Ruger P95

[Good Ol' Boy]

So my very next purchase was supposed to be a 1911, which I do not have an example of yet, and it still may be. However a DA/SA is also on my list to add to the stable. Initially my thinking was SP 2022 to fill that role at some point down the road.

But today I came across a P95 at my M&P (mom and pop) LGS. Now I have a good friend that has a P85 that I have shot and for what it is I was impressed. From my understanding the only difference between the 85 and 95 is alloy frame versus poly on the 95. I did handle and dry fire the 95 today and it seemed functionally fine. The trigger seemed the same as on my buddies 85.


So my questions are, are there any other major differences between th 85 and 95? Is there anything that's notorious problem wise with the 85? If I just want a DA/SA as a range gun would this fit the bill or should I hold out and get the 2022? The P85 is in "good" condition and they are asking $250.

 

[Varminterror]

The original Ruger P-Series (not counting that abomination they called the P345) pistols were fantastic. Affordable even in their day, tough as a tank, accurate beyond what their looser tolerances would imply, and reliable as anything in the market. The downside? They were big, bulky, ugly as sin, and required a rather large hand (or a shooter who favored a hand-filling grip).

I've not owned the 85 or 95, but own or have owned multiple 89's, a 90, 94, 944, and multiple 97's. The 97 is one of the smoothest recoiling 45's I've ever operated. I bought it ~14-15 for $280 out the door after tax, new in box. I used it for 3 gun for a while, burned thousands upon thousands of rounds through it. Only thing I've ever had to replace was the recoil spring, standard maintenance.

 

[C0untZer0]

Ahhh yes, the Ruger P Series

Built to handle the .50 AE but chambered in 9mm

 

[bikerdoc]

Jump on it my friend and I sent you a pm link for getting an inexpesive 1911 like mine

 

[ritepath]

You will be happy....As with most Rugers....it's function over form.

 

[[email protected]]

Have mine for around 14 years or so. I doesn't see much use now due to other toys. It's the only gun that I have that has ever malfunctioned due to it being dirty. Carbon built up under the extractor over the YEARS and I started to get a random FTE. The 100 count Winchester White Box ammo was around 8.99, and it has seen many of them. Completely my fault and a good cleaning fixed the issue. My only problem with the Ruger P series is the lack of availability of replacement parts for them. I had to go through Ruger to get a replacement recoil spring a while back. I fear that the day will come that needing a simple spring or small part will make the pistol useless. Mine is a P95DC.

 

[goldpelican]

P95 owner here. Almost no spares on the Ruger website for them anymore. Bought one of each spring they had left a while back.

I like my wife's 9E slightly better, but it's striker, and I do like seeing that hammer on an auto.

Has eaten and spat out everything ever offered to it.

 

[Good Ol' Boy]

The 97 is one of the smoothest recoiling 45's I've ever operated.

That's one of the things that stood out to me when firing my buddies 85, the SA was super smooth/clean. I handled a 2022 after handling the 95 and my thoughts were the DA was a little heavier on the 95 but the SA was way better.

One of my main concerns was that the slide rides along the poly frame with not even any metal guides. But I haven't read any reviews that have had issues with this.

 

[Good Ol' Boy]

P95 owner here. Almost no spares on the Ruger website for them anymore. Bought one of each spring they had left a while back.

I like my wife's 9E slightly better, but it's striker, and I do like seeing that hammer on an auto.

Has eaten and spat out everything ever offered to it.

Thanks for the reply.

Parts replacement is always an issue with any firearm. So are you saying there's little help from Ruger with this gun? What about other sources?

 

[Varminterror]

Thanks for the reply.

Parts replacement is always an issue with any firearm. So are you saying there's little help from Ruger with this gun? What about other sources?

Ruger doesn't have spare parts for the P Series pistols on the shopruger.com page, but they do still inventory parts for them. I forget what part exactly I broke last year when I replaced my tritium sights (12yrs, had gone dim), but Ruger had it in stock. I bought a few specific parts on the same order (or rather Ruger sent them to me for free). But like I said, other than breaking that pin (wanna say the firing pin stop), I haven't had any natural breakages with my tried-and-true P97.

 

[MedWheeler]

My first issued autoloader was the P-85, back around 1990. Though I didn't shoot it as well as the S&W M67 .38 I had been carrying (trained heavily on that, but not at all on the auto), I still noted how reliable it was, no matter how dirty or at what angle it was fired. It wasn't hard at all to qualify with it for duty.

A few years back, right before they were discontinued, I picked up a used P-95 in like-new condition, though minus the box. I wasn't able to see any evidence of it having ever been fired. The only differences beyond the frame construction is a shorter barrel (3.9 inches vs 4.5) and an accessory rail.

It shoots as easily and as reliably as I remember that older one doing. I even shoot it better myself, having gotten a lot more experience with autoloaders since then.

 

[BSA1]

***Warning*** My memory is a little hazy on the P-95.

In the 1990's my former Department went through three generations of the P-Series. The last one we were issued was the P-95.

The P-95 does not have steel rails in the frame for the slide. The frame rails are the same polymer material as the rest of the frame.

The P-95 has a captive recoil spring and guide rod assembly. It is a complicated assembly with two interwoven springs. From what I have read on line Ruger does not stock this part and no one makes a replacement.

Overall my Department was not satisfied with the P-95. I could not shoot it as well as the earlier generations with the alloy steel frame. The biggest advantage of owning the older alloy metal and steel models is the easy and cheap availability of parts and especially springs.

Personally I would pass on the P-95 and P-97.

 

[Omaha-BeenGlockin]

You would be hard pressed to find a better gun at any price.

I have 3 P95's---2 are still NIB unfired------I don't worry about spare parts---I have spare guns.

 

[Good Ol' Boy]

Well I went back to look at it again today and after negotiating the price it left with me. Ended up just over $200 out the door.

It looks as if it was definitely carried a lot, IDK if this was issued to an LE or what but it's been used for sure. Overall I'd call it "fairly good" condition aesthetically, but it functions very well. Took it straight to the range as my wife and I were going anyway, and put a box of 50 through it to check function. No issue except the slide wouldn't lock back on last round. When I got home and broke it down I found out why. This thing was disgusting on the inside. I don't know when the last time this thing was cleaned but it looked like it had done a few tours in the sandbox or something. I'm really surprised it even functioned at all. Gave it a very thorough and much needed cleaning and presto, slide locks back every time now.

I have pretty limited experience with DA anything, and the few guns I have shot that were DA were wheel guns. The DA on this gun is HEAVY. The SA is a pleasure to shoot. This will be a range toy so I'm not too worried about mastering the combo of trigger pulls, although it will be fun to practice.


The gun...









DA at 25ft





SA at 25ft









Overall I'm happy with the gun for what I got it for. And for now at least, I can check off adding a DA/SA to the collection.

 

[Fiv3r]

About 5 years ago, my buddy wanted a better gun for range use after I sold him an old Norinco 9mm Tok to get his feet wet.

We hit up a gun show and he stumbled on a new in box P95 with 5 10 round mags for about $300.

It's never missed a lick. It does bedside duty at his house. I know parts may he hard to come by, but he shoots so little it may take him 4 or 5 decades to wear anything out.

I like da/sa pistols. I think the P95 is a tank of a gun that will most likely outlast their owner with even above moderate use.

 

[Pablito1]

I have had a P95 since the mid 1990s and it's never failed. In my opinion you did well.

Regards

 

[RecoilRob]

Back when they first brought out the 95...Ruger did extensive durability testing on the frames and pretty much declared them to be indestructable. IIRC they fired 20,000 rounds and measured no wear on the rails so they gave up.
Someone mentioned the 345 in a disparaging way...and I agree that as delivered they were problematic, mostly due to the magazine disconnect safeties. Remove the mag safety and they work just like all the earlier guns and I like it just fine.