Being a long time fan of Ruger, I was excited to see Ruger (and Magpul) develop the RXM. Why? Not because I was jonesing for a Glock clone per se; but because I feel like the RXM is the first semi-auto pistol from Ruger, since maybe the SR series, that one might could seriously consider as a home defense or carry weapon. That’s why this time we take our first look at the Ruger RXM.

I admit. I’m a Glock fan too. Generally speaking, you either love them or hate them. I guess I’d say I fall into the first camp. I bought a Glock 23 (compact .40 caliber) back around ‘96 or ‘97; and carried it for a number of years before I finally decided to switch over to 9MM. With the improvement of 9MM self-defense ammo and the capacity increase moving to 9MM, I bought my Glock 19 Gen4 (compact 9MM) back in 2012, and carried it for a number of years putting thousands of rounds through it via my own range time with many training classes in the mix. I had some custom work done to my 19’s grip and trigger guard, further making it mine, and I have to admit I love the thing. 

All these years later, enter the RXM. It made me curious, so I ‘had to’ investigate and get one to see for myself. I was hopeful that with Ruger’s and Magpul’s Glock 19 clone they’d have made something equally as capable and reliable. 

A Ruger and Magpul Collaboration

Since the patents for many of Glock’s designs have expired, several manufacturers have made an effort to create what they thought a Glock should have been. Ruger and Magpul, taking this challenge, was no exception.

The Ruger RXM is a collaboration between Ruger and Magpul, hence “RXM.” It was released in June 2024. Ruger focused on the slide, barrel and fire control, while Magpul was responsible for the frame and the magazines. They teamed up to make what they thought Glocks could be, using a Glock 19 Gen3 as their reference platform. And as it turns out, they have made a handful of notable improvements over the Glock 19 Gen3.

Here are the specs and some call outs of several of the RXM’s features with my take on what benefits those improvements (ummm… features) might mean to you.

Ruger RXM Specs

While there are a handful of variants of the RXM already, I am referencing the Model 19400 here.

• Caliber: 9MM Luger
• MSRP: $539.00 USD
• Expected Price to Pay: ~$400 USD
• Capacity: 15 + 1
• Barrel Length: 4 inches
• Overall Length: 7.15 inches
• Height: 5.31 inches
• Slide Width: 1 inch
• Weight: 23.2 ounces
• Slide and Barrel Material: Alloy Steel
• Slide and Barrel Finish: Black FNC (ferritic nitrocarburizing) Nitride
• Front Sight: Steel with Tritium insert, Co-Witness Height
• Rear Sight: Serrated Steel, Drift Adjustable, Co-Witness Height
• Magazines Included: 2 Magpul PMAGs (Model: GL9)
• Manual Safety: No
• Optic Ready: Yes, the slide is pre-cut for an optic.

Primary Features and Benefits

• Fire Control Insert (FCI) – Makes it easier to swap out frames and slides without having to purchase separate firearms.
• Direct Mount Optics Cut Slide – Ready to mount a red dot sight, like the Holosun 407C or 507C, as examples. While some MOS slide options are available for later generations of Glocks, like Gen5, the RXM offers this from the get-go. I bet at a point that a red dot will become an option you will want to consider if you have not already.
• Enhanced Handgun Grip (EHG) – A good grip texture overall, while not being so overly aggressive as to rough up hands when shooting or scratch up your skin when concealed carrying. Many will likely argue the RXM’s grip is certainly better than the grip of the original Gen3. More aggressive grip textures are important when thinking through home defense or general self-defense scenarios, as things like rain, sweat, and/or blood may come into play. The other nice detail that Magpul did was extend the grip texture to the support finger patches on either side of the frame. Again, another little detail that not all manufacturers do.
• Glock 19 Gen3 Compatibility – This opens you up to the aftermarket for Glock Gen3 parts and accessories and much more. The size of the aftermarket for Glock is one of its most attractive features next to their overall reliability. The Ruger having access to this aftermarket is a big win.

Additional Features and Benefits

• Flared Magwell – A flared magwell of any sort makes it easier to insert magazines. This can definitely help with reloading under stress and at speed. This is a small but significant upgrade. Like I always say, the devil is in the details. This is no exception.
• Flat-faced Trigger – Personal preference, but might feel better to you
• Trigger Pull Weight – Supposedly around 3 lbs on the RXM versus the ~5.5 lbs of most Glocks. An easier pull, but some may not like it being this light for self-defense, as it is thought that a heavier pull makes any pull more deliberate.
• Scalloped Magazine Release – A scalloped magazine release can mean easier access to the magazine release button, especially under stress. While the magazine release button on the RXM is smaller than on some Glock generations, the scalloped design may likely maintain its effectiveness, especially when needed.
• Trigger Guard Undercut – These undercuts make getting a higher purchase (hold/grip) on a pistol grip easier. A higher grip can help mitigate felt recoil. A double-undercut (on the trigger guard) would have meant even a slightly higher purchase on the grip. There had to have been production implications as to why Magpul elected not to do a double-undercut.
• Night Front Sight and Serrated Rear Sight – I mention these features again here as they are important. Any self-defense handgun should have night sights, especially the front. The RXM has a Tritium front sight which makes it glow in little to no light. I will say that I find this sight from Ruger to be dull at best but still better than a dot of paint. Additionally, while the rear sight has no dots, I am OK with this. A serrated rear sight can help eliminate glare making it easier to focus on the front sight, which we should generally be doing with iron sights. I wish more pistols had a similar sight set-up.
• Co-Witnessed Sight Height – A co-witness height of the iron sights just means that even with a red dot installed that the front and rear iron sights can still be referenced/used. This is a nice detail should any installed red dot fail.
• Front and Rear Slide Serrations – This simply means more slide grip options, as some semi-auto pistols only have rear slide serrations. The addition of front slide serrations are a nice addition; and I feel like they are becoming more of a standard feature on many semi-autos.
• FNC Nitride Coating on Slide and Barrel – Perhaps close to being as wear-resistent as Tennifer©, this simply means that it will be hard for the average user to wear out the slide or barrel, another important detail.
• Extended Beavertail – Unlike what was on Glocks prior to the Gen6, the beavertail was not all the pronounced. With the RXM, it is ever so slightly extended. The beavertail is the part at the top of the grip, behind the rear of the slide, that fits into the webbing of your hand between your thumb and index finger. Beavertails can help reduce or eliminate slide bites, assuming you have a proper grip in the first place, and they can help with managing felt recoil. Not everyone likes them but they serve their purpose.

Many, if not most, of the enhancements found on the RXM arguably should have been done on earlier generations of Glocks. The Gen6 seems to be the beginnings of some of these sorts of enhancements moving forward, but why has it taken so long? In the interim, manufacturers like Ruger and Magpul have made strides, while nothing super fancy, to do what should have already been done. Kudos.

Price

I know. I know. It is not a direct feature of the firearm itself. However, I do have to make mention of the price as a favorable point for consideration.

With some retailers asking merely ~$400 for the RXM, it is hard to pass up, especially when compared to ~$550+ Glocks or the new $650 Gen6.

Fit, Finish, and First Impressions

In the hand, the RXM feels pretty much like a Glock 19. No kidding. Of course, if you are familiar with Glocks, you likely will notice the grip texture right off the bat. Additionally, you may also notice the lack of any thumb rests.

You will also likely notice the fact that the RXM has better sights out of the gate, with a front night sight and a serrated rear. Of course, if you know Glock sights, it is not hard to make this observation and you should be happy with this improvement.

You will notice most if not all the other differences and enhancements with the RXM in time as you handle it more and more if you don’t notice them straight away.

Trigger Alert

Ah yes, of course you want to know about the trigger. Many say it is the same as the Glock’s. Upon initial inspection, it seems to be nearly identical to a Glock’s, including the way the striker sounds when it is released when the trigger is pulled. Of course, the flat-faced trigger shoe is a nice touch. Overall? I think it is pretty much a Glock trigger, at least out of the box. More later.

Performance and Reliability

When I first shot my RXM, I had mixed emotions. Part of me loved the fact that Ruger had finally made what I might consider a solid defense option. Why? Probably because I knew what a Glock was and what it meant to be able to rely on one. So if Ruger was doing something similar, even if it was a knock-off, I was good with it.

What I found instead was a bit of disappointment. After shooting approximately 350 rounds of various ammunition through it, I experienced multiple instances of the slide locking rearward even with rounds remaining in the magazine. And on a few occasions, the slide would not lock back after the last round fired. Frustrating to say the least. 

Mix of Ammo Shot

• Winchester ‘white box’ 115 grain
• Remington 115 grain
• Armscor 124 grain
• Fiocchi 115 grain
• Blazer 115 grain
• RWS match grade 115 grain
• Federal HST 147 grain

Magazines Used

I ran both the included Magpul magazines (GL9) as well as standard Glock magazines including a Glock 17 mag and Glock 19 magazines, including one with Taran Tactical’s +2 extension, and others. Could it have been a mag issue? Possibly, but the issues were random; and I was not conducting a scientific, lab-based experiment. I was just trying to shoot the thing and break it in.

RXM’s First Bath

I took it home and cleaned it for the first time. I thought this could fix something potentially; but I wanted to break it down and get familiar with it either way. Plus, it’s always good to get the factory junk off and clean it your way with your choice of cleaner, oil, lube, or CLP.

Shot Again

After cleaning it for the first time, I then decided to take it back to the range and put another 250 various rounds through it including most of what I did the first time. I still had the same issues. WTH?

The Positive?

Even with the issues I experienced, it ate any and all of the ammo I fed to it; and the thing was extremely accurate. Of course, I wish I’d gotten a red dot on it sooner. No matter, I could see the RXM was an accurate shooter and mostly operated very well overall. I just wasn’t sure what was causing the slide issues I was experiencing.

I also want to be clear too in saying that I experienced no other issues with this firearm and had zero issues with any of the ammunition I shot. No failure to feeds, no extraction issues, no stovepipes, no double feeds, etc. The gun shot very well overall aside from the slide issues.

Dealing with Ruger

First Time

Since I had just gotten the thing, I opted to ship it back to Ruger for inspection and possible repair. In the short space I was provided, I tried to provide them an accurate overview of what the issues I was having were, so they would have some sense of what I had experienced.

After some time, I got it back from Ruger with a note that said they found nothing wrong with it and they had done a safety check and shot 30 rounds through it. This frustrated me as I tried to tell them that the issues experienced were random and not after any set number of shots fired. At least they sent me a cleaning cloth to say thanks. Oh boy.

Second Time’s a Charm… Maybe?

I elected to turn around and immediately ship it right back to them with another note as to what the experienced issues were.

After about 2 weeks, I got it back from Ruger once again. This time the note read that they replaced the slide release lever and shot 250 rounds through it. And once again, they sent me another genuine (pronounced: gen-u-wine) Ruger cleaning cloth in appreciation… Ahem.

I took it to the range this time; and I only experienced 2 instances of the slide locking back with ammo still in the mag. Again, this was not a scientific experiment, so I cannot say if it were an ammo type or a particular mag. However, with another ~150 rounds, I only experienced the original issue twice. I started thinking it was likely magazine related since I had used Glock mags that were not Gen3; and maybe that was the issue? I am also suspicious of the Glock 19 mag with the Taran Tactical +2 extension, as the spring is much softer with the additional space and maybe was not feeding correctly?

More Shooting Still

No matter. I shot it again today, before I wrote this post. I put another 50 rounds of Blazer 115 grain FMJ (ball ammo) through it using one of the Magpul GL9 mags that came with it. There were zero issues. Maybe we are in the clear? I am starting to feel better about this weapon already, as I think I have decided it has all been mag-related. And no. I do not shoot limp-wristed.

Update

More on the Trigger

Of course, I have to mention the trigger here again. It changed! After 500+ rounds put through it, the trigger has changed. It has smoothed out considerably; and I have to say that it is definitely better than any Glock’s stock trigger. Fact. It may not start out that way but after you get some rounds through it, I think you will find a similar change for the better. Is it the best trigger on the market? Not even close. Is it better than where it started? Absolutely.

Red Dot and More Shooting

I plan to slap a Holosun 407C red dot on it (actually a green dot) next and shoot it some more. No matter what, I think the RXM has a lot of potential. It seems to be solid overall.

Meanwhile, I am in no rush to work it into my EDC for now. All in due time…

Conclusion

With 750+ rounds through it so far, I like it. I mean I want to like it because it’s a combination of two of my favorite firearm manufacturers, Glock and Ruger. If you are looking for an alternative to the other guy, an accurate firearm with a very attractive price point, then the Ruger RXM is definitely a contender for your consideration. And if I’m honest, the issues I have had with it are more than likely not wide spread.

Look, is the RXM a “Glock killer?” No. Is it a solid clone with some good enhancements over what it mimics? Absolutely. Oh, and did I mention its price?

Will I work it into my EDC? I’m not 100% sure just yet though I suspect I will. Of course, my other option at this point is just to save up and go get the new Glock 19 Gen6 or find a Gen5 MOS. Either way, I already have a Holosun 407C that I’m definitely going to get on the RXM; and then I’ll go from there. I have a feeling that shooting it with the red dot will solidify my decision.

Let us know your thoughts or experiences with the RXM in the comments below.

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