Ruger

Well, here it is…the first gun purchased through our online store, and the first gun being reviewed on our website. I had to ensure the credit card payment gateway worked and that our distributors sent the gun to me, as the FFL. So, what a better way to test the operability of the online store than to purchase a firearm through it for myself.

This particular model comes factory direct with a Crimson Trace red dot sight and (1) 12-round magazine and (1) 10-round magazine. I never owned a handgun with a red dot sight, so I wanted one to learn to shoot with one. From what I read, once a shooter learns to shoot with a red dot, target acquisition is quicker, and I want to see if I can get to that point too.

Here are the pros, from my point of view.

First, the gun is very comfortable in my hand with the 12-round magazine in the grip. Accordingly, I fully expect the Max-9 to become my EDC handgun, once trained.

Second, it holds 12 rounds in one magazine and 10 in the other. Generally, 12 rounds shouldn’t be necessary in a defensive situation, but you never know. Ruger introduced the Max-9 to jump on the high-capacity subcompact bandwagon making their mark, namely the Sig Sauer P365 and the Springfield Hellcat.

Third, the trigger is light and crisp, in the snap cap dry fire testing I did upon taking it out of the box.

Fourth, it also comes factory direct with a green fiber-optic front sight. Should I ever decide to remove the red dot, this front sight will then work very well in low light situations.

Fifth, as with all red dot mounted firearms, a nice feature is that you can use the front of the red dot to rack the slide. You do not have to grip the slide serrations with your fingers to rack the slide.

Sixth, it has an ambidextrous thumb safety. So, when drawing from the holster, the shooter needs to practice taking off the safety as the handgun is coming out of the holster.

Seventh, the Crimson Trace red dot is auto on/off. Pick the gun up or draw from your holster, and the red dot turns on. Lay the gun down or re-holster it, and in a short time, the red dot turns itself off.

Eighth, the unloaded weight is only 18.4 ounces. Not bad for a high capacity handgun.

Now, here are the cons.

First, the slide is more difficult to rack at this juncture than I thought it was going to be, because it is brand new. I expect the slide spring tension to relax after breaking in the gun with a few hundred rounds through it.

Second, the red dot takes some time to master. For those shooters not familiar with using red dots, handguns containing them are not models that you can simply remove from the box, holster and carry. You need to work through the unfamiliarity of the red dot by shooting a few hundred rounds through the gun at the range. We must practice drawing and aligning the sight picture. The factory settings of the red dot has the dot aiming just above the front sight, which is perfect. But for someone like me, initially drawing and aiming the gun in my home had my sight alignment all over the place. I need to practice what I preach, and that is of getting 100% comfortable with the entire operation of the gun.

Overall, I was impressed with this gun and the matching holster. If you want to learn more or to purchase this gun from our online store, click here. If you want to learn more or purchase the Crucial Concealment holster, click here.