ON THE JOB OFFICER SAFETY EYE ON EDUCATION JUST HANDED DOWN RANGEMASTER PUBLIC SAFETY IT SOLUTIONS
Ruger American Duty Pistol
Legacy of rugged, reliable and accurate duty pistols
By Steve Tracy
www.ruger.com
P
olice duty pistols require certain design elements for daily carry by uniformed offi cers. Since these prerequisites usually overlap with military needs,
Sturm, Ruger and Company decided to create a new semi-automatic pistol that would appeal to both the mili- tary and police departments alike. Ruger’s SR9 (9mm), SR40 (40 S&W), and SR45 (45 ACP) al-
ready competed in the polymer frame/striker fi re category of duty pistols. The SR series of pistols has its own following and has proven to be very capable weapons. However, certain fea- tures on the SR pistols were deemed superfl uous to the mili- tary, so Ruger began with a clean slate. An all-new pistol was started from scratch. The result after several years of engineering and testing is
the Ruger American pistol. This full-size duty pistol is cham- bered in either 9mm (17-round magazine capacity) or 45 ACP (10-round capacity). The lack of a 40 S&W chambering is un- derstandable. The military expressed its opinion that any re- placement for the Beretta M9 might not be a 9mm and that a return to the 45 ACP was a possibility.
Ambidextrous magazine button and slide stop/ release means the American ready is ready for totally ambidextrous left hand use. The Ruger American duty pistol is a striker fired/polymer frame pistol available in 9mm or 45 ACP.
Modern Features Inside each handgun’s heavy-duty plastic case are different- sized grip modules. They are more than just back straps. La- beled small, medium and large in 9mm; and medium and large in 45 ACP, they require the included Torx wrench to be removed, but that also means they cannot come off acciden- tally. Each grip module is made to adjust both palm swell and trigger reach for optimum use by all sizes of hands. The slide stop/release and magazine release buttons are on
Small, Medium and Large grip modules are secured in place by an included Torx wrench. Each module adapts both palm swell and trigger reach to the varying hands of individual officers.
16 LAW and ORDER I June 2016
both sides of the pistol to accommodate shooters no matter which side of their brain dominates their strong hand. This feature certainly makes shooting easier for left-handed offi - cers. The slide stop functions without excessive pressure to re- lease the slide if one does not prefer the two-handed slingshot method. Empty magazines eject promptly when the triangu- larly shaped metal mag release is pressed. The four-slot Picatinny rail will handle any light/laser you
may desire and both front and rear sights are steel Novak® dovetailed sights with white dots. Trijicon night sights are an available option.
Page 1 |
Page 2 |
Page 3 |
Page 4 |
Page 5 |
Page 6 |
Page 7 |
Page 8 |
Page 9 |
Page 10 |
Page 11 |
Page 12 |
Page 13 |
Page 14 |
Page 15 |
Page 16 |
Page 17 |
Page 18 |
Page 19 |
Page 20 |
Page 21 |
Page 22 |
Page 23 |
Page 24 |
Page 25 |
Page 26 |
Page 27 |
Page 28 |
Page 29 |
Page 30 |
Page 31 |
Page 32 |
Page 33 |
Page 34 |
Page 35 |
Page 36 |
Page 37 |
Page 38 |
Page 39 |
Page 40 |
Page 41 |
Page 42 |
Page 43 |
Page 44 |
Page 45 |
Page 46 |
Page 47 |
Page 48 |
Page 49 |
Page 50 |
Page 51 |
Page 52 |
Page 53 |
Page 54 |
Page 55 |
Page 56 |
Page 57 |
Page 58 |
Page 59 |
Page 60 |
Page 61 |
Page 62 |
Page 63 |
Page 64 |
Page 65 |
Page 66 |
Page 67 |
Page 68