.455_Hunter
Member
A blued second model P95DC is on my aquire list. Perfect companion to my original PC9.
What about the Ruger P85?.....
- Thread starter jmars
- Start date
- Status
I still have the plastic factory grips for my old P94. I like the way they look just fine & I actually like the way they feel in my hand better than the Hogue finger groove grips. The problem is I shoot the pistol better with the Hogue grips. So the Hogue grips stay on it.
lee n. field
Member
- Joined
- Dec 29, 2002
- Messages
- 4,321
I don't care for either of those.
Mine has a set of Uncle Mike's rubber grips. Fully checkered. Hogue sells (lists anyway) a wood grip that looks just like it.
As usual, those Uncle Mike's grips have gotten hard to find.
Mark_Mark
Member
- Joined
- Jan 9, 2021
- Messages
- 18,076
You can’t go wrong with Uncle Mike’s
Tallball
Member
- Joined
- Oct 2, 2014
- Messages
- 7,818
This is my P94 in 40 caliber. it's the nicest of my three P series. Apparently the previous owner barely shot it.
My dream car was always a classic Mustang. I wrecked the 66, but I still drive the 67 sometimes.
View media item 1727
My dream car was always a classic Mustang. I wrecked the 66, but I still drive the 67 sometimes.
View media item 1727
This is my P94 in 40 caliber. it's the nicest of my three P series. Apparently the previous owner barely shot it.
My dream car was always a classic Mustang. I wrecked the 66, but I still drive the 67 sometimes.
View media item 1727
The p94 and 93 look great in black like yours. Most of my P-Series pistols are stainless. All blacked out ones like yours are sweet !
Tallball
Member
- Joined
- Oct 2, 2014
- Messages
- 7,818
I've owned a few!
Ruger p89- believe it or not, totally fubar in the very easy take down process. Gun Smith couldn't fix, Ruger itself couldn't fix. Comped me on a new sr1911
Ruger p94- loved the looks. Looked like a block stainless goldeneye 64 pistol. Not terribly accurate in my hands. Friend shot well, must be me.
Ruger p95- I've owned several of these. Never should've sold my last one. Stainless slide and safety. No discernible difference in accuracy against a sig 9mm. Sold it since I had the sig but I miss it and would grab another if a deal presented itself.
Take-down was odd. Reach in the ejection port and flip that switch.
Security 9 I hear good things about.
I feel some nostalgia for these relics of a bygone age.
Ruger p89- believe it or not, totally fubar in the very easy take down process. Gun Smith couldn't fix, Ruger itself couldn't fix. Comped me on a new sr1911
Ruger p94- loved the looks. Looked like a block stainless goldeneye 64 pistol. Not terribly accurate in my hands. Friend shot well, must be me.
Ruger p95- I've owned several of these. Never should've sold my last one. Stainless slide and safety. No discernible difference in accuracy against a sig 9mm. Sold it since I had the sig but I miss it and would grab another if a deal presented itself.
Take-down was odd. Reach in the ejection port and flip that switch.
Security 9 I hear good things about.
I feel some nostalgia for these relics of a bygone age.
What do you mean when you said "comped me on a new sr1911" ?
WOW ! Replacing a $300 pistol with one twice it's price ! If that is true then it's a great deal !
Can you please describe how it broke or what parts broke ?I have several P-Series and am a big P-Series nerd. I am very interested.
bdickens
Member
I'd like to know too.
I think the Combat Engineers would have a hard time breaking one.
I think the Combat Engineers would have a hard time breaking one.
borrowedtime69
Member
I had mine for several years, gone now. That pistol was a great value for the money. It was accurate enough and I never had a jam. They would have been the military choice back in the 80s if that general or whatever hadn't had a personal interest in berretta and went with those.
I sold mine years ago to buy another gun.... can't remember which one but I wish I still had that P85. I also had 4 promags, a 15, 2 20 rounders and 2 30 rounders and they worked great.
If you get a chance buy it. Good luck
I sold mine years ago to buy another gun.... can't remember which one but I wish I still had that P85. I also had 4 promags, a 15, 2 20 rounders and 2 30 rounders and they worked great.
If you get a chance buy it. Good luck
ozarkhillbilly
Member
My dad bought two when they first came out, one for him and one for me (I was 15). He also in the same time period purchased a Beretta 92F and we had a S&W 39. While the P85 was a ok gun it did not compare to either the 92 or the S&W 39. Unfortunately we did not keep them.
Otto
Member
- Joined
- May 14, 2007
- Messages
- 2,357
It had better be sweet, or I got cheated out of $225!
$225? Prices on the P85's have skyrocketed since then. https://www.gunbroker.com/item/918915998
View attachment 1057164 View attachment 1057165 I got this single-sided decocker P89 last year in a gun shop for $199 . What a beauty
Lots of experience with the Ruger P series guns. They are great if you can accept
Lousy Trigger. Both single action and double are terrible.... double isnt really a big deal but the single action trigger on these are like a horrible striker.
Lots of bulk both in Girth and overall size. They are large and fat. "Built like Tanks" is kind of true. Lots of it is unnecessary IMO but Ruger did its thing back then. You can still have exceptional durability without going hog wild and making every single part oversized. Ruger made these with low production costs in mind though with as little machining as possible (not even slide serrations except DAO and some later models) so they are what they are.
MOST IMPORTANT.... Substandard Accuracy. My Hi-points will outshoot my P series all day long as will my Sigmas, Taurus etc.. Almost any modern lower end budget guns will smoke a P series in accuracy be it the P85 (especially those), P89/91/93/94/95 etc. Anyone who says different is in my opinion Liar or simply such a bad shot that they cannot tell the difference between an accurate gun and an inaccurate gun.
The one exception in accuracy is the P90 which is accurate. The pistol is ridiculously large and fat for a 7rd 45acp but it is accurate. Achilles heel on those is the magazine catch spring which does break and replacements are difficult to source.
Parts availability you are looking at buying used parts from demilled pistols 99% of the time which kind of sucks. Most of the time you can find them but you may have to buy an entire used parts kit to get one little spring.
Biggest hang up for me is the accuracy. Supposedly the elusive late model serial numbered P89 are as accurate as Beretta or Sig but in my experience (been through three of them) its false as they have been no more accurate than any of the earlier p85/89 guns. Seems to be another one of those cooked up internet myths like the P90 was designed for 10mm (which is 100% false). They wont handle 45 super loads for very long either.... thats another internet myth. They are durable and reliable outside a few quirks in specific models but some of the hype out there is fantasy land stuff. They look neat...shoot soft...are overbuilt (major components) but most honest P series fans will admit that they get kind of boring when shooting due to the substandard accuracy issues. Erratic pattern groupings get kind of old after a while and most folks tend to trade them in or dump them.
Some of mine have long discontinued aftermarket Match barrels which help a little but even with those .... a Budget Taurus 92, Sigma etc. will outperform them. Accuracy just isnt in the design outside the big and fat 7rd P90 45acp.
I dont have a problem recommending them to new shooters but a seasoned shooter who is accurate is going to be disappointed and get bored with them real quick. Lots of great affordable and accurate pistols out there these days with durability, less bulk, parts availability etc. that people will be happier with. Even a decent budget or mid range 1911 is going to be a better bet for the majority of people.
Not trying to Bash the P series... I am a fan and have more than a few of them...But they are what they are and I am honest about it. For me the accuracy issues are the biggest downfall. I can deal with the triggers, bulk, parts etc. I still shoot them for a soft blaster but low accuracy is boring as hell when shooting at targets. Semi auto pistols with shotgun size patterns gets kind of silly when you are trying to be consistently accurate.
Lousy Trigger. Both single action and double are terrible.... double isnt really a big deal but the single action trigger on these are like a horrible striker.
Lots of bulk both in Girth and overall size. They are large and fat. "Built like Tanks" is kind of true. Lots of it is unnecessary IMO but Ruger did its thing back then. You can still have exceptional durability without going hog wild and making every single part oversized. Ruger made these with low production costs in mind though with as little machining as possible (not even slide serrations except DAO and some later models) so they are what they are.
MOST IMPORTANT.... Substandard Accuracy. My Hi-points will outshoot my P series all day long as will my Sigmas, Taurus etc.. Almost any modern lower end budget guns will smoke a P series in accuracy be it the P85 (especially those), P89/91/93/94/95 etc. Anyone who says different is in my opinion Liar or simply such a bad shot that they cannot tell the difference between an accurate gun and an inaccurate gun.
The one exception in accuracy is the P90 which is accurate. The pistol is ridiculously large and fat for a 7rd 45acp but it is accurate. Achilles heel on those is the magazine catch spring which does break and replacements are difficult to source.
Parts availability you are looking at buying used parts from demilled pistols 99% of the time which kind of sucks. Most of the time you can find them but you may have to buy an entire used parts kit to get one little spring.
Biggest hang up for me is the accuracy. Supposedly the elusive late model serial numbered P89 are as accurate as Beretta or Sig but in my experience (been through three of them) its false as they have been no more accurate than any of the earlier p85/89 guns. Seems to be another one of those cooked up internet myths like the P90 was designed for 10mm (which is 100% false). They wont handle 45 super loads for very long either.... thats another internet myth. They are durable and reliable outside a few quirks in specific models but some of the hype out there is fantasy land stuff. They look neat...shoot soft...are overbuilt (major components) but most honest P series fans will admit that they get kind of boring when shooting due to the substandard accuracy issues. Erratic pattern groupings get kind of old after a while and most folks tend to trade them in or dump them.
Some of mine have long discontinued aftermarket Match barrels which help a little but even with those .... a Budget Taurus 92, Sigma etc. will outperform them. Accuracy just isnt in the design outside the big and fat 7rd P90 45acp.
I dont have a problem recommending them to new shooters but a seasoned shooter who is accurate is going to be disappointed and get bored with them real quick. Lots of great affordable and accurate pistols out there these days with durability, less bulk, parts availability etc. that people will be happier with. Even a decent budget or mid range 1911 is going to be a better bet for the majority of people.
Not trying to Bash the P series... I am a fan and have more than a few of them...But they are what they are and I am honest about it. For me the accuracy issues are the biggest downfall. I can deal with the triggers, bulk, parts etc. I still shoot them for a soft blaster but low accuracy is boring as hell when shooting at targets. Semi auto pistols with shotgun size patterns gets kind of silly when you are trying to be consistently accurate.
Last edited:
JR24
Member
I had a P89 and it was heavy, blocky, and not a great trigger.
I loved it. Still miss it sometimes, more than many “better” pistols I’ve moved on from over the years
I loved it. Still miss it sometimes, more than many “better” pistols I’ve moved on from over the years
The P85 was the first Ruger P-series pistol, released in 1987. The last variant of the P-series, the P345, was discontinued in 2013. The longest produced was the P89, which was made for 20 years until it was discontinued in 2009- a pretty good run.
bdickens
Member
I guess I'm a liar....
That or Maybe your pistol is just a fluke. I have shot and owned lots and lots and lots of the P series though so I speak from experience. Match barrels...Compensators....caliber conversions etc. If its P series related I have probably done it or tried it.
bdickens
Member
I think the inaccurate Ruger P series trope is overstated. People make out like they pattern instead of group.
No, tack drivers they aren't; you're probably not going to win any Olympic bullseye medals with one but they are accurate enough for their intended purpose.
No, tack drivers they aren't; you're probably not going to win any Olympic bullseye medals with one but they are accurate enough for their intended purpose.
I wouldnt say its overstated. They are "combat accurate" (which isnt all that great). I would say they are on par with my well worn Norinco 213 9mm tokarevs. Pretty comfortable in saying they are the least accurate of all the duty size well known wonernines/forties of the era which was kind of strange considering that Ruger is such a large manufacturer. They are what they are. Ayoob was a big proponent of the P90 which I think (my memory may be off) he worked with Ruger to bring up the accuracy of the gun when developed. Something about improving the barrels. Some P series guns shoot a little better than others but the notion of accuracy being hit or miss is very true. My most accurate is an early P85 ( never converted to Mk2) that I worked over but I have other P85s that are pretty lousy. P89 -P95 are all about the same. P90 is pretty decent outside the mag catch spring issue (have had two snap).
When looking at buying a P series its always good to check the barrel lock up. There is a lot of surface area but they are typically very loose. Durability of the lock is fantastic but the looseness kind of kills repeatable accuracy. They typically have a lot of wiggle room both in the back (left to right) and in the front (in all directions). P90s are a bit tighter (generally) but I have run into some loose ones on those as well.
Plus side they are extremely durable with hot loads.... probably the most durable of the era outside maybe the USP. They are not picky on magazines as even most lesser aftermarket mags run reliable. One of the softest shooting pistols in any caliber 14ounce slide, Heavy Hammer spring, Light recoil spring etc. all help contribute to this despite the high bore placement. Very much a ca-chunk feel similar to a hipoint when shooting. While kind of looking like a pig the bulk is largely above the hand as the grips width is pretty thin unlike something like a Beretta. The aluminum frame is well constructed having increased bulk in the areas that matter. Its very rare to see a cracked frame or slide on a P series pistol. I cracked a frame once but I believe it was a manufacturing defect/fluke. Never cracked a slide. Lots of wiggle room to play with different spring weights without damaging the pistol or risking reliability. They typically feed and fire everything from soft loads to Inferno Level stuff without problem. Feeding is always great... extraction is always great. Conversion friendly for the most in 7.65 Luger, 9mm, 40s&W, 357 Sig, 400corbon, and 45acp (never did the 356TSW). Decockers hold up (after MK2) and the Fire control components also hold up.
So they have a lot going for them if you can accept the accuracy issues and be comfortable with the bulky pig like top end. If someone likes accurate, streamlined pistols with lower bores then they are not going to be a real great option and should probably be avoided.
Last edited:
SwampWolf
Member
There is no "that"; no need to even insinuate another man's personal experience is predicated on a lie.
- Status
