Ruger P345 q's: Performance? Carry? Issues?

The P345 has always taken a lot of heat for the mag disconnect and the associated problems with dry firing the gun without a mag inserted. However, it does have a pretty good reputation otherwise. The "cam block" barrel lock up design seems like a good one. I'm surprised nobody else uses it (besides the P95 and P97).

http://archives.gunsandammo.com/video/handguns/reviews/torture-tests/ruger-p345-pistol

I had one, great shooter! I cleaned out the trash from under the rear sight, so I could dry fire without a mag. Was a bit chunky for carry, but overall a very accurate pistol, with no issues.

The gun is designed with a very light recoil spring, but uses a heavy damper spring to slow down the slide just before it smacks the frame in its reward travel. The gun is very easy to rack the slide on, but will fail to chamber a round if run dry or dirty. My friend had this issue on his, so he just oiled it up often. The grip is very narrow, and the trigger in SA mode is very short. The gun fit my wifes little hands very well, and was her favorite shooter.

Anyone else have pointers on this one as a concealed carry piece or other performance characteristics?

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I used a P345 as a primary carry gun for a couple of years. I still occasionally carry it but mostly it has been relegated to bedside safe duty. This is simply because it's one of my only guns which has an accessory rail; so it's just easier to leave on the light/laser and carry something else. Here's a thing about the P345 though.. I don't want to like it, but it works so well that I can't get rid of it. I've bought mine new back in 2006, and it's kind of a long story as to why, but long story short it's now the only polymer framed pistol I own. I prefer all steel guns (S&Ws, CZs, 1911s) and would later have sold it at some point but it has functioned so well and is so ridiculously accurate that I can't bring myself to get rid of it. I find that it carries very much like a commander sized 1911.

I have however noticed a production change on newer ones I've seen. They seem to have started installing what appear to me to be lesser quality sights at some point. I don't really know what the deal with that is.

About the dry fire damage though, I think the whole thing is relatively silly. It explains right in the manual simply to not dry fire without a magazine inserted. How hard is that ? No damage has ever happened from dry firing WITH a magazine inserted. Frankly, anyone who can't comply with that one simple rule to protect their gun is.. well, an idiot. Right ?

No one can afford enough ammo to get really good without dryfiring. Dummy rounds etc. are a waste of money. I've dry fired almost every gun I've owned for over 40 years. Some individual guns at least 100,000 times, with absolutely zero issues.

There are some rare guns that cannot be dry fired. The P345 is problemtic in that it only takes a handful of dry fires to make the gun inoperable. Every other gun with a mag disconnect must have the mag in the gun or the hammer won't fall. The 345 will let the hammer fall without the mag and depends on a firing pin block without the mag. A poor design that Ruger didn't even know about until guns started coming back for repair. The original owners manual did not address the problem, but newer versions did.