Originally Posted by greenjeans

Can never go wrong with a Ruger. Ugly, but work every time.

I disagree. Not in terms of them being reliable; you pull the trigger on a loaded cartridge and it will go bang every time. I just think that the Rugers actually look pretty good, particularly my P95. Yes, the 1911 design looks better (it's the quintessential semi look), but the P95 definitely has cleaner lines than, say, a Beretta or a CZ. Then again, I don't carry (mine's just a plinker ATM, though I have a mag of Federal JHPs for emergencies), so its bulk is not a problem for me.

I would definitely recommend the KP95PR; It's inexpensive without being cheap, it handles +P and +P+ (part of the reason for its bulk; thicker chamber walls), field-strips in seconds, and there are hundreds if not thousands of people who will speak for its reliability and tolerance (one gun reviewer shot 3000 rounds through it without cleaning it before he had a failure). Suggestions: get the Hogue slip-on grip (cost me $11) and buy a lot of Winchester white-box FMJ for it; my gun loves those rounds, but with the 15-round magazine it is a hungry friend (100rds sounds like a lot until you realize it's only 6 full mags +10 rounds). People have reported good results with Blazer, but I have not yet shot it through mine and cannot comment.

I had a P-95 for a while. They are good guns. I got in a tight one year and had to sell mine.
Scott

my first handgun was a ruger p95. i love it. it is easy to take down, clean and is great at the range. i also shot it accurately right out of the box, which for being a beginner was a big boost in the learning curve.

I actually just got one for my first gun. I love it, it's simple to use and very fun to shoot. Looking forward to taking it to the range again.