Sturm, Ruger & Co. released two new handgun models on Friday. The first was an addition to the LCRx line in .22 LR and the second was their a laser-integrated version of their LCP II.
The LCRx is the exposed external hammer version of the LCR. Previously only available in .38 Special +P and .357 Magnum, the new LCRx in .22 LR features a 3" barrel, 8-shot capacity, adjustable rear sights, Hogue Tamer grips, and the other features that made the LCR famous. Given all of this, it has the makings of a updated and more modern kit gun at an MSRP about $200 less than the S&W Model 317 Kit Gun.
The specs on the LCRx in .22 LR are here.
The second new handgun model is the LCP II with a factory-installed Viridian E-Series red laser. What makes this really interesting is that the laser is from Viridian and not from Crimson Trace. Ruger had for years worked with Crimson Trace on grip-integrated lasers as well as frame-integrated laser. This is just speculation on my part but the purchase of Crimson Trace by competitor Smith & Wesson undoubtedly played a part in switching to Viridian lasers.
The specs on the LCP II with Viridian E-Series laser are here. The addition of the Viridian laser adds $90 to the MSRP of the LCP II bringing it up to $439. That's not too bad and having a laser in such a small gun would be a plus in my humble opinion.
All in all, Ruger has two new winners here. I'm anxious to see what is released at the end of the month in Atlanta at the NRA Annual Meeting.
It could definitely be an interesting show! See you there!
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