they need to change "  poised to dominate" to   " able to compete in an already crowded market"

LOL

Ruger might be a little late out of the gate here.  It is hard to argue that point.

Better late than never?

It not a killer of anything.  

The price is no better or worse than much more proven platforms.  

They will sell to Ruger lovers but that's about it.

The price will come down.  Quite a bit would be my guess.  As much or less than the M&P.  Just give it time.

Ruger makes foxnews.com

Some of the features of the new American are detailed here:

I bought one, and it was 10 dollars more than an SR9.  Street price here is 449.00, not a bad deal. I am happy with the pistol, and I think Ruger has a winner here.

Nice.

Give us a range report ASAP.

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Kinda want one now. The expensive magazines are a huge turn off though.

There is one being offered in the EE already for $450.

When it was first released, I thought it was ugly as sin.

Now I'm kinda thinkin' it's actually good looking, and that I oughta buy one.

Ruger should just bring the P series back. Do new designs like the P345 without all the lawyer shit.

and plenty closing on GB with 0 bids and $425 no reserve too

Got mine on GB for $376.

Hell, if I stumbled across one in a gun store for $376, I'd be walking out of there with it.  I don't care what anyone says, that's a great deal!

obviously, because reviews have been less than stellar for sure

it may be a nice gun but its no Glock Killer

I managed to check out a SIG 320 yesterday. I have seen a few of these before but it has always been at a gunshow or similar venue. This was my first chance to actually extensively dry fire one, take it apart, etc.

After examining the SIG, the design similarities become fairly obvious. Both guns use an internal "chassis" that is removable to house the trigger and sear components within the plastic frame.

The Ruger and SIG both hold 17 rounds and are very close in size and weight. The Ruger is 1.75 pounds empty while the SIG is 1.60 pounds.



Both pistols are shown using the medium grip pieces. Note that the Ruger is slightly thinner. It feels more rigid than the SIG. Not quite as "plasticy."



Overall height is pretty close too.



Complaints about the SIG:

I don't like the front lip on the mag well. It has been my experience that pistols with a flange or extended lip on the front can sometimes be difficult to reload.

The trigger is spongy and not as crisp as the Ruger. But is does seem to have a bit shorter reset.

I don't care for the SIG's mag release. As on the Gen4 Glocks, I can release the mag by applying pressure with my right-hand middle finger. The Ruger's release button is smaller and more out of the way.
Note the lack of a trigger safety on the SIG.





While similar in overall height, the Ruger's chassis isn't as tall so the frame tang is higher. I prefer this because it allows a higher grip. The SIG feels really tall in my hand and, as a result, feels rather top heavy.



I haven't had the chance to actually shoot the SIG but will sometime this coming week.


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Odd, but for some reason I agree

I'm getting interested myself.

I guess I'm always down for a new gun from Ruger---but the price will have to come down-----not paying Glock type money for a Ruger.

as stated, they are selling for a hair over (or under) $400 on gunbroker daily

I still pay Blue Label pricing.... still not good enough for me to buy.

 

Unlike the Gen 4 Glock I had, the Ruger American did not throw brass at my head.   It was reliable, as accurate as my Glocks, and had no failures of any kind.  Nice pistol.  

That said, it did not remarkably out perform the Glock, so I will probably go trade it in at the LGS.  I was curious so I bought the pistol and took it shooting, mission accomplished.  Only way I could really find out.

There is no .40 option at this time any way.

http://www.ruger.com/products/rugerAmericanPistol/models.html

lol, the Glock actually died, but the VP9 and American still lived. Glock killer indeed

18:37 mark.

sounds like a good way to lose money quickly

Further reasom not to care.

 

I bought it to shoot it, this I did.   I was curious, it looked like a good design and is.    I will probably loose money, but my LGS treats people good.

The pistol felt a lot like shooting the BHP, but no hammer bight.  

*One nice thing is how wide the ejection port is on the 9mm one.   The opening is huge.   Really easy to eject a loaded cartridge.

The G and A article on it is pretty fascinating.

Yeah we made it to meet government standards for the new pistol trials, but we don't know if we'll enter it because the gov is cheap and will end up making the ammo at lake city and the lowest bidder will end up making the guns. IF they want to buy our guns off the shelf awesome!


I am going to check it out and see how it feels.

Don't think it will replace my P95DC.

Comp-Tac is now making holsters for the American.  Most everything they offer is now available for this pistol.

NO SHIT.  Sig Mags aint that expensive.  I've shot a lot of Glocks a lot and none ever left me bleeding either.  Fanboy alert!

I got to try the American today. It is the best Ruger I have ever tried. It is 95% of a H&K VP9 at 75% of the price. The mags are cheaper too.

That would be a big NOPE. Look at the MSRP on Ruger's site for it, impossible to be reduced at 75% because the math is wrong. In fact, PSA is selling VP9's right now for $549....just $10 cheaper more than a G17.

Sorry, I was thinking locally, where a VP9 is 600 and the Ruger is 450.

ETA- BTW, comparing Ruger's MSRP to a PSA price is not really fair. MSRP to MSRP, the Ruger is 80% of the VP9's cost.

Yeah I know, Ruger's site and their web store are full of prices. I think the comparison is better matched between a Sig P320 versus the Ruger American to be honest.

I actually shot all three today (factory demo day at the LGS).  I could be happy with any of them. The state of polymer pistols is amazing. That said, I think the P320's modularity sets it apart from the other two. Walther's  PPQ would be another fair comparison to the Ruger and H&K.

I'd have to get some range time with the American and the PPQ before I could qualify myself to have an actual opinion of those two designs. And you're right about the current state of polymer offerings. I don't know why some people on here are having very strong aversions to a growing market full of choices to choose from and just lash out at anything that has the potential to be a better tool for other people and agencies. I just don't get it. Our industry is growing which is a very good thing for all of us.

I own 1 Glock and several Rugers, but I don't think Glock has anything to worry about I didn't like it.

Went today and fingered one in 9mm. Ended up putting it on layaway and hope to get it out early next month. Here they were $470 with no tax. It'll be my first 9mm so it'll be fun trying to find some good ammo.


I honestly enjoyed the way it felt in my hand. Seemed perfect for me. Trigger was a bit odd coming from revolvers and Walther PP clones so time will tell there. Once I get it I hope to take some pictures and do a small write up.

I used my Ruger American on the IDPA classifier this morning.  I haven't shot IDPA since probably 2006 but I've always enjoyed the classifier.  It isn't the hardest or most demanding course of fire out there but it is a good mix of the basics and also gives me something to compare my performance with.  I shot a 106 and change with the pistol, making me an "Expert" in Stock Service Pistol.  Not too bad for a handgun I'm still kind of getting used to.  

I'm still not sure what to make of the American even though I've been messing around with it for the last four or five months.  On the one hand it seems durable, reliable and accurate.  On the other hand, it is a little funky ergonomically and there are other pistols out there (the M&P series) that I think feel a bit better in the hand.  Also, the Ruger has a somewhat heavy trigger that makes the pistol somewhat difficult to shoot but I don't think the trigger kept me from making master class or anything like that.  I do note that, at speed, the pistol seems to point a little high for me and I wound up throwing a round over the right-hand target while shooting around the barrel.

Overall, I'm pleased with my performance this morning and don't feel like I handicapped myself in any way with the Ruger.  I think I'll keep shooting competition with it over the summer and see how I feel about it at the end of the season.  



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Spare magazines are showing up on gunbroker. Best prices I've seen so far are $26 or so.

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I've been shooting and carrying my 9mm American now for about nine months.  Here are my current thoughts.

I have some mixed feelings about the American. On the one hand the gun has shown itself to be accurate and reliable. On the other, the ergonomics are a little funky and I find that the gun is very easy to push to one side or the other while shooting. I'm not sure why but I believe it is due to the fact that the trigger comes so far back into the frame during shooting that it is just natural to force your shooting hand to clench. Maybe a person with smaller hands might not notice this so much. I'm not a giant but I do wear an XL or XXL glove depending on the brand.  Switching grip panels doesn't seem to help and the large panel just feels too bulky.  

Another thing about the gun is it is too heavy, at least in the 9mm format. This makes for a softer shooting gun and one that'll probably last forever but it doesn't make for something that's particularly suited for carrying around all day. Another thing, and probably what bothers me most about the gun, is that the magazines rattle when inside the mag well. Ruger has shaped/sized the mag well so that an empty mag will drop free and a full mag will snap in easily but this allows a full mag to click and clack inside the frame. I notice that walking up and down stairs or moving at a brisk pace will bounce the mag around inside the frame and make some noise. It probably isn't loud enough for anyone else to hear but it still is disconcerting.

Another thing is I don't think Ruger's capitalizing on the modular aspect of the American. They should be selling new frames and slide components that allow shooters to shape and configure the American to best suite individual tastes and needs. They really need to get a 22LR kit out as well as a short slide kit and a compact frame shell. Allow owners to swap frame and slide components around the chassis like the SIG320. Otherwise the chassis system really serves no purpose.

In the end, the American is just another fairly standard striker-fired pistol in a market crowded with striker-fired pistols.  I commend Ruger for getting out of their comfort zone with the American. They are trying to modernize and introduce a "next generation" duty auto. But they aren't quite there yet. To be honest, I don't see the American offering anything to the consumer that can't be had from other more established pistols.

You nailed it on the wasted modular opportunity.  Ruger blew it big-time there.

Thank you for the honest review/opinion of the pistol.

Blew it past tense isn't correct since I still think there's time to launch a line of accessory frames and slides to take advantage of the frame module. I am actually surprised Ruger hasn't launched some kind of accessory parts already. Maybe they're waiting to see how the American does before investing more manufacturing capacity?



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Well, if they offer no incentive for people to buy it it won't sell well. But if they do offer a modular accessory set and the gun is a flop... they still lose money.

It is a risky lose/lose scenario for Ruger.


The American is an okay design in a crowded market still dominated by Glock. I keep saying thag modularity is a novelty and nothing more. Just like in the video game industry. Everyone wants backwards compatibility for their older games on newer systems. Yet in reality no one uses it when that feature actually comes out.

I do somewhat agree about the novelty aspect of modularity although I still think the concept offers some unique properties.

As an IPSC or IDPA shooter might want the ability to configure his one pistol in a manner that is USPSA production legal and also IDPA ESP devision legal just by swapping out a fairly inexpensive plastic frame housing. Or he might want to take his young child to the range and work with a 22LR for basic marskmanship practice.

But in reality most users would buy a gun and configure it in the slide length and grip frame configuration that they like best and then never modify the pistol beyond that one time setup.

As mentioned earlier in the thread, I believe the biggest benefit will be on a department or agency level. An officer can be issued one pistol and be accountable for one serialized part without having to be beholden to one pistol. He can go from a larger G17 for uniform carry to a G19 (or maybe even a 43 single stack) for off duty or plain clothed assignment. And he could even have a SIM or UTM kit that includes a new frame that will only accept a dedicated paint marking magazine.

Of course none of this matters without the parts for swapping. Nor will it matter if the new parts are the same price as another pistol.


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