Opinions on the Ruger American 9 mm pistol?

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There are those that complain about the RAP9 size and weight in regards to concealed carry. That aside on my example there were no failures to chamber, fire and eject over extended firing sequences. I found the accuracy to be on par with Glock 17 and S&W MP9.
 
I have the full size and the compact. I like mine. They have cycled with everything, a variety of bullet types. Out of the box the triggers are good. I prefer it over the M&P "1.0", and that's with an Apex trigger kit installed.

I haven't tried to carry the compact yet. But I did get a 12-rd. magazine for it.

Early on there was some videos of some getting their thumb knuckle roughed up. I haven't seen that with me, or my son or daughter. Maybe it doesn't fit in some peoples hand, I don't know.

CDNN had a sell on them a couple months back for $289-299. No regrets. :)
 
My opinion is that Ruger's marketing premise is correct, but the pistol doesn't fit the bill. There is a reality that the better pistols today are un-American. Some people might question whether that is even a criterion when selecting a defensive or law enforcement arm. I don't pretend that it is, but I'm also glad that we can buy guns for all kinds of purposes, reasons or for no reason at all. But if I want to buy an "American" pistol, it would probably be a 1911. Calling Ruger's Glock-alike the "American Pistol" doesn't really fool me.

Practically speaking, a big drawback for me is not having an optics-ready model. In my opinion, the M&P 2.0 is a better pistol. It's just as all-American and less of a Glock copy. But it also suffers from no optics-ready versions. There are some 2.0 CORE's out there, but S&W does not list them and they don't appear to be generally available or at all. A concern I have is that if the factory is unwilling to offer cut slides, there may be a reason and just having it custom-cut invites the unknown.

Someone could argue that Sig is American now or that even Glock is sort of American, but there is no arguing that the foundation of their designs and their products are European. If you don't mind a European design pistol, there are no practical condemnations of them, but if you want an American pistol, I don't think the Ruger is a quintessential one. Now the Blackhawk or the Single Six, those are as American as apple pie.
 
I have the Pro Duty, and it's great...functioning for a 9mm. Trigger OTB is better than Gluck or S&W M&P. The SIG P320 is better. Never did take to the SR9 trigger. Some say the RAP reset is long, but I don't notice it on the range. Like the others, take-down and maintenance is a snap. It's not a 1911, but it is American and performs flawlessly, as-designed. In a nutshell, this is a totally practical, reliable tool. It's a component of my home SD package. I would prefer this handgun in a 40SW.
 
As I read certain replies, I am reminded of an adage "functionality has a beauty all of its own". The RAP is a functional design that over extensive firing cycles there were no failures to feed, fire and eject. The RAP9 I acquired was from individual private sale at a reasonable price. After extensive firing sessions with total round count in the thousands I decided to also acquire a RAP45 which also over extensive firing sessions there were failures to feed, fire and eject also.
 
I have the 9mm compact with the thumb safety. It carries well with the short grip. The thumb safety is much larger (more like a 1911) and easier to operate than the ones that just have a small tab. It’s a little heavy compared to single stacks, so a sturdy belt is worth having. It’s a soft shooter in 9mm and has a nice trigger.
 
As I read certain replies, I am reminded of an adage "functionality has a beauty all of its own". The RAP is a functional design that over extensive firing cycles there were no failures to feed, fire and eject. The RAP9 I acquired was from individual private sale at a reasonable price. After extensive firing sessions with total round count in the thousands I decided to also acquire a RAP45 which also over extensive firing sessions there were failures to feed, fire and eject also.
Eventually I want to get a RAP45.
 
Second item down in the search results. https://ruger.com/dataProcess/APRetrofit/index.php Keep this in mind.
Good point. I had forgotten about the early recall. Though I would find it hard to believe any are on the shelves, someone buying a ftf used one may run across it.

I bought my full size RAP9 used. It was subject to the recall. Ruger sent a mailing box and label. They had it back in around one week. :)
 
Hold and shoot one if you can. With my hands and my high thumbs grip the left rear of the frame is quite painful for me. MAC on YouTube had the same issue.
 
I had one in .45. It hated my hands. I bought it when I sent my p320 back for the drop safety upgrade figuring the turn around time would be months.

Liked the idea of a robust striker fired gun that was sort of the heir of the Ruger P-series. But it hurt my hand bad enough that I developed a flinch.

SIG had my 320 back to me in like 2 weeks. Better trigger, better fit of my hand, left the range smiling instead of trying to shake out the bruise on my thumb. American went to the chopping block.

My first pistol was a Ruger SR9. I would take one of those over the American any day.
 
It's heavier and (IMO) uglier than my SR9c. I'd never give up my SR9 for the RAP. I would like to add a .45 acp compact... and would go S&W for that.
 
I did a search here and did not find very much on the Ruger American 9 mm pistol. If anyone has an opinion on it as a nightstand/HD/maybe carried pistol, please share your insights. I am also pondering the differences between the American and the SR9.
I had my mind set on buying one when they first came out. They were selling in the lower $300s. My opinion them is that they're built like a tank, and are very robust. They aren't that much more expensive than the SR9, but are a beefier build that has more features. As far as the RAP9 vs M&P 2.0 goes, the only thing the 2.0 has over it is some people like the looks better and there's more aftermarket support. Ruger has better customer service. Function wise and built wise, they aren't that different. It's all a matter of preference.
 
All three of those look good to me. Eye if thr beholder I guess. I actually own the AXP, and it looks even better in person.

I've fondled the APX and it is very appealing from an ergonomics and trigger perspective. I was working for Ruger when the rumors of a game-changing Glock competitor being about to be released surfaced. I managed to sneak a look at it in a big wig's office one night and was severely underwhelmed. The whole area where the grip meets the beavertail just looked poorly done and awkward...

RA-G4-263x300.jpg
 
Because the RAP is 30 oz and the SR9c is 23.5.

Not sure how else to answer your question. Don't more ounces mean heavier?
What material/component wise makes the RAPc heavier than the SR9c since we're comparing compacts.
 
What material/component wise makes the RAPc heavier than the SR9c since we're comparing compacts.
I apologize... I mis-read your reply. Didn't mean to sound rude. I edited my reply to answer the question.

Again... apologies.
 
What material/component wise makes the RAPc heavier than the SR9c since we're comparing compacts.
That makes more sense. It's only 4 oz different so it could be as simple as just slightly thicker components rather than different materials.
 
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