Ruger P-97 owners... Opinions please.

Status
Not open for further replies.

goon

Member
Joined
Jan 20, 2003
Messages
7,368
I have considered looking up a used P-97 just to have a .45ACP around again. I love the cartridge and although I love the 1911, I have never had one that worked right.
How does the P-97 stack up to your average (same price range) 1911. What about with the SIG P-220?
This is sort of more research at this point than actually planning to buy one, but I am still curious about them. (I can't afford to buy one now - Just bought a Glock and am planning to get another AK soon.)
Anything you can tell me would be helpful.
Thanks.
 
A P97 was my first semi and does everything I need it to do. It's strong, accurate, and has never failed to go boom and cycle as requested. I have not always heard the same about 1911s in the same price range. (Not that I'm aware of any good one in that price range)

Ruger has replaced them with the P345 so they won't be getting easier to find as the supply dries up. I imagine its fairly dry now.
 
Bought one a few years ago which had feeding problems from day one until the day the factory agreed to take it back, destroy it, and send me a replacement (which I promptly unloaded, NIB). Expended a year of effort, 1200 plus rounds, and a lot of documentation to no avail. I actually liked the gun and if it had worked as advertised I would certainly still own it and be using it. We have had a couple of horses like that--should have been great but turned out to be completely worthless and a waste of time and money.

OTOH I have an SA stainless Mil-Spec that is one good gun, and my daughter bought another for herself.

Have been shooting 1911s since 1959 so I know something about them.

Have Ruger stock (and the armorer's course from them) so I have no reason to bash the P97--other than the fact that that was my experience. Rave articles in the gun magazines nonwithstanding.

Good luck.
 
Not a P97, mine's the P90, but I had two 1911s that were cranky with any, but hardball ammo. My P90 will feed ANYthing. I've even had an empty case in the mag to test it and it fed the empty case! It's a modern design, straighter shot into the chamber from the mag, far less problematic than a 1911. I'll never ever go back, can tell ya that! Besides, I prefer DA guns.
 
I have a P95 9mm. The P97 and P97 are the same gun, the only difference is caliber. I dont particularly like my P95, its quite inaccurate compared to my Springfield 1911.

For the price of a P97, you could get a new Rock Island 1911... that would be my recommendation.
 
For the price of a P97, you could get a new Rock Island 1911... that would be my recommendation.

NOT MINE! I'll never own a cheap POS 1911 again and I can't afford an expensive one. I don't know, the RIA might be fine, but I've been there and done that with cheap 1911s. Actually, my AMT wasn't that cheap. The P97 is a different animal than the P95. I had a P95, would shoot 2.5" groups at 25 yards, plenty acceptable. The P97, by all accounts, is similar to my P90 in accuracy. The P90 is target accurate, near 1" at 25 yards accurate for five shot groups. The P97, like the P90, is a single stack mag. The mag holds 8 rounds. The P95 is a double stack 9mm.

I have a P85 and it's about the same accuracy as my P95 was. I don't think 2.5" at 25 yards is inaccurate for the purpose of self defense. It ain't a bullseye gun. If that's what you want, buy a Smith and Wesson M52.
 

Attachments

  • PICT00371.JPG
    PICT00371.JPG
    74.3 KB · Views: 2,926
I had the problem of the slide stop backing out at about the 300 rd mark. A call to Ruger and they sent a new camblock and slide stop. The original stop was very loose and replacing that alone probably would have solved the problem. Result is now 100% reliability with any and all factory loads. I wouldn't trade the P97 for any of the more popular higher dollar guns for concealed carry. It's fairly light, hits where I point it and conceals very well.
Picture257.gif
 
I'd heard fantastic things about the p90, and I wanted to pick one up, but everyone I saw was too much money. Maybe two years ago I picked up a p97 instead, for $250. Don't get me wrong, it's a good pistol, but it just didn't live up to the hype I'd heard about the p90. It was extremely reliable, reasonably (but not spectacularly) accurate. Sort of ho, hum. I do realize that the pistol ended up on the used rack for a reason.

Then, earlier this year I stumbled across a p90 for a price I couldn't refuse. It is LOVE. This pistol, although it has some cosmetic "character" is almost as accurate as my bullseye pistols. I didn't bench rest it, but I could hit a 2 foot by 2 foot steel plate at 100 yards 4 or 5 times out of seven with it, off hand. It shoots FANTASTIC.

Now, I've taken a look at my p97 again with a fresh perspective, and I've come to appreciate it more. I have larger hands, so I have difficulty gripping it consistently, since the grip is smaller than the p90. However, when I put some effort into it, it shoots well. I'm keeping it. It would make an excellent truck gun or defensive piece.

So, if you can locate a p90, BUY IT. If not, the p97 should hold you over. p97s are usually $100 cheaper used, so for the money they can't be beat.

-John
 
I got a new P97DC from CDNN a few years ago. It's the least expensive .45 I own and I shoot it better than any of the 1911's I owned over the past 30 years. Which is to say that I can hit pie plates at 25 feet. It's just a comfortable gun to shoot.
 
My P97DC is my carry piece. It's light, tough, reliable as the sun and accurate enough for an inexpensive defensive pistol. It feeds empty cases without a hitch and shoots everything pretty much the same from 185-grain target loads to El Cheapo 230-grain ball. Sure, it would be nice to put a match-grade barrel and firing set in it but then it wouldn't cost me $295. :evil:

Hard to beat this pistol for the price...
Mark(psycho)Phipps( HAHAHA! )
 
gudel said:
People were complaining about extraction in the new P345 in rugerforum.com.
Complaining about what? Getting hit in the face?
Because sometimes mine hits me in the face.

I really like my P345. Not a perfect gun, but I consider it a very good carry option.
 
Love my P97DC. It goes with me to the range most times. It has been totally reliable and I don't worry about it, afterall it is only a 300.00 gun. I am now looking for the P90.

Jazzman
 
In a nutshell:

-- Solid handgun...
-- Usually very reliable...
-- Bulky in a strange way (flat grips)...
-- IMO, horrible controls on receiver and NOT on frame, especially those with safety and decocker...
-- DA/SA, not a good design, IMO -- either DAO or SA better...


Dead
 
Status
Not open for further replies.
Back
Top