how good is the Ruger LC9?

[Trigger Mike]

I keep seeing these pistols sell for 299.  that is real cheap for a name brand 9mm.  are they any good?  

[DocWard]

Before we closed our doors, we sold quite a few of them (edit: the LC9S. Thanks Abilene Slim). Price comparable to the S&W Shield, but with one less magazine out of the box. I personally like the feel and trigger better than the Shield. A bit more compact feeling and to me aesthetically pleasing. Trigger seemed smoother out of the box. As I recall, out of the ones we sold, we had one sent back to Ruger for a problem, but I can't recall what it was. We had a couple of Shields go back, but we sold more, so probably evened out.

 

The trigger on the hammer fired LC9 is not particularly pleasant.

 

Not sure if that is a help or not.

[Abilene Slim SASS 81783]

The biggest complaint about the LC9 was its trigger. In response to that criticism, Ruger introduced the LC9S and LC9S Pro which are striker-fired. The response to those has been very favorable. I've handled both and to me, the S models are much improved.

 

Suggest you handle one and compare to others available.

[Trigger Mike]

these in town for 299 are the s model so they are striker fired.  

[Abilene Slim SASS 81783]

That's a great price for a nice gun IMO. The difference between the S and S Pro is the S has a manual safety and magazine interlock. That is, it won't fire without a magazine in place, even if there's a round in the chamber. The S pro has neither of those features, same as a Glock.

 

I struggled with getting an S Pro or a Glock 43. I went with the Glock because it fit my hand better and has a heavier break on the trigger. The trigger on the Ruger is light and smooth and nice to shoot on the range. It's so light and smooth that I had a couple of unintended double fires on the first magazine I shot. Since this was my first carry gun, I didn't want to risk an AD under a high stress situation. At the range, I'd prefer the Ruger, but under high stress, I prefer the Glock.

 

That's just me and may not be an issue for you, so don't let my comments dissuade you. It's definitely worth looking at.

[The Original Lumpy Gritz]

I carry a S&W Shield 9mm. Fits my medium size hands way better than the Ruger.

I can shoot the S&W much better than the Ruger also.

Go and handle them BOTH, before you buy.

OLG

 

[Ben Beam]

My first gun was a Ruger 9mm (can't remember the model, now discontinued). It was a great gun, never had trouble with it and it was accurate and easy to shoot. Wish I still had it! 

[Abilene Slim SASS 81783]

Adding on... The LC9 and guns like it are sub compacts intended for carry and close-up defense situations. They're really not intended for shooting an eyelash off a fly. If you're thinking about home defense and/or a good target shooter, I can think of other 9mm guns to consider. 

 

As always, try before you buy.

[Pat Riot]

A friend of mine has 2 of the LC9 pistols. I believe the second one is the "S" model. He likes them both very much. The first one was sent out for trigger work. I do remember him saying that the trigger was "Okay" until he bought the LC9S and then decided the LC9 was lacking in regards to his LC9S. I have handled and pulled the trigger on both and they are nice carry guns that are an okay fit in my hands. I wear XXL gloves. I never had the opportunity to fire them.

[Utah Bob #35998]

 

[Calamity Kris]

My carry is an LC9S in Raspberry and I love it. 

[Rye Miles #13621]

LC9S is the one to get, a big improvement over the LC9!!!

[John Barleycorn, SASS #76982]

I carry the LC9 Pro, light, concealable, feels good in the hand and points easily.