Opinions on the Ruger American 9 mm pistol?

Status
Not open for further replies.
I think what is interesting, were the reviews on line before the RAP series pistols were available to the general buying public. It hurt my hands comment of online reviewers, generally stopped as the RAP became more widely distributed. Its almost the equivalent of stories concerning the 1911A1 recoil be described as harsh by individuals which was more like word of mouth as opposed to actual usage.
 
I did a search here and did not find very much on the Ruger American 9 mm pistol. If anyone has an opinion on it as a nightstand/HD/maybe carried pistol, please share your insights.

My experience with it is very limited, but I think American is a giant meh with weird ergonomics. I can name guns that do anything it offers, better. This includes the fully ambidextrous controls (1). But there's nothing fundamentally wrong with it either. I'd take American over a Canik or a number of other guns with great reviews on Youtube. It's better than Remington RP for sure. But make sure to hold it at least. It really feels different.

ruger_american.jpg

(1) FN 509, H&K VP9. They may be more expensive though. The XD has an ambidextrous magazine release, but not ambidextrous slide stop.
 
Last edited:
Actually it is quite painless process. If you can be down for about a week without the gun. No $ out of your pocket. With their prepaid box, you send in the slide/barrel/recoil spring. They'll inspect slide and replace if necessary. Replace the barrel. And you have it back in no time.

I'm one of those "don't fix it if it ain't broke" kinda guys.
 
Maybe it's because I have small size hands but I didn't care for the grip design of the Ruger American Pistol. Same with the Security 9 though I also felt that Ruger cut too many corners when making this gun to a certain price point. I'm still very pleased with the overall design, fit and finish, and ergonomics of my SR9c. The trigger and sights are great and the gun just feels like it was made for my hand size.

6qvaE77.jpg
 
When they hadn't been out too long I got my wife a Ruger American Pistol. Yep, it is big & heavy. That's fine she is averse to recoil so I wanted a full sized 9 for her. She doesn't shoot much so there haven't been that many rounds put through hers but it is fine. It works & is accurate. I don't usually play with it as she likes to keep the smallest grip module on it which doesn't really work for my hands. I know I could change it out. I just don't want to hassle with it. In my mind it is a good gun at a reasonable price (they can be found for around $300).

I kind of wanted to like the SR series but I disliked the magazine disconnect safety design. Some folks love them. I haven't looked lately but both of these pistols were available online for around $300 recently.

It really comes down to preferences. I believe either would work. It just depends on what you want.
 
Maybe it's because I have small size hands but I didn't care for the grip design of the Ruger American Pistol. Same with the Security 9 though I also felt that Ruger cut too many corners when making this gun to a certain price point. I'm still very pleased with the overall design, fit and finish, and ergonomics of my SR9c. The trigger and sights are great and the gun just feels like it was made for my hand size.

View attachment 870434

And yet, I have a size large hand and the SR9C feels like a perfect fit. And yes, love this gun.
 
I had a SR9 for a while and it worked very well for me and was quite accurate for a cheap gun. I'd recommend one to anyone looking for a serviceable SD weapon on a budget. But the SR9 just isn't designed to be robust enough for the guy who shoots a lot and plans to do it long term. Especially with hotter loads. The American is. As well as most of the the other common service pistols issued for LE and military use.

That said, I just didn't like the American. I think it is a very good weapon, but I have others that I like better.
 
Practically speaking, a big drawback for me is not having an optics-ready model. In my opinion, the M&P 2.0 is a better pistol. It's just as all-American and less of a Glock copy. But it also suffers from no optics-ready versions. There are some 2.0 CORE's out there, but S&W does not list them and they don't appear to be generally available or at all. A concern I have is that if the factory is unwilling to offer cut slides, there may be a reason and just having it custom-cut invites the unknown.
I haven't thought about this before, but you're right. Ruger doesn't currently offer any semi auto pistols with a slide milled for optics. For all the advancements Ruger has pushed the market towards (better triggers in the single stack .380 and 9mm micro pistols) they really have forgotten about the move with optics in regards to full size pistols.

The argument could be made that Ruger has been dropped the ball with decisions for their full size pistols going back to the SR line and the mag disconnect and gawdy LCI, but that gun was at least robust and quite popular as well as affordable.

You having mentioned the lack of optics support tho really puts to bed a thought I've had with Ruger in that they're better at making small, light CCW guns like the LCP/LC9 than they are with the full size pistols. Heck, I could say the same in regards to the LCR and the SP101/GP100.
 
Ruger doesn't currently offer any semi auto pistols with a slide milled for optics.
I find it interesting that their own accessories store, shopruger.com, sells an adapter plate for Burris FastFIre on the American, which I thought used a regular Docter interface actually. Gosh guys, stop dragging your feet and mill a slide already.
 
Last edited:
But the SR9 just isn't designed to be robust enough for the guy who shoots a lot and plans to do it long term.
What data do you have to verify this opinion?
I've got thousands of rounds through mine with no noticeable wear. If i weren't out of town I'd dig out several periodicals that shot the crap out of this gun - tens of thousands of rounds - without so much as a malfunction.
It amuses me to read opinions of the SR9 as a "Good first budget gun." I had resources enough to buy what i wanted when this gun came into my possession. It has proven to be a wise purchase, a trigger topping most guns twice its price, way more accurate than I am, and utterly 100% reliable. What else does this gun need to do to earn its place as a serious SD firearm?

BTW...I've checked out all the new whiz-bangs since I bought my SR9c... they stayed on the shelf and the SR9 stayed in my holster. I have bought other guns... smaller for pocket carry, but still consider the SR9c my "go-to" gun.

Back to the RAP.
 
Last edited:
The grip on the RAP Compact fits me very well. The palm swell is located in the right place. My issue with double stacks is trigger reach length. I wear a medium glove size and the small size back strap is just right. It’s a true single action striker, so the trigger break seems crisp to me. The take up on the trigger took some practice. The weight keeps the sights on target during recoil, which I like.
At the time, the RAPc was over $100 less than my other choice - the S&W M&P 9c, so that was also a factor.
I like the look of the gun, but I also like the looks of the R51, so maybe I have strange taste.
 
The grip on the RAP Compact fits me very well. The palm swell is located in the right place. My issue with double stacks is trigger reach length. I wear a medium glove size and the small size back strap is just right. It’s a true single action striker, so the trigger break seems crisp to me. The take up on the trigger took some practice. The weight keeps the sights on target during recoil, which I like.
At the time, the RAPc was over $100 less than my other choice - the S&W M&P 9c, so that was also a factor.
I like the look of the gun, but I also like the looks of the R51, so maybe I have strange taste.

My experience as well.
 
I haven't thought about this before, but you're right. Ruger doesn't currently offer any semi auto pistols with a slide milled for optics. For all the advancements Ruger has pushed the market towards (better triggers in the single stack .380 and 9mm micro pistols) they really have forgotten about the move with optics in regards to full size pistols.

The argument could be made that Ruger has been dropped the ball with decisions for their full size pistols going back to the SR line and the mag disconnect and gawdy LCI, but that gun was at least robust and quite popular as well as affordable.

You having mentioned the lack of optics support tho really puts to bed a thought I've had with Ruger in that they're better at making small, light CCW guns like the LCP/LC9 than they are with the full size pistols. Heck, I could say the same in regards to the LCR and the SP101/GP100.
Doesn't seem like that's in Ruger's lane. They seem to be more interested in offering low cost affordable pistols. Such as alternatives to Taurus, SCCY, Kel Tec, and other less expensive pistols. The optic in most cases would cost just as much if not more than the gun it's being mounted on.

I personally don't see an optic version aka more expensive version of Ruger's polymer line pistols selling well or being all that popular with the typical Ruger customer base beyond a small demographic.
 
Doesn't seem like that's in Ruger's lane. They seem to be more interested in offering low cost affordable pistols. Such as alternatives to Taurus, SCCY, Kel Tec, and other less expensive pistols. The optic in most cases would cost just as much if not more than the gun it's being mounted on.

I personally don't see an optic version aka more expensive version of Ruger's polymer line pistols selling well or being all that popular with the typical Ruger customer base beyond a small demographic.
I agree, but what they're currently offering in the RAP isn't lighting their typical target demographic on fire and things are only going to get worse for them as the P365 style pistols start to become more common and make the LC9s/EC9s and Security 9 less desirable.
 
I agree, but what they're currently offering in the RAP isn't lighting their typical target demographic on fire and things are only going to get worse for them as the P365 style pistols start to become more common and make the LC9s/EC9s and Security 9 less desirable.
I agree that the RAP9 isn't that popular with their target demographic or any demographic. It was produced with a military contract in mind and not consumers. I don't see it lasting the test of time.

I disagree... The P365 is double the price of what Ruger offers, and is targeted towards a completely different buyer. Heck, I don't even own a P365 or Hellcat, but I'd be more like to part with $200-$300 for a RAP9, EC9s, Security 9 before I'd pony up an extra $250-$300+ for the extra rounds... I don't see the P365 pulling sales from Taurus, Hi Point, SCCY, or Ruger.
 
Last edited:
The RAP was designed, I think, to compete with duty type of guns like the VP9, APX, PPQ, and M&P 9. Of these, it seems like the M&P has had the most success in crossing into the civilian concealed carry market. I didn’t include Glock because they are a market unto themselves.
 
I subscribe to the NRA publication Shooting Illustrated, thus I maintain a file of. The June 2016 issue had a featured article (4) pages in length covering the RAP series 9X19mm and 45ACP. The written review is and was positive and parallels my own experience. I wonder about the credibility of viewpoints on forums, if the authors there of, have/had actual hands on experience or were voicing opinions not based on actual experience.
 
What data do you have to verify this opinion?
I've got thousands of rounds through mine with no noticeable wear. If i weren't out of town I'd dig out several periodicals that shot the crap out of this gun - tens of thousands of rounds - without so much as a malfunction.
It amuses me to read opinions of the SR9 as a "Good first budget gun." I had resources enough to buy what i wanted when this gun came into my possession. It has proven to be a wise purchase, a trigger topping most guns twice its price, way more accurate than I am, and utterly 100% reliable. What else does this gun need to do to earn its place as a serious SD firearm?

BTW...I've checked out all the new whiz-bangs since I bought my SR9c... they stayed on the shelf and the SR9 stayed in my holster. I have bought other guns... smaller for pocket carry, but still consider the SR9c my "go-to" gun.

Back to the RAP.

Ruger designed and built the American Pistol as a more robust service-grade "weapon" versus the SR-series. And looking at the size and number of parts between the 2, the components of the American Pistol are generally heavier and thicker than the SR. jmr40 is absolutely right, the SR-series is a "consumer" grade piece, while the RAP was targeted as a more serious, "professional" level piece of hardware. The thumb safety in the SR-series has always struck me as an after-thought, added because it seemed like a good idea, but kind of small and awkwardly located for quick use. The loaded chamber indicator on the top of the slide is a bit obtrusive to me. And the issues related to the SR's magazine safety are well known. The whole pistol is just kind of "thrown together" in my mind. To say nothing of the early recall due to the SR triggers experiencing the same drop-inertia phenomenon that surfaced on the SIG 320-series. (Turns out Glock knew what they were doing with the little trigger-dingus, and S&W with the hinged M&P trigger.)

Quite frankly, Ruger's reputation and bread and butter have always been delivering workable, working-man's grade firearms at an affordable price. Their products have always been a little behind in the refinement, fit and finish of more expensive guns. I say this having owned my share of Ruger rifles, pistols and revolvers. I have my grandfather's early Model 77 in .308. It's a solid rifle, but I prefer even an inexpensive Remington 700 ADL, as it has fewer sharp edges, operates more smoothly, the stock fits me better and is likely more accurate. And this applies across the board with Ruger's offerings: they're good, but if you compare them to some of the competitors that they're touted to be "just as good as", you'll notice the lack of refinement right off.

I think the problem with the RAP is too little, too late, with too much "me too". It's a good pistol, it's just competing for attention in an over-saturated market segment.
 
Status
Not open for further replies.
Back
Top