There comes a time in every woman concealed carrier’s life when she realizes: “That’s too much gun for this trip (or … hip).” Trust me, because I’ve carried everything from a .45 to a .380. With record heat hitting the Midwest, it’s time for me to change up and pocket carry while I’m out walking in the heat. For this reason, I’m going with the new Ruger LCP Max.
Why in my pocket? Because I don’t want a fanny pack or belly band capturing sweat in the middle of my body. I like walking shorts that have pockets so I can carry my phone and my gun. Ruger asked me to take a look at its newly designed LCP Max, and with summer coming and a rigorous walking schedule onboard, how could I say no? And, I’m glad I did, because this is it. This is the one that will walk or run.
The LCP Max follows in the footsteps of its famous brother (or cousin), the original LCP. The drawback of that first gun is that the magazine would only hold six rounds. Ruger knew that competitors were able to design double stack mags that allowed micro guns to have 10 loads. It designed the new gun with more capacity to carry and a locked breech design instead of the original LCP’s blowback operation, which also cuts down on the recoil. Why less recoil? A blowback system, unlike a locked breech system, does not lock the bolt and breech together. The blowback design uses a more massive bolt than the locked system uses, to delay the bolt moving back at the moment the round fires. Because of its bolt’s greater mass, the blowback recoil spring is also stronger. The combination of the heavier bolt moving backwards, slamming to a stop, then being slammed forward to pick-up another round to slam into the breech makes for more felt recoil than when a locked breech system operates.
I used to be a gun reviewer for the big boy magazines, which means I would punish my hands and shoot 200 rounds through little guns just to break in the guns. This type of gun is not designed to be a target pistol, and the LCP Max needed no breaking-in. I shot, to be honest, about 50 rounds through the gun, including Federal American Eagle and two of Hornady’s offerings: American Gunner and Critical Defense. The gun had no malfunctions and loaded every round smoothly. You can go check with the big boys online if you want to see the chronograph results and thereon and thereforth, but most of us don’t care about that sort of information, anyway. What’s important is that we suit our needs by using reliable ammunition in dependable firearms from responsible manufacturers – and Ruger is one such company.
At seven yards from my target, I had to raise the front sight a bit for target accuracy, but in a center mass situation, no problems there.
Because I will carry it while walking by myself on dirt country roads, my life may depend on this pistol, so I made sure I could rely on it and my ability to shoot it accurately with good self-defense ammunition.
One thing to remember about pocket pistol carry is to use a quality holster. If used correctly, a good holster will prevent an accidental discharge of the gun while the gun is in your pocket. Have nothing else in or on the pocket you intend to use for gun carry. Always insert the pistol into the holster before putting the holster into your pocket, and then, put the combination of holster and pistol into your pocket. Do not attempt to put the pistol into the holster, or to re-holster it after drawing it, while the holster is in your pocket. Make sure the trigger is covered by the holster, and as much as possible keep your hands to the sides and top of the holster when placing it into your pocket. Also put the manual safety on before loading the gun into the holster.
Also, if you want to practice, just practice dry, and with ammo in another room or place. You should be able to draw the gun from the holster without the holster coming along for the ride. You can do this in the privacy of your home or back yard, and again, without any live ammo around, having checked that the gun is completely empty.
Another thing – if you’re concerned about your holster showing (printing) through your pocket, then don’t carry it in that pocket. Or, if you’re like me and walking on a dirt country road, so what? Find a pair of pants that has a pocket that will hold the pistol+holster. And just go.
Publisher/Editor Barbara Baird is a freelance writer in hunting, shooting and outdoor markets. Her bylines are found at several top hunting and shooting publications. She also is a travel writer, and you can follow her at https://www.ozarkian.com. View all posts by Barbara Baird
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