Wonder Nine
Beyond the movie hype, there is a lot to this pistol. On the surface, it might not look like much, but the P95 and the entire series of Ruger P pistols helped usher in the era of Wonder Nines in the 1980s and ’90s.
The term “Wonder Nine” generally refers to high-capacity, double-stack 9mm pistols developed in that era using modern materials or production technologies. The Glock is most famous, but over 1 million Ruger P series pistol were also produced. This was because they were considered reliable and affordable. When the P85 was released in 1987, it sold for under $300. Today, used P series guns still sell for around the same price.
Investment Casting
Ruger was able to produce this quality pistol at an affordable price because the company used a technique called investment casting to make the slide and frame. In this process, a wax model of a part is coated in ceramic, then melted out and replaced with molten metal. The resulting part needs minimal machining, making it a less expensive process than forging or milling.
Investment casting was not a new technology at the time, even in the firearms world, but it was usually used for small parts. Ruger was one of the first gun companies to make almost the entire gun with investment casting.
The first gun in the P series was the P85, and it had both a steel slide and an aluminum frame made from investment casting.
The P95
My test P95 is similar to the P85, except it has a frame made of injection-molded, glass-filled polymer, also known as Zytel. Because of the polymer frame, the P95 is lighter than the P85. It also has a reduced grip size, a slightly different action. and a captive recoil spring.
Besides those changes, most P series guns share similar traits. The P95 is a hammer-fired 9mm DA/SA double-stack pistol with a capacity of 15+1. It has a 3.9-inch barrel. The safety/de-cocker lever is mounted on the slide and ambidextrous.
The magazine release is also ambidextrous and has a nontraditional push-forward tab design. There are only slide serrations on the rear of the slide, because this pistol was made before forward slide manipulations became popular.
Sights are combat notch-and-post style, with only the rear being windage adjustable. The previous owner painted the sights green. I didn’t like the all-green sight picture, so I removed the green paint on the rear sight. Now it’s a green front with a black rear.
There is an accessory rail with one slot that will accept most modern lights. Overall weight is 28 ounces.
Specs
- Caliber: 9mm
- Barrel Length: 3.9 inches
- Weight: 28 ounces
- Capacity: 15+1
- Action: Hammer-fired, DA/SA
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Trigger Pull: Double action 10.5 pounds, single action 3 pounds
The Experience
Shooting the P95 is kind of unremarkable in the best way possible. When you’re shooting, you don’t think about how much muzzle flip you are getting or how fast your splits are. It was not made as a refined and nuanced gun. It just runs.
The P series was originally designed as an entry to the U.S. military’s XM9 and XM10 pistol trials. It was designed to be an Army workhorse, and it shoots like one.
The polymer grip is wide and blocky, although it is slimmer than the earlier aluminum cast grips. The texture is slippery, and there is no traction on the front or back strap. The original owner of this pistol added a rubber over-grip with helps with traction, but the over-grip slips around a bit.
The double-action trigger is heavy at 10.5 pounds, but it is relatively smooth with no overtravel. It breaks in a rolling style as opposed to a clean snap. The single-action pull is much lighter at 3 pounds. The curved trigger itself has a lot of movement and some creep, but the break is clean. The reset is average.
There is no way to easily flip off the slide-mounted safety. The whole gun feels chunky and overbuilt. It is top-heavy, but for what it is supposed to be, it is reliable and sturdy. I had no problems running drills, and it was easy to acquire and hit targets. Of course, this is no race pistol. It doesn’t pretend to be – but for what it is, it performs great.
Summary
Does it live up to the movie hype? Yes and no. It is not exceptional to shoot, but if you look at its movie roles, it was never the extravagant gun. It was the workman’s gun. And that’s exactly the experience it provides.
