NEED INPUT ON A P95

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allis8030

Bearcat
Joined
Mar 30, 2010
Messages
3
Hello, I'm new to the forum and for that matter new to ruger semi-autos.
I'm a little unsure about the quality of the p95 because it is so low in price, but I like what it has to offer. This would be my one and only gun in the house for awhile so I need to know if the p95 is something I can count on for protection and at the range. Any input on it would be great. :)
 

ECUfan

Bearcat
Joined
Mar 6, 2008
Messages
62
Location
Pirate Country
A P95 is a low price semi-auto but as solid and reliable as they come. It is a very accurate pistol that is well made. I would trust it for target shooting AND self defense. I have never had a single failure to fire.
 

revhigh

Hawkeye
Joined
Aug 31, 2005
Messages
5,590
Location
PA
You'll be far better off with a P95 than with an SR9, that's for sure.

They're really cheap because they're not very highly respected in the industry or the market, mainly because of accuracy issues. Accuracy is less than exemplary, but reliability and ruggedness are top notch. For self defense and combat carry, they're great. As a range gun, if YOU are a decent shot, you'll quickly outgrow the P95 and probably yearn for a more accurate gun.

If you want a cheap combat accurate 9, I can't think of a better gun to buy at the $300 price point than a P95. If you're into target shooting, and YOU are capable of shooting well, you should buy a different brand.

You can definitely count on a P95 to go bang when you pull the trigger, so it seems like it may work for you. Make sure that it's what you really want before you buy it, though, because trade in value will be very low if you decide you don't like it.

REV
 
A

Anonymous

Remember the TV commerical about the Mag-Lite... where you could run over the lite with a car? The P-95 is about the same thing... but, in my opnion, I don't find them cheap at $300.00. They were the gun of choice for M&P in their hay day. Even today many M&P still use them or seek them out as a personal carry option.

Accurate is in the eye of the beholder.
 

BuckJM53

Single-Sixer
Joined
Mar 25, 2008
Messages
337
Location
SW Ohio
allis8030 .... First of all, welcome to the forum. Secondly, you'll find (if you do a search) that the vast majority of P95 owners on this forum are well pleased. From my personal perspective, the P95 is well built, durable, will eat anything that I feed it and is very accurate for a non-target pistol. My decocker model now has over 8,000 rounds down the pipe without a single failure. Good luck with your decision.
 

Yosemite Sam

Hunter
Joined
Mar 18, 2002
Messages
2,113
Location
Cape Cod, MA, USA
Doug45601":2o26qeb1 said:
... but, in my opnion, I don't find them cheap at $300.00. ...
Just wondering: If $300 isn't "cheap", for a gun, what do you think is cheap?

Put it this way: There are very few firearms out there that I would shoot that cost less than $300, simply from a safety perspective. Sorry to say, but that is cheap these days. I'm with you, I agree that's a lot of money, but in a world of $500 Glocks, $800 Sigs, and $1000 Colts, $300 is cheap!

-- Sam
 
A

Anonymous

Yosemite Sam":1ei3nn4o said:
Doug45601":1ei3nn4o said:
... but, in my opnion, I don't find them cheap at $300.00. ...
Just wondering: If $300 isn't "cheap", for a gun, what do you think is cheap?

Put it this way: There are very few firearms out there that I would shoot that cost less than $300, simply from a safety perspective. Sorry to say, but that is cheap these days. I'm with you, I agree that's a lot of money, but in a world of $500 Glocks, $800 Sigs, and $1000 Colts, $300 is cheap!

-- Sam

Cheap to me is the old style H&R 22 Snub nose revolver... Was just 30.00 sold at Western auto stores and the like back in the late 60's

Of course you are right regarding the cost of guns today.. Perhaps the correct wording should have been "less expensive" Buy a 300.00 gun and get a 300.00 gun or buy a 900.00 and get a 900.00 gun.

So I just bought a new LCP for $300.00, guess it's not much of a gun as far as some are concerned and compared to....and my 22/45 cost me $224.00 They are less expensive but not cheap.

Today's junk guns... the ones I consider cheaply made but not in their selling price are...... well I won't mention brands but are mainly the 22,25 and some 32 cals... again, just my opnion
 

Yosemite Sam

Hunter
Joined
Mar 18, 2002
Messages
2,113
Location
Cape Cod, MA, USA
Doug, I hear ya. I long for the days of $175 Blackhawks, myself. And being able to buy them at the Western Auto, Monkey Wards, etc.

I do have a S&W model 60 I paid less than $400 for, new, at a Long's Drug in Colorado. Even that was a long time ago, I'm afraid...

FWIW, I'm trying to get one of those $300 LCPs too, but the local shops aren't cooperating... :mad:

-- Sam
 

buster cat

Bearcat
Joined
Nov 22, 2006
Messages
54
Location
Tennessee
First of all let me say I am an old revolver man. The P95 is the only semi auto I own. I have carried this pistol for over seven years as a duty weapon. I am a court officer/bailiff with a small west Tennessee sheriff's department.

Granted the P95 does have some pluses and minuses. First the double action trigger pull is around plus twelve lbs. and it stacks quite a bit before it breaks. The single pull is six pounds or so, but no stacking and breaks clean. The sights are three dots, not very good if your eyes are not up to par.

I have always thought that comparing a combat/ self defense pistol to a target pistol is like comparing apples to oranges. The P95 is a is a combat/self defense hand gun. It is plenty accurate for self defence. The best thing about the P95 is it always goes bang when I pull the trigger. It always eats what I feed it. In the nine or so years I have owned the gun I have never had a failure to fire, eject, stove pipe, or any other problems. How many rounds through this pistol, I don't know. You see I bought the gun used.

For practice I have shot Winchester white box from Wally World. For carry Remington Golden Saber 115 grain or 124 grain non plus p.

The only changes I have made to the P95 is day glow orange paint on the front sight and day glow green on the rear. Skate board grip covers. I cut a pattern from card board for the grips to get just what I wanted then sprayed the skateboard tape with rattle can flat black paint to take the edge of the tape. I carry 17 round Mec Gar mags which gives me eighteen rounds on tap.

I clean the pistol fairely often and lube it with ATF. Never striped the gun past the five pieces Ruger recommends for cleaning.

Buy a good leather holster with a retention strap and a good leather belt. Do not skimp on this part. Now I may get flamed for saying this, there have been a few times that I thought I was moving into heavy traffic I carried the P95 cocked with the retention strap fastened under the cocked hammer.

In a SHTF situation would the P95 be my first choice? It would not be, that would go to my Smith mod. 65 for the first six shots. But for the next eighteen the P95 would be hard to beat.

For a three hundred dollar gun the P95 in my opinion is the best there is. I could own a Glock if I wanted one, I am eligible for the LEO discount but I have too much muscle memory invested in the P95 and it is hard to teach an old dog new tricks.

One other thing, practice until you can use your hand gun without thinking about what you need to do..............And above all remember the rules of gun safety.

Buster Cat..........
 

libbylibbylibby

Bearcat
Joined
Dec 16, 2009
Messages
30
Location
Missouri
To me, the Ruger P95 is the definition of "value for the money". As others have said here, it is a combat weapon, and is more than accurate enough for combat situations. The P95 is only 27oz (unloaded), it feels good in your hand, points very naturally, tough as nails, and always goes BANG!

I read (maybe on RugerForum) a post from someone a while back who said (I'm paraphrasing) if he was going to be shooting in xyz shooting match, or participating in some other "event" he would take his $1000 Colt, or his $1200 Kimber, but if he had to jump into the jaws of Hell, he'd take his P95! I know I feel much safer when "cousin Billy" is with me..;)
 

revhigh

Hawkeye
Joined
Aug 31, 2005
Messages
5,590
Location
PA
Texasgunner":384wzcyi said:
You'll be far better off with a P95 than with an SR9, that's for sure.

Mind if i ask for justification of that remark :?

I think about 8 of the first 10 posts (or close to it) in the SA forum are about SR9's with problems, or that had to be modified to be acceptable. In my view .... that's pretty bad.

At least most P95's work OK out of the box, and I;ve never heard of ONE with any peening problems.

REV
 

gatorhugger

Blackhawk
Joined
Mar 20, 2008
Messages
525
Location
North Florida
Question for P95 owners-.
Is there any difference in accuracy, trigger pull, field stripping...
ANYTHING different about a P95 compared to it's earlier cousins like the P89 or P93? Besides the frame composition being different of course.
 

Bigfoot62

Bearcat
Joined
Jul 4, 2007
Messages
75
Location
West Central LA
allis8030":o18n6u1c said:
. . . I'm a little unsure about the quality of the p95 . . . I need to know if the p95 is something I can count on for protection and at the range. . .
Don't be. It's solid as a rock.

Absolutely dependable. You can count on it.

Now that I've answered your questions directly, I'd like to share a story with you. My brother was recently in the same situation as you are now. He grew up hunting and shooting, but did not own a defensive pistol. He asked me to help him find one. First of all, we determined WHY he wanted a pistol. He was primarily interested in protection for his family, both at home and on the road. (here in LA, you can keep a loaded gun in the vehicle - no permit required) Secondarily, he wanted something fun to shoot, just for informal plinking. Since he is not interested in concealed carry, he didn't want a LCP or Kel-Tec. OTOH, he's not interested in competition shooting, so he didn't want to break the bank for a custom target pistol. Because of ammo prices and availablity, he decided on 9mm. Next, we went out in the back yard and shot - a bunch. After trying several different guns, he came back to the Springfield Armory XD-9 and shot it again. Then, he looked at me and said, "I want one of those."

Not trying to sell you on something other than the P95. Just relating what happened in a similar situation. Point is: Find someone who has some pistols that you can shoot. You need to try several, if possible.
 

pistolpete

Single-Sixer
Joined
Jan 23, 2009
Messages
181
Location
Northern Wisconsin
I highly recommend the p95 also. Like others have said the DA pull is heavy. For reference, A beretta 92 has a much better trigger in DA, and especially in SA. But all around a very safe reliable gun. Get the stainless! It's awesome. Only trouble I had was with a weak extractor, which was easily repaired by me. Great gun. They run around $375 + tax and background check in my neck of the woods. I guess it comes down to whether you consider the initial heavy DA pull as a good thing or a bad thing. I don't know much about the Sigmas but that might be an option if you don't want a DA/SA pistol.
 

dacaur

Single-Sixer
Joined
Dec 19, 2009
Messages
346
Location
Utah, usa
gatorhugger":3p4v21gk said:
Question for P95 owners-.
Is there any difference in accuracy, trigger pull, field stripping...
ANYTHING different about a P95 compared to it's earlier cousins like the P89 or P93? Besides the frame composition being different of course.

I have a p95, my brother has a p89. My p95 has a rail (for mounting a light or laser) the p89 doesn't, and of course the p89 has removable grips... other than that, no difference.....

I love my p95 and wouldn't get rid of it. Its my home defense gun. Its one downside is its VERY sensitive to limp wristing and/or improper grip. If you leave ANY space between the web of your hand and the top of the grip where it turns out below the hammer, you will likley get FTE stovepipes or just failure to feed. I have never experienced it because I just naturally grab it right, but for a long time my wife had trouble with this gun, and we finally figured out the problem was she was gripping the gun about 1/8" too low, so there was a gap between her hand and the top of the grip... once she moved her hand up, she had no problems with it.
 

GhosT

Blackhawk
Joined
Aug 22, 2007
Messages
556
Location
North East Ohio
My P95,
ORIGINAL MODEL.


Short version...one of the 3 handguns trust 100% for home defense!.

Reliable, and well past 30 yards(accuracy wise) worthy for defense .
 

Rodney72

Bearcat
Joined
Feb 13, 2010
Messages
52
Location
Texas
I just bought a P95 not too long ago. I have only two guns, both 9mms, the 95 and a SigPro. The DA pull on the 95 is better and it is just as reliable as the Sig. I'm not sure what everyone is referring to as far as accuracy because mine's pretty tight on the range. It's the gun I carry in my car.
 
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