Ruger SR9 Striker-Fired Pistol

[TMan]

Oh yeah, finally something new and exciting (my wife thinks I need help) from Ruger: a 9mm, striker-fired, 1911 type safety, and lots of features. Interested? Well I'm not going to just retype what they said, but here are some links:

www.ruger.com/SR9/

There are a lot of videos about it at (not recommended for dial-up users):

www.downrange.tv/ruger/video.htm

Question: Will Tman get one?
Answer: Already made a phone call. I'll get the first one that my dealer gets. ;D

Comments: after viewing the videos (saw them before making the phone call):

1) I think having the reversable backstrap is a touch of genius.

2) I like that the grip angle is the same as the 1911, and that the safety works like the 1911's.

3) You lock the slide open before removing the slide stop so you aren't working against spring pressure.

4) Why did they make an ejector that you have to push down in order to remove the slide. After my P90 experiences you would think I could remember. Remember? Remember what?

5) According to Michael Bane the trigger isn't bad. The weight is the same as my XD, which I've never had a problem with.

6) The gun isn't available in New York because of state regulations. Your senator working hard for you MLB. At least you will get rid of her when she becomes President.

[MLB]

That's something new. Usually the firearm is available, but with a hobbled 10 round magazine. It's getting to feel a lot like California around here.

Regardless, it's nice to see a new product made in the USA.

[TMan]

Well, I picked it up today for $394 from Sportingarms.com (they don't have it on their web-site yet because of computer problems, but you can Request a quote on one and get it that way); however, I won't get to shoot it until Friday. Of course it will probably take me until then to clean all the machining crap out of it. Ruger is really bad about that, but this is the worst one I've seen. There is a lot of oil in there and I'm suspect that it is oil from the machining process.

It fits my hand very well without reversing the backstrap. You can read about it from their web-site, so I'm just going to give my observations:

I really like the sights. The rear sights elevation is adjustable via screwdriver, but for windage you have to release a set screw and then drift it over. They are the white dot variety and I can see the front sight very well.

The loaded chamber indicator is on the top of the slide, and when you think about it, that is a very good idea. If a round fails to load you can see it with a slight tilt of the gun.

The trigger? It makes me appreciate the trigger on my Glock.

Now what I really don't like: they went a little nuts on the magazine release. When I press it from the left side, it drops the magazine. Load the magazine (not really - I'm at home), and try to re-insert it, and it won't stay in. At first I thought the gun was going to go back to Ruger, then I tried pushing in from the right side, it clicked, and it worked. I think they went too far here trying to make something for left handed people. I think the right approach is to allow the user to reverse it vs. having the button on both sides.

Was Ruger aware of the magazine problem? Let me quote from their manual on page 14, bullet 5:

Insert the magazine into the frame, taking care that the magazine is locked in place by the magazine latch.

We report, you decide (wonder where I got that from?). If a dead officer is found with an empty gun, a loaded magazine on the ground, and the magazine catch depressed, then Ruger is going to get sued.

If you need a defensive pistol, and there is a possibility that you will need a second magazine, I would not recomend this pistol.

Hey, I just realized something: it is a Ruger and it isn't ugly. ;D

When you field strip the pistol, you remove the magazine, lock the slide open and push the ejector forward. On my pistol, it took quite a bit of force to push the ejector forward. You remove the slide stop, which is not the slide release, oddly enough, and then push down the slide release. It is not necessary to pull the trigger.

However, if you are a Glock person, and you pull the trigger, you are screwed when you try to get the slide back onto the frame. It won't go. You have to manually move the trigger forward in order to get the slide back on. Did Ruger know that? Of course, they mentioned it in their manual.

Incidentally, the manual is well written and well illustrated.

Summary: does it knock my socks off? Let me check... nope they are still there. What has knocked my socks off lately? I really like the trigger system on the P99 AS. I'm not going to buy one, but I really like the concept. If I didn't have the new PPS, I might buy the P99C AS, hmmm.

[TMan]

Well, I really think the trigger has a lot to do with my lack of accuracy. I let a couple of other people shoot it too, and they were not very impressed. It failed to feed once, but not when I was shooting it. From the amount of muzzle flip he was getting, it may have been because of limp-wristing.

It did drop one magazine on the concrete. That magazine release is a dumb design, and incidentally, from an external standpoint, is the same type as on the CZ-83.

I really like the Walther type release that is at the bottom of the trigger guard.

I took several guns to the range because one of the club members wanted to shoot them: PPS, Steyr MA-1, SR9, G34, P5. Afterwards, I asked him what her thought. He said he didn't want to hurt my feelings, but he liked the P5 the best.

[BIGDOG]

I would like to give one a test drive!
G