Ruger P89

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I am getting my first 9mm and am looking for something cheap to take to the range. I have done a little research and looked around town at the gun shops and it seems that the P89 would be a decent choice. Does anybody have any opinions on this gun or an idea of a better gun for me (while staying within roughly the same price range)?

 

[brett30030]

It was my first pistol, it is now my night stand gun. I still shoot it from time to time. The p89 is what i would consider a "work horse" gun. It is heavy, not particularly flashy or glamorous, reliable, and dependable. I think it is a fantastic choice for a first 9mm, especially considering what you are getting for the price.

 

[[email protected]]

Thanks, my virginia liscence turns over 30 days old on the 19th so I will be going to get it then.

 

[Fun2Shoot]

The Ruger line of semi-auto's is a fine place to start or stay. I had a Ruger P95DC 9mm that I shot a lot and it was fine in all ways.

Rugers have good quality and a real good value for the money.

I've also had a Ruger .41 mag revolver and a Ruger P345, 45acp semi-auto, though I own no Rugers at this time.

 

[BoneDigger]

Ruger

Ruger makes some very nice firearms for the money. I presently have a P90, which is the .45 version of the P series, and it is a fun gun to shoot. It's accurate, low recoil, and never has issues with extraction or feeding. They are a heck of a good buy and I have heard nothing but good things about the P89 and P95 (9mm) versions either. I do recommend going ahead and getting a Hogue rubber grip for it though.

Todd

 

[20yearvet]

I had both a P89 and a P85 - very similar if not identical.

The P89 was my first semi-auto handgun and I put alot of rounds through it. Very accurate and never a jam or a misfeed. My brother-in-law has it now.

The P85 I had was my Dad's and it came to me after he passed away. My nephew has it now (we're the only two males left in the family) after we "re-crossleveled" my Dad's collection.

I highly recommend a P89 or P85. The only reason I got rid of mine were because I got a Browning Hi-Power and after shooting it, I will not have any other 9mm than that. If you're willing to spend a couple hundred bucks extra, I would recommend the BHP. If you're on a $300 or so budget, go for the P89 or P85.

 

[MCgunner]

Got a P85, had a P95, but my absolute favorite P pistol is the P90. It ain't the caliber I like better, it's the gun. The trigger is MUCH better, the accuracy is 2.5 TIMES better (one inch five shot groups at 25 yards are the norm), and the gun is actually lighter than the listed weight of the P85. The P85 lists at 39 ounces, the P90 and the P89 at 33. That confuses me a bit, but the P90 IS more comfy to wear all day. I've shot this gun so much, I sort of have a zen with it.

If nothing else, Rugers work and Rugers last. They're tough to extremes.

 

[the pistolero]

Does anybody have any opinions on this gun or an idea of a better gun for me (while staying within roughly the same price range)?

The Ruger P89 is a fine sidearm for the money. Not all that much to look at, but it'll do whatever you need it to do (well, as much as can be done with the 9mm cartridge ), eat whatever you feed it and beg for more. I'll never part with mine -- or my P90, for that matter. I don't have the Hogue rubber grips on it yet (only have them on my P90), but I'll be getting those soon.

 

[bakert]

I'll more than likely buy a P89 someday. Just as soon as I wear this old P85 out.

 

[jimmyraythomason]

P series Rugers

I have owned a P89DC stainless 15rd and a FEG and a Browning Hi-Power in 9mm. The Ruger was by far my favorite. I didn't like the Browning at all (terrible trigger)! I have 2 P90s also stainless (one was stolen). For my money you can't beat the P series Rugers for rugged reliability at reasonable cost. Note, I only got rid of my P89DC because a fellow gave me a Ruger Super Blackhawk 44mag and Bianchi X15 leather shoulder rig for it.

 

[Jkwas]

It was my first auto and I still have it. Shoots great, never malfunctions. Never. Accurate, easy to break down and maintain. It's a standard, like a Model 10 revolver. Everyone should have one. Only negative: Not a very practical carry weapon. Great range gun and home defense gun.

 

[45crittergitter]

I agree with the other posters - it's a very good gun. You may want to also check out the Taurus 24/7. Some people find that it's the most ergonomic.

 

[Navy87Guy]

The P89 is a great handgun - solid, reliable, accurate...and BIG! I had one and my wife didn't like it at all. She did, however, like the Ruger P93. In fact, she liked it so much that it became her gun -- until she tried my Beretta PX4 Storm! The P93 is very similar to the P89, just a little smaller. It also has serrations on the back of the slide which make cocking it easier (for me). I have a side-by-side picture of the P89 and P93 on my website, here: http://users.adelphia.net/~navy87guy/ruger.html There are some more pics of the P93, here: http://users.adelphia.net/~navy87guy/p93.html

The P93 is in the same price range as the P89. It uses the same magazines (I have 17-rd MecGars) and it's just as accurate. I also added some Meprolight night sights recently. Whichever gun you get, I recommend getting a Wolff reduced power hammer spring. It lightens up the trigger pull significantly (and Rugers have a very heavy trigger!)

I'd recommend you check out the P93 as an alternative to the P89. Both are great guns but you may find the P93 more to your liking.

Hope this helps,

Jim

 

[HiroProX]

I have a P85 Mk2, and I rather enjoy it. Yes it is heavier than later Ruger P series pistols, or most other full size 9mm pistols, but it's reliable and durable which counts a lot since I shoot rather high volumes of ammo.

I've always tended to prefer .45ACP and 10mm pistols before, and I love my .41Mag. If anything, the P85 convinced me to make my next handgun purchase a P90.

 

[MCgunner]

The Ruger was by far my favorite. I didn't like the Browning at all (terrible trigger)!

Wow, that's interesting. The P85/89 is a great gun, but my example isn't the best trigger I've ever felt. That Browning must suck. OTOH, maybe I got a good example, but the trigger on my P90 is awesome! the transition from DA to SA is almost un-noticable. It really makes shooting fun. The P85 really ain't THAT bad, just when I pick up the P90, there is just no comparison. The P90's trigger is really slick. You couldn't break either gun in 3 lifetimes of shooting, why I like Rugers, revolver or automatic.

The only pic I have of my P85 seems to be a side-by-side with my Kel Tec P11. Call it "the P guns". The one with the targets is my P90.

 

[jimmyraythomason]

Ruger triggers

Both of my P90s had excellent triggers SA and DA. My P89DC was a bit stiffer DA and reasonable SA. The aforementioned High-Power took both hands and a red face to fire! I traded it for a Dan Wesson D11 w/combat grips a leather swing holster,100 rounds of ammo AND $127.00 cash. Not bad for a pistol that cost me less than $150.00 in the first place. I bought it new in 1975 and it was one of the first with an adjustable rear sight.

 

[George S.]

Got to agree on the P89. I have a P89TH and it was my first semi-auto pistol. It's currently my home defense weapon as it has never failed me after about 1500 rounds of assorted 9mm rounds. Winchester White Box, UMC, Federal, Wolf, reloads and all in bullet weights from the basic 115gr to 147gr Remington Golden Saber 147gr JHP's (current defensive load).

Ruger makes some very strong handguns and while it may not look "prettah" it is a dependable pistol that is well made and designed for tough conditions.

When I bought it in '03, the gunshop was having a 10% off sale and Ruger had a $40 rebate going on. The out the door price was just under $300 for a NIB P89. Although the TH model only came with one mag, I have since bought 4 more.

It's physcially similar in size to my 1911 and the recoil is very manageable with most all factory ammo. It's more accurate than I am but if I do my part, 3" groupings at 25 yards is normal for me.

 

[New_geezer]

Hard to argue with the many kudos already given

My only adds - it is a big gun with a long trigger pull. It's hard to imagine anyone with smallish hands being comfortable with it. Even my medium sized hands found it a little awkward at first. After many rounds and lots of dry firing the trigger has smoothed up nicely. A friend who shoots a Berretta 92 recently fired it for the second time and was surprized how much better it felt over the first time he shot it, which was right after I purchased it.

The Hogue grips are a definite plus

 

[myusername]

I just put the Hogue grips on mine today. They came in quick from Midway.

I think they feel great and I hope they help with control as I have small hands.

Crappy phone pic:

 

[Greg8098]

Ruger is just fine.

I used to own a Ruger P97 in .45 acp. It was my first major caliber handgun. I traded it away over a year ago, but have nothing but fond memories for it. It was a very good firearm, durable, reasonably more accurate than me, and easy to clean. I don't think you can go wrong with a Ruger. I have a new P95 in 9mm on the way and can't wait.

 

[Rugerdaddy]

"I am getting my first 9mm and am looking for something cheap to take to the range. I have done a little research and looked around town at the gun shops and it seems that the P89 would be a decent choice. Does anybody have any opinions on this gun or an idea of a better gun for me (while staying within roughly the same price range)?"

I own a P90 (aluminum frame) and my son owns a P345 (polymer frame), both .45 caliber, but similar respectively to the P89 and P95. The P90 is heavier and the grip feels larger than the P345, as I believe the P89 would compared to the P95. Guessing from the "kathy" part that you are a woman, you might find the P95 feels better in your hand- a little lighter (5 oz.) and smaller. However, it is entirely possible that you would prefer the heavier P89. I would suggest you go to a gun shop that has the P89 and P95, and try the feel of both, to see which you prefer. Additionally, some gun ranges/rooms rent guns to shoot. You might see if it's possible to shoot both the P89 and P95, as well, which would really help you see which you prefer.

Regardless, a Ruger is an excellent choice- though we prefer "inexpensive" to "cheap", and superb quality and reliability. I have never seen a Ruger fail to function perfectly. Good luck.

 

[kir_kenix]

a ruger is an awsome place to start. my first centerfire that i got for myself was a ruger p94. it was an excelent gun. seems to me that all ruger da/sa have mushy triggerst that take a little getting used to, but easily managable. unfortunatley that gun was stolen by my roomates "friends" and i have not yet replaced it.

 

[doubleg]

i rented one before at the range several years ago. great pistol only thing i didnt like was the mag release.

 

[jimmyraythomason]

P series Rugers

I'll second that on the P89s mag release. I much prefer the ambi thumb release on the P90.

 

[woolfam]

I had a P95 and now have a P93. The deciding factor to me was that the P95, by design, did not allow the use of after-market grips. Adding the Hogue grips to the P93 made a significant improvement in my accuracy / ability to control the pistol. I concur with the posters’ opinions thus far – the P-series guns are great starter guns.