Ruger American 9mm

The 147-grain subsonic round I chose was Winchester’s WinClean, usually very accurate; I’ve seen it win pistol matches. This particular Ruger American put the five shots into a 4.90” group, though the best three were in a redeeming 1.65”.

Our test American came out of the box shooting low. The 147-grain subsonic centered some four inches below point of aim, with the 115-grain hot loads almost that low, and the 124-grain standard velocity closer to point of aim by about two inches. For windage, though, the sights were pretty much on.

 Now obligatory, small/medium/large backstraps come standard with the Ruger American. A 1/4-turn with the supplied #10 torx wrench is all it takes to remove/install them.
Now obligatory, small/medium/large backstraps come standard with the Ruger American. A 1/4-turn with the supplied #10 torx wrench is all it takes to remove/install them.

On the Firing Line

A Lyman digital trigger pull gauge showed pull weight on the test Ruger American measured 6.03 pounds at the toe, or bottom tip of the trigger, and 6.76 pounds from the center, where most shooters place their trigger finger.

Weighing a few ounces more than the Glock 17 it’s designed to compete against, the American is advertised as having recoil-reducing qualities. Our four testers, all state and/or regional champion combat pistol shooters, were mixed in their admittedly subjective analysis of this factor. Two, very familiar with Glocks and other polymer, striker-fired 9mm pistols in the same class, said they didn’t perceive any difference, but also did not test them side by side. Two others made a point of shooting the Ruger American alongside a Gen4 Glock 17 against a Bianchi Cup array of six falling plates from eleven yards (GSSF format), and in rapid sustained fire against a steel torso target. Both the petite female and the average size adult male said they thought the Ruger kicked a tiny bit less, but neither thought the difference was either a deal-maker or a deal-breaker.

Arrows point to airborne spent shell casings as the author demonstrates the American’s excellent controllability during rapid fire.
Arrows point to airborne spent shell casings as the author demonstrates the American’s excellent controllability during rapid fire.

Unanimously, though, the testers liked the short trigger reach with the smallest of the backstrap configurations. All agreed it allowed them to get “more finger on the trigger” for more leverage. The aforementioned female tester said, “My two favorite things about the Ruger American are that I can get more of my index finger onto the trigger without altering my hold and not having the barrel in line with my forearm, and that the magazine release buttons are placed where I can work them more easily than on my other pistols”

Now, let’s talk about those magazine release buttons and speed reloading. Southpaw or “northpaw,” you have the option of hitting that mag drop button with your thumb or with your trigger finger or the middle finger of the firing hand. That gets the empty one out quick, and we found the nickel-Teflon-steel bodied magazines did indeed drop free very cleanly without fail. When the fresh mag was inserted, the top of the mag was sufficiently tapered, and the magazine well sufficiently capacious, that insertion was always very fast and very positive. The ambidextrous slide stop/slide release lever also made it possible to achieve maximum speed of slide closure no matter which hand was controlling the firing mechanism.

In terms of trigger characteristics, the experienced testers rated this one basically “OK.” One said, “Meh.” Trigger reset is longer than some of the competitive guns. One expert perceived some “stacking,” or pull becoming heavier toward the end of the firing stroke, but none of the others found that. I shot it over the 60-round police-type qualification I’ve been running my students through for decades. I usually score 300 out of 300 points on demand, but dropped to a 297 with the American, all three sub-par shots straying into the four-out-of-five point zone at 15 yards. Sad thing was, I didn’t feel those three rounds go astray. A 99% score is nothing to sneeze at, though.

Reliability

Among us, the four testers put close to a thousand rounds through this gun, out of the box, without cleaning or additional lubrication. Reliability was flawless. Every other test of this gun I’ve seen, with one exception which apparently involved some defective ammunition, has had the same result. Reliable function has always been a hallmark of Ruger firearms, and the new American is apparently no exception.

Federal115-grain +p+ jhp provided the best 5-shot/25yard performance of the day.
Federal115-grain +p+ jhp provided the best 5-shot/25yard performance of the day.

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