When Ruger debuted the LCP (Lightweight Compact Pistol) 380 in 2008, it was one of the more radical designs Ruger had ever rolled out. It was a direct answer for a lightweight polymer-framed 380 ACP handgun for a police backup gun or a small, concealed carry piece for armed civilians. After several years of upgrades, Ruger released an upgraded version called the LCP II with improved sights. Then, they did a curious thing and chambered the pistol in 22 lr with the capability of taking a 10-round magazine. This grabbed my attention, and I ordered one.
Its small size, magazine capacity and surprising accuracy and reliability grabbed me immediately. Then my inner silencer-nerd wondered if a threaded barrel might be available. A quick visit to Shop Ruger found one for me for $160 so I ordered one.
At this point you might be asking, “Why do you care?”
Pocket Pistol
The pocket pistol is not a new concept at all. Yet, a reliable one chambered in 22 lr has typically been elusive. That is not to say that there has ever been a shortage of rimfire pocket guns. It has mostly been an issue of a shortage of reliable rimfire pocket pistols.
The Ruger LCP II with Threaded Barrel
As the 22 lr is a small cartridge, it seemed only natural to chamber it in a small pistol. Unfortunately, the nature of rimfire cartridges and the hit and miss materials used in most pocket pistols lead to people staying well away from them for serious use.
We’ve all heard horror stories of jammamatic Saturday Night Specials chambered in 22 lr. In order to make them lightweight and affordable they were constructed of Zinc alloys or aluminum most of the time with small parts often of dubious quality. Compounding this problem are the short barrels on these pistols which shows measurable losses in velocity. The blowback from the velocity is what is most often required to cycle these guns.
In essence, it is safe to say that the overwhelming majority of 22 pocket pistols from days gone by were too light to be a good doorstop much less a decent boat anchor.
However, as ballistics and powders have improved, so has the 22 lr as a cartridge.
Leading the market right now as a defensive round in 22 lr is Federal Punch. This choice excels in penetration, even out of short barrels. Nickel casings with a nickel-plated lead flat nosed bullet weighing 29 grains with a muzzle velocity of 1123 fps.
Most importantly is the fact that this round excels at penetration at 16 to 19 inches of ballistic gelatin when fired from the LCP II.
Enter the LCP II
The LCP II shows the continuing evolution of Ruger’s LCP series. The sights are markedly improved, and the overall feel of the pistol is enhanced with a smoother to rack slide and a 10-round magazine making a pistol that you can conceal in the palm of your hand.
The sights can be a little hard to pick up and that might be the next upgrade down the road. The trigger is not awful. It’s definitely not target grade, but that’s not what an LCP II pretends to be.
There is a frame mounted safety and the pistol ships with a DeSantis pocket holster branded with Ruger’s logo.
Shooting the LCP II is amazing, there is no felt recoil whatsoever. Accuracy is good with a proper grip as the pistol tends to tip forward and down slightly. Once you realize this, you can adjust accordingly. Initial groups using Federal Punch averaged at 1.5” to 2.1” at 10 yards.
The ammo was surprisingly clean for rimfire and we experienced zero malfunctions. Satisfied with the performance, it was time to run it suppressed.
Suppressing the LCP
Installing the ½ x 28 threaded barrel was quick and simple. If you use a lightweight titanium silencer, the factory recoil spring is fine, but if you bump that up to a can with a bit of weight to it, you’ll need the heavier recoil assembly included with the barrel.
For a suppressor I chose a DaVinci Arms Bambino LW. This is a 5.5” long, 5 ounce can with a 1” diameter. DaVinci may be out of business as I have not seen them anywhere in the past few years and their domain is available. It’s consistently quiet on most smaller handguns with shorter barrels like the Walther PPK and Beretta Model 70, although the barrels on those guns are slightly longer than the Ruger LCP II. Most importantly is that it tips the scale at a weight consistent with other contemporary silencers on the market.
Ruger LCP II With DaVinci Arms Bambino LW
Although first round pop was present, it was mild. The LCP functioned fine with the Bambino mounted. POI might have shifted but not to an alarming degree.
Federal Punch is not a subsonic round, but the Bambino did a great job of shutting it up.
Final thoughts
A suppressed pocket pistol may not be a gun on the wish list of most mainstream shooters, but it is a fun one to have. Practically speaking it makes a nice kit gun for hunters and fisherman who may have need to dispatch a venomous snake, fox or put a coyote down in a trap line.
Without the suppressor, the LCP II still makes a fine kit gun, albeit a noisy one. It makes a good companion piece for hiking, hunting or even a CCW backup if you have to carry something small yet potent.
Ruger LCP II 22 LR Lite Rack Pistol
Overall length: 5.2 inches
Barrel length: 2.75” (3.25” with threaded barrel)
Weight: 11.2 ounces
Grip frame: Black glass-filled nylon
Barrel material: stainless steel
Slide width: 0.81 inches
Magazine capacity: 10+1
MSRP: $409
To locate a dealer near you visit www.lipseys.com/dealerfinder