Category: All About Guns

 

Ruger’s pleased to announce the new MAX-9, a micro-compact with impressive capacity. The MAX-9, chambered for 9mm Luger, holds 10+1 with flush magazines and 12+1 with slightly extended mags.

Available in three different models at launch, the MAX-9 looks a lot like a beefed-up LC9s, which carries 7+1. Like the LC9s, the MAX-9 is a polymer-framed, striker-fired pistol but with other upgrades that will make it compete with the likes of Glock, SIG Sauer, and Springfield Armory in the micro-compact market.

All three models are optics-ready, with slides cut to accept a wide range of micro red dot sights. It also comes with a factory hybrid tritium fiber optic front day and night sight with a wide black combat-style rear sight.

The slide is contoured to raise the front sight up over the bore. Combined with the standard tall rear sight the MAX-9 can co-witness compatible red dot sights with the included iron sights, and there’s no need for suppressor-height replacements.

 

Ruger’s offering the MAX-9 with two base models and one Pro model. The base versions come with a manual thumb safety and either two 10-round or two 12-round magazines, while the Pro comes with two 12-round mags and no thumb safety.

All have passive trigger safeties as well, in addition to an internal striker block and a loaded chamber inspection port. The slides and barrels are hardened steel with a black oxide finish.

And otherwise, the specifications are the same. Regardless of the model, every MAX-9 has a 3.2-inch barrel, measures in at 6 inches long, a bit over .9 inches wide at the slide, and 4.5 inches tall with flush magazines. They weigh just over 18 ounces unloaded.

But what might set the MAX-9 apart from most of its competition is it’s price: all three models have a suggested retail price of just $499. With real-world and online pricing expected to be even less, these will fly off shelves.

Additional mags are already available from Ruger for $39 or in two-packs for $63 and come with a slick nickel Teflon coating. Ruger also offers finger extensions for 10-round magazines for $4, which make handling shorter guns easier for many shooters without increasing the pistol’s overall profile.

Ruger will certainly shake up the market with the new MAX-9. For more info about these and the rest of the Ruger catalog, check out their website.