Ruger American and American Compact Pistols

[djk5279]

Very disappointed in Ruger with these pistols.  They are way too thick and blocky and way too heavy for polymer pistols.  Way over 30 oz for full size and almost 30 oz for the compact.  Also the top of the backstrap/grip tang area is very square/blocky, non ergonmic and can be painful to shoot.  They may be very reliable and durable pistols, but Ruger missed the mark on size and weight considerations and ergonomics.  A rare, big miss by Ruger.

[Rastus]

I haven't seen them in person.  How do they compare to the SR9's?  I have had one of those and since I had the Ghost trigger connector put in I love the trigger pull and reset.  I prefer it over my M&P 9 that I carry sometimes because it's thinner and lighter.

So...I'll have to get to a shop just to see what you are talking about. 

[alfsauve]

And I bet the girth of the grip is a full 5.5" which makes it uncomfortable for those with small hands.

[Big Frank]

Very disappointed in Ruger with these pistols.  They are way too thick and blocky and way too heavy for polymer pistols.  Way over 30 oz for full size and almost 30 oz for the compact.  Also the top of the backstrap/grip tang area is very square/blocky, non ergonmic and can be painful to shoot.  They may be very reliable and durable pistols, but Ruger missed the mark on size and weight considerations and ergonomics.  A rare, big miss by Ruger.

Is that with the smallest grip panels?

[jaybet]

I fired one a couple of weeks ago and it felt pretty good to me....seems like a decent pistol. I also had an SR9 (world famous- or at least DRTV famous). Post-recall trigger aside (which is what ruined it for me) I LIKED the SR9. Haven't had as much time with the American but I thought it was pretty cool.
Don't know if I'd run out and buy one, but then I have enough Tupperware 9s.

[Sponsor]

[vincewarde]

What I find interesting about these pistols is that, according to Ruger's early publicity about them they meet all the latest US Military standards - yet Ruger did not submit them to the military's competition.

[tombogan03884]

Probably because they do not want that kind of demand overwhelming their manufacturing capacity.

[vincewarde]

What I find interesting about these pistols is that, according to Ruger's early publicity about them they meet all the latest US Military standards - yet Ruger did not submit them to the military's competition.

I noted that too.  Here a few completely speculative reasons why they may have done this:

1) Many civilian shooters are attracted to guns that are "milspec" - in other words, it is good marketing.

2) Some police agencies many simply require that pistols meet the military's requirements.

3) Perhaps that greatest reason is that should a major national emergency require a rapid procurement of more pistols, they would be eligible at that point.   Ditto if they should want to bid on pistols for foreign governments, something Ruger has in fact done.