This is the age of the polymer double-stack, semi-automatic handgun, and new models are regularly hitting the shelves. As a result, consumers have many options, so many that choosing can be difficult. And Ruger didn’t make it any easier when it introduced the American Pistol line in late 2015.

The gun is built to be robust, and the design and features were the result of Ruger asking law enforcement and military trainers what they wanted or expected in a duty pistol. Although...