Part 2: LC9 vs PF9 Shooting Test

[Bailey Guns]

OK...

I was able to make time today for some shooting of each of the guns...the Ruger LC9 and the Kel-Tec PF9.

Ammunition Selection -

• PMC 115gr FMJ
• Winchester WB 115gr FMJ
• Fiocchi 147gr XTP-HP
• Federal 124gr Hydra-Shok (Limited supply - shot in PF9 only)
• Federal Premium 124gr JHP

Conditions/Parameters -

• Point of aim was dead center on all targets.
• Sunny and warm...about 60 degrees. (It's a beautiful day in the neighborhood!).
• Little to no wind
• All rounds fired standing, off-hand.
• All rounds fired at 35 Ft.
• I didn't measure the groups...but you can get an idea of how well/poorly a particular brand (or I) performed.

PF9 -

Malfunctions -

• Zero malfunctions with all ammo tested

Accuracy -

• Almost every group seemed to have 1 or 2 flyers
• Didn't like the PMC at all
• Best performer = Winchester WB by far. At least half the size of any other group
• Worst = PMC. I shot the PMC again on another target...same general results.

Observations -

• The trigger pull is long but smooth and manageable. The trigger, as I mentioned earlier, is far superior to the Ruger LC9.
• The trigger REALLY bites the trigger finger. That became a distraction almost immediately and I'm sure it affected my ability to shoot this gun well.
• Easy to control in rapid shooting.
• Plenty of self-defense accuracy but choose your ammo wisely!
• Recoil is noticeable but not a lot more than a P3AT or LCP. Plus you get 9MM performance.
• The long trigger pull certainly didn't contribute to increased accuracy.

LC9 -

Loaded Chamber Indicator -

Malfunctions -

• Zero malfunctions with all ammo tested

Accuracy -

• The LC9 appears to be a substantially accurate gun and outperformed the PF9 with all ammo types and brands.
• The Winchester WB was the worst performer but the PMC wasn't far behind.
• The Federal Premium 124gr JHP was the clear winner. This would be my choice for carry in this gun even with the heavier bullet weight/short barrel combination. Recoil was noticeably stiffer with this load over all the others...even the 147gr stuff.
• The Fiocchi performed quite well, too.
• As you can see by the location of the PMC group (upper left in the photo) the sights definitely required adjustment. After a little tap in place with a brass punch, looks like we got 'em right on.

Observations -

• I honestly have to say the LC9 shot as well as it did despite the horrible trigger. I don't have a trigger gauge but I'm guessing the stacking at the end of the long, DAO pull required in excess of 15 - 18 pounds of pressure before the hammer would fall. It took an inordinate amount of concentration to keep the sights on target.
• Because of the heavy, gritty, stacking trigger pull I think accuracy of the LC9 suffered considerably. With a better trigger I think this gun would shoot with the best in terms of accuracy.
• In terms of comfort and ease of shooting, the LC9 is clearly superior and more comfortable to shoot than the PF9.
• No trigger bite...that was a welcome relief.
• Recoil seemed noticeably less than the Kel-Tec.
• I didn't use the manual safety at all. Trust me...with the trigger on this gun the way it is you could all but throw out RULE #2. It's that bad.
• The magazine spring was a little stiff and wasn't smooth at all. Not hard to load...but definitely not as easy as the Kel-Tec.

[DeusExMachina]

That LCI is huuuuge. It looks taller than the sight.

[Bailey Guns]

That LCI is huuuuge. It looks taller than the sight.

Yeah...it's pretty hard to miss. But, it didn't interfere with the sight picture at all.

[hurley842002]

Great Review, thanks for that. That damn LCI, is THE number one thing that has pushed me away from the SR9c, which I was quite interested in, before I realized that Gawd awful protrusion out of the top of the slide. Maybe i'll look past it in the future, but man it annoys me.

[Zundfolge]

So how easy do you think it would be to improve the trigger on the Ruger?

I've got a Keltec P3AT and the trigger bites the finger too, which is real annoying. I wonder if there is anything that can be done about that (an over-travel stop would probably fix the problem ... but I can't see drilling and tapping the little plastic trigger).

[Bailey Guns]

So how easy do you think it would be to improve the trigger on the Ruger?

I've got a Keltec P3AT and the trigger bites the finger too, which is real annoying. I wonder if there is anything that can be done about that (an over-travel stop would probably fix the problem ... but I can't see drilling and tapping the little plastic trigger).

I really don't know. My guess is just cleaning it up would be fairly easy for a competent gunsmith...even if all he did was take the grittiness out it would make a tremendous difference. It definitely needs some work, though.

[chshrct]

Really nice review thank you. The ruger mags don't fit in the keltec by any chance, or can the extended base plate be used with the pf9 mag? Just asking because my pf9 extension hits me right in the middle of the pinky.