I couldn't find a place on the ruger web-site allowing me to ask a question. I did try to google as many combinations of "345 magazine disconnect" for as many different hits as I could muster.......I couldn't find a single reference to them doing away with the controversial feature.
To James B and Gundigest, ... when you say your gun functions even without the magazine in it, by that I'm guessing you maen that with the gun cocked and the magazine out you can pull the trigger and get the hammer to drop. But does this necessarily mean the firing pin has dropped?

Or did you actually fire the gun with live rounds when the magazine was out?

On every gun I have used with a magazine disconnect, when the magazine is dropped the trigger is disconnected (pull it back and the hammer does not move) I swear in 2004 the P345 was the same way. The one I just got will let you pull the trigger with the clip out, though I have not fired it with the clip out yet, but I will this weekend.

I picked a 345 up at a sweet deal and have been very, very impressed with it. It is quite accurate, has great follow up shots and the recoil isn't much to me. It carries well in both a shoulder rig and a paddle.

My gun will also drop the hammer w/o a mag in place. I hope mine will fire with one in the pipe and no mag, I like all of myautos to be that way. If you're in a battle and want to reload, I would rather have one in the pipe while reloading and not be dead empty.

I chambered the P345 and dropped the clip and it went "Click". Unfortunately it does have a magazine disconnect. I wish it did not, it is accurate and shootswell. It does not have as much recoil as I expected.