P944 swing link vs. camblock

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SteveSatch

Single-Sixer
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Mar 23, 2000
Messages
224
I bought a pair of P94s in .40 many years ago. One has a few hundred problem free rounds through it and the other sits new in box. I guess they changed over to a camblock system. Some say the swinging link couldn't hold up to the beating the .40 gives the pistol. Should I be worried about my swinging link .40s? Can/will Ruger switch a pistol with the older design overt to the new design?
 

Mike J

Hunter
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Aug 5, 2007
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I've got a P-944T with the swinging link I bought new in 2000. It has somewhere between 2500& 3000 rounds through it. I haven't kept count as well as I should have. I haven't had any problems yet. I don't know if they can change it over or not. I don't think they can without modifying the frame but I could be wrong.
 

SteveSatch

Single-Sixer
Joined
Mar 23, 2000
Messages
224
I've seen a post from former Ruger worker CoffeePot that says they are both good guns, with the camblock being more refined and I saw another post from him saying if you're buying one MAKE SURE you don't get the swinging link one as the camblock one is far superior....Conflicting.....I didn't know the frame would need to be modified. I thought it might just be a new barrel and guide rod thing.
 

Mike J

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I might be wrong about the frame being different but if you can find a pic of the left side of the camblock guns you will see a little square piece by the slide stop that isn't on the swinging link guns. I would think they would have to accomodate whatever that piece is somehow. I am far from an expert.
I saw Coffepot post that if you had a swinging link gun you had a good gun, if you have a camblock you have a better gun. As long as I don't have a problem I'm not worrying about it.
 

bandit320

Bearcat
Joined
Dec 1, 2008
Messages
11
Steve,

I have an older P-94 in 40 S&W with the link. I bought it used; it think it was a LE turn-in. I have about 1,500 rounds through it myself. It eats everything I feed it with never any sort of malfunction and is very accurate. I wouldn't worry about it, you've got some great guns.


Mike
 

P94/GP100

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Jun 6, 2002
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202
Location
Auburn, WA USA
From a strictly materials engineering standpoint, I suspect that the camblock version is the "better" of the two, as I think that it does an efficient job of absorbing recoil force, as opposed to merely directing it into the frame (and, by extension, into the user's hand).

From a user's standpoint, I think that it's pretty much irrelevant as to which is "better"-both do the job of very effectively managing recoil force to effect the operational cycle, and the P94/P944 is hardly under-engineered. Given the weight and engineering of the P944 with the swinging link, I personally never felt adversely affected by the recoil forces inherent to the .40 cartridge with it.

I suspect that Ruger's shifting from the swinging link to the camblock system in the P944 (I don't believe that any 9mm P94s were ever produced with the camblock before the 9mm P94 was phased out of production)had more to do with organizational. logistical, and manufacturing efficiencies and product/manufacturing simplification.

I had a P944 for years with the swinging link, and was satisfied with the system, and felt no compelling need to switch to a camblock P944. However, given a choice between the two systems, I would slightly lean towards the camblock system, as I suspect that it does increase the long term longevity of the P944 frame, given the sharp, quick pressure peak inherent to the .40 cartridge (and, at least theoretically, may provide for greater "tunability" via recoil spring selection in conjunction with cartridge loading selection).

For 9mm users, there's a solution if you prefer the camblock system-it's called the P95.

Best, Jon
 

P94/GP100

Single-Sixer
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Jun 6, 2002
Messages
202
Location
Auburn, WA USA
Correction: I just came across a 2007 posting by Coffeepot (who was certainly in a position to know) that stated that the swinging link varient .40 P944 was somewhat of a disappointment to Ruger, hence the substitution of the camblock system.

Given that tidbit of information, I would amend my previous stance to recommend a camblock P944 over a swinging link one (but I am curious as to what and how significant the disapointment was regarding the swinging link varient, and at what round count point in a P944's use that disappointments/problems manifested themselves).

In my case of my previously-owned P944TH, the only problem that I encountered was a malfunctioning sear, which Coffeepot had replaced for me-the gun performed flawlessly after that. Mine was not really a high round count gun; when I traded it, I'd be surprised if I had much more than 2,000 rounds through it, if that much. It had an action job and rounded trigger performed by Chris Peters, and a set of gray laminate Lett checkered custom grips that I thought went quite nicely aesthetically with the 2-tone Davidson Special treatment, so someone out there probably in the Seattle metro area has a very nice P944 (albeit one with the swinging link...)

Best, Jon
 

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