Ruger's P345 series: easy to hold, shoot and sell

Shooting Industry, March, 2005 by Lisa Parsons-Wraith

Innovative firearm designs are making shooting and carrying a handgun a much more pleasant experience. Today's firearms are lighter and have less bulk. That's good news for women whose hands don't quite fit around the grips of some firearms.

Ruger firearms have always been popular with shooters, but they've also been a little on the stocky side. That's all changed, however, with the introduction of Ruger's P345 series of pistols.

The P345 series is not simply a variation of Ruger's popular double-action/single-action centerfire pistols. It is a complete redesign. The traditional, thick Ruger slide is gone, replaced with one that makes this gun look sleek. The weight of the P345 has been whittled down to a mere 29 ounces. The polymer frame has a slim profile and a contoured, checkered frame for a non-slip grip. Scalloped thumb rests round out the frame's unique features.

The P345 is so slim because it was designed to accommodate a single-stack magazine, making it slender enough for women with small hands. A new magazine release button on the P345 is also easier to operate and reach.

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The P345 has a 4.2-inch barrel, eight-round magazine and fixed white-dot front and rear sights. The rear sights are dovetailed to allow for windage adjustments. The back of the slide sports ambidextrous hammer drop/safety levers with a flat profile and checkering for positive operation. The bobbed hammer spur features serrations for optional thumb-cocking.

Safety features are an important part of the Ruger P345 design, and should make it more attractive to your lady customers. The pistol's safety system includes an unobtrusive internal lock, magazine disconnect and loaded chamber indicator. The internal lock is operated by moving the hammer-drop lever to the down (safe) position. In this position, a small hole on the right-side lever is aligned with an opening in the frame. To lock the gun, a small key (two are provided) is inserted into the hole and turned about 90 degrees. This locks the hammer-drop/safety lever in the safe position and prevents the pistol from firing.

The loaded chamber indicator consists of a pivoting lever on the top of the slide to the rear of the ejection port. If there is a round in the chamber, the indicator pops up, providing a tactile as well as visual signal to the shooter. The final safety feature, the magazine disconnect, immobilizes the firing pin when the magazine is removed from the pistol.

As a final touch to make this .45 more attractive to women, there is an all-new Ruger camblock design which helps absorb recoil.

The P345 series is sure to be a hit with your customers because its smooth, short trigger pull helps improve accuracy. In addition, the ergonomically shaped, contoured and checkered polymer frame provides a comfortable grip that accommodates a variety of hand sizes.

The initial Ruger P345 models introduced last year were the standard KP345 and the KP345PR, which has a Picatinny rail. This year Ruger introduces a blued-steel slide version and a stainless steel decock-only model, both with Picatinny rails.

Ruger has long enjoyed a reputation for quality with shooting aficionados. The P345 series gives women the option of owning a Ruger that is slim, sleek and loaded with safety options. It is a great new firearm choice for women shooters who want a .45 with a bit less bulk.