{"id":88763,"date":"2018-02-28T16:08:37","date_gmt":"2018-02-28T21:08:37","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.gunsamerica.com\/blog\/?p=88763"},"modified":"2018-02-28T16:08:37","modified_gmt":"2023-08-30T17:37:31","slug":"ruger-lc9s-review","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/gunsamerica.com\/digest\/ruger-lc9s-review\/","title":{"rendered":"Ruger LC9s Pro – Small Enough to Carry, Big Enough to Shoot"},"content":{"rendered":"

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\"Ruger<\/a>

The Ruger LC9s Pro comes with two magazines and a soft carrying case, and without an external or magazine disconnect safety.<\/p><\/div>\n

If you are attached to the firearms industry in any way whatsoever, even if you are merely a guy with an opinion and the determination to convey it to anyone that will listen, you will eventually have a lot of guns. Collecting guns for pleasure, sport, defense, hunting, and just for its own sake is almost a requirement if you want to call yourself a gun writer or sustain a gun channel on YouTube. Another by-product of the culture and vocation is that you will, over time, carry a great variety of different handguns for self-defense. If the clear purpose of a handgun is that it be carried concealed for defensive purposes, then I like to do just that with it for some amount of time and under a variety of circumstances before I offer an opinion to the reader or viewer about it. The Ruger LC9s Pro<\/a> is a pistol that I purchased a few years ago for the purpose of testing it out as a carry alternative and giving my review. I\u2019ll be darned if the little bugger hasn\u2019t found its way into my heart, my holster, and my pocket! Let me tell you why.<\/p>\n

Details of the LC9s\"Ruger<\/h2>\n

First and foremost, because it is small. Beyond small \u2013 it\u2019s tiny. Secondly, because it holds seven rounds in the magazine. That\u2019s eight rounds in a loaded carry gun, with another seven in the pocket or pouch (and maybe seven more elsewhere, depending on your preferred level of preparedness). Third, because it has an incredible trigger \u2013 but more on that in a bit. Fourth, it has good ergonomics for a gun its size and decent sights. Lastly, because it has demonstrated itself to be reliable, durable, and accurate. Now, let\u2019s take a look at each of these criteria in more detail.<\/p>\n

Let\u2019s start with its size. LC9s Pro has an overall length of just six inches. And while I will often tell you that length is the least important dimension of a concealed carry gun, it does become important for deep concealment \u2013 or pocket carry. The latter of those is a method I frequently employ when weather and\/or clothing options dictate. I have more than one DeSantis Nemesis pocket holster that I use as my \u201cgo\/no-go\u201d gauge for pocket carry. The LC9s Pro fits into it \u2013 and my pocket, perfectly. Next, it has a height of just 4 \u00bd inches, which is the important dimension for inside-the-waistband (IWB) carry. Technically, it is also important for OWB carry, but if you\u2019re carrying outside the waistband you\u2019re likely wearing ample concealment garments to negate printing. Carrying IWB is the most common method used for concealed carry, but the one that brings with it the most challenges. A couple of critical measurements of the carry gun for IWB carry are height and thickness. Thickness is important because the gun and its holster<\/em> have to fit inside your pants and still allow you to exhale occasionally. This tiny Ruger adds only 0.90\u201d of extra companionship to your love handles. But remember, the holster adds to that. So, while the most comfortably constructed holsters imaginable (and I always consider Stealth Gear to top that list) might be your first choice, you could find your pants no longer fitting unless you\u2019ve oversized them. However, with a razor-thin Kydex holster, you are adding very little thickness to the package and can often get away with closer to regular sized fit pants. In my favorite Multi Holster rig, I\u2019m adding only 1.1\u201d to the waist. \u00a0The point is that the key to comfortable IWB carry starts with the thinnest gun possible, and the LC9 is about as thin as they come.<\/p>\n

Capacity\"Ruger<\/h3>\n

The flush mount magazine helps to better conceal the pistol, but the “pinky extension” baseplate provides a fuller feeling grip. Capacity is the same either way.<\/p>\n

Back to the height \u2013 just 4 \u00bd\u201d with a flush magazine. This means minimal chance of printing when carried IWB or in the pocket. And amazingly, Ruger has managed to squeeze seven rounds into the magazine. With one in the chamber, which is the proper way to carry, you have a class-leading eight rounds of 9mm in the gun. That\u2019s the same capacity as the best-selling M&P Shield and one more than a Glock 43. Because the magazines are so thin and small, there is no excuse not to carry that reload \u2013 or two. So, you get capacity without the sacrifice of size. And if you don\u2019t think that extra round per magazine makes a difference, then you\u2019re not reading enough after-action reports about shootings. You want all you can get.<\/p>\n

Trigger<\/h3>\n

\"Ruger<\/h3>\n

The long trigger pull helps compensate for the pistol’s\u00a0light weight trigger. The author strongly recommends extra training with it before carry.<\/p>\n

I mentioned the trigger and said it was a good one. For this pistol that bears some further explanation and some words of caution. The trigger on the LC9s Pro is light and crisp with a fairly long stroke. The latter is what redeems the pistol from being one I would scream at you to stay away from. When I say the trigger is light, I mean really light. Every time I take it out at the range for some live fire practice, I surprise myself with the light trigger break. On the flip side of this is the fact that many people that don\u2019t have a great deal of hand strength can run this gun and make good hits, where much heavier and grittier triggers give them extreme difficulty and often send their shots wild. Worse, bad triggers often make it painful or intimidating to shoot the gun \u2013 so they don\u2019t practice with it, and possibly even avoid carrying it. The redeeming feature, as I said, is the long trigger pull.\u00a0 The trigger on my copy of the LC9s Pro measured an average of 4 lbs. 13.6 oz. from five pulls with the Lyman digital gauge. That is still heavier than many 1911 and 1911 variant handguns that are routinely carried. The key difference here is that the \u201cPro\u201d designation of the LC9 means that there is no external manual safety \u2013 which takes me back to my words of caution that if you plan to rely on this pistol for defense, you need to train with it extensively. Having said that, I would say that the LC9s Pro has likely the best trigger of any pistol in its class. For most shooters, this will translate to better accuracy, which can mean it is safer to carry.<\/p>\n

Specs<\/h2>\n\"Ruger\n

Ruger LC9s Pro<\/p>\n