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The Ruger MAX-9 Micro Compact 9mm line is introducing the Model 3507, a four-inch barrel with optics. The thinness of the slide, its length and the relatively short grip gave me a retro feeling at first glance. It reminds me of the 21st century update of America’s very first concealed carry autoloader, the immensely popular Colt Pocket Hammerless. Between 1903 and 1945, over 700,000 of these guns were produced.
The Ruger MAX-9 3507 by Comparison
Comparing the two guns, the new Model 3507 has a length of 6.8 inches. It is actually smaller by more than half an inch (4.52 inch tall) and thinner than the classic pocket Colt. This makes it easier to conceal.
The length of the barrel is not as important in concealing a gun as the length of its grip and the overall thickness. I doubt that most people will find it harder to conceal the 4-inch MAX-9 than the standard 3.2 inch barrel MAX-9. You can’t conceal it unless you are wearing it in a horizontal shoulder strap or have a small frame.
The main benefit of adding an inch to a 9mm micro compact barrel is not a gain in velocity. Hornady Critical Defense’s 115 grain JHP showed a difference of only 89 feet per second between a 3.2-inch and 4-inch barreled MAX-9.
It is also not true that an additional inch of rifling makes the gun more accurate. It may be more accurate when using some loads, and less accurate with others. In a defensive, close-range shooting situation, the differences may not be that significant.
The MAX-9’s inch longer sight radius is a big benefit for shooters who use iron sights. Its sight circle is an inch larger. A longer sight radius will help you shoot more accurately, even if all other factors are equal.
Red Dot Ready Micro Compacts
In the last few years, red dot reflex sights have become increasingly popular for pistols. Handgun slides are now often cut to fit a particular optic footprint. Some handgun slides come with red dots.
Most handguns still aim the old-fashioned method. Many people still want compact concealed carry autoloaders with iron sights that can shoot more precisely. The MAX-9 and Glock G49 are two examples of how manufacturers have responded to this.
I’ll be looking to see if any other gun manufacturers follow suit.
The MAX-9 in Hand
Ruger’s MAX-9 micro compacts with polymer frames and striker firing are extremely thin, measuring only 0.95 inches in width. The slide lock and manual safety are small and placed on the left side. The magazine release is made of steel and has a grooved button face to ensure positive engagement. It can be mounted on either side of grip.
The slide comes with a steel plate that is marked with the Ruger Eagle logo. It is cut to accommodate J-Point or Shield pattern micro-red-dot sights. The factory sights are also steel and dovetailed onto the slide. Windage corrections can be made by drifting the sights.
The rear sight is 0.25 inches tall and has a vertical face at 90 degrees. This allows you to rack the slide with one hand in an emergency. The front sight post has a lower profile and is contoured so that it can be used without snagging. Its most notable feature is the high-visibility, white-ringed, green dot that is illuminated by a fiber-optic rod and a vial containing luminous Tritium.
This is not what I would expect from a pistol that sells for $350. I bet the sight was expensive.
A Pistol Designed for Concealed Carry
The build quality of the pistol I tested was quite good. When the gun was in battery, the front of the barrel tilted tightly into the slide. There is very little movement where the chamber hood meets the breechface.
The MAX-9 uses an aluminum chassis that is one piece to support the barrel, and guide the slide. This is much more efficient than using separate front and back slide guides pinned in the polymer frame. The aluminum is anodized in order to resist wear caused by friction with the steel slides.
This one-piece design simplifies the manufacturing process and guides the slide as well as two-part designs of comparable length, but without the possibility of misalignment. There was a lot of wiggle room between the slide and chassis rails (0.016 inches). This is not a target gun.
The MAX-9 slide assembly can be attached to the frame in a way that simplifies manufacturing. This pistol lacks any conventional takedown mechanism. There’s no rotating lever or double-sided gripping catch across the frame.
Instead of these complicated parts, the MAX-9 comes with a small plastic gate on the side that can be pressed down by your fingernail to reveal the round pin head. Line up the half circle cutout on the bottom slide with the pin head. Then cup your hand on top of it, slap it against the right side, and it will come out. I didn’t need to punch anything.
The pin anchors slide assembly to frame and acts as a camming area to unlock barrel during recoil. This is minimalist engineering genius. It will cause problems for users, who will lose the pin. Ruger should include a few extra replacements.
Shooting the Ruger MAX-9 3507
The thin rectangular grip made it a little harder to shoot the MAX-9 than I had anticipated. It’s thinner than the average man’s wallet and shaped more like a furring band. The stippling, which looked like sandpaper with a hundred grit, helped. Micro-compacts are too small for my manly hands to grip.
The 10-round magazine flush-fit was worse, but I got a slight improvement when I replaced the flushed floorplate with a pinky rest. It was almost fine with the 12-round extended magazine inserted.
The 10-round magazine with pinky rest is the best compromise I can find for concealability and control. The pistol is still small enough to fit in my front pocket. Small-handed people should be able to use any floorplate/magazine combination.
My test gun, despite being excessively long in length, had one of the best rolling trigger pulls that I’ve ever felt on a pistol fired by a striker. The overall travel was 0.58 inches. After pressing the safety shoe, you have 0.34 inches to travel before you reach a wall.
It takes 5.5-6 lbs of pull to move the lever through the next 0.25 inch to a snappy release. Then, I measured but did not feel the 0.10 inch overtravel. The second stage of the trigger has a quality that could be described as a nice revolver.
Performance of the MAX-9
I shot accuracy tests from the bench, using two-hand hold, at seven yards. I used five-shot strings in all cases.
The MAX-9 worked perfectly. I had no malfunctions. The average of the groups I shot standing, with all ammo types combined, was 2 inches center-to-center.
Federal Premium Personal Defense Hydra-Shok Deep JHP, 135 grain, was the load that tested most accurately at 25 yards. It produced average groups measuring 3.84 inches which I consider to be very good for this type pistol. The other three loads I tested did not achieve the same level of accuracy.
Winchester (white boxes) 115 JHP averaged 5.02-inch groups. Hornady Critical Defense JHP 115 grain FTX averaged 5.09 inch. Black Hills 115 grain FMJ ranked third with an average of 5.39 inches.
Parting Shots
If I had been able continue testing, I’d have looked at heavier bullet loads. I could not find a reason for the poor performance of the 115 grain loads.
This MAX-9 Model 3507 performed well with at the very least one defensive load that was heavy. This, along with the low price and feature set, makes it a good option if you’re bound by budget or preference to iron sights.
Visit Ruger.com for more information.
Ruger MAX-9 Model 3507 Specs
Caliber9x19mmCapacity10 round standard and 12 extended base stainless steel magazine providedFrameglass reinforced nylon with aluminum chassis pinned insideSlidesteel, 0.95 inches thick, tapered at muzzle for easier holsteringBarrel4 inches, 6 groove, 1:10 RH twistTrigger20.9 ounces w/ empty 10-round magazineSightssteel, windage adjustable, tritium illuminated, fiber optic enhanced rectangular post front and rectangular notch rear right with border outline. J-Point & Shield pattern optics cutWeight20.9 ounces w/ empty 10 round magazineOverall Length6.80 inchesHeight4.52 inches flush fit w/ 10 round magazine, 5.97 inches with pinky extension floorplate or 12 round magazineWidth0.95 inches across grip, 1.05 inches at widest point across controls.Accessoriespinky rest magazine floorplateMSRP$439 but advertised online at $348
The Performance of a
Brand Bullet Weight and TypeVelocityBest GroupFederal Personal Defense135 Hydra Shok Deep FTX JHP 1,091 3,81Hornady (white box)115 FTX FTX JHP 1,089 4,20
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Keep ReadingThe article Ruger Offers Retro Vibes with Its Four-Inch MAX-9 3507 appeared first on Athlon Outdoors.
