The Ruger LCP (Lightweight Compact Pistol) is a subcompact

.380 ACP The .380 ACP (9×17mm) ( Automatic Colt Pistol) is a rimless, straight-walled pistol cartridge developed by firearms designer John Moses Browning. The cartridge headspaces on the mouth of the case.Wilson, R. K. ''Textbook of Automatic Pisto ...

pocket pistol In American English, a pocket pistol is any small, pocket-sized semi-automatic pistol (or less commonly referencing either derringers, or small revolvers), and is suitable for concealed carry in either a coat, jacket, or trouser pocket. Pocket ...

manufactured by Sturm, Ruger & Co. It was introduced at the 2008

SHOT Show The SHOT Show , which is an acronym for "Shooting, Hunting and Outdoor Trade Show", is an American annual trade show for the shooting sports, hunting, outdoor recreations and firearm manufacturing industries. The show is owned and sponsored by ...

Overview

With an overall length of and weighing only , this is Ruger's first entry into the field of tiny, ultra-light defensive pistols.Ruger LCP
"Capacity: 6+1 rounds, Length: 5.16", Width: 0.82" Height: 3.60" Weight: 9.40 oz." The LCP, which stands for "Lightweight Compact Pistol", was designed in direct response to customer requests for a compact firearm for use by police as a back-up, and a defensive handgun for civilian

concealed carry Concealed carry, or carrying a concealed weapon (CCW), is the practice of carrying a weapon (usually a sidearm such as a handgun), either in proximity to or on one's person or in public places in a manner that hides or conceals the weapon's pre ...

needs. The pistol has a glass-filled

nylon Nylon is a generic designation for a family of synthetic polymers composed of polyamides ( repeating units linked by amide links).The polyamides may be aliphatic or semi-aromatic. Nylon is a silk-like thermoplastic, generally made from petro ...

frame, a two-finger grip, and a through-hardened blued steel slide. It is similar in appearance to the

Kel-Tec P-3AT The P-3AT is a locked breech, double action only, .380 ACP pistol introduced by Kel-Tec in 2003 and based on the P-32. The frame is made of polymer with an aluminum insert, and the slide and barrel are steel. It is the lightest production .380 ...

, which weighs , and features a similar tension spring for the lightweight

hammer A hammer is a tool, most often a hand tool, consisting of a weighted "head" fixed to a long handle that is swung to deliver an impact to a small area of an object. This can be, for example, to drive nails into wood, to shape metal (as w ...

, an identical locked

breech Breech may refer to: * Breech (firearms), the opening at the rear of a gun barrel where the cartridge is inserted in a breech-loading weapon * breech, the lower part of a pulley block * breech, the penetration of a boiler where exhaust gases leav ...

mechanism, and a similar takedown method. The main differences are the

Glock Glock is a brand of polymer- framed, short recoil-operated, locked-breech semi-automatic pistols designed and produced by Austrian manufacturer Glock Ges.m.b.H. The firearm entered Austrian military and police service by 1982 after it was th ...

style extractor and the incorporation of an external slide stop on the LCP. It is also possible to tell if there is a round chambered by looking at the "view hole" next to the extractor. In 2013, a seven-round extended magazine was released for the LCP.

Restrictions

The pistol lacks certain features required for sale in

California California is a U.S. state, state in the Western United States, located along the West Coast of the United States, Pacific Coast. With nearly 39.2million residents across a total area of approximately , it is the List of states and territori ...

Massachusetts Massachusetts (Massachusett language, Massachusett: ''Muhsachuweesut assachusett writing systems, məhswatʃəwiːsət'' English: , ), officially the Commonwealth of Massachusetts, is the most populous U.S. state, state in the New England ...

Recall

On October 29, 2008,

Ruger Sturm, Ruger & Company, Inc., better known by the shortened name Ruger, is an American firearm manufacturing company based in Southport, Connecticut, with production facilities also in Newport, New Hampshire; Mayodan, North Carolina; and Presco ...

announced a recall of some of the LCP pistols with serial number prefixes less than "371-xxxxx" due to the possibility of some of the guns discharging if dropped onto a hard surface. The recall announcement stated that Ruger would upgrade the hammer system, make other unspecified improvements, and compensate the owner by providing a grip extension, which may be attached to the provided magazine.

Variants

Coyote Special edition

In April 2010,

Texas Texas (, ; Spanish language, Spanish: ''Texas'', ''Tejas'') is a state in the South Central United States, South Central region of the United States. At 268,596 square miles (695,662 km2), and with more than 29.1 million residents in 2 ...

Governor A governor is an administrative leader and head of a polity or political region, ranking under the head of state and in some cases, such as governors-general, as the head of state's official representative. Depending on the type of political ...

Rick Perry James Richard Perry (born March 4, 1950) is an American politician who served as the 14th United States secretary of energy from 2017 to 2019 and as the 47th governor of Texas from 2000 to 2015. Perry also ran unsuccessfully for the Republica ...

brought further spotlight to the weapon when he used it to shoot a

coyote The coyote (''Canis latrans'') is a species of canis, canine native to North America. It is smaller than its close relative, the wolf, and slightly smaller than the closely related eastern wolf and red wolf. It fills much of the same ecologica ...

that was menacing him and his daughter's Labrador retriever during a morning jog near Austin. Neither Perry, his daughter, or his dog were injured, and the governor claims to have left the dead coyote where it fell, stating that "he became mulch". Ruger has since released a "Coyote Special" edition of the gun to commemorate Perry's encounter.

Second Generation

In 2013, Ruger modified the original LCP to include more prominent sights and a shortened trigger pull. The second generation LCP pistols can be identified by serial numbers which lack the hyphen that was present in the serials of first generation LCPs.

LCP Custom

In 2015, Ruger introduced the LCP Custom model. It is easily distinguishable by its red hard anodized aluminum trigger which features a shorter improved geometry pull. The LCP Custom also features improved higher profile sights. The replaceable front sight is attached in the same manner as a Glock front sight, and is compatible with the Glock sight removal tool. The rear sight is also replaceable and is affixed with a dove tail slot. The front sight of the LCP Custom is

phosphorescent Phosphorescence is a type of photoluminescence related to fluorescence. When exposed to light (radiation) of a shorter wavelength, a phosphorescent substance will glow, absorbing the light and reemitting it at a longer wavelength. Unlike fluor ...

"glow in the dark", while the rear sight is plain black. This model was discontinued with the introduction of the LCP II.

LCP II

Introduced on October 6, 2016, the slightly larger LCP II features a number of updates, including locking the slide back when empty. The LCP II is compatible with the original 6-round LCP magazines (but not the extended 7-round magazines), however, it will not lock the slide back when using original LCP magazines, as the original LCP lacked the feature.

LCP Max

In June 2021, Ruger introduced a new double stack model, the LCP Max. Now capable of holding 10 rounds (12 rounds in an extended magazine), it also features improved magazine feed lips, feed ramp, extractor, barrel cam geometries, and slide serrations,Ruger LCP Max Spec Sheet
Ruger.com. Accessed November 7, 2021.At the Range: Ruger LCP Max
. ''American Rifleman''. July 25, 2021. Accessed November 7, 2021.

Tritium Tritium ( or , ) or hydrogen-3 (symbol T or H) is a rare and radioactive isotope of hydrogen with half-life about 12 years. The nucleus of tritium (t, sometimes called a ''triton'') contains one proton and two neutrons, whereas the nucleus o ...

"night sight" on the front, and a reversible magazine release.Head, Ed.
Review: Ruger LCP Max
. ''Shooting Illustrated''. October 22, 2021. Accessed November 7, 2021.

References

External links

LCP at Ruger official website
{{Ruger .380 ACP semi-automatic pistols Ruger semi-automatic pistols Semi-automatic pistols of the United States Weapons and ammunition introduced in 2008