P series parts replacement

[welder]

There have been a few posts here lately concerning the P series and the dwindling parts supply. We all know that Ruger has , stopped selling most of the parts but apparently will still replace broken parts when the gun is shipped to them.

But I was wondering, how many people have actually broken or worn out a P series or needed parts?

I have had up to a couple dozen through the years and still have about a dozen, some NIB, some heavily shot, others serving as a truck gun with moderate use and minimal care but other than a small tweek on a P94 9mm extractor, I haven't needed to ever replace a part, repair one or send one to Ruger. I have repainted the site dots on a few P95's where the paint drop fell out but not a problem that a tooth pick and a drop of paint won't fix.

So, with all the concern about the lack of factory support, who has actually needed it?

Has anyone ever broken a P series? Yes I am aware of the dry fire issue with the P345 :? and the take down pin on the early P97's.

 

[FergusonTO35]

I never broke anything on my P95, although I think it needed new recoil springs towards the end of my ownership. I tend to shoot my defensive pistols a lot and do my own repairs on them with my own stock of commonly needed parts. I really dislike the possibility that if a $2.00 whatchamacallit breaks my pistol becomes a paperweight until I can ship it back to Ruger. I would never bash Ruger or the P series, a fine company that makes good guns. I just don't want to deal with the situation I just described. As much as I absolutely love my Service Six I don't use it as a carry gun or shoot it much for this reason.

 

[welder]

I understand that T035, I don't like the fact that parts are not still available either, but on the other hand I've never needed any. I put away some stuff from Midway and Ruger when it was available and I have a couple complete parts kits, but I'm wondering if i'll ever need any of those parts at all. I haven't yet and I have owned and shot many P series, some quite heavily and not always with the best ammo around. I have never broken one. My point was that just because parts are no longer available doesn't disqualify the purchase of one based on the fact that you'll most likely will never need parts anyway and with the very reasonable prices on the P's, still a bargain. I've heard complaints about the plastic rails but have never seen one worn out, nor have I seen a broken part. I realize it happens but would like to hear from someone who has actually experienced it. I never have and know no one who has either.

 

[blume357]

Here is the one item I think that is missing in this 'parts no longer available' debate if you have more than one pistol of any type why could you not have a replacement part made if one breaks or gets worn out? There are folks still out there that can still make a complete gun.... I'm not talking about a factory that stamps them out but one person with the right equipment....

 

[demented]

Never a broken part, all parts I've had replaced were due to their being out of tolerance when installed new. Not that there have been that many. Normally if you have a P that ain't having problems, you ain't gotta worry.

 

[FergusonTO35]

I should clarify that I am a fan of the P's and wouldn't mind owning another one. I just wouldn't use it as a high volume shooter.

 

[demented]

Why not high volume? Seen 'em go 10,000 rounds and still be ready to go. My experience is that AFTER you get them lined out on the rare times they need help, they will run forever. No joke, the ONLY trouble I've had with any P series except for the 345 were parts tolerance problems out of the box, afterwards problems were zero. At about half the price of newer pistols, IMO you can't go wrong buying one, provided you can check it for issues before buying. In the last six months I've bought three P-95's, an 85 MK 2 and a 97, my average cost has been 275 bucks the five. Paid enough for the 97 to bring the average to the 275, if I hadn't paid a bit much for it, the 9mm's were about 250 each.

 

[mafuta54]

I've had my P95DC since December 1996 and never had any issues or parts replaced. I estimate over 10,000 rounds in the last 19+ years!

 

[welder]

I've had my P95DC since December 1996 and never had ant issues or parts replaced. I estimate over 10,000 rounds in the last 19+ years!

You've made my point with a good example. This has been my experience as well and pretty much makes the parts issue a moot point, all things considered.

 

[FergusonTO35]

I used to work as a car mechanic so scrounging parts for everything I own is just second nature!! :shock:

 

[roylt]

I am a P-nut.
I do have a few parts in my stash.
I doubt I will ever need them.
I figure I will have $300 bucks worth of fun and enjoyment out of any of my P-guns before they are worn out or broken.

Just comments.

 

[22/45 Fan]

I've had my P95DC since December 1996 and never had any issues or parts replaced. I estimate over 10,000 rounds in the last 19+ years!

Well, that in the same category as someone who has 150,000 trouble free miles on his car thinking the next 150,000 miles will be equally trouble free.

By the same token, I have an S&W 689 I bought new in 1993 that has at least 20,000 rounds through it with absolutely no breakages or needing any replacement action parts. But, in the event something does break, I can have it repaired at any of dozens of places and parts are readily available from the maker and lots of outside suppliers.

The P-series were indeed fine guns and if I still had one (or more) I certainly wouldn't abandon them but, I wouldn't buy into them at this point knowing factory and aftermarket support has pretty much dried up.

 

[blume357]

I'm still confused at how sending a problem P series pistol back to Ruger and having them fix it, usually for free, is dried up support?

 

[mrmike7189]

ruger still has parts for repairs.
and .they do still release some for sale on shopruger.com. I found some recoil springs and new magazines and parts such as followers for my P944.
Midwayusa has firing pins....they haven't had those in a year.....they were labeled discontinued and suddenly i was on the website and they had them last week, so the parts are harder to find but they are available.
I cannot see any reason not to buy one, they rarely break and when they do you can still send them back to Ruger,

 

[welder]

I'm still confused at how sending a problem P series pistol back to Ruger and having them fix it, usually for free, is dried up support?

That's my point Blume, we've seen numerous posts in other threads claiming the P's are obsolete and parts/support unavailable, but according to actual owners who have needed service or parts, that's not accurate.

I've ordered and received parts, (spare mag latch springs) for my P90's as late as last year, parts that were not available on Ruger.com. The mag latch springs are supposed to be the weak link on the P90 but the three I own are still on their originals. I have never had to send a P gun back for any reason. I have sent back a NIB Blackhawk and I had a problematic SP101 .22. along with one Mini 14. All issues were corrected BTW.

The OP asked if anyone here had actually broken a P series or had any issue getting one back up running, or even seen a broken one that someone else owned. One poster said he had a new one shipped that was "out of spec", but no one yet has claimed to have worn out a P series or experienced a broken part. That has been my experience over numerous examples through the years as well. I did read on another forum once about a P95 that has a sear pin hole broken out, but very little information as to how that happened. I have read about the mag latch springs on the P90 but again have never experienced a problem or even seen one. The P's are not indestructible or magical, but they are not dinosaurs that are hopelessly abandoned either.

A P-gun is a great value and a rock solid, reliable, durable firearm for a very reasonable price. I'm holding onto mine and will continue to recommend them where appropriate to prospective buyers.

 

[blume357]

The retaining ring for the recoil spring came off of one of my P95's last year and I had Ruger send me a replacement... it is sitting in a little plastic bag on my desk.... you know I think I'll go upstairs and retrieve that pistol from its hiding place and put the ring on right now.....

Update... I got the new ring and super idibiddy holding ring back on and it would not go back in and sit on the barrel... finally figured out the original ring was still in the end of the slide...

 

[welder]

I believe I would Blume, they are in a pretty small package, easily lost. I have a spare or two myself.

 

[DA_TriggR4Ruger]

The Ruger P95 may be a a great gun, but the best SD gun is the you have on you, running! The BG won't care if it's in the shop for a parts replacement. I still haven't seen a post with a solid parts source. None of this "might be in stock here, had them last week there, out of stock, maybe in stock at shopruger..." no that doesn't count. Again, your accountable for recommending a weapon that has been discontinued, parts availability in your words, is iffy and only drying up further.

If you want a good Ruger buy a RAP. They have great reviews and the first Ruger semi-auto in years that hasn't suffered from wide spread issues. If you have a P95, that's well and good, continue to enjoy it, it's your choice, but stop recommending it as a new pistol to new shooters. It is doing them a disservice and you're accountable for them if something happens.

 

[FergusonTO35]

Agree 100% with DA_Trigger4Ruger. To be fair I also don't recommend guns which are still in production yet parts and mags are pricey and not easy to find outside of the factory, i.e. Heckler & Koch. I found my P95 worked just fine without any of the rings on the end of the guide rod.

 

[DA_TriggR4Ruger]

Agree 100% with DA_Trigger4Ruger. To be fair I also don't recommend guns which are still in production yet parts and mags are pricey and not easy to find outside of the factory, i.e. Heckler & Koch. I found my P95 worked just fine without any of the rings on the end of the guide rod.

Yep. This makes seating the guide rod more difficult, but the gun runs fine with a non captured guide rod.

 

[welder]

The Ruger P95 may be a a great gun, but the best SD gun is the you have on you, running! The BG won't care if it's in the shop for a parts replacement. I still haven't seen a post with a solid parts source. None of this "might be in stock here, had them last week there, out of stock, maybe in stock at shopruger..." no that doesn't count. Again, your accountable for recommending a weapon that has been discontinued, parts availability in your words, is iffy and only drying up further.

If you want a good Ruger buy a RAP. They have great reviews and the first Ruger semi-auto in years that hasn't suffered from wide spread issues. If you have a P95, that's well and good, continue to enjoy it, it's your choice, but stop recommending it as a new pistol to new shooters. It is doing them a disservice and you're accountable for them if something happens.

If you'll re-read my post I said I'd recommend a P gun where appropriate, IE: to those who want a range, truck or garage gun and don't want to spend a lot of cash for a hammer fired, reliable, easy to maintain, durable gun. Apparently you assume I recommend "new" P guns to "new" shooters? No. As far as being without your gun though, I'd say that's far more likely with the SR, LC series judging by the recalls and posts that detail quite a few problems that require factory service.

Any shooter I'd recommend a P gun too would generally be aware of parts availability even thought the probability of him needing parts or service is nil. Apparently non existent as far as this thread is concerned. Do you have an example to the contrary?


To the OP again?

Have you personally seen a P gun not running?

Broken parts needed?

Service needed?

 

[DA_TriggR4Ruger]

The Ruger P95 may be a a great gun, but the best SD gun is the you have on you, running! The BG won't care if it's in the shop for a parts replacement. I still haven't seen a post with a solid parts source. None of this "might be in stock here, had them last week there, out of stock, maybe in stock at shopruger..." no that doesn't count. Again, your accountable for recommending a weapon that has been discontinued, parts availability in your words, is iffy and only drying up further.

If you want a good Ruger buy a RAP. They have great reviews and the first Ruger semi-auto in years that hasn't suffered from wide spread issues. If you have a P95, that's well and good, continue to enjoy it, it's your choice, but stop recommending it as a new pistol to new shooters. It is doing them a disservice and you're accountable for them if something happens.

If you'll re-read my post I said I'd recommend a P gun where appropriate, IE: to those who want a range, truck or garage gun and don't want to spend a lot of cash for a hammer fired, reliable, easy to maintain, durable gun. Apparently you assume I recommend "new" P guns to "new" shooters? No. As far as being without your gun though, I'd say that's far more likely with the SR, LC series judging by the recalls and posts that detail quite a few problems that require factory service.

Any shooter I'd recommend a P gun too would generally be aware of parts availability even thought the probability of him needing parts or service is nil. Apparently non existent as far as this thread is concerned. Do you have an example to the contrary?


To the OP again?

Have you personally seen a P gun not running?

Broken parts needed?

Service needed?

Yes, on several occasions. More often than competing brands in the same price range.

 

[welder]

That's unfortunate but it has not been my experience, nor that of the vast number or other owners. With the exception of this forum, the P guns enjoy a very good reputation for durability.

Care to elaborate on what specific failures you saw?

 

[Cheesewhiz]

That's unfortunate but it has not been my experience, nor that of the vast number or other owners. With the exception of this forum, the P guns enjoy a very good reputation for durability.

Care to elaborate on what specific failures you saw?

I owned a P85 for many years and many more rounds and it was very reliable and a fun gun to shoot.

....but I have seen a fair amount of P series guns fail at the range. Some of it could be chalked up to poor shooter mechanics but the one thing that was a consistent issue, especially with '95's is broken extractors, a lot of them. I'm sure Ruger fixed them or a least someone did but it happened with those pistols and a few '89's as well over my times at the shooting ranges. There was also an issue with some bad magazines if I recall correctly but I'll leave that for someone else to respond to.

 

[Al James]

On the P guns I have seen the following:

1. Mag releases get worn from slamming home the mag over an extended period.

2. Recoil spring retainers on some models like to fall off and grow legs with regular use.

3. I have seen a few cast extractors that seem to have been cast to the wrong specs or tension. They didn't actually break just need either tweaked or replaced all together.

4. I have NEVER seen a fractured slide or metal frame. I have seen broken polymer frames but they were broken while apart and then dropped on something hard. The camblock system seems to work well in keeping recoil force from wearing the poly rails on the P95/P97/P345.

Ironically, working in a few high volume gun shops is actually what initially drew me to even consider the Ruger P series. Before that I figured in the old "you get what you pay for" as part of the durability equation. Despite my initial bias...we saw very few P guns back in for repair in spite of the fact that we sold buckets of them. I learned from first hand experience that they were a VERY stout design regardless of the fact that they were low speed and high drag.

That said....all pistol brands break or need adjustment at some point. Some more than others. I remember when Kimber was advertising everywhere and all the fanbois lined up to call them the "best" 1911 pistols ever made. It was borderline comical to see all the broken, or not running correctly Mimbers in for repair. I also get a kick out of our resident Sig fanbois comments here on the RF. For starters Sig pistols are usually about at least double the cost of a comparable Ruger SA. I own Sig pistols but if I had to say what pistols I have seen break more often it would be a toss up between Sig, Mimber and Taurus. Sure, Pre 2004 Sigs WERE great unless you didn't grease them correctly or replace the slide pins and recoil springs every 5k. But....Post 2004 Sigs [Cohen] threw parts constantly maintenance aside. Sig started sourcing their parts from sub par outside vendors to save money [to compete] and the "Sig Quality" disappeared at the same time. It got so bad that we actually considered dropping them entirely.

I have read that things have been corrected but then I read about the POS 250 and it brings back memories of all the call tags or lack there of from Sig. In our shop around 2004-2007 SIG came to stand for......Suckered I Guess. Sig pistols had a really good thing going and it was sad to see them choking with such regularity. I always look at my Sig pistols and hope that they won't choke when I need them not to.

Back to the P's...yes, they will break occasionally or need adjustment. I would argue that is the exception rather than the rule. Its a shame that Ruger abandoned the design IMO. I'm sure WBR is rolling in his grave. The parts situation does not instill much confidence regardless of perceived or actual durability. That's why I sold off my entire collection aside from the 2 KP89DC and KP90DC pistol sets that I decided to keep. Sad that they let the bean counters make the decision to give the entire line the ax IMO. But with over 2 million sold and a cult like following who knows...perhaps Ruger will bring them back or at least start making basic maintenance and/or commonly broken or worn replacement parts again. Just my .02......YMMV.

 

[FergusonTO35]

I really think the P could have been a world class pistol on the level of Sig, CZ, and others if Ruger had done some badly needed tweaks. It wouldn't take much; have barrels made by somebody who really knows what they are doing, update the ergonomics and sights to modern tastes, get the weight and bulk down.