Ruger Max 9 Review: Budget Friendly CCW!

Ruger is one of the great American gunmakers, justly famous for such classics as the Blackhawk revolver and 10/22 semi-auto .22 rifle. Ruger also has a long history of quality semi-auto pistols, with the Mark IV being among the best. The company has also been active in the concealed carry world, with the LCP series and others. The Max 9 represents Ruger’s challenge to the double stack subcompact market created by the Sig Sauer P365 series. 

In the interest of full disclosure, Ruger provided this gun for review, but we do not get to keep it. Ruger’s cooperation is greatly appreciated, but it had no influence on our review process or conclusions. We requested the standard Max 9 with an external thumb safety, so that’s the gun we’re reviewing. This gun deserves a long look, so let’s begin the Ruger Max 9 Review.

Ruger Max 9 Background

The P365 all but ended the single stack subcompact trend by offering equal or better concealability with more capacity. The Max 9 does the same. Roughly analogous to the P365X, the Max 9 offers 12 and 10-round magazines in 9mm. 

The gun is also feature rich, especially for its attractive price point. Ruger’s Max 9 modular fire control chassis system hints of future possibilities, though they have yet to come to fruition as of this writing. The gun’s styling is similar to the LCP Max, but we consider the Max 9 to be superior, except as a pocket pistol. It seems just a little big for that role.

Ruger Max 9 Features

1 Serialized Fire Control Chassis System

Hopefully, Ruger will offer different slide and grip configurations for those who want them.

2 Capacity

Outstanding 12+1 capacity in a small framed pistol.

3 Optics Ready

Direct mount capability for co-witnessed JPoint and Shield pattern micro red dots.

4 Tritium fiber optic front sight

This is a very nice feature that comes standard on all Max 9 models.

Models and Variations of the Ruger Max 9

Ruger does offer a Max 9 equipped with a Hogue Beavertail HandALL grip sleeve with Cobblestone texturing. This is nice, since we wish the Max 9’s grip had just a little more palm swell. The downside is that this model is only available with 10-round magazines. But we called Ruger and they confirmed that the 12 rounds mags will work in this model. You just have to buy them separately.

If you are feeling frisky, they even have a leopard print option, if that’s your thing.

Ruger Max 9 –  How We See It

Being perfectly honest, we were prepared to not like the Max 9. We tend to prefer European semi-auto pistols to those designed in the US of A. It’s nothing personal. We love American made rifles and revolvers. It’s just that certain European firms have a better historical track record for semi-autos, with the 1911 being a notable exception. But we also have to admit that Ruger has done semi-autos pretty well too.

Two of us have carried, handled, and shot the Max 9 for two months now, and we must report that we’ve been very pleased. Surprised might be too strong a word, but let’s say we began with a healthy skepticism. There’s a lot to like about this little gun, and not much to dislike.

Comfortable Concealability

The Max 9, at six inches long and less than an inch wide, is easy to carry. The fact that we didn’t have a dedicated holster (we can’t buy holsters for every test gun, you know) did not ruin the carry-ability. A holster specifically designed for the Max 9 will only enhance the experience. 

We used a generic nylon KNJ IWB holster and the excellent Mission First Tactical bellyband holster for the Max 9. At four o’clock or at the appendix, it was almost like the Max 9 wasn’t there. I particularly liked the appendix carry using the MFT bellyband. Being a bigger boy, I can’t appendix carry many guns, at least not comfortably. Even my Sig P365XL is uncomfortable. 

The Max 9 combined with the bellyband opened that door for me, and I did it regularly. My testing partner is in better shape so he can carry whatever, whenever, and he really dug the Max 9 with both carry options at the appendix.

Shootability

Despite the Ruger’s comfort, we were still skeptical when we first took it to the range. After all, if you can’t shoot the gun, you won’t carry it. My first impression of the trigger, right out of the box, was “meh.” There’s more take up than I like, and it seemed less than crisp. I’m happy to report that those initial impressions did not matter on the range.

The take up is still there, but you get used to it. And after a few mags, the trigger break smoothed out to where it’s quite clean. It has stayed that way ever since, and we have no reason to think it will change. The reset is, again, a bit long for my tastes. However, it is positive and did not affect our ability to shoot well. Overall, we think the trigger is good. We just had to break it in.

Recoil-wise, it’s a small gun with a short barrel shooting 9mm rounds. It’s a little snappy, but it was no big deal since we expected that. We adjusted easily. The muzzle flip is a bit more than our P365XL, but not enough to be a problem.

The accuracy was quite good, and we held a one to two inch group at about eight yards with no problem. We attribute that partially to the Max 9’s excellent sight system. We are big fans of tritium fiber optic front sights and have added them to several handguns. They come standard on the Max 9. We feel like those sights draw our eyes to the front blade and make target acquisition a breeze.

We fired deliberately, and we ran drills from both the draw and from retention. Accuracy was always good, and any misses were on us, not the gun. We also competed against one another on steel targets using the Ruger, and we both enjoyed that, as the gun performed well. The short barrel obviously limits the effective range, and that was our experience too. There are compromises in every carry gun. The Max 9 trades effective range for concealability.

Reliability

We are happy to report that the Max 9 was 100 percent reliable through about 400 rounds of FMJ and a couple mags of hollow points. We tested the Max 9 with 115 grain Magtech FMJ, 115 grain Blazer FMJ, 124 grain Federal American Eagle FMJ, and 124 grain Sierra JHP rounds. Ammunition brands were mixed, but not different bullet weights in the mags. 

We ran dirty ammo that we kicked through the dust, along with dirty magazines that we made no effort to spare. Magazines were dropped , kicked, and thrown around, etc. We did not try to induce failure by pouring dirt into the mags or the actions. That’s just not our thing. We ran the same two mags the whole time, and we did not clean the Max 9 other than an initial lube job.

Controls and Ergonomics

The Max 9’s trigger is good, as we’ve discussed. Not great, but good, once it smoothed out. The wall is firm, and the break is clean. The frame mounted thumb safety is positive and easy to reach, though it’s stiff enough to prevent any accidental engagement. It has red and white indicators showing whether the gun is ready to fire or not. The safety is not ambidextrous. I get that some folks don’t want an external safety on their carry gun, and Ruger offers the Max 9 without a safety if that’s what you want. I prefer a safety on these smaller guns. This is just a personal preference that I can choose to use or not.

The slide release is stiff, which we like, but we wish it had a little more texture. Our thumbs slid off it without dropping the slide enough times that we both went to racking the slide by hand on reloads. The slide release is not ambidextrous. The reversible magazine release button is small and we both have to adjust our grips to hit it, but the Max 9 is a small gun. We will say, however, that the Max 9’s mag release comes in a distant third behind the IWI Masada 9S Slim’s excellent release, as well as our P365XL’s release. Not only is it smaller and harder to reach, it’s not nearly as positive and the mags don’t eject as forcefully.

The Max 9’s grip is comfortable though. We wish it had a bit more palm swell. The texture is right where I like it, being far from slick without being sandpapery. If you have a Ruger LCP II or LCP Max, the Max 9’s grip texture is the same. We also like that the grip texture is present on the 12-round mags and the included pinky extender for the 10-round mags. 

Speaking of those mags, Ruger does a good job giving the shooter an option for a 3-fingered or 2-fingered grip. The 12-round mag and the 10-rounder with pinky extension make the 3-fingered grip very comfortable, unless you have Gargantua hands. If you want a little more concealability and don’t mind a 2-fingered grip, then go with the 10-rounder without pinky extension.

The Max 9’s generous trigger guard makes it easy to use for large hands or if you wear gloves. They textured the front of the trigger guard, and they added front and rear slide serrations for easy purchase. There is a slight undercut on the trigger guard, helping the shooter get a higher grip.

One thing we don’t like is the disassembly system. For reasons beyond our non-engineering kin, Ruger chose to connect the slide to the frame and chassis with a pin. This pin requires a slim punch to push out so the slide can come off. The process isn’t difficult, it’s just inconvenient. And we don’t like needing a tool. No big deal at home, but emergency disassembly is potentially a thing. No tool, no disassembly.

Value

Ruger has long prided itself on value. Bill Ruger began by wanting to make a quality firearm that his own employees could afford. The Max 9 continues that tradition. This gun has some very nice features, including the optic cut and tritium front sight, and the trigger is pretty good too. And then you have the capacity and reliability. 

The Max 9’s MSRP is $439.00, but we found it listed for $350.99 and $379.00 Bizarrely, we also saw it listed for $599.00, so make sure you shop around. But even the MSRP is more than 300 bucks cheaper than the Sig P365X’s street price. That’s an insane value, especially for what you get.

Aftermarket support is there too. We had no problems finding dedicated holsters from reputable companies, at different price points, for the Max 9.

Final Thoughts

Overall, we like the Ruger Max 9 quite a bit. Yeah, the disassembly is a bit of a pain, but compared to the good stuff, it’s a minor concern. We like the Max 9 so much that we decided to buy this example from Ruger instead of sending it back. 

I hate hot weather, so I wear gym shorts almost exclusively in the summer. That presents certain concealed carry challenges, but the Max 9 in the MFT bellyband has solved that particular problem. And, as much as I love my P365XL, dropping another $750-800 for a summer carry gun like the P365X seemed a bit steep. I no longer face that quandary, and I have no reservations about carrying the Max 9.

Ruger Max 9 Pros and Cons 

Ruger Max 9 Starter Pack

These three items are must haves for all firearms owners.

• Eye Protection: Keep your eyes protected and check out or favorite shooting glasses!
• Hearing Protection: These are our suggestions for hearing protection.
• Gun Cleaning Kit: If you are going to carry the Max 9 as your CCW you need to keep it well maintained. Check out our favorite gun cleaning kits.  

Here are some deals we found on the Ruger Max 9.

Upgrades and Accessories for the Ruger Max 9

For handguns we always recommend a good holster a lot of spare magazines.

Upgrades and Accessories for the Ruger Max 9

Holster DeSantis Gunhide Mini Scabbard Holster		100% top-grain leather construction Smooth interior lining Neutral, non-adjustable cant design Integrated belt loop Adjustable retention system Compatible with most belts up to 1.75”W	Check Price
Holster DeSantis Gunhide Slim-Tuk Holster		Lightweight Kydex construction Precision molded design Adjustable tension device Ambidextrous holster IWB holster Tuck-able C-Clip Compatible with most EDC belts up to 1.75”W	Check Price
Belly Band Holster MFT Belly Band Holster		Ambidextrous, compatible with a wide variety of firearms. Fits waist sizes from 26” to 52” No belt needed! Great for walking, jogging, hiking, and biking	Check Price
Magazines 10-Round Factory Magazine 2-Pack		Pair of Max-9 10-Round Factory Magazines E-Nickel Teflon-coated, hardened steel construction Flush-fit polymer floor plates High-tensile steel springs Impact-resistant polymer followers Numbered witness holes Comes with Pinky Extensions	Check Price
Magazines 12-Round Factory Magazine 2-Pack		Pair of Max-9 12-Round Factory Magazines E-Nickel Teflon-coated, hardened steel construction Extended polymer floor plates with finger rests High-tensile steel springs Impact-resistant polymer followers Numbered witness holes	Check Price
Red Dot Sight Vortex Defender CCW		Motion activation with 14 hour auto-shutoff Shield RMS Footprint Fully Multi-Coated Lenses 8 Daylight Bright Brightness Settings	Check Amazon Price

Best Ammo for Your Ruger Max 9

We suggest both range ammo for practice and some quality self defense ammo to use when carrying your Max 9.

Other Pistols of its Class to Check Out

The Max 9 has some stiff competition. Here are some of our favorites that we have reviewed.

We also have an entire article reviewing our favorite CCW handguns.

How to Care for Your Ruger Max 9

As we mentioned in the review, we did not like the take down of the Max 9. The process is not difficult, but it requires a tool and we do not like that.

Check out this video from Ruger on how to take down your Max 9 handgun and see where the tool (or paint brush used in this video) comes into play.

Important Links and Manuals for Your Ruger Max 9

Check out the links below for the manufacturer’s website and operator’s manual.

• Max 9 by Ruger
• Ruger Max 9 User’s Manual