Revolutionary Budget Pistol: Ruger RXM

The Glock 19 is ubiquitous. Glock itself revolutionized the firearms world by introducing an ultra-reliable polymer-framed striker-fired pistol. At first, it was met with criticism. How could a plastic gun be better than the classic steel and hammer guns that have been around for decades? But decades later, Glock is still the gold standard. However, in recent years, something has changed. Glock has dealt with increased competition. Their Gen 3 design is no longer protected and is in the public domain. Have you seen a Palmetto State Armory Dagger? On the other end, what about a Shadow Systems MR920? Both these are clones of the venerable Glock 19 design. Of course, their design is similar, but each company takes on its own characteristics—better ergonomics, improved optics mounting, different triggers and sights, etc. While Shadow Systems makes an excellent pistol, they aren’t exactly budget. PSA is. But they are direct to consumers; you won’t find them on any dealer’s shelves. And that’s where the subject of today’s article comes in. A pistol was built to take on goliaths because goliaths in the industry make it.

Ruger X Magpul

Ruger is a long-standing and respected manufacturer. Their legacy consists of items like the 10/22, the Mark series of .22 pistols, the Single-Six, Blackhawk, and Redhawk revolvers, the M77 Hawkeye, and, more recently, the American series of rifles. With semi-auto pistols, Ruger has focused more on budget with the LCP Max, Security-9, EC9s, and others. But Ruger doesn’t necessarily have a “modern” striker-fired polymer handgun. That’s where their partnership with Magpul comes in. Magpul is one of the premier manufacturers of AR-15 accessories. They make nearly everything. And all of it at a high level. Their years of leveraging revolutionary manufacturing techniques to bring high-quality yet affordable accessories to market means they can build at scale. Just what a company Ruger’s size needs.

The RXM

The RXM is Ruger’s newest offering. But they couldn’t do it alone. While it’s a Glock clone, it enhances the foundational pistol. First, Ruger built a stainless-steel Fire Control Insert (FCI) that is serialized and can be easily removed from the chassis. Magpul, with its polymer molding know-how, designed and built the frame for the FCI to reside in (dubbed the Enhanced Handgun Grip, EHG). As part of this collaboration, Magpul will offer a variety of grip frames so that consumers can customize their pistols to meet shifting tastes and needs (I’m guessing different colors and sizes). As for other features on the frame, it includes Magpul’s ¾ scale TSP texture to promote a secure grip, textured indexing pads, a low-profile flared magwell, a trigger guard undercut, and a higher beaver tail cut for a higher grip that offers better recoil management. Additionally, the EHG will have a universal-pattern accessory rail (no more proprietary rail systems!) for lights and other items. All sounds like nice upgrades.

Moving to the slide, it is finished in black FNC nitride, which should withstand consistent holster wear. But here's where things get interesting—the optic mounting system. The RXM’s slide allows for direct optic mounting of RMR, Delta Point Pro, and RMSc pattern optics—no adapter plates are necessary. Awesome. More companies should go to this (looking at you, Glock). The iron sights are steel and have tritium inserts. They are also tall, so they can co-witness with your optic. To wrap up the slide, Ruger added front cocking serrations. They aren’t the most aggressive to get the job done. One note on the FCI: it utilizes a flat-faced trigger, which is fine. Many companies have gone this route.

WATCH VIDEO on RUGER RXM

Final Thoughts

“Developed with customization in mind,” states Ruger, “the RXM pistol uses major components designed to operate in Gen 3-type [Glock] pistols and is compatible with many off-the-shelf holsters and accessories.” Ruger, with the aid of Magpul, developed a pistol with inherent market support. Instead of designing something unique, Ruger went with the status quo. I think they enhanced many of the pistol’s features, and partnering with a company like Magpul gives them recognition in a crowded market. What’s most alluring about the RXM is its price. Ruger’s MSRP is listed at $499, which isn’t great, but the street price is $399.99, which is right for a pistol like this. Ruger is a large company and can produce items at scale. This will certainly help when trying to introduce a new firearm to the market. For its continued success, it’ll be interesting to see what goodies Magpul will produce to pair with the RXM. I hope it succeeds and pushes companies like Glock to innovate. The RXM will be available at the time you read this.