Bought It
I went to my local dealer to take a look, and I liked the feel, the size, and the fact that it operates the same way as my M&P 9c. I like the trigger pull better than that of the Smith. Two of the guys behind the counter carry them, and I lucked into a sale.
I intend to clean and shoot it today before trusting it for carry. I picked up a little Galco OWB holster that will work until I can order what I want. The set-up is very comfortable around the house.
I read as much as could find about the barrel peening issue, and the problem seems to have arisen most often a couple of years ago. When I bought my M&P 9c more than four years ago, there were reports of barrel defects all over the web. Those things are unfortunate, but they are usually resolved. My dealer thinks that in Ruger's case, they have been. The had not been able to get the guns for a while.
I had been carrying the S&W 9c, a .45 STC Guardian, or one of two J-frames. A recent discussion here caused me to decide to place less reliance on the five shot revolvers as primary carry pieces.
I started out looking at several pistols; size, ergonomics, or a single column magazine eliminated many. The lack of a separate safety ruled out several. I considered the BHP, but it is a little large and I would have had to have a different safely installed. There are no CZ 75 Compacts around to look at; and the order time is indefinite except for the RAMI, and I prefer the Ruger over that one. The M&P models on the shelf did not have the frame mounted safety. That narrowed the choice down to the Ruger, and while I haven't fired it yet, I do not see any negatives.
