Short version
Pros
Capacity
Weight
Concealability
Easy to carry
Cons
Less potential stopping power than 9mm/40/45/357/38
Might be less comfortable for those with large hands
Would I recommend it
Yes
Intro
I was in the market for a pocket sized pistol. After shortly flirting with the idea of carrying a revolver I discovered the Ruger LCP Max in .380. Not too long after purchasing this I was able to take it out and do a small function test by running about 2 boxes of ammo through it or about 100 rounds. My first few shots did somewhat surprise me.
Accuracy
From about 7-10 yards I was able to get 3 consecutive shots in the 9 ring, the next smallest ring to the bullseye. I was also able to hit 6 inch steel targets at the same distance on command. I did try to hit an 8 inch steel target at 50 yards. I was close but no confirmed hit. Despite its performance at this distance I was impressed at the accuracy at distance this pistol was intended for 10 yards and in.
Shootability
I recall my impression of many pocket pistols I had shot in the past is that they were not very pleasant to shoot. This pistol has somewhat changed my mind. I expected it to feel snappy and hard to control but found the opposite when firing this pistol. I felt in control of the pistol and it did not beat up my hand. It was not as soft shooting as many full size pistols and I probably would not want to run box after box of ammo through it, but running a few boxes to practice was comfortable enough.
Reliability
I cannot comment on long term reliability as I have not run a ton of rounds through it.I did run 2 different types of ammo through it. One box of Blazer Brass 95 grain FMJ and one box of Federal American Eagle 70 grain IRT. Both ran good with the 70 grain being the softer shooting of the two. Both types of ammo produced good practical accuracy and I found them both to function flawless. The Ruger LCP Max had no failures.
Conclusion
I found this to be a gem of a pocket pistol. Small enough to fit in a pocket, but not so small I could not get a hold of it or control it. I was impressed with its practical accuracy and was delighted at the capacity ( 10+1 or 12 +1). I would recommend it.
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