Ruger LCPII .22 LR
Reliability of .380, Fun of .22
I hope you’ve seen the Insider Action video on this fun little gun to get a sense of just how delightful the new Ruger LCPII .22 LR really is. It’s light, a breeze to carry, amazingly easy to run the slide (thanks to Ruger’s new “Lite Rack” system), holds 10+1 rounds of .22 LR and retails for $349. A lot for a “little” gun if you ask me!
The real attraction is the ability of even someone with weak hands or other disability to still run the slide easily. Combined with the near-zero recoil of the .22 LR, it brings compact shooting to a new group of people previously left out in the rain by harder-to-use guns.
Little Details
I really like the fact the slide locks open on an empty magazine, and the left side safety is a “push forward” natural movement. The textured, larger grip frame makes getting a grip easier and also distributes recoil over the hand better. The fixed front and rear sights seemed to shoot to point of aim on our test sample, and I was actually able to easily hit an 8″ steel plate at 25 yards. Amazingly fun to do that with such a tiny pocket pistol!
The LCPII .22LR has a crisp “single-action” style trigger and a back-up safety system using a secondary hook to “catch” the hammer should it fall accidentally — which it can’t! The hammer can’t hit the firing pin unless the trigger is pulled to the rear.
The slide is an alloy steel and the barrel is a satin stainless. At 5.2 inches long and 4 inches tall, it fits right into any pocket with the included soft pocket holster. Empty, it weighs just 11.2 ounces.
It ships with one 10-round magazine and a nifty magazine loader to help those of us with weaker fingers. It’s also compatible with existing LCPII series accessories, except for obvious .380 ACP magazines.
A Little Testing
I’ve already put near 300 rounds through my test sample with no cleaning or even additional lube, and it’s never faltered a single time. It’s rated for high velocity .22 LR ammo, but mine also runs just fine with sub-sonic CCI rounds, which are even softer and easier to shoot than the HV stuff.
A pocket-carry defensive pistol for people who need this type of technology, I’d call it first-rate. If you’re looking for a back-up gun, you’ve found it. If you just want a handy .22 for the trail, your pocket around the farm or to teach kids to shoot, it checks all those boxes too. Mine is definitely not going back to Ruger!
For more info: www.ruger.com
