Ruger 45s: P345 vs. P90

[OrangePwrx9]

Hoping to pick up a new .45 in the next few months. Already have a match grade DW 1911 that's a little too nice for the application planned. Due to the good luck I've had with Rugers, particularly a long departed P95, I'm considering the P345. However, the P90 looks good and I've seen some folks here brag them up a bit. I have a slight preference for metal frame guns, but it's not a big issue. I like the rail option on the P345, but might never hang anything on it.

Before making the jump, I thought I'd ask about advantages/disadvantages of each model here and maybe hear from some who have experience with both.

In order of importance, I'm looking for:
1) reliability
2) accuracy
3) concealability

Which would you prefer and why?

Thanks,
Bob

P.S. Sorry if this has been addressed before.

 

[kragluver]

I'll throw in a third option - P97. I have one and IMHO its a better pistol than the P345. The P345 has a nagging issue with the last round FTF if you happen to dry fire it with the mag inserted (in or out, I can't recall). The P97 is not as sexy looking as the 345 and doesn't have the rail, but its a good solid pistol. The P90 is a good gun from what I hear. Its a bigger, heavier pistol than the other two.

1. Reliability - Tie between the P97 and P90 with a second place going to the P345 due to the FTF thing on the last round (Ruger may have corrected this).
2. Accuracy - Tie I suspect. All are plenting capable of SD accuracy.
3. Concealability - P345 &P97 tie, P90 distant 3rd.

 

[bestseller92]

I think it's mainly a choice of how they fit you and which one you just happen to like best.

 

[JTQ]

However, the P97 is no longer in production while the other two are still available.

 

[Mike J]

There are still P-97's around if you dig around on the auction sites & the for sale or trade on the forums they can be found. You might even run across one at a pawn shop or gun show locally. It all depends on what you want & how much trouble you are willing to go to to get it.

 

[sheepdog]

Which Ruger .45???

...couldn't give me a P345...too much cwap about their reliability on the net...have held one and didn't like anything about it...

If I could only have one...KP90DC....most reliable .45 I've ever owned, shot, and shot some more...built like a tank....ultrasolid...own two and won't part with either...
...if I could have two...the KP97DC...has been perfectly reliable to me...I have had four...still have two...am going to buy at least one more...slightly more comfortable to carry concealed than the 90...very easy to shoot....
...not very pretty and not very much in vogue...if you want a .45 that just keeps shooting and every time...these two will make you happy....

 

[Gary A]

Haven't had a P345 for very long so can't say much with certainty.

My P345 does not have a rail and, of course, neither do my P90s. I don't want a rail so that's not an issue.

Mine seems quite accurate, is soft shooting, and so far 100% reliable. Grip feels better than the P90 and the P345 is smaller and lighter. P345 is not "small", it is about Colt Commander sized but it is thinner than the P90 particularly through the frame.

I have owned 3 P90s and still own two of them. All have been superbly reliable and quite accurate. One did need a slight tweak to the rear sight as it shot slightly left when I bought it. The P90 has about a .3 inch longer barrel and weighs several ounces more, maybe 4 or 5 ounces. It is "thicker" and the butt is not as contoured, nor as good a fit in my hand as the P345. Some people prefer putting Hogue grips on the P90 and swear by them. I like them OK but prefer the factory grip.

I like the "features", or lack of same, of the P90 better. I like the way the P90 safety works better, it completely disengages the trigger. (I also had a P90 decock-only model but those have been discontinued in both the P90 and P345.) I like the lack of a magazine-disconnect on the P90 as opposed to the P345, though that's not a deal breaker to me. I like the lack of an internal lock on the P90, though the internal lock on the P345 causes no problem if one chooses not to use it.

My gut tells me the P90 is the stronger pistol but I don't actually know that to be true. The Dow Isoplast formulation used by Ruger for its polymer frames is some incredibly tough material. Still, I gravitate toward the known quantity of the P90.

All in all, the P345 seems like a very fine pistol and I like it a lot but if I had to choose one, it would be the P90, especially since concealment is by far not my main concern with either. If it were to be a dedicated carrry gun, I might choose differently, I don't know.

BTW, since you had and liked a P95, the P97 (which I used to own) is somewhat of a P95 on steroids. I liked mine. Some folks in the beginning had problems with the slide stop working its way out but I think that issue was fixed pretty early on.

 

[9mmepiphany]

My gut tells me the P90 is the stronger pistol but I don't actually know that to be true. The Dow Isoplast formulation used by Ruger for its polymer frames is some incredibly tough material. Still, I gravitate toward the known quantity of the P90.

you don't have to trust your gut anymore, the P90 is stronger than either the P97 or P345...and it should be as it was originally designed to be chambered for the 10MM cartridge.

i too personally like the P97 better...i'm sure the P345 will get everything worked out, it really is pretty sleek...especially for a Ruger

 

[nelson133]

P90 is a tank and rock solid reliable. After the problems with the P85, Ruger put considerable effort into making the P90 accurate and it shows. If you are looking for a carry gun, it is big.
The P345 is better on the ergonomics, fits the hand better and the slide is designed to be easy to rack. I haven't had any of the reliability problems others have reported and it is about as accurate as my other Ruger 45s. It is easier to conceal, being about the size of a 1911 commander. If you don't like the lawyer designed bells and whistles, they could be an issue, that stuff doesn't bother me.
The P97 is in the middle, it is chunkier than the P345 and lighter and shorted than the P90. The accuracy in mine is on a par with the other 2.
The P345 had teething issues and I might be careful about a used one, though mine was bought used and I have been satisfied. The other 2 are widely available used and used Ruger auto prices tend to be very reasonable. I bought my stainless slide P90 for $300 and both of my P97s were about $250.