Guns Magazine, Jan, 2004 by Glenn Barnes
I’ve always detested the word “change.” Usually when that little word pops up in conversation around my home, it means I’ve done something wrong once again and need to “change” my ways, or “change” this, or “change” that. Seldom is the word “change” associated with something good, happy, or fun. It has always been a despicable, worthless, and measly idiom that I refuse to acknowledge. Having said this, if someone will loan me a ladder, or give me a shove, I’ll get off my soapbox and tell you about the one and only time I can remember the word “change” correlating to something worthwhile.
The early 1980s was a time of drastic and inventive change in the hearts and minds of shooters and the gun industry as a whole. Uncle Sam was in the process of retiring the venerable and much hallowed 1911 service auto from regular active duty. Wailing, whimpering, and gut wrenching moans could be heard from coast to coast as the old warhorse was presented its gold watch and veteran shooters gave it one final salute. John Browning’s legacy could rest easy; it had paid its dues and deserved a little rest and relaxation.
Gun manufacturers from across the globe entered the race, grabbed their ponies, and jockeyed into position for first prize–the coveted contract to produce sidearms chambered in the popular 9mm Luger or Parabellum for the United Slates government. We all know who’s mustang finished first by a nose, but the real winner in this race, the ones who took home the blue ribbon, the gold medal, and found the Cracker Jacks prize diamond ring, was none other than you, me, and Sturm Ruger and Company.
The “wondernine” years, which stretched from the mid-1980s through the mid-1990s, was a lucrative period for handgun manufacturers. Anyone and everyone who marketed a high capacity semiauto pistol was almost assured of success. When Uncle Sam goes “new wave” and procures the latest blaster for his troops, you can bet the law enforcement community, as well as John Q. Public, is going to stand at attention, take notes, and get one for himself.
A Different Approach
Amidst all the hoopla that went along with the search for a new military handgun, Bill Ruger quietly went about his daily business, unnerved and unshaken by events unfolding around him. For several years he had been working on and designing his company’s first centerfire semi-automatic handgun. If he happened to complete his pet project in time to enter the shoving contest with the other big name gun manufacturers that would suit him just fine. On the other hand, he had no intention of unveiling his latest adventure in handgun design until he was satisfied his efforts had produced the perfect semiautomatic pistol.
Work on the project was completed in 1985, hence the sobriquet P-85, but as is often the case these days when new products are announced, shooters were not able to put their powder stained hands on one until two years later, in 1987. By this time Uncle Sam had already selected a replacement for the 1911-A1.
Sturm Ruger and Company built their reputation by supplying quality firearms to average shooters like you and me. Often its designs were offered at a fraction of the cost of similar quality arms, and they didn’t do it by relying on the whims and demands of a government spending barrels-full of tax dollars on every fancy that caught their eye.
Ruger’s organization was built on the simple principle that if be could produce the best product on the market for the least amount of money, we the consumer, would continue to buy his firearms. This business concept has made Sturm Ruger and friends king of the mountain and no one has yet to topple them from their peak.
Anxiously Waiting
For years Ruger had claimed the lion’s share of the law enforcement and civilian marketplace, a fact that made other manufactures turn green with envy. This was due in no small part to Ruger’s firm belief in customer satisfaction. In a span of time shorter than it takes to read this “article, law enforcement agencies from across the country began placing orders for the new P-85 9mm. Civilians practically stood in line for a chance to purchase one. At the time, I was still in the retail firearms business, and I vividly recall the frustration associated with customers waiting, sometimes weeks at a time, before being able to take one home.
Orders for the new auto poured in from a variety of governments and police agencies from around the globe, the Middle East, Central America (which has long relied on Ruger performance, Europe, Asia, and many others. One the first American police departments to adopt Ruger’s big 9mm was California’s very own San Diego Police Department.
Many of you are already aware of GUNS magazine’s sister publication, American Handgunner. What you may not be aware of is Roy Huntington, resident guru and editor of AH, spent more than two decades wearing the badge of a San Diego police officer. Roy informed me the other day that he was one of the first officers to carry the P-85 as his duty weapon. It came straight from the factory, Roy gobbled it up, and the rest is history. Roy described the Ruger P-85 as, “tank tough, solid performing, and utterly reliable.” Roy’s judgement of the P-85 mirrors that of many street soldiers who have had the pleasure of living with one day in and day out.
Teething Problems
The future looked bright for the fledgling P-85, and rightly so, but a few bugs crawled out of the blueprint and needed a quick fix. If you will recall, unless you were born with hands the size of Paul Bunyan, the safety/decock levers were too small for average sized fingers to reach. Cries also reached the ears of Ruger that the pistol’s accuracy was not quite up to par. I personally tested three of the P-85s when they were first offered, and while not tack drivers, they were clearly more than adequate for any application for which they were designed.
Rumors began floating around about broken firing pins and accidental discharges involving the P-85. If I’m no mistaken, there was only one reported incident of a broken firing pin and subsequent AD, but charges such as these have sounded the death toll for many handgun designs. As was his custom when consumer safety was involved, Ruger ordered the problem fixed. It was, and at the same time they made the safety/decock levers larger to accommodate shooters with smaller hands. This upgraded version of the P-85 was christened the P-85 MK-II. Another upgrade in the design soon followed and the final version, the one we enjoy, shoot, and rely on today, is called the P-89.
Not content to rest on their collective laurels, Ruger soon had a .45 auto on the drawing board. Introduced to the shooting public as the Ruger P-90, this seven shot .45 auto was conceived as a duty/self-defense pistol, but as is often the case with Ruger handguns, we found out it served double duty as a target gun. Out of the box, with no modifications, using most any ammunition on hand, this full-sized .45 would and will group under two inches, usually closer to an inch and a half, at 25 yards. That is pretty impressive for a handgun that retails for under $600.
S&W and Winchester joined forces in the late 1980s to introduce what could arguably be described as the best all-around law enforcement and self-defense cartridge since the man-stopping .45 ACP was conceptualized–the .40 S&W. Ruger geared up and started producing the .40 S&W chambered P-91 in 1991. It was an instant hit, no pun intended, right from the start, and has been a top seller since its initial offering.
The Ruger P-series handguns, the P-89, P-90, and the P-91, have been commercial success stories for the nice folks at Ruger. They presented us with three quality autos that were reliable to a fault, accurate, and bull strong. They could have stopped there, counted their money, and went along to some other project. Gladly, this wasn’t the case.
Trim, slim, and with just a bit of raciness thrown in for good measure was the next P-series handgun to be offered–the P-93 9mm. This new pistol was slightly more compact than previous P-series autos but featured the same inherent accuracy as its bigger cousins. The front end of the frame was also given a slight taper, which greatly aided in holstering the weapon and looked good to boot. A .40 caliber version soon followed, designated the P-94, which was basically the same handgun as the P-93, just in a different caliber.
Inevitable Development
What happened next should have come us no surprise to anyone, but being somewhat slow, I failed to see it coming and was pleasantly surprised. Ruger’s P-series autos went polymer. I was fortunate enough to be able to wring out one of the first polymer-framed Rugers, the P-95 chambered in 9mm, soon after they were available.
Accuracy was what I had come to expect from the P-series pistols in 9mm, averaging between two and three inches at 25 yards with a variety of ammo. Reliability has never been a problem in P-series guns, and the one I tested was no exception. No malfunctions of any kinds reared their ugly heads to mar the reputation of this fine handgun.
Soon after the P-95 paraded through the marketplace, Ruger stepped forward with the P-97. The P-97 and the P-95 are basically fraternal twins. Super strong polymer frames support both; rugged construction is standard throughout, and both are exceptionally accurate, the only difference is the P-97 is chambered in the powerful and popular .45 ACP.
The current Ruger catalog lists 28 different versions of P-series handguns. To date, just over two million Ruger P-series semi-autos have been sold which translates into something along the order of 125,000 pistols each year since their introduction. Not a bad track record for a company that got its start building accurate .22 autos in a red barn. And they said that upstart Yankee gunmaker would never last. I guess he showed them!
Recently I was invited by the guys at Federal and Speer to take part in testing some of their new products. Ruger was kind enough to send along three current samples of their P-series pistols, which included a P-90.45 auto, a P-91 chambered in .40 S&W and a P 89 reamed to 9mm. Approximately twelve gunwriters showed up to sample the latest handgun ammo from Speer and Federal.
I quickly commandeered the Ruger autos and promptly gave them a thorough workout. All three were super accurate, which I credit more to the accurate ammunition and superior construction of the guns titan to my shooting ability. Reliability was 100-percent with several different types of amino, which is what I’ve come to expect from Ruger handguns.
I don’t know how many rounds were fired through the three Rugers that day, but most every, writer, along with the guys from Federal and Speer, ran at least a box of ammunition through them. There were no stoppages, no malfunctions, and no complaints from anyone. The general consensus was Ruger autos are super handguns. That is a royal compliment issuing from a bunch of grizzled old gunwriters.
If you are interested in purchasing a handgun for self-defense, law enforcement work, or just plain old plinking, you may want to consider a Ruger P-series pistol. They are accurate, reliable and bull strong handguns. priced to fit in the average workingman’s budget. You already know this, but sometimes we should give credit where it is due, and Bill Ruger and his team definitely deserve their share. I can’t wait to see what’s next!
FOR MORE INFORMATION:
Sturm Ruger And Co.
[520] 541-8820
www.ruger-firearms.com
COPYRIGHT 2004 Publishers’ Development Corporation
COPYRIGHT 2003 Gale Group
