When it comes to what makes for the perfect on the belt semi-automatic piece there are a few essential elements which should not be ignored. Fit, finish and price are of course all important, but more important is accuracy, reliability, sight picture and target acquisition, weight, size and safety.

Ruger Firearms brings us all 10 on the above list in a sweet midsize 9mm model. The Ruger American Pistol  is a smooth operating, deadly accurate package with trigger safety, easy to use ambidextrous mag release semi-auto with good capacity and triple dot night sights. It come standard with three different size back straps that are easily swapped out to insure the perfect grip to hand size match up. We fired it  at self defense range distance and my first three rounds clover leafed.  A bit over confident at that point the shooter (me) got a little sloppy and my group opened up a bit to a more relaxed 3 or 4 inch group but be sure that was me losing focus and settling in to how fun this pistol was to shoot.  9mm is a powerful round capable of a lot of damage at self defense ranges with the advantage of higher capacity, little to no recoil in this frame size.  I love trigger safeties in carry pieces and as long as one has good trigger finger discipline on the draw they can bring first round on target times way down.  I do not use external safety guns for belt carry as I want to be locked, loaded and ready to rock and roll if I ever have to draw from the holster.

The picatinny rail on the underside of the barrel is a nice touch for those who want to add a laser or flashlight. Overall it's apparent that this is a well thought out carry gun. The trigger was good with no slap and a reasonable take up. Trigger break was right where I would expect it to be at 6 pounds, not too heavy as to take you off target, but not so light as to have an unexpected discharge.  Nice job Ruger, 10 out of 10 on this one right out of the box! It just does not get much better than that! <3 Anna

Andy is what every Guns and Lace girl should be! Raised in the country, she understands the importance of firearms on the ranch. No matter if it's keeping fox out of the hen house, putting food on the table or protecting the house from intruders, a firearm is a tool to keep the family and its home safe. Andy grew up gun safe, shot her Dad's pistol for the first time at age 8 and helped cook and prepare the venison her Dad and brother brought home from their hunting trips.

Yes troops, Andy can not only shoot, she loves to cook too! She is perfectly comfortable wearing boots or high heels. Her favorite past time is camping and she will tell you that there is nothing better than seeing the stars on a clear night. A proud gun owner, she is training hard and practicing her marksmanship to complete her goal of getting her carry permit and carrying a firearm full time.  Guns Up salute to you Andy, this is definitely a no victim zone!