Have we all forgotten the ruger P345?

To me the P345 was slim and trim, especially compared to the other P Series semi-auto's. I think it's a great looking gun.

I probably would have bought one had a NEW gun been available in my area but, it wasn't. The stories of "click no bang" kept me from taking a chance on a used one.

GasGuzzler said:

I have an S&W 4516 and a 1911 so I'm not paying $500 for a P345.

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The 4500 series Smith's are awesome guns. But got to say my favorites are the Ruger 345 and Ruger SR45 and they have been very reliable for me. Not to mention lighter.

I own a P345 myself. Very first handgun I ever bought when I turned 21. It's always went bang every time the trigger was squeezed and we shot 1000's of rounds through it. My son and I took it to the range about a month ago and burnt up about 75 rounds he said he really likes shooting it.

My P345 is the 1st 45 acp i bought.

Went to a LGS yesterday looking for an octagon barrel Pietta. The salesman was almost as old as me and he was interesting to talk to. He showed me some Winchesters he had for sale, both a near-new pre-1964 and then a shooter from the 40's and 50's. If I hadn't been paying down a credit card I might have ended up buying one or the other Winchesters. In the end I bought some snap cap for my KP345PR. I got it out of the safe when I got home and practiced dry fire with it. I resolved to take it out to the desert next week and shoot it as I have not been out with it for awhile. Still a great gun and still looks brand new.

I always hoped to find one "in the wild". I did not ever find one to handle.

I also always thought that I would like to have one. But, alas it never happened.

I despise slide mounted safeties. They belong on the frame like JMB intended!!!

Well … JMB's been dead 97 years.
Most of his inventions were revolutionary game changers then.
Not now.
Times change.

I wish I had bought one while they were in production.

Always liked the P345. Almost bought one a couple of times, but for one reason or another never did. They had a number of them with "blued" slides that were very much a "plum" color and I really should have grabbed the one I could have back then.

the P345 was my first gun. I fired a couple thousand rounds through it. My first reloads were for that gun. After I bought a 1911, I decided to trade it away for a mid-fifties Ruger Standard. It was a nice gun. I would own one again for a good price. I saw one yesterday at the gun show for $550. I paused and kept walking.

$550? Yikes.
The typical GunBroker price is in the $350 range!
Heck, somebody listed one recently at $400 with no reserve and never got a bid.

Polymer frame for a 45? No thanks for me.

I wasn't aware that these had become difficult to get. I remember seeing new ones on the shelf in the gun stores about 20 years ago and almost bought one several times but never did.

KIR, I couldn't agree with you more!

A few years ago I went in to rent a U-Haul truck and left with a P-345!!

Like Forrest Gump said: You never know what you're gonna get!

I don't have ALL of the P series, but I have a lot of them...

I am still a fan of the P series and have several still. IMO the P95 is hard to beat and one of my favorite semi autos.

welder said:

I am still a fan of the P series and have several still. IMO the P95 is hard to beat and one of my favorite semi autos.

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My favorite has always been the P90 in stainless...I have two. I am also pretty fond of my P944 although I'm not that big a fan of the .40. I'd rather have the 9mm version but I took what I could find.

I'll take the P93 first. The feel in the hand, slimmer than the predecessors, wonderful heft, not plastic, the balance, 9mm, love them.

TomD

I have a safety version of the P90, the gun makes me look like a far better shooter than I am. As accurate of a .45 auto as I have ever owned, soft shooter and tames the recoil easily. The P345 fits my hand better but I shoot the 90 better, not sure why?
I have a P94 also but just never spent a lot of range time with it, nothing lacking just usually grab the P95.