Ruger EC9S mini range report

triplebike · February 13, 2020, 08:30 PM

Last week I realized I needed a small handgun for certain rare occasions. Found a slightly used EC9S from the original owner w/2 seven rd mags for 150 bucks. It was just the size I was looking for and the price was right so I bought it. So far I have a little over 200 rds fired. The gun has been flawless and is quite accurate. Weighing in at about 18 ozs it is a little snappy but totally controllable. Trigger is long but smooth and I'm still getting used to it. Even with my 69 yr old hands firing 100 rds was no problem. It's not a range gun by any means but for it's size it's quite a comfortable shooter. The sights were dead on (thanks goodness because they are fixed and non removeable) at 10yrds which is the distance I practice at. Take down is a bit of a pain but now I'm really nitpicking. This is a very simple small handgun that is light & easy to conceal and I have no doubt it will be completely reliable. Now I have to find a OWB holster for it.

Forte S+W · February 13, 2020, 08:52 PM

Nice gun. My brother owns the older LC9s which is the same gun but with a nicer finish and adjustable sights. Oddly enough, for all the folks I've seen complaining about snappy recoil, my own experience shooting my bro's LC9s was much to the contrary, a soft shooter, and I was shooting Hornady Critical Defense 115gr ammo.

It was quite honestly the second softest-shooting centerfire handgun I've ever fired next to the Smith & Wesson Model 10, but then again, my centerfire handguns include a Walther PPK/S, SW40VE, and Taurus Judge Magnum, so I suppose that by comparison it would feel like a soft-shooter.

Regardless, it's a fine handgun.

Carl the Floor Walker · February 15, 2020, 05:13 PM

I had and shot the the LC9 for years later gave it to my brother in Utah. Then bought the LC9S. I liked the gun. Love the thin design, put about 6,000 rds through the gun. Later traded it in for a Kahr CM9 of which I already owned one. One reason I traded it was that the trigger had become much too light for my liking. It was down to 4lbs of pull. A take up and then bang, felt like there was no wall. Just did not trust it. The gun shoots fine, but no matter how you cut it, it is snappy. What is interesting in, is how much the Ruger shoots so similar to the Sig 365. Both almost identical in recoil and snappiness. I had shot the Sig about 6 months ago with a few others, where we put 1,000 rds through the gun.
Ironically, I went to the range today and had another chance to shoot a Sig 365. A friend wanted to make a trade for a shotgun I own and when he could not make up the full amount, offered to throw in a 365. I told him thanks but no thanks. He persisted told me to take the Sig out for the weekend and so I took my Beretta APX Carry and the Sig to the range today. Shot them side by side for a total of 300 rds. I had done this same test with the LC9s about a year or so ago.
The results were the same. Both times the Beretta is much more mild to shoot, and much less snap. I mean a significant amount less. And again felt that the Sig and Ruger shoot very similar.
They are both good shooters, I had no problem with accuracy. But much prefer the Beretta. The Beretta feels much more solid in the hand but does weigh about 2oz more.
If you like the Sig and the EC9S, then my opinion, would be go with the Ruger.

Ps I saw in Guntest mag a review of both the Both the Ruger and the Sig and although I do not go along with all their reviews, I do agree with them as they said the same thing in a shootout between the Sig and Ruger. For the money, the Ruger is a better buy.
I returned the Sig to the owner, thanked him, but just could not go along with the proposed deal.By the way, they gave the 365 a B rating and the EC Ruger a A-. Better buy for the money.Both nice concealable guns and the Sig does have a higher capacity of two-three rounds and night sights. No ability to get night sights on the LCe.

February 13, 2020, 08:30 PM	#1
triplebike Senior Member Join Date: January 24, 2010 Location: Eastern, Pa Posts: 301	Ruger EC9S mini range report Last week I realized I needed a small handgun for certain rare occasions. Found a slightly used EC9S from the original owner w/2 seven rd mags for 150 bucks. It was just the size I was looking for and the price was right so I bought it. So far I have a little over 200 rds fired. The gun has been flawless and is quite accurate. Weighing in at about 18 ozs it is a little snappy but totally controllable. Trigger is long but smooth and I'm still getting used to it. Even with my 69 yr old hands firing 100 rds was no problem. It's not a range gun by any means but for it's size it's quite a comfortable shooter. The sights were dead on (thanks goodness because they are fixed and non removeable) at 10yrds which is the distance I practice at. Take down is a bit of a pain but now I'm really nitpicking. This is a very simple small handgun that is light & easy to conceal and I have no doubt it will be completely reliable. Now I have to find a OWB holster for it.

February 13, 2020, 08:52 PM	#2
Forte S+W Senior Member Join Date: October 12, 2019 Posts: 819	Nice gun. My brother owns the older LC9s which is the same gun but with a nicer finish and adjustable sights. Oddly enough, for all the folks I've seen complaining about snappy recoil, my own experience shooting my bro's LC9s was much to the contrary, a soft shooter, and I was shooting Hornady Critical Defense 115gr ammo. It was quite honestly the second softest-shooting centerfire handgun I've ever fired next to the Smith & Wesson Model 10, but then again, my centerfire handguns include a Walther PPK/S, SW40VE, and Taurus Judge Magnum, so I suppose that by comparison it would feel like a soft-shooter. Regardless, it's a fine handgun. __________________ Conspiracy theorists are the greatest political spin-doctors of all time. Only they can make the absolute worst political blunders sound like spectacular feats of ingenuity.

February 15, 2020, 05:13 PM	#3
Carl the Floor Walker member Join Date: June 3, 2017 Location: South Posts: 1,422	I had and shot the the LC9 for years later gave it to my brother in Utah. Then bought the LC9S. I liked the gun. Love the thin design, put about 6,000 rds through the gun. Later traded it in for a Kahr CM9 of which I already owned one. One reason I traded it was that the trigger had become much too light for my liking. It was down to 4lbs of pull. A take up and then bang, felt like there was no wall. Just did not trust it. The gun shoots fine, but no matter how you cut it, it is snappy. What is interesting in, is how much the Ruger shoots so similar to the Sig 365. Both almost identical in recoil and snappiness. I had shot the Sig about 6 months ago with a few others, where we put 1,000 rds through the gun. Ironically, I went to the range today and had another chance to shoot a Sig 365. A friend wanted to make a trade for a shotgun I own and when he could not make up the full amount, offered to throw in a 365. I told him thanks but no thanks. He persisted told me to take the Sig out for the weekend and so I took my Beretta APX Carry and the Sig to the range today. Shot them side by side for a total of 300 rds. I had done this same test with the LC9s about a year or so ago. The results were the same. Both times the Beretta is much more mild to shoot, and much less snap. I mean a significant amount less. And again felt that the Sig and Ruger shoot very similar. They are both good shooters, I had no problem with accuracy. But much prefer the Beretta. The Beretta feels much more solid in the hand but does weigh about 2oz more. If you like the Sig and the EC9S, then my opinion, would be go with the Ruger. Ps I saw in Guntest mag a review of both the Both the Ruger and the Sig and although I do not go along with all their reviews, I do agree with them as they said the same thing in a shootout between the Sig and Ruger. For the money, the Ruger is a better buy. I returned the Sig to the owner, thanked him, but just could not go along with the proposed deal.By the way, they gave the 365 a B rating and the EC Ruger a A-. Better buy for the money.Both nice concealable guns and the Sig does have a higher capacity of two-three rounds and night sights. No ability to get night sights on the LCe. Last edited by Carl the Floor Walker; February 16, 2020 at 12:50 AM.