P89 9mm

[Jason]

Anyone out there own a Ruger P89 9mm? I love mine! It's the special edition one with the cool colors. I've put about 5 or 600 rds through it with not a single malfunction. My question is... Does anyone trust its firepower as a secondary sidearm for hunting?

[Moss500Bantam]

Depends on what your hunting. 9mm is not adequate for big game type animals, deer, hogs, elk, etc. The Ruger is outstanding for what it is designed for, sefl defense and paper punching. There are plenty of outstanding hunting handguns out there that are of more apprpriate caliber beginning with .357 mag ,being somewhat marginal still, but workable. Sounds like a good excuse to go buy a nice single or double action Ruger .44 Mag.

[Jason]

Thanks Moss. In your opinion what would be a good semi-auto pistol for such occassions?

[knightRider]

i know you asked moss , but Imho i think a kimber 1911 45 , or a smith and wessen 686 ,357 or a PX4 beretta storm < im sorry guys i cant hype it up enough> im crazy in love with it

ps the 686 is not a semi auto sorry

[Jason]

Hey thats an open question to anyone knightrider. Any and all advice is welcome! I checked that Beretta as well... nice gun. A bit pricey for me though.

[knightRider]

you can get one for about 490$ out the door at a good gun shop

[Papa de Trois]

Yo Jason,
I have a p89 9mm Love It!

When you say backup, is that for dispatching a shot animal or for protection close range form something rabid, crazy or attacking?

If you just need a coup de grace... sure a 9mm through the brain pan will do it for most animals, and a 15 round mag does have its benefits if you need to unload on something....

But not really a GREAT gun for hunting... hehe too bad though cause I love mine..

Papa

[NRAJOE]

I had one awhile ago but traded up to the P95DC with stainless slide and poly frame...one of my favs.

[Moss500Bantam]

First, check your regulations to see if a semi is allowed.
My buddy shared a story of trying to dispatch a wounded deer and having his 9mm slugs be very inneffective. May depend on the shooter and shot placement. For a semi, .45 may be better at reasonable ranges. That said, mabe .357 SIG, A desert Eagle in .44 mag would be good, but $$. If I was really into it and could legally I'd say 10MM auto on a 1911 frame.

[gandog56]

While its a lot heavier to carry, I would prefer my Dan Wesson Razorback 10mm for a hunting backup. Unless I was hunting fairly small game.

[Beer Forever]

I had one and put about 15,000-20,000 rounds through it. I like Rugers for their reliability, but too big and bulky for my taste.. 9mm is an effective caliber for hunting small game, but I think of the 9mm round as a target round and use .45 for defense.

[snuffysmith]

I've got a P89DC and I love it. It seems to get better each time I take it out and shoot it. It's one of my will-not-sell guns.

Snuffy

[mike63]

I've got a P89DC, it's a great gun. Plan to have it till the day I die.R.JPG

[gunney_m]

Does anyone know of the p89's service life?

[Gator Weiss]

Originally Posted by gunney_m

Does anyone know of the p89's service life?

If you keep it clean, oiled, dry, and use good ammo, it will last over a century! Sure, it is a bulky pistol. Sure it is a trigger attached to a brick. But it is AMERICAN with good components, and a good durable design, and you can run mega amounts of rounds through it and it still shoots like a new pistol.

Because it is bulky and weighty, it absorbs much recoil so there is not much "shock" transferred to the internal parts. The locking system is very similar to Sig. Springs are beefy. Slide is heavy, it points good, holds well, and hits good. You can use +P+ loads in it with no problems.

P89 doesnt beat you up on the price. P89 doesnt beat you up on parts if you need the gunsmith. P89 lasts a lifetime with only basic casual care.

I once read a Bill Ruger story about the P89. A couple of his people - without Bill knowing that they did it - clamped a P89 in a machine rest. The end of the barrell they threaded internally, and they screwed a steel plug into the end of the barrell. They moved to a safe location and triggered a 9mm round in it with the barrell well plugged as described. IT DID NOT BLOW UP! The breech held closed normally and withstood the pressure. The barrell was so strong that it did not burst. (You would think it would peel like a bananna!) They telephoned Bill Ruger who got irritated that they had wasted a pistol like that. When they told him it held the blast, he told them that the design of that weapon was intended to be very strong.

There are many pistols that cost big time bucks. There are many pistols that balance like a feather in the hand. But I really doubt that many of them will outlast the Ruger.

[EricHoran]

Jason.

I agree a p89 will do the trick on most animals, Providing you hit the right spot. A back up weapon is a very smart idea. ALthough 7-8 rounds in the head in just about any animal will either piss it off of drop it in it's tracks. lol

[Draken]

I like my P89DC, got it for $10 in a raffle a few years ago, and have since, put somewhere between 15,000 - 20,000 rounds though it, with no problems (other then fiancee not holding it firm enough to cycle). Now that being said, if I'm thinking about using it for a back up, such as a finish shot or something, I think I would want a little more then what even a beefy 9mm can deliver. As for what I currently have, would choose the .44 RSBH first, then my .45acp as a back up hunting gun, or, if i had one, a nice 10mm would get the job done for most mid sized game.

[dmsbandit]

I get a laugh out of all the people who think you can't even kill a wounded deer with a 9MM. Jason, if you put a Cor-Bon 115 grain HP thru the ribs of a deer at 25-30 yds, that deer will die in a hurry. That same load is rated at over 90% one shot stops of 2 legged critters. It is second only to the 125 grain 357 Magnum. If a bow and arrow can kill a deer, why won't a +P or +P+ rated Hp do the same thing to a deer? A 115 grain HP at over 1300 FPS does a lot of damage to soft tissue. If those bullets will go thru windshield glass, they'll break deer bones. I have a P-89 and have shot Raccoons with 115 grain HPs at 1200 FPS and they die instantly because of the 4" wide exit hole. That exit hole in the raccoon would be shreaded lungs and pulped heart muscle on any deer hit with that load. Keep your shots close, aim for the lungs, use Top rated factory or handloads with 115-125 grain HPs and the deer or coyote will die in seconds.

[Dryfli]

I have a p89 I really like. I replaced the grips with hogue and bought a 30 rd clip for it, Its alot of fun to go out and blaze away .

[Fackler Rebel]

I had a P89 and liked it very much, but I would never carry and semi-auto for hunting, especially anything that was big enough to cause me harm. I have carried my S&W model 57, with a 6 inch barrel. Usually when you hunt, if you are good you only need one shot. Just my 2 cents.

Reb