Just a bit over three years after the introduction of the LCP II, Ruger has decided to release the firearm in the widely available and easy to shoot .22 LR caliber. TFB was lucky enough to get an exclusive look at the LCP II 22 LR for testing and evaluation purposes so today we’ll go over some first impressions as well as some speculation on how well it’ll be received in the packed concealed carry market.

Ruger LCP II 22 LR – Features

• First-Ever Manual Safety on an LCP II
• Lite Rack System – Allows for easy manipulation of the firearm
• Optimized for high-velocity ammunition
• 10+1 capacity
• Refined Slide Serrations and pronounced cocking ears
• Lightened recoil spring

The LCP II 22 LR – Initial Impressions

The pistol came shipped in a nice white compact cardboard box. As with all LCP II models, the gun also shipped with a very nice pocket holster. I absolutely love this practice and I wish more companies would start doing it.

This is obviously a carry gun so Ruger had the foresight to include one of the most important accessories with the gun. Aside from the holster, a small magazine loader and only one factory 10 round magazine plus your standard fare gun-lock and owners manuals were the only items included. Ruger did, however, send me two additional 10 round box magazines for testing and evaluation.

LCP II 22 LR Specifications

• Model #: 13705
• Caliber: ..22 LR
• Barrel Length: 2.75″
• Weight: 11.2 oz
• Grip Frame: Black, High-Performance Glass-Filled Nylon
• Slide Material: Alloy Steel
• Barrel Material: Stainless Steel
• Slide Width: 0.81″
• Twist Rate: 1:16″ RH
• Finish: Blued
• Availability: Not on the CA or MA rosters
• MSRP: $349.00

Right out of the box the LCP II 22 LR is extremely light and fits perfectly into the palm of the average adult male’s hands. The slide is easy to rack making this one of the easier pocket pistols to operate. My initial reaction to receiving a pocket pistol in .22 LR was one of disbelief but my working theory is that this new LCP II is mainly intended as a training gun for those looking to use a .380 ACP LCP II as their daily carry. That or this is a gun your grandmother goes to buy after she’s watched the local news one too many times.

The entirety of the gun mimics the larger .380 ACP LCP II almost perfectly. Aside from minor weight differences and magazine capacity, the LCP II 22 LR is nearly a clone of its slightly larger chambered brother. Both guns feature nice forward and rear slide serrations with the rear slide serrations on the new LCP II 22 LR terminating at the back with some pronounced cuts to ensure a firm grip when racking the slide. These pronounced cocking ears are part of Rugers new Lite Rack system on the LCP II.

The Pistol comes standard with sights that are not adjustable for windage or elevation. Adjustability isn’t something I was really looking for in a pocket pistols sights but I would have preferred night sights as I do on all my guns. Having that extra bit of shimmer to draw your eyes to in darker situations really helps more than you’d think.

Shooting the LCP II

I tested the LCP II 22LR using various types of ammunition and had stellar results with almost everything. My first 10 or so magazines had quite a few failures to fire with all of them being due to light primer strikes. After the first dozen or so magazines the gun ran next to flawlessly with only a few malfunctions here and there in regards to the slide locking back on the last round which could have been due to the ammunition I was using  (36 gr Monarch).

I was not a fan of the orientation of the manual safety, it is extremely awkward to activate and deactivate on such a small gun as it is mounted horizontally. Sometimes while shooting I would inadvertently activate the safety leading to some minor frustration. Despite that, I found the trigger pull to be quite amazing – even for a single action pistol. A nice trigger is always a welcome addition to a pocket pistol but I think the LCP II 22 LR has a better trigger than even some of my compact-sized carry guns.

The gun is surprisingly pleasant to shoot, with the reduced load, the gun has negligible recoil even with the screaming 1640 fps CCI stingers the little-gun remained controllable and staying on target was an easy task. I’d even venture to say that for a novice shooter this pistol would rank among one of the easiest to handle.

I did have a problem using the included magazine loading tool as it didn’t seem to quite catch the rounds and push them down into the magazine to allow the following round to be fed easily. I eventually gave up on using the tool and instead chose to cut my hands up with the relatively sharp lips of the magazine. I would have much preferred an assist tool that worked much easier or perhaps even an integrated one like on many 22 LR pistols such as the Ruger Mk. IV. Perhaps there just wasn’t space in the design to allow for that.

Conclusions – Objective Facts vs Subjective Opinion

Objectively, the LCP II is a perfectly functional rimfire pocket pistol. Subjectively I don’t think anyone has any business arming themselves or anyone else with a pocket pistol chambered in 22 Long Rifle. My personal feeling is that while the round definitely can kill, it does a poor job of stopping targets dead in their tracks or at the very least disable them with a single round.

If you’re in a fight for your life with a crazed drug-addict you’ll be hard-pressed to land a disabling shot, even using CCI Stingers which are at the upper end of energy potential. I’m sure, however, several of you in here though are blessed with the accuracy of an AimBot and can disable a man at 30 paces with this humble little gun.

However, I’ll say it before you do, if it’s all you have or all someone is willing or comfortable carrying, it’ll be far and away better than your fists or calling the police. I think this gun would be best suited to a cheaper training implement as .380 ACP does get quite expensive if shot in large quantities – 22 LR, on the other hand, can be shot all day without the need to take out a second mortgage on your house.

PROS

• Easy to conceal
• Easy to shoot
• Both the gun and ammunition are affordable
• Comes with a matching high-quality pocket holster
• Reliable
• Great trigger pull for its class and size

CONS

• No night sights
• Ships with only one magazine
• Magazines are hard to load
• Magazine loading tool is dubiously effective
• Safety is hard to reach/ can be activated inadvertently without proper hand positioning

Is the LCP II 22 LR The Gun for You?

I had a great time shooting the LCP II 22 LR and putting it through its paces with a ton of varied ammunition. That being said, I don’t think I’d ever personally buy one for myself or anyone I know. I think there are quite a few options out there in today’s market that can do the job of pocket carry much more effectively without sacrificing the power of your ammunition.

However, the gun was a blast to shoot and throughout testing, I probably put at least two or three bricks of CCI mini mags through it while I was fishing for malfunctions, I was pleased to find none using that particular ammunition. I can see this 22 LR version of the LCP II being used as a great training medium for the larger caliber version or as a cheaper way to get some rounds down range while getting your hands used to handling this size of firearm.

I’d be interested to hear your thoughts and opinions on this new offering from Ruger. What do you think of the LCP II being chambered in a rimfire caliber? Is this something that you would carry or have someone you know carry? Let us all know down in the comments and a huge thanks to Ruger for sending the pistol for the review!

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