My P345 Review

[buckshotshorty]

I rarely review a new gun unless I really impressed with it, or I'm having trouble with it. In this case, the former is true.

For those who might be unfamiliar with this gun, it is a single stack 45 ACP, with polymer frame and I have the Stainless Steel slide. Mag holds 8 rounds +1 in the chute. It is quite thin @ 1.27" and weighs 30 oz. Barrel length is 4.25". It features single/double action trigger, ambidextrous safety decocker. I paid $449 out the door.

I bought my P345 about two months ago, and have since put 480 rounds through it. Initially, I fired factory hardball without a hitch. The picture below is my target using Remington 230 Gr. RNFMJ ammo, @ a distance of 33 ft. Accuracy was better than expected. When I tried some reloaded ammo, I ran across several failures to go into battery. Upon taking the gun apart, I realized that I needed to seat my bullets slightly deeper in order for them to chamber properly. Once I did this, problem solved. This gun eats evry reload I've put into it: semi-wads, hollow pts. and round nose; lead and jacketed.

I carry this gun daily in a Crossbreed Supertuck, and you could actually forget it is there. I had looked at this firearm a while ago, but nixed it because I thought it was too big to carry, and now it's my daily carry. I'm not sure if it's the way the Supertuck distributes the weight or the balance and thinness of the gun itself, but it is one of my easiest and best carries!

On the range: the ergonomics of this gun is really good. Grip is long enough to get all your fingers wrapped around. No pinching from the trigger, and the feel is good.
Double Action Is long and somewhat creepy, as expected from a gun in this price range. It does feel like it's smoothing out though.
Single Action Is pretty smooth and predictable.

Overall, I think the Ruger P-345 is one of the best guns I own. At a price of under $500 for any quality 45 ACP it is a bargain.

pb

 

[welder]

Upon taking the gun apart, I realized that I needed to seat my bullets slightly deeper in order for them to chamber properly. QUOTE


I seat to 1.260 with 230 fmj and have no problems. Just curious as to where you seat to stumble the p345. I have one too. BTW, mine has been flawless, after the first 2 or 3 mags, and then I only had about 3-4 failures to go into battery. This was before I cleaned/lubed it too.

 

[tdyoung58]

I shoot reloads in mine without a issue, flatnose 200g lead. Mine is my daily carry as well. Can't remember anything this gun has ate that it didn't sit them out and keep in running.

I believe the P345 is the most under rated .45 acp on the market

 

[Bigboreshooter]

I would take the P345 over ANY SA/DA 45 on the market today.

 

[B.Roberts]

It is a great gun. Thanks for the review. I also carry mine frequently. It is nice and thin, carries well. By the way, all three of my magazines hold 8 rounds. I didn't think ruger made the 7 rounders any longer.

 

[Kelly]

My P-345 has been my edc gun ever since I bought it 5 years ago. I have had no malfunction of any kind. FMJ, or hollow point, it cycles them all flawslessly. I carry mine IWB, and really haven't found anything else that I like well enough to replace it with. Friends of mine tell me that I ought to buy a Kimber, but, I don't like the thought of having to break in a gun with 200-300 rounds before I can "Trust" it with my life. The P-345 has worked everytime through over 2000 rounds in all kinds of weather, including a 500 round Wolf Ammo marathon. The 500 rounds of Wolf ammo was done in one afternoon without cleaning.
Kelly

 

[Yosemite Sam]

Nice review. Thanks.

-- Sam

 

[slippingaway]

Good review. I absolutely love my P345, and the Supertuck I carry it in.

 

[airwin]

After Ruger launching the 345 series I ordered one KP345D (decocker) at my dealer. After a long period of waiting I have got a KP345 (safety). I fell in love with the first view of this nice gun. The handling is perfect, it is light and slim, the polymer is of really high quality and the whole gun is worked up very high-grade. After removing the mag-disconnenct and the lock (I refuse this features), I test fired it. My KP345 hits the target much too high and so I ordered a "low" rear sight from Ruger. It was still much too high. I was still so impressed of this new Ruger gun that I have ordered a second one, a KP345D, because I wanted a decocker gun absolute. After waiting some month again I have got the 345"D". This Pistol was made not soo perfect, it was quite rusty inside of the slide. But I´m very well equipped with tools and so I finished it with glass-pearl-radiation. Now it looks as new at least. This second pistol was shooting equally as high as my first one. Because of missing a correct rear sight, I milled both sights to the correct measure and now my P345´s hits the target dead on at a distance of 15 m (17 yards). Further on, the bedding of the barrel was too tight on both of my P345´s that the slide stuck sometimes. Also this little fault I fixed myself. I´m sure that this was some of the teehting troubles of the first few thousand pistols. Since this little modifications my P345 works perfect like a swiss clock! Due to the strong buffer spring, the recoil feels as soft as with other guns with much heavier slides. Smart design!

 

[Anthony Williams]

There is something quite unique about the P-345 and that is "It's Looks!" I wish Ruger would have brought out more caliber variations for this gun in 2010. Had they done so, Ruger could simply drop everything else in the old P-series line and concentrate on building around just one damn good handgun, which the P-345 is. Congrats on yer gun Buckshotshorty. :wink:

 

[tdyoung58]

Yep, if Ruger would drop the rail and compact it like they did the 'other thing' I'd be all over it like cats on stink bait

 

[buckshotshorty]

I seat to 1.260 with 230 fmj and have no problems. Just curious as to where you seat to stumble the p345. I have one too. BTW, mine has been flawless, after the first 2 or 3 mags, and then I only had about 3-4 failures to go into battery. This was before I cleaned/lubed it too.

The bullet I had the problem with was a cast 185 gr. LSWC. This bullet has a very defined shoulder that seems to contact the inside of the chamber where the lands begin unless I seat the bullet @ 1.190" OAL. The original AOL of 1.250 just wasn't working. At that seating depth, the shoulder sticks above the case approximately 1/16".

 

[welder]

Thanks Buckshotshorty, I will remember that for future reference.

 

[slippingaway]

I seat to 1.260 with 230 fmj and have no problems. Just curious as to where you seat to stumble the p345. I have one too. BTW, mine has been flawless, after the first 2 or 3 mags, and then I only had about 3-4 failures to go into battery. This was before I cleaned/lubed it too.

The bullet I had the problem with was a cast 185 gr. LSWC. This bullet has a very defined shoulder that seems to contact the inside of the chamber where the lands begin unless I seat the bullet @ 1.190" OAL. The original AOL of 1.250 just wasn't working. At that seating depth, the shoulder sticks above the case approximately 1/16".

The only ammo issues I've heard of with the P345 seem to have been SWC designs.

After Ruger launching the 345 series I ordered one KP345D (decocker) at my dealer. After a long period of waiting I have got a KP345 (safety). I fell in love with the first view of this nice gun. The handling is perfect, it is light and slim, the polymer is of really high quality and the whole gun is worked up very high-grade. After removing the mag-disconnenct and the lock (I refuse this features), I test fired it. My KP345 hits the target much too high and so I ordered a "low" rear sight from Ruger. It was still much too high. I was still so impressed of this new Ruger gun that I have ordered a second one, a KP345D, because I wanted a decocker gun absolute. After waiting some month again I have got the 345"D". This Pistol was made not soo perfect, it was quite rusty inside of the slide. But I´m very well equipped with tools and so I finished it with glass-pearl-radiation. Now it looks as new at least. This second pistol was shooting equally as high as my first one. Because of missing a correct rear sight, I milled both sights to the correct measure and now my P345´s hits the target dead on at a distance of 15 m (17 yards). Further on, the bedding of the barrel was too tight on both of my P345´s that the slide stuck sometimes. Also this little fault I fixed myself. I´m sure that this was some of the teehting troubles of the first few thousand pistols. Since this little modifications my P345 works perfect like a swiss clock! Due to the strong buffer spring, the recoil feels as soft as with other guns with much heavier slides. Smart design!

Interesting. I haven't heard of any others having such troubles with POA/POI. I know mine shot just a little left out of the box, but I swapped the sights for some Trijicon night sights, and once I got them lined up it shoots perfect with 230gr loads, both my handload RN and Fed HST.

 

[Scorpion]

Picked up a P345 today w/ss slide. Can't wait til the weather clears so I can try it out.

 

[B.Roberts]

Interesting. I haven't heard of any others having such troubles with POA/POI. I know mine shot just a little left out of the box, but I swapped the sights for some Trijicon night sights, and once I got them lined up it shoots perfect with 230gr loads, both my handload RN and Fed HST.

Mine shot about 6" high with most ammo. I called Ruger, two days later I had a shorter rear sight in the mail box at no charge. It fixed the elevation perfectly.

 

[Snake45]

I would take the P345 over ANY SA/DA 45 on the market today.

Me too. Never shot one, but I did get to handle one briefly, and it impressed me quite a lot. Reminded me of my beloved Colt Commanders, but with DA. Looks to me to be an outstanding carry gun.

 

[buckshotshorty]

Update:
I brought the P345 to the range again today. I now have 505 flawless rounds through this fine fire arm, and I just want to say: I love it!!!


pb

 

[tkarter]

Great review. I have shot one P345 and it was a great pistol. Nice shooting.

On the Crossbreed holster. One can carry a P89 in one and forget it is there.
The most comfy holster I ever owned.

I have mine on anytime I am awake and dressed.

tk

 

[Swampbilly]

Bought my KP345 a couple of years ago. Don't shoot it a lot, but probably have 500 rounds through it. It was spot-on accurate right out of the box.

First thing I noticed upon picking it up, was that it fit my hand so well. Next, was the accuracy. Of the 500 rounds, during the first couple of hundred, I had two fail to feeds on the last round in the magazine...buffed the magazine feed ramps really well, clean the internals of the magazine now and then, and it has been 100% reliable ever since. Have never had a fail to fire either.

It is my general "house gun", second to the Remington 870 12ga.


Regards,

MD