Description

Ruger LCP II 22 LR Lite Rack Slide System 10 Round Capacity

Ruger LCP II 22 LR Lite Rack Slide System 10 Round Capacity

The Ruger LCP II Lite Rack chambered in .22 LR, model 13705, is a very compact, lightweight, hammer-fired semi-automatic rimfire pistol. Ruger introduced this model in 2019 specifically around the combination of low .22 LR recoil and an easy-to-manipulate slide.

Key specifications

Ruger’s original specifications describe the pistol as 10+1, with a 2.75-inch barrel, approximately 5.20-inch overall length, 4-inch height and 11.2-ounce weight.

What “Lite Rack” means

The Lite Rack system is the defining feature of this version. It combines:

• More pronounced cocking ears at the rear of the slide

• Refined slide serrations

• A lighter recoil spring

The objective is to make the slide substantially easier to manipulate than a conventional small centerfire pistol. Ruger specifically marketed it toward shooters who have difficulty operating a traditional slide and toward people using the pistol for low-recoil training.

Magazine and capacity

The pistol uses a 10-round magazine, giving it a maximum capacity of 10+1 when a round is chambered. Ruger designed a special floorplate arrangement that provides the extra magazine capacity while keeping the pistol very compact. It also incorporates last-round hold-open.

A magazine loader was supplied with the pistol.

Safety systems

Model 13705 is notably different from the standard .380 ACP LCP II.

It has:

• Manual thumb safety

• Inner trigger safety

• Magazine disconnect

• Last-round slide hold-open

The manual safety is unusual in its movement: it is pushed forward to Fire and moved rearward to Safe. Ruger described this as the first manual-safety-equipped LCP II.

The magazine disconnect means the pistol is designed not to fire when the magazine is removed. Ruger’s owner’s manual identifies the magazine disconnect and safety as components of the design.

.22 LR ammunition considerations

This is a rimfire pistol, and Ruger specifically optimized the 13705 for high-velocity .22 LR ammunition.

That’s important because small .22 LR semi-automatics can be more ammunition-sensitive than centerfire pistols. An independent test found generally good reliability but also observed that some ammunition, particularly lower-powered/subsonic loads, could produce failures to feed or failures to lock open.

So you shouldn’t assume that every .22 LR load will perform identically in this particular pistol. The owner’s manual and ammunition manufacturer’s specifications should take precedence.

Trigger

The LCP II uses Ruger’s Secure Action trigger system with an integral trigger safety. The trigger design is intended to provide a relatively short, crisp pull for such a small pistol. One independent test measured approximately 5.2 lb on its test sample, while another test measured somewhat differently, illustrating that individual specimens and measurement methods can vary.

Sights

The pistol has integral/fixed sights rather than a conventional adjustable sight system.

The LCP II’s sights were revised compared with the original LCP, and contemporary testing generally regarded the sights as a useful improvement for a pistol this small.

Barrel and operating system

The .22 LR version uses a blowback operating system and a 2.75-inch stainless-steel barrel. Ruger’s introduction describes the design as using a tilt-barrel/blowback arrangement intended to assist feeding.

The slide is alloy steel, while the grip frame is black glass-filled nylon.

What came with it

The original package included:

• LCP II .22 LR pistol

• One 10-round magazine

• Magazine loader

• Soft pocket holster

• Owner’s manual

• Lock

The exact contents can vary with the particular package or market, so for a used example it’s worth checking what the seller actually has.

Size comparison with the .380 LCP II

The .22 LR 13705 is based heavily on the LCP II platform but isn’t simply a .380 with a different barrel.

The important differences include:

Ruger’s original LCP II documentation confirms that the .380 model has different magazine and safety characteristics. Ruger LCP II 22 LR Lite Rack Slide System 10 Round Capacity

Intended role

Ruger positioned the .22 LR Lite Rack primarily as a low-recoil training and recreational pistol, rather than treating it as simply a .380 LCP II converted to .22 LR. It is specifically highlighted its use for training with an LCP/LCP II and for shooters who wanted an easier-to-operate slide. Ruger LCP II 22 LR Lite Rack Slide System 10 Round Capacity

That distinction matters because .22 LR is substantially different from .380 Auto in terminal performance and ammunition characteristics.

Model-number identification

If you’re trying to identify one, the important designation is:

Ruger LCP II Lite Rack .22 LR — Model 13705

Ruger’s manual specifically identifies the LCP II parts and safety system, while Ruger’s product announcement identifies 13705 as the .22 LR Lite Rack model. Ruger LCP II 22 LR Lite Rack Slide System 10 Round Capacity

Bottom line on the 13705

The 13705 is essentially a very small .22 LR training/plinking pistol built around the LCP II concept, with its biggest distinguishing features being:

10+1 capacity + Lite Rack easy-racking slide + manual safety + magazine disconnect + extremely small 11-ounce-class package.