Ruger American Pistol?

On a whim today I picked up a Ruger American Compact pistol in 9mm. I have to give Ruger credit for two things: the gun can be taken down without having to pull the trigger (Glock), and there's no little flappy thing in the magazine well that needs to be moved (S&W M&P). The trigger feels very smooth and the reset is very distinct (although you have to release the trigger a good ways before it resets), so hopefully it'll work well at the range.

Has anyone found a decent OWB holster for this gun? I'm not interested in a generic holster or one of those heated-up-kydex things ... my general preference is for a Safariland ALS style, but the ALS is sadly not offered for this gun (yet?).

Mike

Bring it to Cabela's there is a BLACKHAWK!® SERPA Holster for a Ruger SR9c that MAY! fit (there is 1 left)
Wingate

wcweir3 said:

Bring it to Cabela's there is a BLACKHAWK!® SERPA Holster for a Ruger SR9c that MAY! fit (there is 1 left)
Wingate

Click to expand...

Thanks; I'll go check it out. I don't know if the American Pistol is holster-compatible with the SR9C, but it's definitely worth trying.

Mike

Either way when you get over there they let you try it and all the different holsters that might fit

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I haven't had time to holster shop for it yet, but I did put a few hundred rounds through it at the range.

Initial impressions are good. Despite being a plastic-fantastic (and a compact one at that), the gun has a very solid feel in hand. Magazines load positively, and the ambidextrous magazine release does exactly what it's supposed to.

Every time I've held a Ruger American pistol in the gun store, I've been impressed with the trigger. It has the crisp break that the Apex trigger in my S&W M&P has, and a very positive (and audible) reset. If I had to complain about anything, it would be the long reset ... but that's a small grievance for an otherwise excellent pistol.

The Novak sights are bright and clear, and my first three rounds (at 45 feet, with a cold gun) were all in the 2" bullseye ring. This has some of the most manageable recoil of any of the semi-compact 9mm's I've tried. Yes, I'd rather be shooting one of my full-sized rigs, but they don't conceal under a light jacket nearly as well as this would.

Takedown is smooth: drop the mag and show clear, lock the slide back, swivel the takedown lever about 90 degrees and release the slide. No need to pull the trigger. The innards look similar to the M&P, and it only took me a few minutes to run a bore snake through it, clean the major residue off and give it a drop of life on each slide rail.

The case is also very nice: a hard plastic case with spaces for the gun, two extra magazines, grip adapters, and the other little bits and pieces. The top of the case also has a spot for the trigger lock, which beats the heck out of having it flop around (as it does in many other cases). The gun came with a 12 round magazine and a 17 round magazine, a plastic grip extension that slides over the 17 round mag, an flat mag foot for the 12 round mag (the one the mag comes with has a little lip for your finger), a red chamber flag (nice touch!), a Torx key for changing the grip panel, two extra grip panels (presumably different sizes; I haven't fiddled with them yet), the lock, and the paperwork.

I paid $399 for the gun at the Alexandria gun show this past weekend, and I'm entirely happy with the purchase. My usual winter carry guns are my full-size S&W M&P and a S&W Model 65 revolver. In the summer I generally go to my M&P Shield, which is thinner and prints less with light clothes. This will be a nice in-between—when I'd like something a bit heftier than the Shield, but I'm not looking to carry a full-sized hog leg.

The Ruger doesn't have the vibrant aftermarket that the Glock and the S&W enjoy, so this probably isn't your gun if you're looking to pimp it out. But for an out-of-the-box plastic compact at a reasonable price, it's worth considering. And I generally hold Ruger in high regard, so I don't mind giving them a few of my shekels for a quality product like this.

Mike

Ruger has been putting out solid new products for the last few years, glad you are enjoying your new purchase.

Good to know. Been wanting to pick one up but have never been impressed with the horrible SR series triggers. Assuming these are an improvement?