Tag Archives: Pistols

Update on my Ruger LCP Max – Why I still have and use it almost two years later

July 23, 2023 RoninsGrips

Back in the Fall of 2021, I bought a Ruger LCP Max chambered in the small .380 Auto cartridge and wrote about it in January of 2022. I figured it was time to give you folks an update because I rarely hold on to a firearm for very long. In the case of the LCP Max, I still have it and it is the pistol that I carry most.

Now you may immediately be wondering why and that’s why I thought I should write this post. If you want an initial review with more details, then read my first post about it. Here, I want to share why I still have it.

Ease of Carry

When you look at a firearm, you need to think of it as a tool. As a tool, it has certain situations where it should be used and others where it should not. For example, would you use a claw hammer to remove lug nuts from your truck? No, you would use a lug nut wrench, imact sockets or something along those same lines.

For me when it comes to self-defense, I have to think about the situation and how I need to carry a pistol. For you folks who are lean, mean and can wear and inside the waist band (IWB) holster – that’s great. I’m 5′ 8″ tall, over-weight at 225 pounds and and an IWB is not comfortable and an outside the waistband (OWB) holster isn’t concealable.

Look, I love my Sig P365 and carry that if I think I need more firepower but that usually means either under my seat or in a shoulder holster. If I need a pistol to slide into the pocket of my shorts or sweat pants without a bulge and causing them to droop way down, it’s the LCP Max.

Folks, it is small but not too small. I wear XL sized gloves and find it very easy to hold.

With 12 rounds of alternating hard cast ammo for penetration and hollow points and in its holster, the whole package only weighs a hair over one pound. That is my postal scale and that is 0.2 ounces. It doesn’t cause my shorts, pants, sweatpants or whatever to sag. At first I was skeptical of a pocket holster but now really like it.

Another view of the pistol in its pocket holster. That is a 12-round magazine you see mand what I almost always carry.

It’s Proven to Be Very Reliable

Second, it just runs. I’ve taken it to the range and put a lot of the self-defense rounds and FMJ range ammo through it with no failures to feed, failures to extract, etc. It’s very reliable.

It holds 10-12 Rounds

I bought a Bond Arms derringer once thinking it would give me a small concealed carry option and was surprised at how big and heavy it was yet it only held two rounds. Some guys are of the opinion that they want one or two large caliber rounds in a self-defense situation. Others, like myself, want as many as they can carry taking weight and size into consideration.

I have 10 and 12 round mags for the LCP Max. Both sizes seem to be equally reliable as I haven’t had a problem with any of my mags of either size.

Note, always test a pistol with your combinations of magazines and ammo. So far my LCP Max has fed through the various brands and types of ammo that I have with no problem. Don’t assume your’s will – you must test it before you rely on it.

Yes, It Is “Only” A .380

In the first post, I recounted Kyle Lamb’s story that just about any pistol being carried when you need it beats a supposedly better pistol not being carried due to whatever reason. Folks, there is a lot to be said for that. Let me put it another way – it is better to have a pistol than wish you had a pistol if you need it.

The .380 will never be known for stopping power. I load it with alternating Buffalo Bore hardcast rounds for a degree of penetration and various hollow points such as Sig V-Crowns.

Am I going to carry it for bear protection? Of course not, I will carry a 10mm either in a fanny pack or a shoulder rig. The little .380 pistol has more energy than a .22 long rifle and the LCP Max carries enough of them to do the job.

Summary

I continue to use the LCP Max because it is small, light and reliable. I’ve not found something better so far so I continue to use it in situations where I need to carry a pistol in my pocket without it being blatantly obvious I am doing so. It’s light weight also makes it very comfortable to carry all day, while fishing, driving, walking around, etc.

By the way, the LCP Max is so popular that there are tons and tons of color options now. Prices start around $325 and go up from there.

Note, I have to buy all of my parts – nothing here was paid for by sponsors, etc. I do make a small amount if you click on an ad and buy something but that is it. You’re getting my real opinion on stuff.

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Politics - EOs, Regulations, Legal

The ATF Conducted a Webinar for FFLs Regarding Stabilizing Braces on 1/31/2023 – Here’s a Copy of the Slides

February 1, 2023 RoninsGrips

The ATF conducted a webinar on 1/31/2023 to help FFLs understand the new brace rule that went into effect that same day. That means anyone with a braced pistol needs to decide what course of action they are going to take because they have 120 days to comply.

Unless someone gets a temporary restraining order issued to put a hold on this regulation, people must figure out what they are going to do and when. Please notice I said “and when”. Figure out what option you are going to take and when you must start doing it. For example, if you plan to remove the brace and destroy it, when must you do that by? If you plan to make your pistol into a rifle, when do you need to order parts and do it by? Always remember that a whole bunch of other braced pistol owners will wait to the last minute and then get upset when they can’t find parts, their gunsmith doesn’t have time, etc.

So, if you are looking for a quick summary of what the ATF is thinking, click here to get a PDF file copy of the slides they presented on 1/31.

Click here for the ATF page that links to all of the published guidance they have involving braces including the full text of the new rule and frequently asked questions.

Politics - EOs, Regulations, Legal

ATF Brace Ruling Published Today – 120 Day Compliance Countdown Starts Today

January 31, 2023 RoninsGrips

The ATF’s ruling on stabilizing braces was published in the Federal Register and now the 120 day compliance timer starts. Here’s the link: https://www.federalregister.gov/documents/2023/01/31/2023-01001/factoring-criteria-for-firearms-with-attached-stabilizing-braces

We still have to see what the ATF continues to try and clarify. They have said 922r does not apply and they also said the 88 day background check issue still applies so keep tabs on things.

It’s really an unsettling unsettling time for owners of pistols with braces to be in. The four options in my own words:

Remove the brace and go back to having just a pistol. Destroy the brace.
Turn the pistol into a rifle either changing the barrel to over 16″ or adding an extension. Remember the 26″ minimum overall length limit.
Go the SBR route and register your weapon. Bear in mind selling it down the road would require working with an 03 FFL and not a basic FFL.
Turn in your braced pistol to the ATF to destroy it (I hope nobody has to go that route.

Speaking for myself, I’d either go for #1 or #2. If you’ve always wanted a SBR, then go that route.

The ATF has a web page for this whole mess – click here for it.

Now that the timer is running and the ATF had a webinar for FFL dealers today to try and explain what is going on, I guess we will find out more.

DIY - Do It Yourself, Shooting in General

Print Your Own Targets At Home Using These PDF Files And Your Printer

April 26, 2020 RoninsGrips

Sometimes you need targets and don’t have any handy. This happened to me the other day when I needed to sight in two rifles. Since I needed them right away, I whipped up some targets that I then printed and used. It dawned on me that maybe others could benefit from them as well so I created this post with links to PDF files you can use. A PDF file can be opened by most browsers as well as a number of different viewer apps such as Adobe Acrobat Reader.

Please note that the below are just thumbnail graphics. Click on each to open the actual PDF file so you can have sharper image to print and so forth.