Back in December 2024, roughly a month prior to SHOT Show 2025, the gun-Internet and social media went haywire after Ruger and Magpul announced the 9mm RXM pistol. The RXM pistol is the result of a collaborative effort between Ruger and Magpul. Both of these industry titans worked together to develop a very high-quality clone of the classic third-generation Glock 19, one of the most popular polymer-frame striker-fired pistols in the world.
Sturm, Ruger & Co. worked on the “metal” bits while Magpul Industries predictably took care of the polymers. In fact, the very first thing I noticed about the RXM is that the frontstrap, backstrap, and both sides of the grip have the exact same texture that’s found on some of Magpul’s best-selling AR-15 pistol grips like the Magpul K2 (my personal favorite for over a decade).
Once the patent for third-generation Glock pistols expired, the industry as a whole immediately began taking advantage of this situation. It didn’t take long before clones at different price points and levels of sophistication began showing up on the market.
During my original draft of this review, this entire paragraph ended up becoming its own short article, which you might have read here on GAT Daily by now. If you haven’t, I suggest you do in order to contextualize what the Ruger RXM is really about.
Another Clone?
Sure, the Ruger RXM is a 100% American-made, feature-rich, high-quality Glock 19 clone with an extremely competitive real-world retail price of around $400.
But I think beyond being a mere amalgamation of metal and polymer that can reliably fire 9mm Luger cartridges, I do believe that the RXM is also a symbol of sorts. Sturm, Ruger & Co. is the largest American manufacturer of firearms by volume. The company is so large that it has multiple manufacturing facilities across the United States, along with one of the most extensive product catalogs offering a vast amount of rifles and handguns (and shotguns in the past).
Even though Magpul is just barely old enough to legally rent a car in most states, its creativity, innovation, and expertise in polymers and polymer manufacturing have leveraged the company into the top tier of the industry in a relatively short period of time.
I’m just a humble firearms writer who enjoys writing about guns and shooting them; I don’t have any insider access to either Ruger’s or Magpul’s business strategy. However, I do think that both companies’ decision to collaborate and bring another Glock clone into the already excruciatingly competitive and tough market that is polymer-framed striker guns is quite telling.
The Modular Fire Control Unit (FCU)
Something that sets the Ruger RXM apart from the rest of the Glock-clone market is that this handgun was developed with a modular fire control unit (FCU) in addition to the rest of its features. FCUs aren’t anything new, but they typically get associated primarily with SIG-Sauer’s handguns, like the original P250, the P320, and the P365.
Folding the FCU concept into the RXM means that its modularity can be boosted. In fact, by the time this part of my RXM review gets published, Magpul will have launched two additional grip modules for the RXM during NRAAM 2025 held in Atlanta.
The Third-Generation In Hindsight
First and foremost, I think the Ruger RXM is a damn good third-generation Glock clone. And with good reason. Third-generation Glocks have been on the market for over two decades. We’ve collectively learned everything there is to know about third-generation Glock pistols. So, there’s no doubt that this collective knowledge has made its way into the Ruger RXM.
Moreover, at this point in time, the “recipe” that makes up the blueprint for the third-generation Glock is all but impossible to mess up, especially when the production and manufacturing are left to two of the biggest players in the industry.
I’ve since sold off all of my personal third and fourth-generation Glocks and fully switched to a fleet of ambidextrous fifth-generation models. However, my old Gen3 Glock 19 was one of the first firearms I started carrying and training with seriously. I still remember it well, especially its trigger.
In fairness, those classic mushy and spongy feeling Glock triggers were never their strong suit. Nonetheless, they were reliable and got the job done. So the first thing I did when taking home my RXM was to dry fire and get a feel for its trigger. A fancy Walther PDP trigger it is not. But its rolling break is more than reasonable for a $400 optics-ready clone pistol. In addition, it also includes a solid pair of taller, red-dot-friendly metal night sights.
Did I mention that the RXM also perfectly fits in all of my old Glock holsters from my Gen3 days? I’ve even carried it in some in my original Raven Concealment Eidolon that I’ve had for about nine years at this point.
To Be Continued In Part 2
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