Ruger LC9 and LC9s. I went through quite a few carry sized 9's looking for an appropriate handgun for my Granddaughter. She had expressed an interest in having one, and she is graduating from college next month. I've had her out shooting a few times, and she definitely wanted a 9mm, and something "smaller". (Her dad has a Ruger P85 which she thinks is way too big). She liked the size of my Shield and handled it pretty well. In my research, I determined I wanted her to have a handgun that she couldn't accidentally fire, and I wanted one that is big enough to get a hand on and small enough to be easily carried. My conclusions was the LC9, which has a fairly long trigger pull, and does have a safety. The trigger pull itself is not heavy, about 5 lbs, but is a little long. When she gets a lot more experience under her belt she may opt for something different.

What I liked about the Ruger LC9 also was how it is thinner and is contoured all over. There are literally no sharp edges anywhere other than the little point on the front sight. In fact I liked it enough that I bought myself an LC9s Pro. The trigger pull is a little shorter about the same pull weight, and no safety. I put 150 rounds through it Monday and it had no hiccups. Fed reliably and shot to POA at 12 yards. I ran 115 gr White Box, 124 gr HP (my reloads), 124 gr Powder Coated RN, (my reloads), and 147 gr Hornady HP, (my reloads). It ate everything without any problems. It did show a small preference for the 147 XTP loads in accuracy.

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H Richard
SWCA1967 SWHF244

My LGS had the LC9s on sale before Christmas for $249.00 for the pink and purple ones. I didn't even know for sure what a LC9s was when my buddy there was telling me about them, but I asked him to let me see one. He came back with a pink one. I didn't care about the color, but I was impressed by the trigger, and the size, so I bought one and took it to the range.

I was amazed how well I shot that thing. A lot better than I do any small frame revolver, and the silly looking thing just worked like a top with my 115 grain reloads. I went back and bought another one, I liked it so much, this one in purple on the belief that if you find something you like you better buy two, or they'll stop making it, or change it. Same thing. After a few hundred rounds, that one became my carry gun.

I got an extra mag with both of mine, but I don't think that's normal. I think my buddy just threw one in the box.

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John 3:16 .

You got one heck of a deal at $249, that's about $100 less then the LC9s is going for in my area.

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H Richard
SWCA1967 SWHF244

I have one, the only "plastic" gun I own which I use for CC in the summer months when I am out on my Harley. Great little gun for what it is, much better trigger and far fewer issues than I had with the BG 380 it replaced.

I have an LC9s and like it a lot - bought it used from someone whose wife didn't like it. Small thing, but important - if you have USA-made mags they are ******* - made by Pro-Mag, I think. On two occasions - I put one in a USPS mailer with a note and mailed it to Prescott. Each time, they mailed back, pronto, an Italian/Mec-Gar magazine. Both of my Pro-Mag's dropped out while shooting ...

I have an LC9. Love the size of it but did not like the trigger at first. It took some time with it but now I prefer it since its similar to my J frames with the longer pull. It's not for bullseye shooting anyways.
I am comfortable leaving the safety off with that trigger.
I did have a primer shaving problem in the beginning where it clogged the firing pin channel and wouldn't fire.
I trouble shot it to the ammo which had some protruding primers.
After 500+ rounds since with no trouble, I'm much more comfortable with it. I came close to getting rid of it, glad I didn't.

I have an LC9 that I sometimes carry when concealability is most important and too difficult for my preferred CC (Ruger SR40c). I really like the LC9, like you said, it will take whatever you feed it without complaint. I use 115 XTP's (my loads) and recoil is a non-event at about 900 fps. Mine is the earlier, hammer fired version, and the trigger pull isn't all that bad once you get used to it. I've fired the striker-fired version, and really don't see a whole lot of difference, but I'm more used to the fairly short pull of my .40. I think the LC9 is a great pistol for a small handed person, comfortable and controllable.

I have both an “old” model LC9 and an LC9 Pro. Both handguns are stone reliable, reasonably accurate and well thought out ergonomically. The newer triggers are very nice but as another poster mentioned there is something to be said for the long trigger pull of the early model as it mimics a double-action revolver.

I also own three LCP pistols (it’s a long story), which, like the LC9 model, are very reliable. I am amazed at the high quality, reliable pistols Ruger manages to turn out for a reasonable cost.

Rich

Wife shooting LC9.

I love mine, excellent trigger and extremely accurate for its size and feels great in my Stealth Gear holster. I shoot mostly 115gr Perfecta and Federal Champion with no issues. I use Federal HST 147gr for defense ammo, cycles great as well.

I missed the sale a couple of weeks before when they had them on a super sale for $219.00. I saw the add but thought it was for the LCP 380. I told you I didn't really know what a LC9s was...

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John 3:16 .

I have the Lc9 it's about five years old great pocket gun in black hawk holster thousands of rounds threw flawless.

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Spin The Wheel

One quick comment on the striker fired versions of the pistol. I really like my LC9 Pro but am very vigilant about keeping my finger (and anything else) away from that very light (in my opinion) trigger. I never measured the pull of the pistol's trigger but would hazard a guess at somewhere between five and six pounds. If I were king I'd up the pull weight to between six and seven pounds, perhaps even eight lbs (I'd have to try the various pull weights to figure out the sweet spot).

The trigger has a smooth pull (quite good actually) and this would in no way degrade the potential accuracy of the LC9 striker fired pistols while perhaps enhancing this model's safety.

Just a thought.

Rich

I have a LC9s and like it a lot. The trigger is one of the best out there. The LC9s weights a tad less than a S&W shield. I have a M&P performance center 9mm shield with the factory enhanced trigger and the LC9s trigger is about as good. Can't go wrong with the Ruger.

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Endeavor To Persevere

The Taurus 709 slim is really nice too. If you look hard you can always find one new for $199 somewhere. If you are sold on the Ruger, I'd go with the LC9s its suppose to be an improvement over the LC9.

good luck!

I like the the LC9s over the Shield because it conceals better on my svelte (AKA scrawny) frame given the light clothing we generally wear here.

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Release the Kraken

I bought a new LC9s a couple days ago. Shot it today for the first time. I was impressed by its accuracy, and the little pistol has been completely reliable thus far (only 63 rounds at this point). I have to say, though, that the gun is not fun to shoot. It's small and light which makes the recoil harsh for a 9. That coupled with the very thin grip and it's textured hard plastic makes for a sore right palm after just a few rounds. Thus the low round count for its first outing.

It's probably not a pistol I'd want to put a couple hundred rounds through in a session, but it will do its intended duty as a defensive weapon well I think. I'll need to run a few more rounds through it first, though.

There are Shield 9mm with a safety too!

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Stay protected my friends.

I've given a little thought to an LC9s Pro to sub for a J frame, but looked at a schematic of it. It doesn't look like anything I would want to work on; more like a nightmare. I guess I'm just used to guns I can detail strip and repair myself if I have a need or desire to do so. Still, the LC9 pistols are an impressive little package.

With that in mind I took another look at the Glock 43 single stack 9 which is dirt simple to go into. I suspect I would give it the nod for that reason alone.

But the J frame always works, is long ago paid for, and performs well in its assigned role.

I was able to find a new LC9s for $299 on GB which was Massachusetts compliant. Really like the simplicity and once I got extended mags, all is well. Mustang 380 now sits in safe.

I added Pachmayer grip sleeves to mine ( and an LCP ).
They make a big difference in the grip ergonomics, making it easier and more comfortable to shoot. Especially true with the LCP, which have a padded palm swell to them.
It didn't add enough to the width to make a difference with concealabilty and doesn't catch on clothing.
Plus they're inexpensive if it turns out you don't like them.

I went thru this last Christmas with my wife, My problem with the LC9 is it is to small even for a woman, the torque from the 9mm is enough to cause the gun to twist in the hand when fired and cause the gun to require a repurchase of the grip on the gun after every shot.

I am sure it is a safe and reliable gun, but I did not like the ergonomics so we went the Glock 43 route

I picked up a LC9S Pro today to use as a summer carry pistol. All I've done at this point is some dry firing and practicing field stripping it but I have to say I am SERIOUSLY impressed with the trigger. I don't think I've ever had a pistol with a trigger this ball bearing smooth out of the box, not even any of my S&W revolvers purchased new. Per my Lyman Digital trigger gage the break runs between 5 lbs. 3 ounces and 5 lbs. 6 ounces, so it's weighted light enough I should be able to shoot it quite well. Just wish the dots in the sights were a bit larger, at 61 years of age my eyesight isn't what it once was and I've become a bit spoiled by the big white dots Ruger puts in the SR1911.

Tomorrow is a range day so I'll see how it shoots. Hopefully it will prove as reliable as everyone has been reporting. Also curious to see how the recoil is because I haven't shot a 9mm in many years and that one was a full size M&P. Compared to my 40 caliber P239 this LC9S is a real feather weight.

I have the Ruger LC9s with a safety. Say what you want to but I just feel safer with a safety and such a short and light trigger pull. I've put about 900 rounds downrange with it (mostly my reloads). I love it but I did send it back to Ruger for to get the fix for light magazine release. I only had one mag to release on it's own but Ruger turned it around in (seriously) 1 week. Never a problem since. They've got some great customer service. It's one of my EDC pieces. Not as much fun as sn S&W revolver but I think a good self defense weapon.

After training and carrying various Glocks on and off duty for over 15 years and tens of thousands of rounds downrange with Glocks, I am convinced it's one of the best duty and defensive handgun designs on the market in the right hands (and I certainly understand some won't agree). With that said, when I went to the local cop shop to pick up my new G43 I ended up coming home with a Ruger LC9s Pro and absolutely love it.

Mine has been 100% reliable, plenty accurate, and I find it easy to carry concealed and quite ergonomic. I have since had several range sessions shooting G43's and LC9S side by side and I find both of them to be up to snuff for what they are designed to do. It may have taken Ruger two tries to get the LC9 right, but I think they hit a home run with the LC9s Pro.

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- Change it back -

Put 100 rounds of 115 gr. WWB and 7 rounds of Federal 147 gr. HST through the LC9s Pro today without any failures of any description. Recoil is distinctly snappy, not a surprise considering the light weight of this pistol. However even for my arthritic wrist the recoil wasn't at all painful and in a rapid fire string I didn't notice it at all. Sighting with the 115 grain WWB put the POI about an inch low at 35 feet using a Combat sight picture so I expect that it's probably sighted for 124 grain bullets. Accuracy was rather good for such small pistol and I found it rather simple to hold my groups to less that 6 inches in rapid fire at 30 feet. While that may not sound that good it's good enough for this old fart who can't focus on handgun sights anymore.