Seeking Someone Smarter Than Me

3353 Views 26 Replies 9 Participants Last post by rocky, Feb 17, 2005

Euclidean

Discussion Starter · Feb 15, 2005 (Edited)

I was given a Ruger KP-89 some time ago. It's my only automatic pistol. It's not really something I am considering for a carry piece, but I'm looking at seeing what it is I can do to make it one.

I've long since added Hogue monogrips. Best damn gun accessory I ever bought. Improved the pistol's accuracy, ergonomics, and looks 300%.

I bought three Mec Gar brand nickel plated 17 round magazines that fit flush with the butt of the pistol. I find the grip plus the full capacity magazine actually makes the pistol much easier to handle. The extra weight in the butt really balances it out.

I had a brain storm today. See I've been practicing with it a lot lately because I want to qualify this Saturday with an automatic, and since I only have the one, well I don't have a lot of choices.

Its size and weight aside (even with the polymer frame it's a heavy pistol and it is pretty thick), the one thing that keeps me from using this as a carry pistol is that it has that external safety I'm afraid of. I'm afraid it would save my from myself.

Well anyway after putting 250 rounds downrange at 15 yards as a quick last minute practice before Saturday, I made sure to clean it especially well. I keep my guns needlessly clean anyway and I made a special effort this time.

I had the slide group apart soaking in some cleaner and I was cleaning the frame when I noticed the little ka-jigger on the frame that made the manual safety work was a little bar that gets depressed whenever you set the manual safety to "on". When this bar is depressed, the trigger is disabled.

I took a pic of the decock only model of the P89 from Ruger's site and circled the kajigger. I attached it to the post.

My question is, could I just get a decock only slide somewhere and reuse the spring, retaining pin, and barrel from my existing slide group? Would it just be that easy to convert it to a decock only model?

The thing is I have no idea where I'd get the parts even if it is just that simple. From the factory?

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Bud White

· #2 · Feb 15, 2005

Should work only controls change in a ruger are in the slide between decock and manual safety... Ebay would be place to get slide assy ...

Also the kp-89 isnt a polymer frame its a Alloy frame

Rugers are ok to carry i have a p-90 but its too wide and heavy to carry run into the same problem with width on my Hk

Euclidean

Discussion Starter · #3 · Feb 15, 2005 (Edited)

Thank you for the correction Bud. I say things I don't mean sometimes.

Ebay eh? Never thought to check there.

Edit: Damn the luck, they do have a slide on Ebay that would work but it's blued finish.

Bud White

· #4 · Feb 15, 2005

Yeah or gun broker .. Factory wont sell ya they parts but it usually wont be cheep ebay either min of 100 usually

BassDaddy777

· #5 · Feb 15, 2005

Wouldn't a modified safety be a Persecuting Attorney's wet dream? Or is this not that big of modification?

Euclidean

Discussion Starter · #6 · Feb 15, 2005

If it works like I understand it works BassDaddy I'm not modifying the safety at all. I'm just using a different slide just like I'm not using the factory grips.

Euclidean

Discussion Starter · #7 · Feb 15, 2005 (Edited)

Well the deal seems to be that I can either seem to get a complete slide group with a blued slide, a complete parts group with a blued slide, or the stainless slide I want for $115 which is too much...

http://www.e-gunparts.com/product.asp?chrProductSKU=849340

There's got to be a better answer.

Edit: Actually it seems there isn't a better answer. Not sure if this is worth $115 to me at the moment. Next paycheck perhaps.

Bud White

· #8 · Feb 15, 2005

Im not sure if i would go though the hassle myself would just look for a different or carry it like i do my p-90 decocked safety off

KC135

· #9 · Feb 15, 2005

Call Ruger and see how much it will cost to change it over.

Euclidean

Discussion Starter · #10 · Feb 15, 2005

Bud White said:
Im not sure if i would go though the hassle myself would just look for a different or carry it like i do my p-90 decocked safety off

My concern there Bud is that the safety may accidentally engage.

I'm not sure how dedicated I am to this idea anyway. I'm probably better off putting the $115 this would cost towards the gun safe fund anyway.

Bud White

· #11 · Feb 15, 2005

ive never had a problem but i understand your concern with that

Euclidean

Discussion Starter · #12 · Feb 15, 2005 (Edited)

Actually I think I have it.

What if I bought a blue slide and had it nickel plated? This would actually cost less than buying a new steel slide.

http://www.shootiniron.com/PRICES.html

$40 to do a slide.

Then get these parts

http://gunbroker.com/Auction/ViewItem.asp?Item=28599425

$40

I know the nickel slide will be a bit of a pain in the ass to keep looking good, but is there any reason that wouldn't work? I could carry the plated slide and use the stainless one I already have for practice.

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Bumper

· #13 · Feb 15, 2005

Euclidean said:
I know the nickel slide will be a bit of a pain in the ass to keep looking good, but is there any reason that wouldn't work? I could carry the plated slide and use the stainless one I already have for practice.

Have it done in a matte nickel finish.

Bud White

· #14 · Feb 15, 2005

that might not fit then it might ya have to watch on rugers and p-85 i think is manual safety only and that says there from p-85 in the pic

Euclidean

Discussion Starter · #15 · Feb 15, 2005

Well those parts are just an example.

If I go this way, and just look for a cheap blued slide, I can take my time and find a deal and make sure it's okay.

Edit: And my dad has a P85. His slide fits my gun and vice versa.

Bud White

· #16 · Feb 15, 2005

very true but in all honesty i would look for another gun

Euclidean

Discussion Starter · #17 · Feb 15, 2005

Yeah but it's fun to play around. If I could do this for cheap I would consider it.

It's been a good gun to me. a couple thousand rounds of all sorts of cheap ammo and not one hiccup. I am impressed. I hold tighter groups with it than the people I saw earlier today firing off their $700 1911s. I'd hate to ever get rid of it.

I'll probably forget all about it in a week. But thanks guys. This has been tons of fun to fuss over.

Bud White

· #18 · Feb 15, 2005

I too shoot my Rugers better than most people shoot there 1911's but all the shooting i do thats not a surprise just cuz ya got a 2000$ pistol dont mean ya can shoot :banana:

Euclidean

Discussion Starter · #19 · Feb 15, 2005

Well odds are Bud you'd outshoot me by a wide margin, but I do find it to be a smug satisfaction in life to know that Sam Colt made us all equal. I'm about the middle of the curve really; half the people that come in do better than I do and half do worse.

I've long stopped blaming any gun for not hitting the target. I don't think there's a gun made that's not more accurate than I am. Heck for that matter I think there's not a gun made that isn't more accurate than 80% of our police and military forces.

It's like they said in the original Dawn of the Dead:

"The only sucker who could miss with this gun would be the sucker with the bread to buy it."

Bud White

· #20 · Feb 15, 2005

Your very right some of the police forces shooting is scary but were running off topic

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