Ruger SR9c Journal (extended review)

[ScotchMan]

Just to clarify on the peening. I observed it when cleaning one day, and did some research. I saw all the same threads, some people saying its a problem and others saying its normal. I decided to let Ruger decide, after all it is their gun and they know it best.

I sent them pictures, and they said to send it in. I sent it in, and they replaced the barrel. Both the idea to send it in, and the idea to replace a faulty part, were THEIR ideas. I take that to mean they acknowledged there was a problem and that they needed to take steps to repair it. I am not putting words in their mouths, that's what happened.

Then when they implied the next one was on me, I just got a bad taste in my mouth. This added to the bad taste I had about carrying a gun with a disabled factory safety device (magazine disconnect removed), with a manual safety when I'd decided that wasn't for me, with a roll pin that constantly came loose on its own, and finally one that I was beginning to realize didn't fit me as well as I thought (I had a lot of trouble reaching the mag release compared to other guns). All of this combined caused me to decide it wasn't the gun for me.

But the trigger reset thing did happen, and the peening did happen, and it wasn't because of anything I did wrong. Because of that I wouldn't recommend the gun to someone else, unless they absolutely couldn't spend the marginally more money to get something else.

[donato]

@ mes228,

Well crap, two for two BAD ONES. Prior post in this thread on my SR9 being totally unacceptable because of the trigger. Traded the new unfired SR9 for a used SR9c and gave $50 difference. Just returned from the range and TRIED to fire a couple of boxes Federal Classic HP's. Absolutely NO GO. The trigger would not reset when fired. Hand rack the slide and it would re-set MOST of the time. Who needs a single shot semi-auto, certainly not me. The SR9c was relatively accurate, ergo were good, sights OK, trigger acceptable, BUT THE DARN THING WOULD NOT RUN. I've probably owned well over a 100 pistols and this was the first time I've encountered a "trigger reset" failure.

Long story short, the Gentleman in the shooting lane beside me bought my "as new SR9c". He got a bargain and I got relief from FedEx-ing the Ruger back and waiting several weeks for them to repair it. I'm sure it will turn out to be a fine pistol IN THE END. Frankly I'm glad to be rid of the things. Please don't think I'm a Ruger basher as I generally like their products. In fact the P345 I had was when I owned a H&K USP and I honestly preferred the P345. At any rate two for two is a first for me. If the thing had run I would have liked the pistol. Best regards and have a great day.

You by chance didn't buy ScotchMan's used SR9c did you?

[donato]

Just to clarify on the peening. I observed it when cleaning one day, and did some research. I saw all the same threads, some people saying its a problem and others saying its normal. I decided to let Ruger decide, after all it is their gun and they know it best.

I sent them pictures, and they said to send it in. I sent it in, and they replaced the barrel. Both the idea to send it in, and the idea to replace a faulty part, were THEIR ideas. I take that to mean they acknowledged there was a problem and that they needed to take steps to repair it. I am not putting words in their mouths, that's what happened.

Then when they implied the next one was on me, I just got a bad taste in my mouth. This added to the bad taste I had about carrying a gun with a disabled factory safety device (magazine disconnect removed), with a manual safety when I'd decided that wasn't for me, with a roll pin that constantly came loose on its own, and finally one that I was beginning to realize didn't fit me as well as I thought (I had a lot of trouble reaching the mag release compared to other guns). All of this combined caused me to decide it wasn't the gun for me.

But the trigger reset thing did happen, and the peening did happen, and it wasn't because of anything I did wrong. Because of that I wouldn't recommend the gun to someone else, unless they absolutely couldn't spend the marginally more money to get something else.

Yeah, and I don't think you're ever going to get over it. Every forum you post on has this sad story.

[ScotchMan]

Just in the threads on the topic of problems with the SR9c...

If those people didn't want to hear the stories they would do a forum search instead of creating a new thread.

[RBid]

Range Report: Range Trip #2

WHEW! This was a hectic one!

I am a member of a gun club here in Portland. It is an indoor range, with 10 lanes, established in 1936. Members have keycards, and we can come and go as we please, between 8am and 8pm, 365 days/year. Since I worked today, that didn't give me much time!

Skipping the process of getting there...

I signed in at JCGC at 7:35pm. I prepped targets (date + orange dot), put in my ear plugs, put on my muff-style ear protection, and put on my eyes. I had 100 rounds, and 10 targets. The carriers are hand-cranked, and you have to shoot with them run all the way out (50 feet).

Because I had so much busy work to do, I knew that I'd be firing pretty quickly, and expected some crazy spreads. Still, there were two main objectives for this trip: 1) see if it kept running strong after another 100 rounds, 2) keep working toward an instinctive understanding of the trigger.

By 7:55, I was packing my range bag in the lobby.

In 100 rounds, I had zero failures.

Further notes:

1. Slide bite is definitely there. The very low bore axis is fantastic for recoil management, but I got sliced. I am perfectly content to deal with the bite, because of the return in performance. I deleted the pic of my slide bite, because of how it was rendering.

2. If you buy one of these guns for concealed carry, you WILL find yourself feeling compelled to shoot it for recreation. "Train with what you carry", right? Where I practiced with my PF-9 out of obligation, I am truly excited to get back to the range with this gun. I am so excited, in fact, that I am planning to hit the range again tomorrow morning.


The following pictures are pictures of my barrel, taken after 250 rounds fired, and lots of manual slide racks.



You may note a sliver-thin place at the top of the chamber (horizontal in the pic, where the barrel widens into the chamber section). This is where friction between the slide and barrel have basically polished the top of the barrel component. The tolerances are VERY tight on this gun. It feels incredibly solid.



That liiiitttle silver spot directly to the right of the '9x19' mark, toward the barrel, is a scratch.



The pic above is the side of the chamber that is always covered by the slide. You can see where the tight fit has resulted in the barrel being polished.

That is the extent of the results of slide-barrel friction, after 250 rounds, with my pistol. This does not mean that I do not believe that others have had different experiences.


Final thought, after the second trip...

I feel different carrying this than I felt carrying an LC9 or PF-9. Instead of feeling like I'm carrying a 'pocket gun', I feel like I'm carrying a combat sidearm.

[RBid]

What if the SR9c doesn't continue to impress me, and perform reliably?

One thing is for certain: I will not ever go back to a true subcompact for my primary carry weapon.

In a nutshell, subcompacts are designed to be easy to carry. They are designed to be had.

Duty compacts, on the other hand, are very close derivatives of combat designs. They shoot like full size pistols, they carry a few more rounds, etc. Simply put, they are more combat capable.

As I have been shooting the SR9c, I have realized how incredibly wide that gap in combat capability is. Mechanical accuracy be damned. These guns are dramatically easier for most of us to be accurate with than most subs (relax, Shield owners! I said 'most'!). Whether you're talking about an initial shot, or quick and accurate follow up shots, I strongly doubt that many people could be found who would be able to perform anywhere near as well with subs. As I implied in an earlier post, this is especially pronounced if you're shooting one-handed, and on the move.


So, if the SR9c falls apart...?

Here are some numbers, for the SR9c, and M&P9c:

overall height: 4.61", 4.3"
length: 6.85", 6.7"
width: 1.27", 1.2"
Each has a 3.5" barrel, and weights are within 2oz.

Equally important, to me:
- each pistol has a pinky extension, allowing for a full grip
- each pistol has a thumb safety (optional on the M&P9c)
- each pistol accepts magazines used by their full-size counterparts, allowing for a LOT of concealable firepower.


Regardless of how well the SR9c performs, going forward, I believe that my next pistol purchase will be an M&P9c. Having said that, I prefer the trigger on the SR9c. I will continue to carry the Ruger, unless performance issues arise.

[RBid]

Range visit #3:

I put another 150 rounds of Federal 115 gr FMJ through the SR9c, this morning. The round count is now 400 rounds, with zero malfunctions.

I have no barrel peening. The extreme tightness of the tolerances IS showing clear indications of friction, which has only resulted in a couple of polished looking places on the chamber portion of the barrel. There are no burrs, no indications of shearing, and no pits. The 'polish points' are very slightly more visible today than they were after 250 rounds, but as they are all completely smooth to the eye and touch, I expect no trouble.


Note on carry:

I realized something today, which may help others with concealment.

No matter what the weather is like, I wear a "wife beater" style tank top underneath my shirts. I don't buy flimsy ones. Instead, I maintain a large number of them, in the thicker style. I buy them to fit me snugly around, but to be a bit long.

This gives me two layers of material covering the grip of my pistol. The 'beater' does a great job of masking printing, and doesn't leave anything to translate through my over-shirt.

When I practice my draw, I find that it doesn't add any time to pistol presentation. I am still able to pull both shirts out of the way quickly.

[Spats McGee]

RBid, thanks for these reviews. The SR9c is one contender for a possible future purchase for me, and I'm glad for the information.

[RBid]

You are quite welcome, Spats.

When I'm researching future purchases, these types of reviews are the kind that I try to find. Spending time on this one is my way of giving back to the community, for the incredible amount of information provided by so many members.

I appreciate your taking the time to offer feedback, sir!

[TunnelRat]

Slide bite is definitely there. The very low bore axis is fantastic for recoil management, but I got sliced. I am perfectly content to deal with the bite, because of the return in performance.

I'm kind of curious how this is happening. I know this would likely be difficult, maybe get someone else to take the picture?, but could you take a picture of yourself holding the gun as you would when firing it? I'm just curious as to your grip on the pistol and how it is allowing for slide bite.

After my first range trip with my SR9c, I am wondering if I will ever go back to a smaller pistol. My capability with this gun far exceeds what I could do with my old CCWs. Since I'm already concealing it with no trouble during the warm season, I can't really see a reason to step back down in size.

This is true for me as well. I actually conceal a Glock 19 size firearm, the HK P2000. For me it's the perfect size. I have no issues concealing it, it is comfortable to carry, and I am very accurate with it. To me that size, 5" tall and 7" long, is just about prefect for me. While I understand the desire of many to carry something smaller, I find a lot of people carry a subcompact without ever trying to carry a compact. Most of the time they do this simply because someone told them it would be uncomfortable carrying something bigger. I know this is not true for all folks, but those that I see at the store buying for the first time often fit this description. They want the smallest thing possible without any thought as to how well they will be able to shoot it. I just wish that mentality was tamed a bit.

[RBid]

TunnelRat,

Here are some pics, to illustrate:

First, a pic of my strong hand's position, when I use a two-handed grip. To do this, I assumed a 2-handed grip, then held my strong hand in position, while removing my support hand.



For reference, a pic taken the same way, with my PPQ. Looking closely, you may notice that there is a fraction of an inch of difference between the thickness of the frame at the back of the slides on these pistols. That slight difference keeps my right thumb knuckle from coming into contact with the slide of the PPQ, while the thumb knuckle rides the train a little with the SR9c.



...and a picture of the resulting slidebite. It is a perfect, straight line, about the same width as the slide sides.




On the subject of carry weapon sizing...

This is a funny subject, for me.

PPQ: very slightly larger than a G19. Slide taper = more narrow slide. Though it's light, it is too long, and too tall for me to comfortably carry on a full time basis.

SR9c: This thing is only slightly smaller than a G19, and I am completely comfortable carrying it.

I haven't tried to conceal a G19, but I would be very curious to do so. The tipping point for my comfort of carry is clearly between the SR9c and PPQ, which is right around where the G19 sits.

[donato]

RBid,

Two things after looking at your pictures:

1. That little scratch in front of the 9x19 stamp is right on top of the Ruger stamp. The stamping process probably left a little rough edge that rubbed off.

2. On the barrel, keep the lock up points well lubed - they experience alot of movement/rubbing. Keep front (horizontal) edge of barrel that mates with the slide well lubed. Keep the two ears/lugs at the rear of the chamber well lubed (Especially on the outer edges, but rear ends too). If you let'm run dry, they will wear pretty quickly. Also, underneath the slide (near the front), you will see wear areas from the tilting barrel. Put a light lubing here also. I've got at least 5000 rounds through mine now and have not experienced the peening problems that some folks have.

Hope you will continue liking the SR9c as much as I dd.

EDIT: One more place I'd recommend lubing. On the parts breakdown, where the rear rounded tip of item #40 (Trigger Bar) mates up with #44 (Trigger Bar Reset), put a drop of oil/lube there also. Might even help with trigger reset - possibly. This is easy to access when the slide is off.

[TunnelRat]

Here are some pics, to illustrate:

Wow. What size glove do you wear? Your hands look massive in those pics.

[GeeRawkz]

RBid, thank you for your reviews. I truly appreciated them as I had just recently (going on a few weeks now) purchased an SR9C and have fired about the same amount of rounds as you have with no malfunctions at all.

The SR9C is a great CC gun for me that I love to shoot as well. I haven't experienced any slide bite from my gun yet but I image I am smaller than you (I am 5'5'') and have smaller hands based on your pictures. Although I am in now way an experienced CC individual and am actually new to it, I find the gun to be pretty easy to conceal (I wear a "wife beater" as well with all of my clothes), but do find myself picking out the minor imprints when wearing light clothes (tends to always be hot in Miami, FL). This probably has a lot to due with being new to CC, making it a lil to obvious I am carrying and the holster I used for IWB carry (typically at 2 or 3 o' clock).

The one and only downside I have found with the SR9C is when letting my wife shoot the gun at the range, she has found it relatively hard to rack the slide especially in comparison to my Glock 17. I am not sure if this becomes slightly easier over time and use or just the nature of the gun itself.

Nonetheless, I couldn't agree with you more on all of your reviews. Thank you again!

[donato]

The one and only downside I have found with the SR9C is when letting my wife shoot the gun at the range, she has found it relatively hard to rack the slide especially in comparison to my Glock 17. I am not sure if this becomes slightly easier over time and use or just the nature of the gun itself.

Gets much easier over time/rounds. At about 5000 rounds, I just replaced the recoil spring on mine. Don't know that it was really necessary, but just felt like I wanted a stiffer spring.

[RBid]

donato,

Great feedback, sir! Thank you for taking the time to contribute! The barrel wear isn't bothering me, at all. I'll still lube those spots, though.

TunnelRat,

I am cursed with big palms, and average finger length.

[TunnelRat]

I am cursed with big palms, and average finger length.

Well I can certainly understand the slide bite now. You don't even need a baseball mitt.

[RBid]

GeeRawks,

Thank you for the feedback, sir!

I will try to reply properly later tonight. I'm about to take my girls into Madagascar 3. I wanted to take a second to thank you for referencing your experiences, too! The more contributions we get, the better this thread becomes, as a reference point!

[Dragline45]

I just picked up an SR9C a little over a month ago and have no complaints here. I have about 600 rounds through it so far with no failures of any kind, and I cant get over the kind of accuracy I am capable to achieve with this gun considering its size. The trigger on mine is very good, that good where I suspect I just got lucky. I had a guy at the range try out my SR9C and he couldn't believe how good the trigger was because he sold his off since the trigger was so bad. His was the full size model and he got it not long after they first came out, so maybe that had something to do with it.

Anyways If your interested in some cheap mods for the SR9 I polished my barrel hood along with the under part of the slide, the frame rails, and the feed ramp. When cycling the gun manually the gun functions much smoother than from the factory. I also went ahead and shortened the loaded chamber indicator so it was not as obtrusive. All very cheap and easy to do and require no special tools besides some 1500, 2000 grit wet dry and some mothers mag polish. You could also take out the magazine disconnect saftey which takes only a couple minutes. Here are some pics, if you want to know how to do any of these private message me and I can give you the details. Only pain is I like to keep the barrel hood looking pristine, so each time I shoot it I spend a minute or two to polish the scuff marks out. All it takes is a rag and some mothers mag polish to keep it looking new.









Here is the shortened loaded chamber indicator.

[iamdb]

beautiful work my friend!

[Dragline45]

beautiful work my friend!

Thanks! I think it came out pretty good, the barrel hood from the factory looked terribly unfinished to me and a there were some rough spots under the slide and on the rails that cleaned up real easy. Cant complain though since I got the gun for $400 new, I don't expect everything to be hand fitted and polished like a match grade 1911, plus it gave me something to do.

[RBid]

Interestingly, I seem to have lost the ability to edit posts 1 or 2 in the thread. I had hoped to continue editing post 1 to allow it to function as a thread-guide, to highlight especially beneficial replies.


Dragline,

That is a fantastic reply, sir! I love the pic quality and content. Very strong contribution!


Note on racking the slide:

I feel kind of silly for not mentioning this part sooner! The manual safety, combined with the relatively low profile of the slide assembly, can hurt. If I use overhand racks at the back half of the slide, it's no good. That is typically how I rack slides, but I have adapted for this pistol.

I am still using an overhand grip, but I'm using a thumbless overhand grip at the front of the slide. This has worked great.

Here are two pictures, to help show the position of my rack-hand.






This last picture is kind of a joke. It's a picture of the back of my strong hand, holding my SR9c.

[Dragline45]

If I use overhand racks at the back half of the slide, it's no good. That is typically how I rack slides, but I have adapted for this pistol.

I rack the slide overhand the same way you showed in your photos except I run my thumb along the ridges. It gives me a much more positive rack without worrying about slipping. The SR9 has a double recoil spring which makes the slide tension heavier when cycling it, but soaks up more recoil when shooting. I think the tradeoff is pretty good.

[RBid]

Dragline,

Not only do I love the recoil management system on this gun, I actually made this with my iPhone, to send to a buddy:

[GeeRawkz]

Dragline,

Nicely done with your SR9C, actually got me jealous and made me take mine out to start comparing everything. How did you get the barrel hood so clean / "shiny." Haha a bit random I know but mine takes on a bit more dulled look to it