Ruger EC9s Review: Range Test Results

The handgun market is filled with a great many options for concealed carry. Many of us would like to carry the very best, high-performance, high-capacity pistol. However, the truth is we often carry what is comfortable and affordable. Some of the many options for concealed carry come from Ruger, and one in particular has proven to be very popular. Read on for our Ruger EC9s review.

Ruger EC9s: Some Background

Ruger has been a part of the American pistol scene for a long time, producing very popular revolvers like the Bearcat and Redhawk. In more recent decades, Ruger has gone into the semi-automatic market. There are many different models as a result. As the trend in autoloading pistols has gone more and more into the polymer-framed direction, so too has Ruger brought their design and style to the poly-framed pistols.

The EC9 discussed in this review is one of the many different models Ruger has recently brought to this market. The EC9 brings an economical option to a compact polymer pistol, with common features like trigger safety and striker- versus hammer-fired. And its single-stack magazine makes the gun very narrow for carrying the pistol concealed.

Ruger EC9s Features

1 One piece polymer frame

Narrow grip, glass-filled nylon frame

2 One piece slide

Features a solid steel slide and machined-in sights.

3 Trigger safety

For an added level of security.

4 Mags + extensions

Seven and ten round magazines available with extended finger grips.

Models and Variations of the Ruger EC9

The EC9 is part of the LC9 family. They are very similar. Like the LC9, the EC9s is available in many colors. The slide comes either in a Black Oxide, Brown, or Aluminum Cerakote. The polymer frame is available in the following colors: Black, Purple, FDE, Grey, Turquoise, Muddy Girl Camouflage, Silver, Cobalt Kinetic Slate, Pink, Marsala, and Battleworn American Flag Cerakote.

Many of those colors and patterns are exclusive to certain distributors.

Ruger EC9 –  Our Take

I purchased the EC9 on a whim to see if it would fit our household well. My wife has recently gained more interest in shooting. We both liked the idea of her having a gun of her own to gain expertise and comfort. The EC9 came to mind due to its small size. My wife is rather petite for larger framed pistols. I wanted a gun that she could grip properly and control. When the EC9 showed up, I was eager to see how it would fit.

I had ordered the Cobalt-colored EC9; it came in a small cardboard box with instructions, a lock, a magazine, and an apparent training magazine in a safety orange color. I lifted it from the box and removed the chamber flag.

First Impressions

The gun was quite light; its seventeen ounces seemed quite minimal once in the hand. I gripped the frame and pointed the gun. The small pistol barely filled my two hands, almost but not quite enough to call it too small for me.

I drew the slide to the rear, and in doing so, I was met with a surprising amount of resistance. The recoil spring is stronger than I had anticipated for sure, but I found no issue finding purchase on the textured rear portion of the slide. The milled-in sights placed on top of the slide were diminutive but useful, This came as no surprise as this pistol is marketed as a concealed carry gun.

The frame-mounted safety sits at the very rear of the grip area, showing only two positions marked by the traditional red mark for fire. The slide release was located in front of the left-side safety, where you’d expect it to be. With the slide locked back, I found it somewhat difficult to get a good enough push to release the slide. I believe this is partially due to the strong spring pressure and the small and smoothed control surface.

The magazine release is located on the left side of the grip area; I found that it, too, required a little more push than expected to release the magazine. As a CCW pistol, that doesn’t surprise me; inadvertent magazine releases can be extremely inconvenient.

In addition to the seven-round magazine that came with the pistol, I purchased a ten-round magazine offered for the EC9. The larger magazine offers a slightly extended grip area which I found a much better fit for my hand. It’s also worth noting that the pistol comes with a flat-based magazine plate for the seven-round magazine. This will reduce how the weapon prints.

The trigger features a blade safety, and a fairly long pull before the striker is actuated. Again this isn’t a big surprise considering it is a CCW pistol. The break was clean, and a slightly longer than anticipated reset to allow the sequence to restart.

On the Range

We headed to our shooting spot with a few boxes of ammunition and the EC9 in hand. I started out with the pistol to get a feel for it myself. Shooting 124-grain ammunition I was surprised at the amount of recoil.

I guess it makes sense, though, with less weight and mass to hold back, the EC9 is going to recoil harder than the full-sized 9MM pistols I was used to. The trigger felt fine as I went from target to target, squeezing the trigger as I went. I found the sights more than adequate for hitting reasonable man-sized targets at ten to fifteen yards. The gun pointed well and felt naturally right with its grip angle. It was mostly comfortable, except for the slightly square edges of the grip area.

Having had my fun, I turned it over to my wife and started loading magazines for her to shoot.

The first thing we noticed was the challenge the EC9’s spring pressure gave her and all of her 105 pounds, She had a hard time getting enough grip and pull to get the slide back. The slide release had seemed to lighten up some since the shooting had begun, which was also helpful.

With some time and a little bit of practice, she had a system worked out. And I spent the rest of the afternoon loading her magazines for her. We burned through several boxes of ammo that day and have since burned through a few more. During that time, we have experienced no failures, which is what one would hope for from a CCW pistol.

Ruger EC9 Pros and Cons 

Ruger EC9s 9mm Ammo

I shot both 124-grain ball ammunition and 115-grain ammunition through the pistol. Both seemed to work well, but the 124s seemed to shoot a little better in my testing. For carry ammunition, I prefer the Hornady American Gunner 124 grain XTP, but some other options are listed below (and likewise some range/training options).

Ruger EC9s Accessories

A great accessory that would have enhanced my experience shooting would be a good grip sleeve, Hogue (of course) makes one that fits the LC9 and EC9.

You’ll want a good holster, too. Check out our list of the Best IWB Holsters currently available. Or check out this one from DeSantis.

And, since you’re probably not going to have a weapon-mounted light aboard, you’re going to need a good flashlight. (Actually, you should carry one of those even if you do have a WML equipped.)

Here are a few more ideas.

Ruger EC9 Accessories

1. Ruger ECS 9-round magazine + floor plate		Helps grip that ECS, particularly with large hands Numbered witness holes High-tensile steel wire spring	Check price
2. Ruger ECS-9 holster		A gun without a holster is even worse than a rifle without a sling Inside-the-Waistband (IWB) holster Adjustable ride and cant Available in numerous patterns	https://alnk.to/ehYnAWu
3. Handgun Master Cleaning Station		Fits .22 to .45 as well as some oddball cartridges. Wide range of tools for maintenance and cleaning. Big work area but stores small.	Check price
4. The first half of “eyes and ears”		Proper eye protection is critical and should always be worn Ballistic rated, not just sunglasses
5. The second half of “eyes and ears”		Great In-Ear option Custom molded – super easy and comfortable NRR: 31	Amazon
6. Suitable biometric safe		Biometric scanners are a plus but only one 0ption Securing an off-body handgun is paramount	See the top safes

Ruger EC9 Maintenance

A reliable handgun requires regular maintenance and cleaning, but you have to know how to break it down in order to do so. Take a watch at this:

Suggested Resources For You And Your Ruger EC9

Looking for some more information on the Ruger EC9? How about some advice on ammunition management or setting personal training standards? Check out the links below.

• Ruger EC9s Instruction Manual
• How much ammo is enough?
• CCW Baseline assessment