Tell me about the P90...still tops?

[Clyde from Carolina]

I have been reading and re-reading some old articles and surfing the 'net and I am struck by how many knowledgeable people- going back as far as Colonel Charles Askins, sing the praises of this model.

I've handled them in gun stores, but never shot one. Are these still as reliable, super accurate, and uber durable as they were considered a few years ago? Still seems hard to believe such a package could be priced so reasonably, but I have other Rugers like that (GP 100 and Ruger MK II Target, etc.) so I guess maybe I shouldn't be too surprised.

How would y'all compare them to the newer P345?

Any quality dips to be aware of, etc.?

Thanks, and guess I should also say howdy as this is my first post here.

Good day, gents... and ladies.

 

[revhigh]

If ya want a 45 and ya can't afford a decent 1911, the P90 is probably the next best choice.

Stay far away from the P345 ... probably Ruger's worst 45 of all. Google P345 click no bang or search here.

REV

 

[Al James]

Welcome! You cant go wrong with a P90 IMO. They are an excellent pistol and they can be found used for under $350. If you like the P345 and its features dont shy away from that pistol either. Just make sure that you buy one NIB if you dont want to take any chances on if it was dry fired or not. Even if you bought a used one and had any issues with it Ruger will fix you up. Let us know which way you end up going and again, Welcome!

 

[P90]

Depends on if you like the DA/SA Decocker platform. I could buy any 1911 that I want, but don't own any, because I don't like a Safety, of any kind on my CCW. As for the P90, if you get one that hasn't been abused, they are Great Pistols. I wouldn't trade mine for a SR 1911. :)

 

[Al James]

I wouldn't trade mine for a SR 1911. :)

I wouldn't either if I owned YOUR P90DC! Pics of that beauty would be in order to satisfy my gun porn fix for today.

I would trade mine because its stock and I could buy two for the price of an SR1911 right now. All though so far it looks like the P90 is equally or even more accurate than the SR1911 so go figure.

 

[Vecco]

J& G sales has P90T on sale for $459 NIB. Dont know if that is good, just passing Info

http://www.jgsales.com/index.php/ruger/semi-auto/cPath/16_148_485

 

[P90]

Depends on if you like the DA/SA Decocker platform. I could buy any 1911 that I want, but don't own any, because I don't like a Safety, of any kind on my CCW. As for the P90, if you get one that hasn't been abused, they are Great Pistols. I wouldn't trade mine for a SR 1911. :)

If my P90DC was all stock, I wouldn't trade if for a SR1911, if I had to keep and use it. I don't want a Safety on my CCW. In a 500. price range, I don't think the P90 can be beat. Mine is as accurate and dependable as I want for a Carry Weapon, and when your life is on the line, you want the best.

 

[Erich]

Mine's not fancy, but it certainly works well, is unreasonably accurate, and was a bargain.

Welcome to the forum. :) I have never heard of any quality dips - frankly, I'd recommend a nice used one (easily found for cheap on GunBroker, etc.) - this is one of the only guns I'd just have no real worries about. They are overbuilt for the cartridge and you're just not going to find one in that's worn out. Can't compare it to the P345 - I've read both Ayoob and Taffin on the subject of the comparison, though, so perhaps you might nose around online for their thoughts.

 

[Clyde from Carolina]

Good info, gents. Much appreciated. And P90...that is a stunning P90, sir!

Erich, it was the comments of Ayoob and Taffin and Askins and others that got me thinking about these Ruger .45s.

I have a line on a P90. Will update if it comes together for me.

 

[kstoneking]

I too bought my P90 at what I consider to be a real bargain. This is the second safety/decocker model P90 I've owned and I absolutely love it.

Kenny

 

[chefrob1]

what a sharp looking gun! mine sure ain't as fancy but i love it.....

 

[Bigboreshooter]

If ya want a 45 and ya can't afford a decent 1911, the P90 is probably the next best choice.

Stay far away from the P345 ... probably Ruger's worst 45 of all. Google P345 click no bang or search here.

REV

I've owned two P90's over the years and found them to be excellent guns that were accurate and reliable as an anvil.

I now own a P345 and prefer it to the P90 in every respect. It is lighter, more compact, and has much better ergonomics. It has also proven to be 100% reliable. :wink:

The P345 has been so impressive, I sold my Sig P220.

 

[revhigh]

It has also proven to be 100% reliable.

LOL !!! That's a good one .....


REV

 

[sixgun]

If ya want a 45 and ya can't afford a decent 1911, the P90 is probably the next best choice.

Stay far away from the P345 ... probably Ruger's worst 45 of all. Google P345 click no bang or search here.

REV

I've owned two P90's over the years and found them to be excellent guns that were accurate and reliable as an anvil.

I now own a P345 and prefer it to the P90 in every respect. It is lighter, more compact, and has much better ergonomics. It has also proven to be 100% reliable. :wink:

The P345 has been so impressive, I sold my Sig P220.

I agree with you 100% too. I love my P345, carry it the most. It has functioned flawlessly for me. I'm loaded with Hornady +P 230gr TAP FPD.
If the P345 was unavailable I would want the P90... :D

 

[Bigboreshooter]

It has also proven to be 100% reliable.

LOL !!! That's a good one .....


REV

MY P345 has NOT failed, therefore it has been 100 % reliable. What part of that do you not understand?

 

[Al James]

It has also proven to be 100% reliable.

LOL !!! That's a good one .....


REV

MY P345 has NOT failed, therefore it has been 100 % reliable. What part of that do you not understand?

Mine too BBS! I think Rev is talking about the P345 design in general. I think most people who have had problems with the design didn't read the manual regarding dry fire practice with the mag out. Other than that I have not heard of any other issues with the P345.

 

[revhigh]

I think Rev is talking about the P345 design in general. I think most people who have had problems with the design didn't read the manual regarding dry fire practice with the mag out. Other than that I have not heard of any other issues with the P345.

That's correct Al !

Unless you have had total and absolute custody over your gun every single second, there is no way to tell what was done to your gun when it was in the case, when the previous owner had it, or what the gun shop owner did to it prior to your buying it. Just because your gun hasn't failed 'yet', does not mean that it won't ... it's just a matter of when. The design is poor ... period. You may get lucky and not have it fail when your're carrying it, and need it the most, but I wouldn't take that chance. It's probably the only gun in existence (other than OTHER Rugers) that are designed like this.

There simply is no excuse for it, and the people who are so vehemently defending it have no idea of what happened when it was released, and most likely have no idea to this day what the issues are. Hey ... as a range gun it's fine ... no problem ... who cares if you pull the trigger and don't hear a BANG .... but I would NEVER carry a gun that could fail at any time, and is essentially designed to have that happen.

Rather than mechanically fixing the problem in the design and on the shop floor, Ruger chose to put a one liner in the owner's manual to cover themselves. That leaves newbie owners like the ones above completely in the dark as to the possibility of failure due to what in any other gun is pretty much routine handling.

You'd think that people would WANT to know stuff like this .... but instead they just repeat the mantra ' mine has been totally reliable .... blah blah blah' only they left out the operative words ..... 'so far'.

REV

 

[sixgun]

I cleaned my rear sight (removed the mag disconnect) after purchasing the pistol. It is as reliable as any handgun on the market. As far as legal issues worse case, I'd rather be tried by 12 than carried by 6.
In today's society, should you shoot or kill someone in self defence the lawyers will make the criminal appear the victim and you the criminal, no matter what happened... :shock:

 

[revhigh]

I cleaned my rear sight (removed the mag disconnect) after purchasing the pistol.

As far as legal issues worse case, I'd rather be tried by 12 than carried by 6.

This of course is another huge issue ... no one should have to remove a factory installed safety device to make a gun reliable.

So now we have a gun that can be made to catastrophically fail if dry fired (even once) without a mag, which isn't the case with ANY other manufacturer's guns .... and is also a regularly performed action for most people .... OR .... a user being forced to remove a factory installed safety device for the gun to be reliable, and thus exposing themself to legal issues if they have to use the gun for self defense.

Real smart. Great design. Then, rather than resolving the issue in production, just print a one-line warning in the manual (which most people NEVER read) to cover themselves. Can anybody name ONE other manufacuturer that has taken this approach ?

REV

 

[chefrob1]

can't all this p345 stuff be moved over to a p345 thread........good info but wrong place. from the sounds of it, the p90 seems to be a much better gun. see how easy it was to get back on topic? :wink:

 

[revhigh]

It kinda fits because it's comparing and contrasting the pluses and minuses of Ruger's 45 pistols ... the P90, P345, and 1911.

REV

 

[chefrob1]

i just hadn't seen "p90" in this thread for a long time......... has anyone had this problem with the p90 or 1911?

 

[revhigh]

Nope.

 

[chefrob1]

i was looking into another .45 but everytime i do, i just keep saying if i'm not going to like it better than my p90, why buy it? been thinking of a wheel gun............

 

[revhigh]

Ever considered a 1911 ? Once you get used to a 1911's trigger there;s no going back.

REV

 

[Donaldjr1969]

Ever considered a 1911 ? Once you get used to a 1911's trigger there;s no going back.

REV

I have to say that there is a lot of merit in that statement, REV. Don't get me wrong, I like my P90 a lot. And I am not a bad shooter with it given the fact I don't shoot it as much as I should. But now that I recently bought some 45acp reloading dies, that will change. But anyway, after shooting a fellow forum member's Series 80 Colt Mk IV, I am more accurate with that than I am with the P90. And I have shot the Colt far far less.

 

[sixgun]

can't all this p345 stuff be moved over to a p345 thread........good info but wrong place. from the sounds of it, the p90 seems to be a much better gun. see how easy it was to get back on topic? :wink:

The p90 is still popular because it does not have a magazine disconnect.
The P345 IMHO is better for carry. I've seen other make pistols without a magazine disconnect with a warning on the slide. Why can't Ruger do that ? :?: :idea:

 

[revhigh]

The P345 IMHO is better for carry. I've seen other make pistols without a magazine disconnect with a warning on the slide. Why can't Ruger do that ? :?: :idea:

Now that I agree with ... the P90 is a big bulky thing, and large hands are a must for handling it. The P345 is far more svelt and far easier to carry by far.

I have no idea why Ruger chose the path that they did with the P345 and SR9 and the whole mag disconnect thing. It seems to me like it answered a question that only idiots had asked ... that of removing the mag and thinking that the gun was therefore empty. Stupid ... stupid .... stupid.

REV

 

[revhigh]

Ever considered a 1911 ? Once you get used to a 1911's trigger there;s no going back.

REV

I have to say that there is a lot of merit in that statement, REV.

after shooting a fellow forum member's Series 80 Colt Mk IV, I am more accurate with that than I am with the P90. And I have shot the Colt far far less.

It's all in a word ... trigger ... trigger .... trigger .... :D

Kinda like location ... location .... location .... for real estate.

Although the P90's are mechanically accurate ... it's VERY hard to shoot them as accurately by hand as they are capable of ... due to the trigger.


REV

 

[chefrob1]

maybe it's just me and the fact that my p90 was the first pistol i ever shot and it's what i learned on but i had a roomate with a colt 1911 and i was much better with my p90. true story...we used to shoot metal targets and we both would make them sing all day long. we would switch guns and the only thing we would hear were our shots, we would switch back and the music would start up again.