A look at the Ruger LC9: Tomorrow’s slimline 9 of four years ago
Introduced in 2011 on the heels of the outrageously successful .380ACP caliber Ruger LCP (Lightweight Compact Pistol), the LC9 gave the masses of concealed carry devotees who loved the size of that pocket gun but not the caliber something more substantial to wrap their hands around.
Colt Model 1908 .25ACP pocket pistol engraved by William H. Gough, circa 1917.
Going back to the 1900s, the small Colt vest (hey guys wore them back then) and pocket sized semi-auto handguns were all snappy little blowback actions chambered in .25, .32, or .380 (all of which John Browning invented). These designs continued through the Walther, Beretta, and Bersa eras, remaining largely unchanged from a mechanical sense. Then in 2008 Sturm, Ruger came out with the locked breech LCP hammerless, which sent the recoil down into the grip and the palm rather than back through the slide in the form of muzzle flip. This made the little (9.4 ounces unloaded, 5.16-inches long overall) .380 a hit. However, many still preferred a larger caliber. That’s where the LC9 came in…
(And its still smaller and has a bigger standard capacity than the new Glock 43!)