Ruger 345 or 90?

[vito]

I had a Ruger P97D that I wish I still had. I'm thinking of getting either a Ruger 345 or the 90. They seem very similar, other than the five ounces less that the 345 offers, or the 1/4 longer barrel in the 90. I'd welcome thoughts on the advantages or disadvantages of either of these two guns.

 

[CarbineKid]

Go check out rugerforum.com. It looks like the P345 is plaqued with issues. The P-90 on the other hand is said to be one of the best 45s out there. I owneda P-345, it was nice, but I didnt shoot it. I sold it to a friend who actually shot it, and had nothing but problems. Some friend I am huh

 

[cavman]

http://www.thehighroad.org/attachment.php?attachmentid=36455&d=1141325350

I bought one as my first pistol last year, and I have had no problems ever.

As you can see, one of my first day's targets with my first pistol was adequate.

I have no experience with the p90 but my experience with the p345 has been enjoyable.


have a great day
cavman

 

[weregunner]

If you had the P97 why not get a 345 due to grip circumference? P90s are fine guns, but are slightly bigger in areas that may make CCW carry slightly harder than with a 345. If you have large hands then the P90 is the way to go. The Ruger forum, www.rugerforum.com does not show horrible malfunctions and there are many satisfied customers. Not all are satisfied. And yes there have been stories. Some legit and others with an agenda or who are trolls. Gunners Digest Books have many authors (Massad Ayoob for one) who are not beholding to the gun companies and have done reviews. This includes the pitfalls as well. Check with the crowd at gun ranges, competition,and stores to get an idea if there is a decent success rate or failure. We in the internet can only give you a case by case basis and many do not give detailed info to go on to form an informed opinion. Then there are those who have had bad experiences. Fine,they get a say. Trying to tell a legit complaint form a bogus can be hard at times. Are the complaintants giving detailed info and is it legit? Tirades and heaped abuse on a product serve no purpose. Well thought out criticism either good or bad is what is needed. Hard facts. Those can be hard to get at times. There are a pack of surly breed who's only goal in life is to make others miserable or spread misery. They are an unhappy lot. These show up at all the forums and weave a trail of lies and deception,some believeable,and then leave or hang around and denigrate just about every product at the forum site. So looking outside the forums can help make the choice. Ask detailed questions why someone liked the gun and uses it. People here can be helpful. Also, what fits us might not fit you. I have the P97DC and P95DCs. Wouldn't want to part with them as they have all given good service and are still going strong. Yes there have been minor problems with a magazine release spring, but the company took care of it for me and no other malfunctions have arisen. Try them both and make your pick. There are people who swear by the P90 also. Good luck and keep us posted.

 

[TimboKhan]

I say P90. I love mine, although it is getting supplanted by another .45 (gasp!). I have heard good and bad about the 345. The people that like it really, really seem to like it, the people that don't, well... Personally, I am a HUGE Ruger fan, and I don't care for the 345. When they first came out, I ran down to the store to look at one, and I wasn't impressed then and I am not impressed now. Keep in mind that this is just my opinion, but A: I thought they felt cheap. B: I thought the fit was icky. C: I didn't care for the layout. What I did like is that it is a fairly slim gun, and it was a handy size. The P90 is a big gun, but it is concealable (Weregunner got it right when he said it is harder to conceal. Harder does not mean "impossible"), and it is very, very rugged. I briefly contemplated selling mine after I got my new .45, and I just realized that I would really miss having it around. My new gun is neat and flashy and all of that, but my P90 has a ton of rounds through it, and I know I can depend on it. I figure that earns it the right to stay in my collection.

 

[weregunner]

TimboKahn hit the nail on the head. Wasn't implying the P90 was unhideable. Just a wee bit harder to hide. Very good holster designs for the P90 exist including several tuckaway holsters.

 

[2ndamd]

The 345 has a magazine disconnect and a key lock. It has been 50/50 good/bad from the people I know.

The P90 is a superb gun. Accurate, reliable and durable. I use to own one until my dad went shooting with me one day. He bought it post haste when the P90 ($400) out shot his Ed Brown ($2500). No kidding! The Ruger P90 did not out shoot it by much but, my dad was surprised that a $400 P90 could hang tough with a premier 1911 custom gun. He still has that P90 after 12 years now (He sold the Ed Brown). Still shoots like a champ and is reliable as ever. The P90 is just a great gun.

But if you are looking to CC the thing.....beware. It is a full size service pistol and NOT a compact.

 

[Handgun Midas]

By some miracle my P345 did not catch fire when I opened the case.
It shoots well. It prefers to be clean, but it shoots well.
It's my carry piece.

 

[lee n. field]

In you miss your P97, well, they havn't been gone that long. It shouldn't be too hard to find one.

 

[bender]

I just bought a P345, and on my 2nd trip to the range, it stopped working. No bang.

The firing pin is not hitting the primers, so something is not right.

I'm taking it back to the shop tomorrow, and then it will probably be returned to Ruger for fixing.

It looks nice, feels nice, but I wouldn't want to depend on it for anything important. Like my life.

 

[Anna's Dad]

345

I have a 345--one of the early ones, I believe. Its been fantastic. Extremely reliable (one jam and it was on the very fist mag I put through it), feeds any ammo I throw at it. Recoil isn't much more than my XD-9. I even like the way it looks. I've been very impressed and recommend it highly.

 

[jAK-47]

Just shot my P-345 today and it is hands down, one of the nicest .45s I've ever shot. Ate everything and made 1 gallon plastic bottles dance at 25 yards. My very first mag put 7 holes touching each other (at 7 yards) and one flier three inches away that was operator error.

I've shot the G21, G30, G36, CZ, Kimbers, Colts, SA 1911s etc. and so far, I'm very impressed with this gun. The recoil was VERY manageable too. It is still a little heavy for CCW but first of all it's going to be my car/range gun and secondly with the right holster you could carry it. Boy, I like the hole a .45 makes

jAK-47

 

[Rob96]

just bought a P345, and on my 2nd trip to the range, it stopped working. No bang.

The firing pin is not hitting the primers, so something is not right.

I'm taking it back to the shop tomorrow, and then it will probably be returned to Ruger for fixing.

It looks nice, feels nice, but I wouldn't want to depend on it for anything important. Like my life

Did you dry fire without the magazine being in place?

 

[DRMMR02]

Go check out rugerforum.com. It looks like the P345 is plagued with issues.

Keep in mind, there are far more topics started about anything that begin negatively. People don't really come online and make a new thread just to say "Nothing's wrong. Everything is fine". For all the people making threads about problems, there are a lot more who didn't have to come online talking about problems because they aren't having any.