shots where I wanted them at standard defensive shooting distances. For fun, I decided to try a few longer distance shots at a silhouette target 50 yards away, and surprised myself by hitting the target with my first shot. I’m confident that the accuracy of the LC9s Pro is more than sufficient for its intended use case.
Due to their small size, concealable handguns typically exhibit stronger felt recoil than a shooter who is used to larger weapons may be used to. The LC9s Pro is no exception. With its snappy recoil, it’s harder to get back onto target than a larger handgun. However, the recoil is certainly manageable, and a bit more snappiness is to be expected when firing a gun that only weighs a little over a pound. You wouldn’t want to shoot the LC9s Pro all day at the range, but shooting a box of ammunition for practice is very do-able.
Reliability is of paramount concern for a gun that you intend to carry. The LC9s Pro has only been available for a year and a half so reliability data is still scarce, but I’ve fired hundreds of rounds of PPU 115 grain FMJ practice ammo and several boxes of Federal Hydra-Shok 135 grain JHP defensive rounds through the gun with no malfunctions, which bodes well for long-term reliability. The LC9s Pro had no difficulty feeding the jacketed hollowpoint rounds, and overall the gun was reliable and accurate with all three types of ammunition.
Field-stripping the LC9s Pro is a fairly simple affair, although it might require a small punch or other tool to remove the disassembly pin from the side of the gun. I would have preferred a design that doesn’t involve removing a part from the gun to take it down, but the pin is held in place by a latch which requires firm pressure to disengage. I’m not concerned about the pin backing out during use, and disassembly is still relatively easy.
Conclusions
Overall, the LC9s Pro is impressive and a definite step up from its predecessors. Ruger has made some major improvements in this iteration, with the striker-fired trigger being notably better than many other guns in this class. Removing the manual safety and magazine disconnect is a plus, too, making for a handgun that’s simple to operate. The LC9S’s small size means it’s easy to conceal, and since it has identical physical dimensions to the original LC9, plenty of holsters and other aftermarket accessories are readily available.
The LC9s Pro still exhibits the typical downsides of shooting a smaller concealable handgun, with minimalist sights and snappy recoil. You’ll also want to budget for a few extra magazines since the gun only comes with one. But if you’re in the market for a new carry pistol, the Ruger LC9s Pro should be a strong contender.
Ruger LC9s Pro Specifications:
Caliber: 9mm Luger
Capacity: 7+1 (flush-fit mag) or 9+1 (extended mag)
Weight: 17.2 oz without magazine
Barrel Length: 3.12”
Barrel Rifling: 1:10” RH
Overall Length: 6”
Width: 0.90”
Height: 4.50”
Sights: Drift adjustable white 3-dot
Action: Striker-fired
Price: $479 MSRP
Where To Buy
Ratings (out of five stars):
Concealability * * * * *
A small frame and rounded edges make the LC9s Pro easily concealable, even among other 9mm single-stack handguns. Holsters made for the original LC9 work with the newer Pro model, meaning that a wide range of options are available for carrying the gun.
Ergonomics * * * *
The gun’s smooth, rounded edges make for a comfortable grip and a snag-free draw. Firing 9mm rounds from such a small handgun produces noticeable recoil, but the LC9s Pro is otherwise enjoyable to shoot. The trigger is above average for a gun in this class.
Accuracy * * * *
It’s a defensive handgun made for close range shooting, but was extremely accurate at distances of 10-15 yards.
Reliability * * * * *
It goes bang. No failures at all with either FMJ practice ammo or JHP personal defense rounds.
Overall * * * * *
Reliable, accurate, easy to shoot, and designed for easy concealment. It’d be hard to go wrong with the Ruger LC9s Pro as your daily carry pistol.
I bought the LC9s for those times when my SR9c was too conspicuous. Since I was used to and not opposed to the slide safety and magazine lock features on the SR9c their presence on the LC9s did not bother me. Over all I really like this pistol, although it would not be my preferred choice for EDC. I can certainly see why people who wanted the safety/mag issues resolved would love this little pistol.
All things considered I think you could not go wrong with the LC9s or the Pro version. I strongly recommend you stop by your LGS and see if they have one you can rent.
I agree that the LC9s makes a great companion for the SR9c when you need something a little slimmer than a doublestack. The controls are familiar between the two. I’ve also carried both on occasion when you’re expecting to be in and out of the car a lot that day. SR9C on the hip and LC9s in an ankle holster, the latter being faster and easier to get to when a couple yoots eyed me up for a carjacking recently. Another DGU that will never be reported. Anyways, I’m teaching my son to be able to handle both my carry guns as well, just in case. I’ve added a Hogue rubber sleeve to the grip on mine to give it a little more girth and better feel. For a compact 9mm, its a great little gun.
I bought an LC9s Pro to replace a Bersa Thunder 380CC and haven’t looked back since. After shooting my LC9s Pro, a friend replaced his .40 S&W Shield with one and also hasn’t looked back since.
Funny – after shooting my friend’s LC9S, I sold off my Kel-Tec 9mm (can’t remember the model right now, it was the same one GZ took out TM with) and bought an LC9Spro and haven’t looked back. I’d even done a trigger job on the Kel-Tec, but there was still no comparison. Then, my friend with the LC9S shot my LC9Spro, and decided he had to have one, too – but couldn’t get himself to trade the LC9S in for it, had to start saving money instead. GREAT GUN!
Most dgu’s have no shots fired. Most if the rest are 3-5 shots at 3-5 yards in 3-5 seconds. I say you’ve got yourself a good gun.
+1. I’d rather have 7 rounds than nothing, and most places I go I’m confident 7 rounds will end the confrontation. OTOH, if I’m forced to be in an area of the city where you can expect to be up against at least 4 thugs if something goes down, I will find a way to conceal a doublestack with 17 rounds and spare mags because you just can’t be certain they will immediately turn and run. I know most will say just don’t go to bad areas but it is not that easy when the inner city gang activity is spreading to the suburbs in broad daylight.
I carry a Shield 9 much of the time which is fairly similar. It comes with 7 and 8 round mags. Depending upon the degree of concealment, I may carry 7+1 or 10+1 with magguts bits and some HYVE +2 mag extensions on a couple of 8 round spare mags. In high threat environments I still opt for a G19 with a lot of higher capacity mags.
We gun owners speak out of both sides of our mouths sometimes. On the one hand we talk about how guns can help in a spree shooting or terrorist attack against a rifle armed opponent and then we quote DGU shots fired statistics. Lack of capacity and lack of accuracy beyond 5-7 yards make these small pistols of limited utility in the former case. The popularity of pocket pistols for primary carry is a revealed preference for the belief that we do really believe we will ever have the need to confront an Orlando or Newtown type threat.
Thank you for saying what I’ve been torn about for a while now. About 90% of the time I comfortably carry a doublestack SR9c with 2 spare mags, 44 rounds total. About 5% of the time I carry a Compact 92 OWB with a total of 63 rounds onboard. On occasion I will add a LC9s BUG which adds 16 rounds. It seems excessive, but then again, is it? If I were the type to attend gay bars right now, I would still feel undergunned.
edit: I’ll go to a bar on rare occasions but just never drink. I tell people im the designated driver and no one bothers me. What I don’t tell them is that I’m also the designated defender. I prefer to be armed rather than drunk.
But they’d think you”re really glad to see them…
tdiinva,
That is why I carry a full-size Smith and Wesson M&P 40 with one full magazine (+ one in the pipe) and at least one spare magazine on my belt. So, I always have at least 29 rounds on me and bump up to 44 rounds when I go to any location that I surmise would have an increased risk of spree killer or terrorist attack. (My round count is “odd” because I only load my 15 round magazines to 14 rounds the reason of which is another story.)
When I go to the shopping mall during the Christmas shopping season, then I carry my SUB-2000 in a notebook computer bag with something like 85 rounds of ammunition … in addition to my M&P 40 with 44 rounds of ammunition. Any spree killer or terrorist who decided to attack in my immediate vicinity would be in a heap of trouble.
So, yes, I do consider the possibility of a spree killer or terrorist to be possible and I carry accordingly.
I just hope you don’t get spot searched with that much firepower in a Mall. I agree with the concept, but having a rifle and a pistol with a00 rounds of ammo, can lead to a long and annoying discussion with Law enforcement.
Don’t get me wrong there are many times I carry 2 guns, and when I did a route for a buddy of mine who owns 700 ATM machines I carried 3 pistoles, but after a while it became more trouble than it was worth.
You are wise to load your high capacity magazines at least one round short.
First, over-compression is what kills springs, and high capacity magazines tend to over-compress their springs when topped off to full load. Loading short dramatically will prolong the life of your magazine springs.
Second, when doing tactical reloads, with one in the chamber and the slide locked into battery, a topped off magazine will be pushing the top round into the slide–with little available compression left in the spring. Often, under the duress of a fast-paced tactical reload, the magazine will not get fully seated. Upon the next fired round, the magazine will drop from the gun and the second shot will be… no shot!
On the range in a defensive pistol training class, that is a little embarrassing; in a real DGU situation, it could be fatal.
I sometimes go about my day with an LCP with no spare mag. Not the best thing to have to address a spree shooter but better than a stick.
If I knew there would be gunplay, I probably wouldn’t go but don’t always carry my SR9.
I often carry an LCR as a backup to my LCP. I do carry spare ammo for the LCR. Speed loader and strip.
So we should all carry for the 1% situation?
you will not be attacked by that 1%..until you are! My wife I have always lived in very crime free neighborhoods. Years ago I opened the door to my apartment as there was a lot of yelling on the other side. I found a neighbor covering his face while his “best friend” who wanted his wife, was trying to kick his face in. He shoved me back into my apartment and slammed my door. I got my shotgun which impressed him enough to stop his attacks while we waited for the police. I did not tell him that it was empty. This year a guy who thought I bumped his car in a parking lot became filled with road rage, chased us, and stopped his car sideways in front of us. I was able to accelerate around him and get into a Police station parking lot. My wife ran inside to get help while I stayed outside to give her time. I was hoping he was not carrying a gun..because I was not.
Most defensive encounters are one-on-one. Far fewer are against two or three assailants. Even fewer still are against many assailants. Therefore, seven rounds is more than enough to stop almost any threat you are likely to encounter. If seven rounds aren’t enough, you are either extremely unlucky, or you need to work on your social skills. Either way, your odds aren’t good.
I had already come to most of the conclusions in this good review, and so decided an LC9s Pro was going to live in my pocket. None of my lgs had one in-store, but I’m expecting a call today or tomorrow to come on down and pick mine up. De Santis pocket holster and extended mags arrive within a few days, also. I am very much looking forward to familiarizing myself with little goodie!
Thank God it’s a weapon review, sorry…..it’s just been real heavy with the political nonsense….needed..i agree but too much dumb for one month.
Looks good to me. Another small CC option. And I noticed a Gunbroker seller selling the regular LC9s without reserve(lots less than msrp)…
In my best civil war documentary historian narration…I take umbridge to the author’s disscription of the LC9 double action trigger. After a thousand rounds, unmodifided, and with proper finger placement, can cover five of those seven rounds with a silver dollar at seven yards. I contend follow on models of this armament address not the mechanical deficiencies described, but the feminine nature of those employing the weapon.
Touche! I’m one of those wimps that upgrades to the LC9s and I love the new trigger. I got reasonably good with the hammer fired model but never expected to have much accuracy in the event I needed to use it for real. Much more accurate with the striker fired model. Although the real reason I switched is that the original LC9 had a problem with the hammer catch and had increasing percentages of failure-to-fire approaching 100%. Sent back to Ruger once and they didn’t fix it. I should send it back again and hope they get it fixed properly only so I can turn around and sell it cheap to someone in need of it. The LC9s is a keeper.
I’m two years late to this review and your comment but you’re the first person I’ve come across to report the same problem I had with my original LC9. Any chance it happened in your LC9 when firing 115 gr. +P loads? With my gun, the hammer catch would fail to catch the hammer and it would follow the slide home, but not with heavier bullets or lighter loads. When malfunctioning, the firing pin would slightly dent the primer but it never doubled. Did you ever figure out what caused it? I talked to Galloway’s gunsmith at SHOT show and he couldn’t explain it to me either. I have an LC9S now too (Pro model).
This gun has already been pre-emptively BANNED in California.
Everything worthy of free men is preemptively banned in Kalifornia.
I had an LC9s and used it as my carry gun for about a year. Like the author, I found it to be very accurate and concealable, but I’m not sure that I would buy another one. I really did not like having to punch out that pin for disassembly- seems like a strange decision on Ruger’s part. Also, magazines for this gun are quite expensive- $30-40, and I had lots of trouble with them not ejecting well. They would release about a quarter of an inch then stop. I also had problems with the magazine eject releasing the magazine at the slightest touch. This was the original LC9s with the magazine disconnect safety, so you can see what a serious issue that was.
Mag price is the single biggest complaint I have about Ruger. A company that typically is in the OUTSTANDING category of bang for the buck really misses it with mag pricing.
The thing that I dislike about the Pro is no manual safety. If you want to risk your life and your families by not having a safety, fine. I got a LC9s for my wife because it has the safety. She considers it a backup weapon and prefers a safety cause we have a toddler. So she also typically carries it without a round chambered if I’m along as I’ve got a XDM with 14 rounds on my hip and 19 more on the opposite side. We practice enough that taking the safety off isn’t an issue.
It is a nice little gun though, accurate and reliable.
If you want to carry a gun with a safety, go for it. But don’t say I’m risking my life by carrying a gun with no safety lever. I carry a Glock 22 at work, and have for over five years, and it’s never gone off when I did not want it to, including the thirty or so times I had to draw down on someone. My off duty carry gun is a Shield with no safety. I prefer not having a thumb safety as there is one less thing to go wrong at a Time of stress. A full or compact gun with a safety I can get, but don’t assume you can manipulate the little guns safeties that are the size of tic tacs under stress as easily as you think.
HI Tile Floor
First of all, thank you for your service (if that is appropriate).
Re: “If you want to carry a gun with a safety, go for it. But don’t say I’m risking my life by carrying a gun with no safety lever. I carry a Glock 22 at work, and have for over five years, and it’s never gone off when I did not want it to, including the thirty or so times I had to draw down on someone.”
It appears to me that you carry professionally, so your comments may NOT be appropriate for civilians, and the fact that in 5 years it has never gone off accidentally hardly testifies to the safety issue. Many drunk drivers go for years without an accident, but what they do is hardly a testament to safety.
In this regard let me ask whether you carry your Glock with one in the chamber–ie the “ready to fire condition?”. If so, then how do you consider that safe when Glock doesn’t? Note, from Glock:
“CAUTION: Do not carry the pistol in the ready to fire condition. This is not the recommended safe carrying method for civilian use.” Glock Owner’s Manual, p 15-16.
While I appreciate the issues of manipulating a safety under stress, especially a small one, the issue of accidental discharge is no small matter either, as would be the issue of actually loading the chamber as the pistol was designed, hence MY preference for the safety on striker fired pistols. Safety and readiness for action.
Anyway…thanks again for your service..
God bless
That’s GLOCK covering their rears against law suit when somebody glock-legs themselves. I guarantee you that 99.9% of their employees carry with one in the pipe.
I am 75 years old, carry now and for most of my adult life. Never, in the military, as an LEA, or as a civilian, have I carried a gun with an empty chamber. I have, and still do, carried both revolvers and semi-autos of various brands and models, including 1911s and Glocks. Note that every revolver has one in the chamber and a trigger pull vary much like a Glock trigger… and, note this, no safety! (I take that back, as I have an older S&W 2″ J frame .38 Special which has a grip safety. That feature, however, is not the norm.)
I have not had an accidental or negligent discharge while carrying any type of handgun, rifle, or shotgun, either for duty, defense, or training. Trigger finger and mental discipline achieved through training and mindfulness are the key to the safe carrying and handling of weapons. Anyone who carries a weapon at any time and for any purpose absolutely needs to be trained and periodically retrained–and, remain always mindful to practice the well-established rules of safety they have learned.
Carrying for a gun which is in some way disabled or hampered in its most effective operating potential is about like carrying a stick to a gunfight.
That is my opinion; yours well may vary.
1911s I carry with one in the chamber cocked and locked, the thumb safety on in the up position being the “locked” part. It takes only a flick of the thumb to lower it. Most other semi-autos are a bit more cumbersome. The DA/SA semi-autos needn’t be cocked, having the first-shot DA feature.
Glocks will not fire without the trigger safety feature being compressed as the trigger is pulled.
As a civilian, if you see the trouble coming, avoid it. If it is unanticipated and therefore unavoidable, you will not have time to draw your weapon, load a round, and get off a defensive shot before a real and serious immediate threat of deadly force (the only kind which legally allows you to be shooting at someone) takes its toll on you or yours. That, I guarantee you.
If you are serious about carrying a weapon for self defense, I recommend that you get some professional training, none of which ever will recommend that you carry with an empty chamber. There are times to unload a weapon, completely, Condition 4; when carrying one for defense, it needs to be in Condition 1 for 1911s and SA/DAs with hammer cocked. Revolvers and SA/DA semis with hammers un-cocked should be in Condition 2. Striker fired semis without manual safeties (Glock being one such, along with the LC9s Pro) generally are carried in Condition 0, in that their trigger safety always is “on”.
http://concealednation.org/2015/08/firearm-condition-readiness-condition-0-condition-1-condition-2-condition-3-condition-4-what-do-they-all-mean/
Good advice there. Go with a safety or don’t but one thin can very well lead to disaster, regular carry of a gun with BOTH. That’s just begging too disaster in a high stress situation. I daily carry a LCP Custom and absolutely love it. So for a larger carry gun I wouldn’t carry a safety model even if I liked it better. Changing techniques back and forth is simply a bad idea.
Good review! The LC9s Pro did well in Gun & Ammo’s Single Stack Nine Shootout, with only one malfunction that very well was user error.
http://www.gunsandammo.com/handguns/compacts/single-stack-9mm-shootout/
I relieved my glock 26 from every day duty, in favor of a Taurus 709 slim, that I couldn’t resist for $227 out the door. I believe it’s biggest downfalls are, slide finish, slide squared edges, and lack of alternative sight availabiliy ( can use a glock front sight with a little modification and lock tite ). Even with those short comings, it is a great little pistol. I’ve had two malfunctions in 650 rounds, both of which were with my reloads, short cartridges with 100gr “380,” projectiles. I’ve tested a dozen different types of ammo, with projectiles ranging from 90gr to 147gr.
Yeah I may get that 709. Lots of gun for little money. And I’ve had 4(soon to buy a 111G2) that ran great…
Well, we CAN have the LC9 (not sure about the LC9s), and it sells really well. This gun will never be on the Roster. No mag disconnect, no external safety, and no LCI. This gun is therefore too unsafe for the unwashed to own.
I’ll have you know I take a shower everyday. A long one. Fuck the drought.
Dear Mr. Boiling Frog, at what point will you leave a non-free state like California? Not think about it in your mind but actually begin to take the first step to leave? Has not Sara Tipton set an example for you?
I had an LC9 but had some issues with the turkey-timer preventing the slide from going into battery.
The Pro does away with all the things I didn’t like about the original. Don’t have a problem with safeties as I carry an SR9c. The safety on the LC9 was painful to me.
Thought about getting a PRO but need to pick a solid holster with that light trigger.
1st world problems……..
I will not carry a gun with a micro safety. Put a real safety on it or leave it off.
What an ugly slide design, necessitated by the cheap investment cast process that created it. Now I have gone and done it… insulted the looks of your “child”. Cue the gun owners who say that looks don’t matter because it is a tool, in 3 2 1…
Hooray for a review that not only sings the praises of the LC9s and Pro, but reveals the popularity of the SR9c as an EDC! Not everyone if a Glock fanboy.
At any rate, to address the safety/no safety isslue, when I carry either my SR9c or LC9s (not in a pocket) I immediately flip off the safety as soon as the pistol is properly holstered. With the trigger safety (a la Glock) and proper trigger discipline I have never had an issue with this. When I am through for the day I ensure the slide safety is engaged before unholstering. Works for me – YMMV.
Nice to see that the use of “f” for “s” has survived the written English language’s progress from the 18th century. Just kidding. I sometimes forget to check and then edit if necessary.
Yes, a gun review! Looks like Ruger has made another nice pistol. I have an LCP as my pocket carry gun and it has been a great little pistol. This looks like a good improvement over the LC9.
Good review of the LC9 variants. Not being infallible myself, and having several family members who have little experience (working on it) and might have contingencies where they could need to use it, the LC9s, with the safety, is fine for my purposes. Maybe when we’re all operators the lack of a safety won’t be cause for concern, but I have loved ones to worry about right now. Doing all possible to preclude NDs seems the only prudent choice.
I had problems with the LC9s mag release becoming much too eager to drop both the standard and extended mags after I’d had the gun a few months. Not good. Ruger fixed it, it is fine now. I’m presuming it was a quality control issue with the mag release spring. The person I spoke with at Ruger swore to me it is not a common problem. They also replaced the barrel, for reasons I still don’t understand. I’m currently satisfied with the gun, but the mag release spring should not have failed after just a few months’ use.
Had an LC9 and found 2 out of 4 magazines would unlatch under recoil after forceful seating. This along with the tendency for the safety to move to the on position while carried (on the left hip IWB) caused me to move on to greener pastures. Maybe this has been fixed but I’ll not be back with the LC9 series.
“I’ve fired hundreds of rounds of PPU 115 grain FMJ practice ammo and several boxes of Federal Hydra-Shok 135 grain JHP defensive rounds through the gun with no malfunctions, which bodes well for long-term reliability. The LC9s Pro had no difficulty feeding the jacketed hollowpoint rounds, and overall the gun was reliable and accurate with all three types of ammunition.”
What was the 3rd type of ammo?
Whoops, looks like somehow a sentence got left out there. Third type of ammo was Winchester PDX1 124gr JHP +P ammo. Ruger says +P can be safely used in the gun, and the ammo worked great. Of course, +P generates more recoil, and it’s more noticeable on a pocket-sized single stack 9mm than it would be on a larger gun.
I like my LC9s Pro a lot but I did have a few jams with some cheap 115 gr JHP rounds on my first trip to the range. Only happened with one of my mags so I’m not sure if it was mag or ammo related. FMJ’s were no problem at all. Recoil was very manageable and accuracy was excellent. Added a Pachmayr grip sleeve which was an improvement (I have big hands).
I have a Ruger LC9spro and carry it all the time. I carry the flush fit mag in my right pocket and never worry about it going off. When I take it out i have my index finger on slide. I also just bought the 9 rd mag when it is in my DE Santis mini scabbard holster. Also have 2 7 rounders in my left pocket. I have an XDS 9 Glock 43 and a shield. These guns are all great and shoot anything you put in them. My Ruger is my EDC if I drop it who cares for the price it is a wonderful weapon. Just bought 500 rounds of Speer Gold Dot 124 plusP and carry this for self defense.
My LC9s was occasionally dropping the magazine while firing as well. I called Ruger and was told they have had an issue with USA made magazines. Go figure, that was what I had. I was told to send the gun and all my magazines in. I got the gun back about two weeks later with a note that they replaced the magazines. I haven’t had an issue since.
Note that the gun only came with one magazine but they replaced both that one and the additional one I had purchased. The new magazines were made in Italy.
Purchased a New LC9s Pro, put 50 rounds of Winchester White Box 115gr through it, or almost, but the guts of gun came undone….sent back to Ruger and they repaired. They said they repaired and put 150 rds. of various ammo through it and it was fine. I went to shoot the other day and before 50 rds. trigger would not reset nor would slide stay back after mag was empty, finally quit all together. Now back to Rugger. Not reliable! would have been dead twice! Lemon! but what do you do??? Scrap it!
Nice review. The only thing I have against the whole family of pistols is corrosion. It’s 90+ degrees and high humidity for many months here. Sweat takes it’s toll on blued finishes, crevices, sight dovetails and other areas where the trusty oily rag often doesn’t reach. Why in the world Ruger doesn’t offer stainless steel for ALL pistols intended for concealed carry is beyond my comprehension. Offer me a stainless upper (including the barrel, sights and etc) and I’d buy one tomorrow. Maybe two…
Sold the LC9S for a Sig 938 — no comparison
The LC9S with or without the safety devices is both an excellent value and a wise choice. I’m not a recoil sensitive person, so the small increase in felt recoil is a small price to pay for an excellent CC sidearm. I’ve owned just about every small CC handgun made and I’ll take the LC9S over the rest. After training cops at the State Police Academy for 23 years this ain’t my first rodeo. Keep up the good work TTAG.
I’ve owned a LC9s Pro for about 3 weeks now. ($350.00) I was a little uneasy about it not having a manual safety, but I decided to purchase one anyway. I convinced myself that the manual safety would slow me down during an altercation. I also purchased a Kydex inside the waistband holster. During my training, I practiced drawing too many times to count. Not having a manual safety was not an issue. It was definitely easy to conceal. I’m a pretty small guy, and even wearing a t-shirt no would ever know that I was carrying. The biggest surprise for me was the LC9s Pro’s performance at the range. It was very accurate, even though it is so light and the barrow is so short. My grouping is not where it needs to be yet, but it is getting better. The LC9s Pro was pretty reliable too. I was able to fire 150 rounds without having 1 failure. I would confidently recommend the LC9s Pro to anyone looking for a concealable, reliable, and inexpensive handgun.
I purchased a LC 9s a few months back.
Nice pistol but life started out rough.
Two rounds into the 2nd mag the trigger return spring let loose.
Called Ruger and shipped on a Monday and the gun was returned by the following Wednesday of the next week.
I immediately took it to the range and put 150 rounds of Federal 115 gr FMJ through it and have since put an additional 200 rounds through it a box at a time without error.
I generally let it tag along on range trips just to prove it so to speak.
It shoots well and is extremely accurate for its size.
I got the pistol on sale from Larry’s Pistol and Pawn Super store in Huntsville for $300.00.
The package included an extra 7 round magazine, hearing protection, shooting glasses, pistol cleaning kit and it was an exclusive model with Blue slide on Titanium Blue Frame to Larry’s.
I have since purchased the extended mag from Ruger for it for $26 dollars and it really removes a lot of the snappiness from the pistol at the range giving it the feel of a larger pistol.
If you had to pick one pistol for both CCW and range I believe this gun could fill the bill especially if you purchased a couple of the extended 9 round magazines to stabilize your grip and prevent fatigue after a hundred rounds or so.
In the past I would have been spooked by the initial failure of this firearm but I am glad now I gave it a chance to prove out it is one fine pistol.
Depending on circumstance I carry one of three pistols for CCW.
Ruger LC 9s in 9mm
Ruger LCRx in 38spl
S&W M&P Body Guard in 380acp.
I have a Glock 23 gen 3 and love the gun, but that being said I bought the lc9 pro and wow. First 7 rounds right in the bullseye in a 1inch group and the rubber sleeve modified works well. The take down pin is easy but I like how my Glock is easy to take down. I rather carry the lc9 pro than the Glock because of size and trigger is better also. S&W body guard 380 I love to carry which is so small it’s great but you have to get use to the trigger pull. I guess you go and try all the sub compacts and see what works for you. The price was right at around 340.00 and extra mag 375.00 which is way cheaper than the Glock 43 with 6 rounds vs 7.
Has anyone done any studies on how safe the Glock-type safety really is? I hear about Glock safety and I also hear about Glock leg! I plan to carry chambered because I saw a store owner on YouTube shot to death trying to chamber a round into his empty chamber. There just was no time left for him to do that. And anyone know what we can do about YouTube’s cencorship of the gun shows? Are there any plans for Hickock45 for one excellent, example to become accessible elsewhere?
This is a GREAT little pistol for carry! Especially when one’s firearm must be INVISIBLE, not just concealed. It’s not a target pistol for certain, but for the intended use I think it’s much better than most. After all, any 9mm with proper defense loads beats any .380 or smaller caliber. This pistol is an excellent choice for times when a good old 1911 .45 is just much too large and heavy!
Let’s do the time warp, again…
My LC9 and LC9s Pro were the most comfortable semi-autos I’ve ever worn IWB other than my LCP. I used to wear mine in a Garrett hybrid holster with the soft backing. I recall that at least once I laid down on the couch for a nap and didn’t realize for roughly 45 mins after I got back up that I still had my pistol on me. I just didn’t feel it there.
I never got mentally comfortable with how light and easy the trigger was for safety-less carry, especially for unholstering/unholstering, etc. With the Pro, Ruger made the exact version I thought I had wanted and that everyone had asked for. For me, it turned out to me too much of a good thing. I don’t carry my SR9c with the safety on, but I use it at all times when it’s not fully seated in the holster (clicked off after holstering), unless I’m shooting.
My ideal version of the LC9 pistol would be DA/SA with a decocker & no safety.
The long, moderately heavy trigger on my LCP is why I haven’t ‘upgraded’ to the LCP II. I have no fear of a ND on that gun, even with no safety available, but I can shoot it well enough.
With respect to comfort, there are other small 9mm with similar dimensions, but none I’ve seen are contoured better for comfort. The way the slide narrows and tapers inward the muzzle,, the forward sloped at the back of the slide, the way the front of the trigger guard gently curves up to meet the frame. With the right holster, these things reduce the pressure points that blockier guns present when worn close against the body.
Inspired from the tv series Yellowstone, this Kelly Reilly Blue Coat is poncho-style outerwear. Kelly Reilly portrayed the role of Beth Dutton, daughter of John Dutton in the series.
My wife bought an original LC9 in a fit of paranoia about 10 years ago. After seeing unused for so long, I decided to give it a run. Unimpressed. At 10 yards (folks that’s 30 feet), you better hope it hits because it’s so light you’re not getting a second chance before the advancing & angry target arrives. it’s not accurate, it is too small, and it is very pretty. I suspect for 99.99% of EDC the latter is all that counts.
The Beretta Px4 Storm Spring Airsoft Black Gun is an excellent choice for those who want a high quality airsoft gun. It features a full metal body, adjustable hop up system, and a fully adjustable stock.
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