I tried the Ruger Security 380 pistol, and I have to share I was absolutely blown away by how amazing this gun is to shoot. The size of the pistol is just right for concealed carry, the felt recoil is nothing compared to other 380 handguns, and it is also set at a great price point.
Here are the main features of the Ruger Security 380 Pistol:
15+1 Capacity
There’s no excuse to carry a gun with just 5 or 6 rounds of ammo capacity anymore. Companies like Walther, Smith & Wesson, Sig Sauer, and Ruger, to name a few, have designed compact, concealed carry-specific handguns with much higher ammo capacity. Capacity is an important consideration, especially if you don’t carry a spare magazine on you. Ruger does include a backup magazine with a capacity of 10 rounds, and the base pad gives just enough room to get a good grip on the gun.
Lite Rack System
The Ruger Lite Rack™ system includes slide serrations, pronounced cocking ears, and a lightened recoil spring. Because of this system, the slide is significantly easier to rack than most stock compact pistols on the market today. The lightened recoil spring does reduce the felt recoil of the gun. What shocked me the most was remembering that I was shooting 380 auto ammo through the gun and not 9mm, and even then, I couldn’t believe how comfortable this gun was to shoot.
External Safety
I don’t tend to carry any handguns with an external safety, including a grip safety or thumb safety. This is because, in a high-stress situation, your mind has to process so much information quickly that it can be challenging to remember the safety. If you train often and regularly with the pistol to always get your thumb on the safety to depress it before firing a shot, you can train yourself to remember to do this as a habit naturally. I have taught dozens of concealed carry classes, and the biggest issue I continue to see with people is that they safety themselves in class, wondering why the gun isn’t firing because they don’t dry fire or live fire with their carry pistol. They completely forget that the safety has to be depressed, but they remember to point and pull the trigger, only the trigger won’t go bang. If you are considering the Ruger Security 380 pistol as a carry gun, you need to spend a lot of time practicing with the thumb safety.
Little Felt Recoil
I was genuinely distracted by how comfortable the Ruger Security 380 pistol was to shoot. It’s an extremely accurate pistol with easy-to-manage felt recoil. I didn’t have to overgrip the gun, and I never felt my grip sliding off the pistol while shooting it. With compact pistols or any .380 auto or .45 auto, I can struggle to hold onto guns during recoil, and I can say I didn’t have that experience with the Ruger pistol. I would recommend this gun to students or anyone wanting to carry a small handgun as long as they work on getting used to the thumb safety and always remembering to disengage it when going to shoot.
Trigger
If you haven’t heard of Ruger’s Secure Action™ fire-control system, this system uses a protected internal hammer with a bladed-safety trigger. The Ruger Security 380 pistol is set up with this system and includes an integrated trigger safety. The trigger pull is delightful and feels smooth from start to finish. The break is clean and surprises you when you shoot, which is what you want in a quality firearm.
Final Thoughts & Ammo Consideration
I had a few friends shoot this pistol while I was at the range, and they were all also pleasantly surprised by the functionality, low felt recoil, and trigger of this gun. It’s outfitted with a front fiber optic sight, has a comfortable grip, and is balanced well for a compact pistol. No one who tried shooting the gun had issues with racking the slide or holding onto the gun during recoil. Overall, I’m really impressed by the Ruger Security 380 pistol.
It’s really important always to use hollow point defensive ammunition in your carry pistols. You should always test-fire your gun with this ammunition before using it because the last place you want to find out that your gun doesn’t like the specific ammunition is in a self defense scenario. A few kinds I tested that performed well in the gun are Sig Sauer’s Elite V-Crown JHP 380 auto, Hornady’s American Gunner®, and Hornady’s Critical Defense® 380 auto.
Ruger Security 380 Pistol Specifications:
- Caliber: 380 Auto
- Capacity: 15+1
- Front Sight: Fiber Optic
- Barrel Length: 3.42″
- Overall Length: 6.52″
- Weight: 19.7 oz.
- Front Sight: Fiber Optic
- Rear Sight: Drift Adjustable
- MSRP: $369.00
For more information, check out the Ruger Security 380 Pistol manual.
