Ruger American Pistol Compact Now in .45 Auto

by
posted on December 28, 2016
** When you buy products through the links on our site, we may earn a commission that supports NRA's mission to protect, preserve and defend the Second Amendment. **
rugeramerican_2.jpg
Ruger has announced the addition of the Ruger American Pistol Compact in .45 Auto. This newest compact model is offered in the "PRO" configuration with no external manual safety. Introduced in December 2015, the feature-rich Ruger American Pistol was designed with the latest U.S. military standards in mind and was tested in the harshest environments to ensure rugged reliability. 

Ruger polled law enforcement and military trainers throughout the country to select the form, function and features of the Ruger American Pistol. The resultant pistol combines a recoil-reducing barrel cam (which better spreads recoil over time) with a low-mass slide, low center of gravity and a low-bore axis to provide better balance, less felt recoil and less muzzle flip than comparable pistols. The Ruger American Pistol also features a pre-tensioned striker system, which allows for a short take-up trigger with positive reset, and a modular wrap-around grip system that adjusts palm swell and trigger reach to fit a wide range of hand sizes.



With a 3.75" barrel, overall dimensions of 7.25" long, 4.65" high and a weight of 28.6 ounces, the Ruger American Pistol Compact model shares all of the features and rugged reliability of the duty-size gun in a smaller, lighter, more concealable package. It ships in a hard case with medium and large replaceable grip modules and two nickel-Teflon plated steel magazines (one 10-round extended magazine and one 7-round compact magazine). 

The American-made Ruger American Pistol is built on a rigid, one-piece, precision-machined, stainless steel chassis with integral frame rails and fire control housing. Additional features include genuine Novak LoMount Carry three-dot sights, a stainless steel slide with non-reflective, black nitride finish, a one-piece, high-performance, glass-filled nylon grip frame and a mil-standard 1913 accessory rail. For more information, visit Ruger.com.



Additional Reading:

Compact Model added to Ruger American Pistol Line  
Tested: Ruger American Pistol 

Latest

Taurus 66 Combat GOTW F
Taurus 66 Combat GOTW F

Gun of the Week: Taurus 66 Combat Revolver

Taurus USA recently expanded its revolver line with the 66 Combat, a larger, all-steel revolver chambered for the .357 Magnum cartridge. Watch our "Gun of the Week" video to see the 66 Combat in use on the range.

The Armed Citizen® March 6, 2026

Read today's "The Armed Citizen" entry for real stories of law-abiding citizens, past and present, who used their firearms to save lives.

Armed Citizens Outperform the Police in Stopping Mass Murderers

A recent crime study indicates that armed citizens are better at stopping mass killers than the police.

Building A Legacy: One Hunter's Journey Toward a 338 ARC Bolt-Action

Hornady's 338 ARC cartridge was designed to pack plenty of subsonic power into an AR-sized platform. But how does it perform if you're looking to build something a bit more traditional?

Industry Manufacturers Pay $1.3 Billion Tax Bill

Last month, nearly $1.3 billion was delivered to state conservation and wildlife access programs as part of Pittman-Robertson and Dingell-Johnson excise taxes paid by manufacturers in the outdoor industry.

250 Years of the U.S. Army: Rifle Muskets, Trapdoors & Early Bolt-Actions

The U.S. Army would enter the 19th century equipped with a smoothbore flintlock musket that differed little from the designs of the past, and it would exit the century with a modern, bolt-action, repeating rifle that used smokeless powder ammunition.

Interests



Get the best of American Rifleman delivered to your inbox.