I remember being a young rookie cop in the early 1990s and wondering what gun I would carry off-duty and how I would carry it. We didn’t have a lot of options for small guns with large capacities at that time, so you were relegated to either a 5-shot .38 revolver or a small .380. If you wanted a larger caliber with a higher capacity, most guys just carried their duty gun. Since it was southern California and usually warm weather, that meant carrying it in a fanny pack. About a decade into the 2000’s, firearm manufacturers began making small frame 9mm pistols with ten round (or more) magazines and a new era of concealed carry began.
Ruger joined the micro pistol craze early on with some great options. The LCP was ground-breaking and many of us carried one as a back up gun. Now they have come out with the Max-9 and the gun world has stood up and taken notice. The Max-9 is a 9mm glass-filled nylon frame striker fired pistol fed by a 10 or 12 round magazine. It comes in 2 slide lengths with either a 3.2” or 4” barrel and measures less than an inch wide.
Ruger designed the Max-9 using a one-piece fire control chassis for the internals. This means the serial number is stamped on the chassis and viewed through a window in the grip module, allowing the user to swap out grips and slides without having to buy a new firearm. Many guns come standard with basic white sights and the user must pay extra to upgrade them. Ruger has included excellent tritium fiber optic sights on all models of the Max-9 making a sight upgrade unnecessary. They have also included an RMSc optic cut for those inclined to add one.
Speaking of optics, Ruger offers their Max-9 with their new Ruger ReadyDot micro reflex sight already installed. The ReadyDot is fiber illuminated and does not take batteries. It self-adjusts to keep the dot visible in all lighting conditions. It also has fixed elevation and windage adjustments making it one of the simplest optics to use. When I first read about the ReadyDot, I was intrigued but skeptical. As a life-long hunter and former sniper, it just went against the grain to have an optic I could adjust and zero to me personally. However, I’ve always been a big fan of Ruger products, so I tried to keep an open mind. I was not disappointed!
In December, I spent three days at the famed Gunsite Academy in Paulden, AZ shooting various pistols and red dot sights. I spent some time shooting the Max-9 with and without the ReadyDot both on the range and in a shoot house. I can honestly say I was truly impressed with this little pistol. First of all, the gun comes at a price point making it impossible to turn down. Next, I found the size of the gun to be unique in a surprisingly good way. Upon first impression, the Max-9 appears to fall into the category of the pocket 9 micro sized pistol. Then you pick it up and though it is not heavy, the slide appears a little bulkier than some other popular small 9mm pistols. I’m not sure if it is an optical illusion or what, but when you shoot the gun it has less felt recoil than its counterparts. I shot it with several types of 9mm loads and it ate everything. The Black Hills HoneyBadger 125gr. round ran perfectly in the Max-9 and was very easy to shoot. This is a great self defense bullet and is a great choice for a carry gun.
Simply put, this gun shoots great! I tested the gun using a standard 3.2” slide with iron sights, a 3.2” slide with a ReadyDot and the 4” slide with a ReadyDot. All versions shot well with the 4” model of course having less felt recoil. The Max-9 was easy to keep on target and reloads were a cinch. The large green fiber optic front sight was easy to see in the bright Arizona sun and the Tritium insert glowed nicely while going through the dark shoot house. The trigger is a big improvement over some of their earlier models but I would prefer a little shorter reset. The ReadyDot was a big surprise. As previously stated, I was trying to keep an open mind but couldn’t help but be skeptical. I needn’t have worried. This optic is easy to see and acquire and the accuracy is impressive. It is designed as a rapid acquisition close range sight but I had not problem making precision head shots at 15 yards. I’ve been carrying it in a pocket holster for several months and have had no issues.
The Max-9 is an impressive 9mm handgun. It is very versatile between having different slide lengths, good sights, optic options and magazine extensions. I carried it in a pocket holster, hip holster and IWB rig and had no problems with any of them. Add in the fact this gun is extremely affordable and it is truly hard to beat.