Reviewing Ruger LCP II Lite Rack .22

By R.K. Campbell | Contributing editor

When Ruger introduced a new version of the LCP II—the Lite Rack .22 Long Rifle—I knew they had a winner, based on a reliable, proven design but with a much smaller hole in the muzzle than its older sibling.

For some time, my other half has owned and carried a Ruger LCP .380 ACP pistol.

It has never failed to feed, chamber, fire, or eject, and it is loaded and on her person often. While I prefer something a little larger and harder hitting it is a small gun or no gun at all for many shooters.

You could do much worse than the Ruger LCP. After the introduction of the original LCP there were some complaints concerning the long trigger action and small sights. Ruger came back with the LCP II, and it’s a great improvement.

The new pistol features high visibility sights, a crisp single action trigger with a blade style safety lever set in the trigger face. This handgun is a good shooter. Loaded with a modern load such as the Federal HST Deep the .380 ACP pistol is a better choice than in the past- if still on the edge for personal defense. At the least we have a small handgun that is accurate past conversational distance.

But let’s turn our attention to this .22-caliber version and see whether it lives up to the standard set by the LCP.

The little gun is remarkably easy to rack and make ready. The magazines hold ten .22 Long Rifle cartridges, a neat trick in such a small handgun. The pistol has all of the features of the LCPII .380 ACP.

The question might be why a .22 rimfire? First, the pistol is very easy to shoot well. It makes a pleasant understudy to the .380 ACP pistol. The Lite Rack LCP II is very easy to use well. I have on hand a .22 Kadet for the CZ 75 9mm, and a conversion unit for the 1911 .45, not to mention several .22 rimfire revolvers. So the LCP II is a good understudy for the .380. But how about letting it stand on its own merits?

The Ruger is built on a blowback design with a barrel that tilts a bit during the feed cycle. The rear of the slide offers flared wings or slight protrusions that aid in racking the slide. Everything has been done to make the pistol easy to use well.

A pocket holster is supplied with the pistol. Only one magazine is supplied. I purchased another because a pistol with one magazine is pretty difficult to test and use. The major change, other than the caliber, between this pistol and the .380 version is a manual safety. The safety is a little odd in that it presses forward. It is pretty fast to use on the draw, not so fast to place on safe. There is also a magazine safety. This is a cut off that prevents the pistol from firing unless the magazine is inserted. I am neutral on these in a pocket handgun, but don’t like them on service grade pistols. The pistol fits the Baddaddytactical.com Kydex inside the waistband holster intended for the Ruger LCP II .380 well.

I have fired the pistol extensively. The big surprise is accuracy. Once I got used to handling the handgun- it is easy to let the thumb drift into the slide lock and lock the slide open, so I had to be careful with my grip- and got the sights down pat- the pistol is more accurate than you would think.

While groups don’t save your life, the pistol will put ten shots into four inches at 15 yards from a solid barricade. If you have fired small automatics much this is impressive.

The LCP II Lite Rack is fun to shoot, which isn’t true of most .380 ACP pistols. I like the pistol because it is fun and it gets some of my family shooting. But the pistol actually has utility as a camp gun believe it or not! It is plenty accurate enough to take out a reptile at a few paces. Folks camping and hiking seem to like to have an ultra-light .22 of some type in the pocket or on the belt.

This pistol is as accurate as many small revolvers and offers ten shots on tap- and a very fast reload if you purchase an extra magazine. As for reliability .22 pistols must be kept clean and lubricated for reliability. Some loads just don’t function well. Use high speed .22 Long Rifle only. The CCI Mini Mag and CCI Stinger are among the most reliable choices. The pistol is affordable at just over three hundred dollars when found for sale. The LCP II was just getting to shops when the craziness hit, but I have seen two for sale recently. The LCP II Lite Rack .22 is a friendly fun gun well worth its modest price.