Ruger LCP MAX ReadyDot 380 ACP 10+1 2.8 in. – Superb Optic-Equipped Pocket Pistol

Description

The Ruger LCP MAX ReadyDot is the version of Ruger’s ten-round pocket 380 that arrives with the optic already on it. Not cut for one, not ready for one: the Ruger ReadyDot reflex sight is fitted to the slide out of the box, and the price reflects the package rather than the pistol plus an afternoon of research.

Underneath it is the standard LCP MAX. Ten rounds of 380 ACP in a flush magazine, a 2.8-inch black nitride barrel, and eleven ounces on the scale with the sight included. That is a remarkable amount of gun for a trouser pocket.

Why a factory-fitted optic matters on a pistol this small

• Buying a micro reflex sight separately means matching footprints, sourcing a plate and hoping the height works with your sights. The Ruger LCP MAX ReadyDot removes all of that.
• The sight on the Ruger LCP MAX ReadyDot sits at the correct height for the slide from the factory, so there is no guessing about co-witness.
• Nothing is milled, adapted or shimmed, which matters on a slide with very little metal to spare.
• An optic on a pocket pistol genuinely helps, because the sight radius on a 2.8-inch gun is too short for precise iron-sight work.
• Total weight is eleven ounces with the sight on, against 10.6 for the plain pistol. That is the entire cost in carry terms.

Carrying and shooting it

• The Ruger LCP MAX ReadyDot holds ten rounds in a flush-fitting magazine, which is what separated the MAX from every pocket 380 before it.
• Only one magazine ships in the box, so buy a second before you start carrying it.
• This model will fire with the magazine removed. The slide is marked accordingly; if you want a magazine disconnect, the two-tone LCP MAX has one and this does not.
• Black nitride slide and barrel, textured polymer frame, no sharp edges to wear through a pocket lining.
• A 2.8-inch barrel puts 380 well below its advertised velocity, so choose a defensive load designed for short barrels.

Ruger LCP MAX ReadyDot specifications

• Caliber: 380 ACP (380 Auto)
• Capacity: 10+1
• Barrel length: 2.80 in, black nitride
• Slide: black nitride alloy steel, serrated
• Frame: black polymer, textured grip
• Weight: 11.0 oz
• Sight: Ruger ReadyDot reflex sight, factory fitted
• Action: semi-automatic
• Magazines included: one
• Manufacturer part number: 13758
• UPC: 736676137589

380 ACP is a standardized cartridge, with pressure and dimensional limits published by SAAMI. Barrel length does most of the work here: at 2.8 inches, expansion is genuinely load-dependent, so pick a defensive round built for short barrels rather than one designed around a service pistol.

For practice with the Ruger LCP MAX ReadyDot, CCI Blazer Brass 95 gr FMJ keeps the cost down. For carry, Grizzly 90 gr JHP is the load to confirm in the gun, and confirm the dot against it too rather than assuming the factory zero holds on your ammunition.

If you would rather have irons only, the two-tone LCP MAX with a tritium front sight is the alternative and adds a magazine disconnect. The 250th Anniversary edition adds a Liberty Blue frame and an engraved slide, and the window-cut slide version trims a little more weight.

One honesty note: neither of our distributors states what color the ReadyDot reticle is, or whether it runs on a battery, so we are not going to tell you. Ruger publishes the sight specification on its own site and it is worth a look before you order if that matters to you.

Why the Ruger LCP MAX ReadyDot earns its place

• An optic fitted from the factory at the correct height, with nothing to source or mill.
• Ten rounds of 380 in eleven ounces, sight included.
• Full holster, magazine and parts compatibility with every other LCP MAX.
• A dot is a genuine help on a gun whose sight radius is barely longer than your thumb.
• Ruger support and a parts supply that will outlast the pistol.

Be clear about the trade-offs on the Ruger LCP MAX ReadyDot. An eleven-ounce 380 is brisk in recoil and a short sight radius is a short sight radius, optic or not. This is a gun to carry constantly and shoot in short, deliberate sessions rather than a range pistol.

Also, this version has no magazine disconnect, which the slide states plainly. Some buyers want that and some do not; the two-tone LCP MAX is the version to pick if you would rather have one. Either way, the Ruger LCP MAX ReadyDot is the easiest way into a reflex-sighted pocket pistol without a parts order and a gunsmith visit.

In stock now at MAG5 Firearms in Collegeville, Pennsylvania. Transfers to your FFL, and we answer the phone.