Ruger said there was demand for the upgraded Lightweight Compact Pistol that featured a manual safety. While some will not believe that, I think that’s likely. Consider who’s the most likely to buy a low-cost, moderate capacity centerfire pistol for defense.

A good many buyers – new to the world of defense firearms -- will be drawn to the small size, the light caliber and the low price … if only it had a ‘safety.’

So now we have the Ruger LCP MAX – an LCP with an “Off Switch.”

Of what import is a safety lever? On a gun to be regularly carried in close concealment (this LCP is supplied with a nylon pocket holster), the safety can “take the worry out of being close.”

The general complaint about manual safety levers is “You’ll never remember to take it off when you need to shoot.”

The new LCP MAX with Safety doesn’t (far as I know) replace earlier LCP models. Above, the new gun compared to a 2nd Gen LCP with Crimson Trace Laser. Below, the LCP MAX/s is supplied with a pocket holster and one magazine.

Cool story. But the chances are greater that something will encroach on the trigger when trying to place the gun in deep concealment, with loud and embarrassing consequences.

As for me, I’ll use them either way – and have. The safety goes on, the gun goes into the pocket holster, the safety can go off before the rig goes into the pocket. Or it can stay on. A “Fudd,” I learned on guns supplied with manual safety levers. It’s reflexive for me to go for the safety when I draw.

Other than the addition of the trigger-and-slide locking safety, the new Ruger LCP MAX is like the old one. There is also a version with a magazine disconnector (a dubious add-on that creates more problems than it solves) and a loaded chamber indicator (Rule 1: All Guns are Always Loaded.)

The slide is matte-finished stainless steel, handy for a deep concealment pistol. The barrel has a black oxide finish. The 2.8” barrel, the white outline-around-tritium front sight and U-notch rear sight is like those on the previous versions of the gun. It ships with a 10-round magazine, a lot of ammo for a tiny gun, and the aforementioned pocket holster. There’s a magazine loading assist device, but I had mixed success with it when loading Monarch-branded steel-case 380 ammo.

Above, the LCP MAX/s with some of the proposed diet for the new gun – some of which has already been tried. Below, the 380 is no slouch, even out of such a tiny gun.

I know; avoid steel case ammo.

I wasted little time in getting this micro-cannon to the range – and I had little time to get any solid work done. I fired the LCP MAX/s with four loads to check accuracy, zero and velocity. The range was fifteen yards and I fired over a bag from a seated rest.

Hornady Critical Defense shot around 2 ½” under the sights and it printed a three-inch group. The new “CovertX” load from Fiocchi had one round way out – 10 ½” below aiming point, but the rest were likewise low. The best three of five rounds hit into four inches.

Federal HST hit four inches under the sights and produced a 3 ½” group. Liberty Civil Defense 50 grain hit 3 ½” low and yielded a five-inch group with the best three going into an inch.

The velocity listings are in the table below.

Using the Monarch ammo, I shot on a Birchwood-Casey EZE-Scorer 12”x18” IPSC practice target. At five yards, I put four of five into a 3 ¼”x3 ¼” head box. At 25 yards, I had a low D-zone hit and one below the target off the paper.

I’m calling that a trigger/grip issue more than a gun or ammo issue. The trigger, while not terribly stout, has a rough feel and I’m no trigger snob. It may take some working out. Based on the bench shooting, it seems the little gun wants to outshoot its size/reputation. I’ve had good luck with LCP autos – particularly the 2nd generation LCP, the LCP Custom, the LCP II and the LCP 11 in 22.

On a later trip, I used my “update” of an old police course, one I shot first in my career. The holster is the Galco Stow-N-Go IWB Holster.

My refresh used the FBI QIT99 target and I changed the close stage to the first stage of the federal protection course, shooting close in a “bent arm” position. From a moderate 20 feet, I did a pair of failure to stop exercises (one went low in the “neck) followed by a “Bill Drill.” At 45 feet, it was a collection of draws and hits from ready. At 25 yards, a similar exercise followed, including shooting left handed.

The handling test wasn’t dismal; it’s a small, hard-hitting gun. The score was the same as with a service compact on another target – but the group was far better and nothing left the ‘bottle.’ The LCP line is the “everywhere, all-the-time” gun for self-protection. It takes work to make it shoot well.

I scored it as 39 hits out of 42 possible, not great. Considering the size of the gun, it wasn’t terrible, but the longer 12-round magazines sure did help in gripping.

Following with “5x5^5” from Claude Werner, I was sad to see I was consistently low; my now, using mixed ammo with varying points of impact didn’t help. Shooting any LCP – even the MAX – soaks up a lot of that five seconds.

I didn’t miss hitting the safety when I needed to shoot. I used the safety when holstering the gun.

This gun has possibilities. I’ll be working more with this one.

This sub-11 ounce 380 has a suggested retail price of $379.00; I imagine you will be able to find it for less. If you’re okay with learning to use the safety, I’ll quote an old ad: “It takes the worry out of being close.”

- - Rich Grassi