Review: Ruger P345 Pistol
By Dan Smith - genitron.com
October, 2005
The Ruger P345 is the company's latest offering in their P-Series line of pistols. Introduced in 1987, Ruger P-Series pistols were the first firearms produced at Sturm Ruger's Prescott, Arizona plant.
The Ruger P345 pistol offers an array of advanced features including a comfortably rounded trigger and guard, redesigned front and rear white-dot sights, loaded chamber indicator and unobtrusive internal lock. It also features a slim, contoured, satin-finished polymer frame with a re contoured checkered grip for improved control and an exclusive Ruger Camblock design to reduce felt recoil.
As with all of the P-Series, this is a double-action, recoil operated semi-automatic pistol. This new model is obviously intended to appeal to the concealed-carry crowd with its slimmed down profile, smooth edges and rounded contours. Along with its trim look it carries less weight as well. At 29 oz it weighs 5 oz less than its older sibling, the P90, and 3 oz less than its polymer sibling, the P97.
Specifications -
Caliber: .45 Auto (ACP)
Action: recoil operated semi-automatic
Length: 7.625 in
Width: 1.2 in (includes slide lever)
Height: 5.75 in (to the top of the rear sight)
Magazine Capacity: 8 rounds
Barrel Length: 4.25 in
Rifling: 6-grooves, 1:16 in RH twist
Trigger: double-action
Sights: White 3-dot, fixed front, drift adjustable rear
Weight without magazine: 26.8 oz
Weight with empty magazine: 29.4 oz
Weight loaded (1+8 rd magazine): 35.7 oz
Features -
Accessory rail.
Polymer frame.
Ambidextrous slide mounted decocking lever.
Magazine disconnect safety.
Loaded chamber indicator.
Ruger Camblock recoil buffer.
Recessed thumb rests.
Bobbed hammer spur.
Click HERE to see the full Ruger P-Series product line.
Design Notes -
Compared to its P-series siblings, the P345 is a noticeably sleeker pistol. The polymer frame and grip have been extensively slimmed down. Add to this the classic P-series .45 cal single-stack magazine and the P345 grip diameter becomes noticeably and comfortably small in the hand, particularly for a .45 caliber pistol. The slimmed down ambidextrous decock levers and slide-lock lever, as well as the trimmed down rear sight further reduce the pistol's profile.
The single-stack magazine is fully interchangeable with both the P90 and P97 model magazines. With the introduction of the P97 model in 1999, the plastic magazine follower was replaced with a smaller metal follower. This created space in the magazine for an additional cartridge increasing its capacity from 7 to 8 rounds.
Many polymer frame pistols have embedded metal slide rails, or at least metal inserts embedded in the frame's slide rails to provide additional reinforcement against the slide and barrel recoil forces. This is not the case for the P345, whose slide rails are simply part of the molded polymer frame. One might think that all-polymer slide rails would not be adequate, particularly for a .45 caliber pistol. But that's not the case for the P345.
This is because slide and barrel recoil forces are transferred directly to the bulk of the frame through Ruger's unique "camblock" system. In this system the guide rod is fixed to a cam-ramped lug on its rear end, which replaces the traditional "falling block" found in most semi-auto's. The recoiling barrel engages the cam-ramp lug directly, which stops its rearward motion. The cam-ramp lug is attached to the frame via the slide lock lever pin, which absorbs the recoil energy and transfers it directly into the thickest portion of the upper frame, relieving stresses that would otherwise be transferred to the slide rails. A secondary captive spring on the recoil guide rod buffers the slide recoil energy as well.
Additionally, the fore-end of the slide that normally just captures the recoil spring, also has an additional set of rails that engage grooves in the "dust cover" portion of the forward polymer frame. This not only provides additional slide rail support, but also forms a tighter dust and dirt barrier between slide and frame. |
