Hi Folks,
So I finally got a chance to try out my new P95 at the range today on a slightly chilly/rainy Saturday in Illinois. I went through 150 rounds using Winchester white box FMJ's. I'm pleased to report that there were zero malfunctions. NO FTF, FTE, etc. The Ruger was happy to consume the ammo. I bought a couple targets and varied my distance from 21 feet out to 75 feet (max distance for this indoor range). I would have pictures of my targets, but I ended up folding them up and putting them on the clip (essentially exposing a blank white canvas) so I could have another target to shoot at. I'm pretty new to the gun world. My first time shooting was 2004 in the Tucson desert where I had an opportunity to try a variety of pistols but had no training and no good targets to check. Since then, I've been to the range 3 other times, renting 9mm or .40's. I've done a lot more .22 LR shooting in comparison. Anyway, being a Chicago resident, I was required with the new ordinance to take a gun safety course that involved 4 hours of classroom time with an hour at the range. I was able to pick up some hints from our tack driving instructor, especially with both him and I being left handed shooters.
So what is the verdict? This gun is highly accurate in my opinion. Any poor shots delivered were user error...either jerking the trigger or anticipating the recoil. The single action mode on the firearm is fantastic and requires VERY little pull to fire off the round. At 25 yards, I was able to put 10 out of 10 on a 5x5 inch piece of paper. I showed one of the employees who was practicing and he commented that it was pretty darn good. The trick is really just calming down, steady on your target, draw the trigger slowly and steady, and don't anticipate the recoil...let it burst in your hand and do its thing. Overall, I am extremely pleased with the function, accuracy, and feel while shooting (even for a guy with smaller hands).
One thing I will mention is that when I rack the slide after putting a new magazine in, the hammer on my weapon is cocked in single action mode. I was under the impression that the chambering the first round on a new mag would keep the gun in DA mode for the first shot. That was not the case. I've also noticed in practicing the mechanics of the gun at home that if I gently rack the slide while the safety is on w/ or without mag that the hammer will stay cocked. If I rack it hard, the trigger will go back to its idle DA position. Whether or not the pistol is supposed to do that is up in the air, but it really doesn't present an issue for me. I prefer to shoot single action, and don't mind that I don't have to manually cock my first shot.
After 150 rounds, the gun was still relatively clean. I used a bore snake from a .22 LR and passed it through the barrel a couple times when I got home cleaning it out sufficiently. Turns out that the snake is extremely tight in my .22 rifle (to the point where I think I'm going to break it yanking on it), but obviously passes through just fine in the 9mm. I'm not relying on it as a permanent cleaning solution, I just have yet to buy the appropriate bore snake for it.
All that said, if you are on the fence about getting a P95, give it a whirl. There really isn't much to be disappointed with. It is easy to use, gobbles up the ammo I've thrown at it, has a manageable recoil, and more than sufficient accuracy. At my skill level, I'd feel much better about having this 9mm for home defense than a .40 that I can't aim or handle well. I'm on the side of shot placement being king when it comes to defense, so until I can manage a larger caliber, this P95 is my buddy at the house. Now I just need to stop playing with it and let it rest for while
Thanks
So I finally got a chance to try out my new P95 at the range today on a slightly chilly/rainy Saturday in Illinois. I went through 150 rounds using Winchester white box FMJ's. I'm pleased to report that there were zero malfunctions. NO FTF, FTE, etc. The Ruger was happy to consume the ammo. I bought a couple targets and varied my distance from 21 feet out to 75 feet (max distance for this indoor range). I would have pictures of my targets, but I ended up folding them up and putting them on the clip (essentially exposing a blank white canvas) so I could have another target to shoot at. I'm pretty new to the gun world. My first time shooting was 2004 in the Tucson desert where I had an opportunity to try a variety of pistols but had no training and no good targets to check. Since then, I've been to the range 3 other times, renting 9mm or .40's. I've done a lot more .22 LR shooting in comparison. Anyway, being a Chicago resident, I was required with the new ordinance to take a gun safety course that involved 4 hours of classroom time with an hour at the range. I was able to pick up some hints from our tack driving instructor, especially with both him and I being left handed shooters.
So what is the verdict? This gun is highly accurate in my opinion. Any poor shots delivered were user error...either jerking the trigger or anticipating the recoil. The single action mode on the firearm is fantastic and requires VERY little pull to fire off the round. At 25 yards, I was able to put 10 out of 10 on a 5x5 inch piece of paper. I showed one of the employees who was practicing and he commented that it was pretty darn good. The trick is really just calming down, steady on your target, draw the trigger slowly and steady, and don't anticipate the recoil...let it burst in your hand and do its thing. Overall, I am extremely pleased with the function, accuracy, and feel while shooting (even for a guy with smaller hands).
One thing I will mention is that when I rack the slide after putting a new magazine in, the hammer on my weapon is cocked in single action mode. I was under the impression that the chambering the first round on a new mag would keep the gun in DA mode for the first shot. That was not the case. I've also noticed in practicing the mechanics of the gun at home that if I gently rack the slide while the safety is on w/ or without mag that the hammer will stay cocked. If I rack it hard, the trigger will go back to its idle DA position. Whether or not the pistol is supposed to do that is up in the air, but it really doesn't present an issue for me. I prefer to shoot single action, and don't mind that I don't have to manually cock my first shot.
After 150 rounds, the gun was still relatively clean. I used a bore snake from a .22 LR and passed it through the barrel a couple times when I got home cleaning it out sufficiently. Turns out that the snake is extremely tight in my .22 rifle (to the point where I think I'm going to break it yanking on it), but obviously passes through just fine in the 9mm. I'm not relying on it as a permanent cleaning solution, I just have yet to buy the appropriate bore snake for it.
All that said, if you are on the fence about getting a P95, give it a whirl. There really isn't much to be disappointed with. It is easy to use, gobbles up the ammo I've thrown at it, has a manageable recoil, and more than sufficient accuracy. At my skill level, I'd feel much better about having this 9mm for home defense than a .40 that I can't aim or handle well. I'm on the side of shot placement being king when it comes to defense, so until I can manage a larger caliber, this P95 is my buddy at the house. Now I just need to stop playing with it and let it rest for while
Thanks
