Low-Recoil Lite Rack :: Weapons.com

Background

It solely took a couple of seconds for my spouse to search out the appeal within the Lite Rack design. (Photograph: Paul Peterson/Weapons.com)

My spouse just isn’t what you’ll name a gun particular person. She largely simply tolerates dwelling with one. However she has dabbled a bit in my ardour, and he or she has come to form of hate pistols. They’re both too arduous to rack, too huge for her fingers, or uncomfortable to shoot.

So, the very first thing I did was hand her the Safety-380, and he or she beloved it. “Oh, yeah, that is easy-peasy,” she exclaimed as she racked the slide backwards and forwards with ease. “The set off is straightforward, too. That is my favourite factor. It is really easy to slip.”

Ruger Lite Rack Security-380 — The slide actually is easy-peasy. (Photograph: Paul Peterson/Weapons.com)

I used to be not anticipating that, as a result of the gun really felt fairly good in my fingers as properly. That was a promising begin. The gun is lighter than a Glock 19 however gives a full grip and equal capability – although in .380 ACP as a substitute of 9mm. Final yr I reviewed the Ruger LCP Max, which provided a a lot smaller package deal however at the price of shootability. So, I began pulling the Safety-380 aside to see what it had happening inside.

Specs & Options

Mainly, every little thing about this gun is constructed to make the method of capturing simpler, from the sights and the set off to the Lite Rack slide and handbook security. Even the magazines are straightforward to load for a comparatively compact gun that gives 15+1 capability.

The slide is topped with a protracted, inexperienced fiber-optic entrance and a black metallic U-notch rear. The entrance sight was good and clear once I was capturing at each indoor and outside ranges. It’s additionally lower on the again for glare discount. Regardless of appearances, this gun is a hammer-fired design identical to the remainder of the Ruger semi-auto Security line.

The hammer is hidden simply contained in the slide, which helps scale back snag points. Actually, there are few snag level normally, and the gun has a typically rounded rear. I’d say the grip texture is on the reasonably constructive facet. It labored advantageous for me, however I would really like a bit extra texture in my life. The journal launch can also be recessed however straightforward to govern.

However the actual magic is the slide and the Lite Rack tech inside. This can be a remarkably straightforward slide to govern, even for folks with weaker fingers. A part of that’s the usage of a lighter recoil spring. The spring stress additionally doesn’t appear to noticeably enhance as you close to the rear. The slide itself is buttery clean with entrance and rear grip serrations, raised rear ears, and lightening cuts on the entrance.

But, someway, the recoil impulse is definitely very manageable. I’ve shot heavier .380s with a lot harder slides that also had noticeable snap. The result’s a gun that’s fairly nice and straightforward to shoot. Extra on that in a second.

Right here’s a fast rundown on the specs:

Capability: 10+1 or 15+1
Set off Pull: 4.9 kilos (10-pull common)
Weight: 1.26 kilos with empty 15-round magazine
Barrel Size: 3.42 inches
Sight Radius: 4.8 inches
Size: 6.5 inches
Top: 5 inches
Width: 1.3 inches

The set off has a lightweight take-up that’s simply constructive sufficient to let you might be pulling it again to the wall. There’s a little bit of “smush” to interrupt by way of the wall, nevertheless it’s not dangerous or disagreeable. The break is pretty crisp for a manufacturing self-defense/vary gun, and the reset is constructive with round only a third of an inch of journey.

There’s a handbook security, which usually isn’t my favourite. It’s simply one other factor to govern or bump on accident. Nevertheless, this one is unobtrusive and straightforward to swipe down. I by no means discovered myself unintentionally resetting the security or combating for area to get a excessive grip.

It’s angled in such a manner that it requires rear upward stress to reset it, however clicks off positively on a downward stroke. So, it’s straightforward to take off however requires deliberate effort to activate – that’s appreciated.

Taking pictures & Reliability

The very first thing I observed when capturing was the excessive visibility of the sights. They pop up properly, particularly open air, and they don’t seem to be very busy. The set off was higher than most manufacturing weapons I’ve shot through the years.

Recoil was additionally very manageable, and I discovered myself capturing at a faster-than-normal tempo for accuracy testing. It’s not snappy just like the LCP Max and feels gentler in its recoil than, say, a Glock 19 or SIG P320.

I’ve spent a far longer time capturing these final two weapons. Thus, it felt like I needed to undergo 200 rounds to lastly get the grip, sight image, and set off pull working for me. It was additionally under freezing after 5 hours on the vary. In the long run, groupings of 2-4 inches on a full magazine with occasional fliers have been pretty customary for me at 25 toes.

Proper now, I’m sitting at 750 rounds of assorted hundreds by way of this pistol with three malfunctions. Earlier than you bounce to conclusions, two of these malfunctions got here from a field of price range ammo that I had but to get any .380 gun to feed two full magazines by way of. The Safety-380 did a straight 30 earlier than a range pipe. That’s higher than the final seven take a look at weapons, which I’d name a win for the Safety-380.

The final one could have been a frozen primer on a bulk goal load whereas capturing in under 20-degree climate and snow. Every little thing from Federal, Winchester, and Remington did advantageous, together with 5 20-round bins of 99-grain Federal Hydra-Shok Deep hole factors.

Ruger Lite Rack Security-380 Ammo — Reliability was stable – notably with zero failures in my Federal hollow-point rounds – in all however the most cost-effective vary ammo that had some minor hiccups. (Photograph: Paul Peterson/Weapons.com)

Whereas capturing, I observed that the slide cease/launch was troublesome to govern on an empty journal. It eases up a bit with a loaded journal, however I wouldn’t depend on it if I used to be coaching for self-defense reloads. That stated, the slide is really easy to rack I don’t actually see a lot benefit in utilizing the slide cease. I’d slightly simply clamshell grip the slide and rack it backward.