Ruger LC9 in a Pocket

[smtimelevi]

This isn't helping, I am trying to talk myself out of one.

You came to the wrong place for that! That's like going to a bar to deal with an alcohol problem.

Chas.

I can quit anytime I want to...

[n5wd]

This isn't helping, I am trying to talk myself out of one.

You came to the wrong place for that! That's like going to a bar to deal with an alcohol problem.

Chas.

I can quit anytime I want to...

Right...... just like the rest of us.

[Commander Cody]

I almost quit one time... how much does a LC9 cost?

[RiverRat]

A little over $330 if you watch....I got one as a mold gun....an excuse, but carries nice in my pocket...a little larger than the LCP, but the LCP has the tendency to rotate and LC9 doesn't. The trigger is a little long, but it's my bug (back-up gun, NY reload, etc.), not primary.

[SecedeTX]

I carry the Kahr mk9 elite in a crossbreed holster and love it, but there are times when a pocket gun would be easier. The Kahr fits, but being all stainless, it's a bit heavy. I was looking at the .380, but if I could pull off a 9mm I would rather do that. How much of a difference in size is the .380 vs the 9mm. I need something lighter first, and if the size is not much larger, that's a bonus

[doc540]

I almost quit one time... how much does a LC9 cost?

$300 for a clean used one.

[Heartland Patriot]

I posted back some time ago about this pistol and its trigger pull. My friend has one, and shooting his is what stopped me from getting one. I swear it had the worst trigger pull of any gun I have ever shot. He talked to Ruger on the phone and they told him to send it to them...that reminds me, now I have to ask if he got it back, and if the trigger was any better...

[doc540]

Call me Mr. Lucky.

great trigger on mine

[The Annoyed Man]

I carry the Kahr mk9 elite in a crossbreed holster and love it, but there are times when a pocket gun would be easier. The Kahr fits, but being all stainless, it's a bit heavy. I was looking at the .380, but if I could pull off a 9mm I would rather do that. How much of a difference in size is the .380 vs the 9mm. I need something lighter first, and if the size is not much larger, that's a bonus

The MK9 was the first Kahr I ever shot, and that's what caused me to seek one out. Absolutely loved the trigger and the way that such a small pistol so easily tamed 9mm recoil. I bought a used PM9 which I pocket carry all the time. I'd like to try an LC9 and a PF9. In the April 2011 issue of Gun-Tests, they did a straight up comparison and went with the PF9 as their pick. You have to be subscribed to read the whole article (SOURCE), but they said at the top of the article in reference to a previous article they had done comparing the P3AT to the LCP:

...But to us, there was no doubt Ruger had simply copied the Kel-Tec 380’s design with enough changes to avoid legal problems.

Now it appears Ruger has done it again, this time with its LC9 going against the Kel-Tec PF-9...

In conclusion about the PF9, Gun-Tests said:

We came away from the tests really liking the Kel-Tec and not liking the Ruger nearly as much. If we had 50 rounds to shoot at a sitting, we’d choose the Ruger, but for concealed carry and the few rounds one might shoot in a self-defense encounter, there’s no question in our minds. We’d choose the Kel-Tec. We consider it an ‘A’-grade gun from every important standpoint: price, accuracy, reliability, light weight, slim, you name it. We think this is one mighty fine 9mm handgun, but it is not for the recoil-sensitive person.

In conclusion about the LC9 they said:

Ruger has created a nice handgun in the LC9. The styling alone will sell a lot of guns. We think a lot of shooters will buy it largely because of the integrity of the Ruger name. Because of the very nice cosmetic treatment by Ruger, we believe many will overlook the fact that it weighs 2.5 ounces more and costs $110 more than the original design by Kel-Tec. Some will like the safety, though probably not any lefties. Many will prefer its steel sights over the rival’s plastic ones. The flip-top loaded-round indicator lets you know the gun’s condition in the dark, and some will like that. In short, the new Ruger did what Kel-Tec designed it to do, but didn’t do it as well as Kel-Tec, in our opinion. We gave the Ruger a C because it’s heavier, thicker, harder to shoot well, and a third-again more costly than the other gun.

I'm not a big fan of Kel-Tec pistols in general (although I would very much like to pick up a PMR-30 some day) because they appear a bit "junky" to me....is the only way I know how to describe it. I had a P3AT at one point which I sold to another member here earlier this year. It was OK, and it was reliable, but the trigger guard barked my knuckles every time I shot it, and I was not enamored of the take-down procedure. In that light, to me the LCP seems like trying to put a dress on a sow. That may not be a fair depiction, but that's just how I react to it. So my P3AT ownership experience tends to prejudice my perception of the PF9, and by association, the LC9 as well. But that's just me.

OTH, I am an enthusiastic supporter of pocket sized 9mm pistols. I personally think that they make the .380 nearly irrelevant. And if the PF9/LC9 price point is what it takes to get someone in that door, then I support their decision to buy one of these two guns. I just personally prefer the admittedly much pricier Kahr offerings because I think they are "nicer" pistols. Again, that is personal taste, and I'm not going to knock someone for buying one of the cheaper guns.

[Heartland Patriot]

I just want to clarify what I meant by not liking the trigger pull. I don't own any DAO pistols. I have a DA/SA Ruger P89, a DA/SA Bersa Thunder, a striker fired Ruger SR9c, and a couple of DA revolvers (Taurus Model 66 and S&W Model 49) that can also be fired in SA mode by cocking the hammer. All of these triggers feel different from each other. But NONE of them I consider to have BAD triggers such that I don't like shooting them. The trigger on the LC9 that my friend has made me not want to shoot it. It had an extremely long pull that felt "weird" and then right at the very last second, when it seemed you simply couldn't pull it back any further, it would finally release. It was as if you couldn't pull it through slowly to get the feel for it, and if you used a rapid pull, well your aim went to Hades. Just for comparison, the pistol I think had the best trigger was on a Sig P226 with the Short Reset Trigger that a young man had at the range one day and was kind enough to let me fire it. It was pretty nice in the DA first pull and it was an absolute pleasure to fire the remaining rounds in the SRT mode. Obviously, I'm not bashing on Ruger...I own several of their products. I just didn't like that one model (or at least, that one pistol). I'm glad the OP got one that works for him.

[PostShooter]

In regards the PF-9 vs. the LC9, I think the Ruger is easier to control because they have added just the right amount of extra weight without making it too much heavier. If you don't like your gun at the range, you're not going to become very good at shooting it. And range time is what makes you proficient. I've seen over and over how many PF-9 owners will shoot about 50 rounds and call it a day, because their hand begins to hurt. Not much of a problem with the Ruger. I like having the thumb safety and I think the quality is a bit better. What sold me was when a salesman put them side by side and showed me how much more room there was between the trigger and the guard on the Ruger. I really felt the Kel-Tec would be a disadvantage on the quick draw. When I looked at them like that, there barely seemed enough room for your finger in there on the Kel-Tec. Forget wearing a glove.