Is Ruger's RXM Pistol the Best Ever Made?

Ruger teamed up with Magpul to develop a compact pistol that nears perfection.

By Patrick Sweeney

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Ergonomics is a fascinating study. In the firearms world, the consensus among those who carry a compact 9mm for safety has settled on a pistol just about the size of a G19. While that pistol is a great combination of just enough and not too much, it comes with some, shall we say, quirks. Well, no more. Ruger stepped up, and working with Magpul, they solved a lot of the problems that have come from decades of fiddling around with perfection. I’d have loved to have been in the room when the pitch was made; “OK, let’s make a personal carry pistol that has everything good that the “G” does, but make everything on it better. As in; everything.” The new Ruger RXM is a G19-sized package without the difficulties the 19 brings with it, and a bunch of improvements.

Ruger RMX ejection port side view — The location of the serial number plate is a giveaway: the Ruger RXM is a chassis pistol, so you can swap the frame when there are new ones. (Photo Provided by Author)

Jumping to the heart of it, the main one, for me at least, is the trigger. The RXM, when I first shot one at an industry gathering (more on that) impressed me. The trigger on the sample pistol that arrived here, once I had had a chance to dry-fire it a bunch and shoot it more, was even better. The standard G spec on their trigger pull was for a long time “five pounds.” I’ve got a shelf full of “G” pistols in my safe, and the only ones that are at or under five pounds are the custom ones that have been rebuilt. The current G spec on trigger pull is 6.3 pounds. Some of mine aren’t even that light. The Ruger RXM trips my scale at just over four and a half pounds. It is still a striker system, it isn’t a custom 1911 trigger, but hot darn it is perhaps the best out of the box striker-system trigger I’ve shot in a long time.

Ruger RMX support side view — The RXM is meant to be an easy daily carry, and the details have all been designed with that in mind. (Photo Provided by Author)

Ok, now to the pistol as a whole. The slide is machined steel that has been through-hardened. That is, it is not just an extruded bar that has had a surface-hardening process done to it, and it is machined with an interesting rib on the bottom forward of the extractor, which tapers the top half of the slide towards the muzzle. That, combined with a hefty bevel on the nose of the slide, makes it a lot easier to re-holster without requiring three hands. There are cocking serrations fore and aft. Usually, I’m not a big fan of the forward ones, as they mostly act as a holster-grater enhancement, but with the taper of the RXM slide, these stay out of the way enough to not do that. At least, not in the testing I’ve done. The slide comes with tall-enough-to co-witness iron sights that are made of steel, not polymer, (the front is a tritium-celled blade) and there’s a removable plate for optics mounting, where the mounting location is machined for a direct-installation of RMR, Delta Point Pro and RMSc optics.

RMX optics plate cut — The slide has a removable cover, ready for a selection of red dots without the need of an adapter plate. (Photo Provided by Author)

Inside, the barrel is an alloy steel, and it has been given a ferritic nitrocarburizing finish to match the same treatment of and surface finish of the slide. That is, it is highly corrosion resistant and harder than sin. As a bonus, and an improvement over the comparison pistol, it has enfield-pattern rifling. So, if you want to use lead, coated or plated bullets in your Ruger RXM, go for it. No worries about it aggressively leading up and causing problems. Oh, you can still lead the bore (some shooters can break anything) but this is a bore like other Ruger pistols, so put your mind at ease on this subject. The barrel hood has a viewing port at the rear, to be used as a loaded chamber indicator.

The trigger, as I mentioned, is really nice for a striker-fired pistol. Ruger obviously worked on the geometry of the various internal parts, and in addition they added a flat-faced trigger that breaks at ninety degrees. For those who want it, it has an audible and tactile trigger re-set. I long ago learned to shoot at speed by mashing the trigger like I’m squashing a bug and reset by letting my trigger finger fly off of the trigger, but don’t be like me. Learn better habits. There are all the expected safety parts; the blade in the trigger bow itself, the striker block and the drop safety.

RMX Trigger shoe — You can see the flat-faced trigger, the extended mag release with lead-in groove, and the larger slide release. All good things to have. (Photo Provided by Author)

The frame is a whole bundle of extras, as well. First of all, the frame is collaboration between Ruger and Magpul, called the Magpul Enhanced Handgun Grip. The EHG is made with a subtle swell at the bottom, to both act as a mag well funnel and to lock your hand in place. The front strap has been lifted, so your hand can get as high as possible behind the frame, and there are none of those wretched finger grooves. The trigger guard is curved up at the back to match. There is no replaceable backstrap, but I don’t see that as a big deal. Most of the pistols I test that have a backstrap option, I never test with anything but what it was wearing when the box arrived. I don’t use them. If you find that you do have to swap backstraps, then maybe the RXM isn’t the pistol for you. But try it anyway, you’ll probably be surprised.

The frame has textured panels on all four sides, so you can count on a non-slip grip. These are the Magpul 3/4 scale TSP texture, and they provide a secure grip without grinding your clothes or causing them to snag and print that you are carrying. The magazine button has been raised or extended and the frame has a lead-in ramp to the button, while the slide stop lever is large enough that you can actually use it. The frame has an accessory rail out front, so you can add on a light or laser. There is just one locking slot, so you will want to make sure your light or laser will work with a single-slot rail.

Four images of the RMX features — (bottom left) The rear sight is a strong blade, without dots, lines or inserts. There are plenty of replacements to choose from if you need those extras. (top right) The front of the frame has an accessory rail, because sometimes you need a place to mount a light. (Photos Provided by Author)

However, and I’ve saved the best for last: the frame isn’t the frame. It is just a shell that holds the magazine in place and contains the fire control insert (FCI). Yes, the RXM is a chassis pistol, and you can (once extra shells are available) swap it from one to the next in your collection. The FCI is made out of stainless steel and has the serial number on it, so swapping shells doesn’t mean you are swapping serial numbers. The first frame/grip is made in Stealth Gray, but Ruger and Magpul plan on rolling out additional colors and sizes in the future. Granted, a bigger frame will require longer magazines, 17 versus the 15 rounds of the ones provided. Speaking of magazines, the RXM comes with a pair of them; Magpul PMAG 15 GL9 magazines, fifteen rounds each, so you’re set there.

The internals of the RXM are made to fit with Gen 3 parts, so if you want to upgrade your RXM (hmmm, what could you improve on, I have to ask) then you need to know that. Parts for the later Gens won’t necessarily work, you’ll have to specify Gen 3 to the aftermarket provider. You may also have to do some fitting since Ruger makes Ruger pistols, and the accessory parts might need a bit of adjustment. Don’t blame Ruger, the RXM isn’t at fault if that happens. The RXM also will fit holsters made for the G19, but there’s another detail; the RXM trigger guard is rounded, not squared. Another thing to remember when getting holsters.

RMX disassembled — The RXM disassembles just like the G19 and will be easy to keep clean. (Photo Provided by Author)

The RXM comes in a lockable plastic case, with Ruger and Magpul logos on it, the two magazines, owner’s manual, lock, you get the idea. So, the first thing I did was to pull it out of the case, take the RXM rubber band off of the frame, check to make sure it was unloaded, and dry fire it. I wanted to see if the one they sent me had as nice a trigger as the one I shot at the industry day at the range where they showed the RXM to us writers and editors. The shooting session there was at a range in Grand Junction, Colorado where there were steel plates up the mountain, as far as 600+ yards. (At least that was the furthest one I spotted, anyway.) I started at 100 yards, hammering the one-foot plate with most shots, and then went in search of opportunities at greater distances. The nice trigger helped, and the accuracy of the RXM barrel delivered, and I was able to severely harass the 200-yard plate, and greatly worry the 300-yard plate. In all, a great deal of fun, and then I had to move on.

Here at home, I spent time trying various loads in the RXM, never having a single failure of any kind (no surprise there) and simply pounding the falling plate rack into submission. I was particularly interested in how well it would shoot off the bench, since I do that with every handgun, and I can see how it stacks up. It stacks up very nicely.

Two targets showing accuracy with RMX — With all the ammo tested, the RXM turned in exemplary groups for a daily-carry pistol. For any pistol, really. (Photo Provided by Author)

As far as holsters go, the RXM will fit your basic G19 holster, with one change: the trigger guard is curved, not retro-80s square—keep that in mind when you are shopping. I rang up C&G holsters, and when I told them I needed a holster, but couldn’t tell them the brand (the RXM was still a secret when I was testing it), we then had a Q&A on features. What we settled on was the OWB Covert with a curved trigger guard, and a spare mag holder. The RXM clicks into place with as much retention as you desire, by adjusting the tension screw. The mag pouch also has a tension screw, and unlike the fixed belt loops (steel, by the way) of the holster, the mag pouch has a slip-on paddle back and hooks on the bottom to keep it in place. So, pistol and spare magazine (what comes in the box) are all ready for daily carry.

Accuracy of RMX on paper — It is hard to argue with accuracy like this. (Photo Provided by Author)

Now for the RXM price. The list price is, as we all know, just the starting point. I suspect the RXM will be as fast selling an item as lemonade in Death Valley so you might not see any discounts for a while. Even then, the price will be really good. Once demand catches up, the price will no-doubt come down and be a screaming deal. How screaming? I’m talking with Ruger about not sending this one back and sending them a check instead. (Something about marketing and internal paperwork, hey I’m just a gun writer, not an MBA.) That’s how good the price is.