During the last three decades, we've watched the polymer-framed, striker-fired Glock Safe-Action pistol rise from a semi-automatic pistol oddity to a well-established prominence in military, law enforcement and civilian self-defender circles. Among its key features has been its modularity. Almost every single part in or on a Glock pistol can be removed and replaced with drop-in components with relative ease. Only the sights require a special tool to install. Everything else can be knocked out and reinstalled with a pin punch and a small pair of pliers.
As a result of the Glock's popularity and modularity, small and large manufacturers alike offer a variety of aftermarket parts and upgrades, including custom slides, night sights, barrels and magazines. And when the patents for the third-generation Glock (Gen 3) expired in 2018, several gun makers just went ahead and started making their own factory-completed clones of the Glock with the Compact-size G19 chambered in 9 mm being one of the most popular to copy.
The RXM is sized to fit readily available Glock G19 holsters.
Gee, wouldn't it be nice if Ruger offered a Gen3 Glock compatible pistol? That way folks could enjoy the quality, customer service and affordable prices Ruger offers with their products while taking advantage of the expansive selection of Glock-type aftermarket components and upgrades. Wish granted! In 2024, Ruger released the compact-size, polymer-framed, striker-fired RXM pistol series which was developed in collaboration with Magpul. Although this 9 mm pistol mirrors several desirable G19 qualities, it also sports unique features all its own. Here are a few of the reasons why the RXM deserves a closer look:
This pistol’s control layout will be utterly familiar to Glock pistol fans.
Trusted American Manufacturers
Although there are a variety of G19 clones on the market now at various price points, not all of them are created equal. Ruger has been producing durable, reliable, American-made semi-automatic pistols at fair prices for decades. They know their way around the production processes and their customer’s feature preferences. As a result, the RXM leaves the factory with some upgrades not found on competing models. The white-ringed night sight front sight is paired with an optic's-height rear sight. The 4" carbon steel alloy barrel is treated with a durable FNC nitride finish and has a witness hole in the top of the chamber. The slide is beveled with front and rear cocking serrations and it too has a FNC nitride finish.
The Swampfox Liberty II red dot was easy to install thanks to Ruger’s optics mounting system.
As for the polymer pistol frame and 15-round magazines, they are made for this pistol by Magpul, another well-trusted provider of American-made rifle and pistol components. This company's injection molded EHG RG9 grip frame weighs less than 3 ozs. It features Magpul's effective Trapezoidal Surface Projection (TSP) texturing on all four sides of the grip. Designed with improved ergonomics to better fit the shooter's hand, the magazine release is scalloped for easier access, the magazine well is flared for faster reloading and the grip's heel is bobbed for better concealment.
The front sight features a white-outline tritium lamp.
Magpul launched its series of Glock-compatible polymer PMAGs a decade ago. They have become a popular alternative to Glock factory magazines because of their durability, reliability and light weight. The RXM pistol ships with two of the 15-round PMAG 15 GL9 magazines, or a pair of 10-round magazines where required by law.
Interchangeable Grip Frames
If you take a look at the interior of a typical Glock-clone frame, the support structures for the slide and trigger group are molded into the polymer. It's a design that works well. However, the frame you buy is the only frame you get since it is the serial numbered component of the pistol.
The removable stainless steel chassis allows the polymer frame to be traded out for other colors and grip lengths.
Ruger opted to take the RXM pistol's modularity a step further with a support structure built into a removable stainless steel bracket, or chassis. This chassis is the serial numbered component of the pistol. It can be lifted out of the polymer frame and transferred to another one if the customer chooses to do so.
Magpul is supporting this RXM feature with a selection of EHG RG9 grip frames in different colors and grip lengths. The suggested retail price of $39.95 for replacement frames includes a factory installed, Ruger-manufactured magazine release button along with a slidelock and takedown-pin spring. The RXM pistol ships with a Stealth Gray frame with replacements available in Black, Flat Dark Earth and OD Green color options. Magpul will also be offering frames with longer G17 grips, and shorter G26 grips, in the near future.
Mapul’s frame texturing lends this pistol a grippy feel without being abrasive to bare hands.
Easy Optics Installation
The RXM ships with an optics-ready slide, which has become a standard feature for defensive pistols these days. But Ruger has simplified the optics mounting process nicely. The slide's cutout is sized for three popular optics footprints, including the Trijicon RMR, Leupold DeltaPoint Pro, and Shield RMSc. The common solution to multiple optics fits for pistol slides is to make available a set of optics mounting plates which rest in between the slide and the optic. These plate sets are often an added cost to the customer and they cause the optic to sit up higher in the slide which sometimes blocks the iron sights.
The RXM has a cutout configured for directly mounting all three optic footprints directly to the slide without a plate. The slide is milled with a set of ports that accommodate a pair of support pins provided with the pistols. The pins are dropped into the ports that correspond with a given optic's footprint. The optic is then set directly on top of the slide and secured using the screws provided with the optic. In this case, the RXM was topped off with a Swampfox Liberty II ($289) for range testing.
The Magpul GL9 polymer has a decade of reliable service under its belt.
Glock Gen 3 Component Compatibility
For the dedicated Glock Gen3-compatible components fans in the audience, this write-up would not be complete without touching on which RXM parts can be traded out or upgraded. One of the RXM pistol’s strongest selling points is its high percentage of interchangeable parts. They include Gen 3 type:
- Aftermarket trigger assemblies which retain the factory-style trigger housing
- G19 pattern magazines and magazine extensions, along with longer G17 magazines.
- Magazine and slide releases
- Iron sights and slide cover plates
- Firing pins, extractors, springs and striker components
But perhaps most importantly, the RXM pistol's exterior profile is compatible with G19 holsters, including those designed to accommodate pistol-mounted light and laser models. Because the G19 is so popular, the holster selection is expansive with a wide variety of brands, materials and styles available.
The RXM proved to be a smooth operator with all ammunition and magazines tested.
More Bang For the Buck
As of this writing, the standard RXM sent for this evaluation is listed for a suggested retail price of $499. This translates into real-world prices in the neighborhood of $399. If you take a look at listings for the optics-ready Gen 5 Glock G19, they are retailing for around $650. Those prices do not include an optics-height night sight upgrade, which ships standard with the RXM, that would cost about $85 to purchase separately.
A Garmin Xero C1 Pro chronograph was used to measure bullet velocity averages.
The more affordable RXM made a positive impression at the shooting range. The levels of felt recoil were the same as other compact 9 mm pistols in this class that I've worked with. However, the grip shape and effective texturing were a notably better fit for my somewhat smaller hands, especially since this model does not have interchangeable backstraps. The trigger pull was also typical for the striker-fired breed. It had a relatively mushy take-up, a somewhat indistinctive break followed by a much more distinctive trigger reset. This is all par for the course with Glock-type triggers. However, instead of the standard 5-lbs. 8-oz. trigger pull, the RXM's trigger weighed in at 4 lbs. 7 oz., making it more comfortable to work with for extended shooting sessions.
The tightest individual 5-shot group of 1.54” was fired using the Hornady Critical Defense load.
The evaluation included a mix of practice to premium-grade 9 mm ammunition fired from three Magpul PMAGS and three Glock factory magazines. The gun, magazines, Swampfox optic and ammunition all proved to be an utterly reliable combination without a single malfunction throughout the course of testing. Formal bench-rested testing was conducted by firing five 5-shot groups into paper targets posted at a 15-yards. This included two practice-grade loads made by Belom (imported by Global Ordnance) and Federal Ammunition along with one defense-grade load from Hornady. A Garmin Xero C1 Pro chronograph was used to measure the average bullet velocities for 10-shot strings. Here are the results:
Does the Ruger RXM pass the bang-for-the-buck test? Absolutely! For those who are looking for a full-featured, ready-to-use defensive pistol, the RXM is a top-notch option with a wide range of holsters and optics ready to support it. For individuals who want a pistol that they can tinker with and modify, the RXM with its removable chassis is actually more flexible than most Glock or Glock-inspired competitors, and available at a lower price. For more information, visit ruger.com.
Ruger RXM Specifications:
Manufacturer: Sturm, Ruger & Co.
Model: Ruger RXM
Action Type: short recoil–operated, locked-breech semi-automatic pistol
Chambering: 9 mm
Frame: stealth gray Magpul Enhanced Handgun Grip (EHG)
Slide: through-hardened alloy steel, black FNC nitride finish
Barrel: 4" alloy steel, black FNC nitride finish
Rifling: six-groove, 1:10" RH-twist
Magazine: 15-rounds; Magpul PMAG 15 GL9 detachable box
Sights: optics-height Tritium night sight front; drift adjustable U-notch rear
Trigger: single-action, 4-lbs. 7-oz. pull
Overall Length: 7.15"
Height: 5.31''
Width: 1'' slide; 1.15" grip
Weight: 23.1-ozs. unloaded
Accessories: carry case, two magazines, optics hardware, cable lock, owner's manual
MSRP: $499
