

The DAO models have no manual safety or decocker. When the lever is released, the firing pin springs back to the normal position. The decocker models have no manual safety instead, when the lever is lowered, it only cams the firing pin into the slide and drops the hammer. The standard models have an ambidextrous manual safety/decocker located on the slide when the safety lever is lowered to the safe position, the firing pin is cammed into the slide away from the hammer, the trigger is disconnected from the sear, and the hammer is decocked. The P series were made with a traditional double-action/single-action (DA/SA), or double-action-only (DAO) trigger mechanism. They use a SIG P220 type locking system, and an M1911-style tilting barrel. The P-series pistols are short recoil–operated, locked breech semi-automatic pistols.

Reviews have considered them rugged, reliable, and strong, though this strength comes at the price of bulk and a blocky appearance. The designs are largely based on the Browning action found in the M1911 pistol, but with minor variations, generally related to the safety mechanism and the barrel-camblock interface. The P-series pistols were designed for military, police, civilian and recreational use. The Ruger P series is a line of centerfire semi-automatic pistols made by Sturm, Ruger & Company produced from 1985 to 2013.
