The Ruger Max 9 and Beretta APX A1 Carry are both compact guns that offer some of the same features. Each gun has a removable plate for optic mounting and retails in the same ballpark. Even though the two handguns look to be the same overall size and shape, it’s surprising how different they feel and shoot. Some guns are better than others, but most of the time, it depends on personal preference. Some people love guns I don’t care for, and vice versa.
So, how do you decide which gun is best for you? Read some articles, look at the details of each gun, and see which one stands out to you. If you have a gun store with some in stock, holding them and getting a first-hand feel for the gun can be extremely beneficial. Many times, online sales offer some of the best deals, but head into some gun stores and ask to look at one anyway.
Some gun store owners may even match any deals you find online. If not, at least you were able to hold the gun before you purchased it. There are some big differences, in my opinion, between the two we are looking at today. Both pistols are chambered in 9mm, and both are the same general size and have comparable prices. I have owned, carried, and ran drills with both for a while now. Here is what I like and dislike about each of these 9mm handguns.
Grip and texturing: Ruger and Beretta +1 point
The first thing you will notice with any handgun is how it feels when you pick it up. A gun either feels good or bad. In some cases, you’re just not sure what you think about it. Range time is needed to decide the latter. The Beretta has some aggressive texturing on the front and back straps. This keeps it from moving in your hands while shooting. It reminds me a little of the CZ P10 M and to me, it’s just a little too aggressive. The grip curves in at the top, making it feel even thinner, so this would probably fit small hands nicely. I have medium-sized hands, so the grip is a little too thin for my liking.
Trigger: Ruger +1 point
The trigger on the Beretta is about 6.5 pounds. It’s not bad, but it could be better. After taking up the slack, it feels a little rough before the break. When the trigger is pulled, I can also feel the cut-out area (gap) in the middle of the trigger where the trigger safety rests. This isn’t a huge deal, but the trigger face doesn’t feel smooth.
The Ruger has a 5.5-pound trigger pull, so it’s a little bit lighter than the Beretta. It has a clean break after the slack has been taken up. When the trigger is in the back position, the Ruger trigger is about 3/8 of an inch away from the frame of the gun. On the Beretta, it touches the frame when pulled all the way. Pulling the trigger to the back of the frame is less comfortable on a small, framed gun. I think the trigger being further away on the Ruger is one reason the grip feels better to me. With the lighter trigger weight and smoother pull, I give the point to Ruger.
Field striping: Beretta +1 point
Taking a gun apart isn’t something we often think about when selecting one. But I like to wipe the slide and internal metal parts off, then re-oil after a day at the range. If all handguns were difficult to take apart, I wouldn’t give this much thought. But some manufacturers have made it easy to field strip their guns. When a gun is not easy, it stands out to me. Neither one of these two guns is hard to field strip, but the Ruger requires a little more work. A paper clip or some pointy object is needed to push the takedown pin out of the Ruger. There is a small lever on the right side of the frame. Push this lever down and it reveals the takedown pin. Push the pin out from the right side of the gun while holding the slide back slightly. There is no pressure on the pin, so it will fall out freely when you push on it, but it is flush with the frame so something is needed to push it out.
Beretta has always had one of the best methods for taking a gun apart. Like the iconic Beretta 92F, there is a takedown lever on the left side of the gun. Flip the lever down to the six o’clock position and pull the slide forward. I did have to push just a little on the right side of the takedown lever for the slide to come all the way off. I like the fact that I can disassemble the Beretta without a tool, and the process is much faster. With the Beretta, there is no takedown pin to fall out of the gun and keep track of. Beretta makes it easy, so they get the point in this category.
Iron sights and optics: Ruger +1
There isn’t much competition in this category. The Beretta APX Carry comes with a set of one-dot block-style sights. There are no dot or markings on the rear sight, which makes it hard to see at night. Ruger put a tritium fiber optic front sight on the Max 9. On the rear sight, they did about the same as Beretta with a square notch blacked-out sight. But the front fiber optic sight at least keeps you on target in the dark. For mounting an optic, the Ruger has a Sheild RMSc footprint. The sights on the Ruger are raised just high enough to see them in the bottom of the optic window. I was able to mount an optic to the Max 9 right out of the box.
Ammo capacity: Ruger +1
Beretta focused on making a thin-framed gun that aids in concealed carry. They use a single-stack mag that holds eight rounds with the grip extension. The only problem with this is their gun isn’t any thinner than the Ruger Max 9. Both guns are 0.9-inches wide. Yet the Max 9 holds 12 rounds, or 10 with a flush-fitting magazine. The APX Carry holds eight rounds with the extension and six in a flush-sitting mag. I found it easier to carry extra Ruger mags because of their shape. Beretta’s mag extension has an awkward shape and takes up more room than it should. A point goes to Ruger for a higher magazine capacity.
Retail Price: Beretta +1
I found my Ruger Max 9 on sale for just a little over $300. The Beretta APX Carry often retails for the same price, but I found one on sale for $268 with a $50 rebate. After the rebate, that makes the APX Carry only $218. That’s a pretty good deal for a Beretta pistol. While I may not like the magazine capacity and am not a fan of the grips, I consider this a heck of a price for a quality gun. Neither one of these guns is expensive, and both are high-quality guns. It’s just about impossible to find a quality gun for $200. I have no idea how Beretta makes any money at this price, but they win the point.
And the winner is…
It’s hard for me to grade handguns because of how it looks in the end. One gun is almost always rated higher than the other, but this doesn’t always mean the quality is worse in the losing gun. Beretta has been around for a long time, and they make quality guns. My grading of the Max 9 and APX A1 Carry does not indicate a lack of quality in either gun. Both guns are of good quality and would serve well as concealed-carry weapons. But, when I pick one to carry or shoot on the range, I have my preferences like anyone else.
This score is based on my preferences and what is important to me in a CCW handgun. Between these two, I have given the Beretta a total score of 3 and the Ruger a score of 4. If you are choosing between these two, check out some gun stores and hold them to see which grip you like best. Many stores will also let you dry fire the weapon to let you see which trigger you like best. In the end, either one of these two guns is a great option – just find the one you like the most.
