Ruger SR22 Pistol 6,000 round review and issues

boostedtt91 · April 15, 2012, 02:48 PM

Well i have had my new Ruger SR22 pistol now for about a month and i have been shooting the crap out of it. I have just hit around 6000 rounds through it already so i wanted to give a quick review of what i have found so far.

1st of all this is just a amazing little gun and works very very well! I have put many different types of .22lr ammo through it and it ate everything without any problems. The accuracy is nothing to write home about, but for such a litttle barrel, i wouldn't really expect it to be amazing. Its pretty much good for shooting 10-15 yards away. You can definitely hit bigger targets much furthur away, but its just not gonna be precision shots.

I have probably only really cleaned this gun 2-3 times so far just to get some of the major gunk spots, but besides that i haven't had to as its just a work horse and wants to keep going.

Now the bad;
As many people have had happen, the slide stop is starting to gouge up the slide which hasn't been a performance issue, but could be down the road. I have also gotten a 3" gouge that goes from the slide stop towards the back of the gun on the slide. I have no idea what exactly caused this to happen, as i don't really see anything, but it just appeared the one time i took it apart.
Today, i took it out to the range and the slide started to get stuck a few times after ejecting the shell, where i had to push the slide forward. Im thinking all those metal gouges are starting to cause issues now.

The only other issue i have found is with the magazine, as from day 1 i have been getting an occasional FTF, usually on the 2nd round. It has been happening more often now and i really can't narrow it down to only 1 of the magazines, cause it has happened with both of them, but mostly with the one.

Im going to call Ruger tomorrow and gonna have to send it back to them to have them take care of the slide issues and ill see what the say about the magazines. Hopefully that have found a solution to the slide stop problems, since just replacing the slide isn't gonna fix anything.

Final report is i give this gun a B+ overall as it works excellent, functions with every type of ammo i have put through it and besides the FTF's, i have had zero problems with the gun.I love this little gun! With anything new gun they might be some issues so hopefully Ruge will take care of the problems and that will be the end of it.

Here is a picture of the slide wear i am having

bedbugbilly · April 15, 2012, 10:56 PM

Thanks for the report - sounds iike it has worked well for you. I am hearing lots of praise overall for this little 22. Wow . . . 6,000 rounds . . . you have been busy with it. Only cleaned 2 to 3 times though? If you send it back to Ruger for an overhaul, I wonder if they'll clean it for you too?

Rogervzv · April 15, 2012, 11:17 PM

5000 rounds and only cleaned twice or three times? Wow. I clean mine after every range visit. Only takes maybe seven minutes. A clean gun is a happy gun.

My first SR22P (I have two) has some wear in the same place your photo shows. Does not seem to affect the gun though. If it does I will call Ruger.

I have not had the FTF from the magazine that you describe. In fact, excepting for one dud round, in 2000 rounds I have never had a feeding or firing failure with the SR22P.

swan_derek · April 16, 2012, 09:29 AM

Thanks for the write up, I love mine!

Marquezj16 · April 16, 2012, 10:44 AM

Thanks for sharing. I have not noticed any odd wear on mine, but then again I've only shot 2000 or so rounds. Keep us posted as to what Ruger does for you.

boostedtt91 · April 17, 2012, 07:20 PM

yeah i wanted to see how long it would go being dirty and so far its not caused any issues. I probably only brushed and cleaned the bore out once and it still looks spotless. The most i do when i clean it is just clean the slide and contact points to get rid of all the burn't residue. If not, ill get hot residue hit my arm when firing. I am VERY happy with this little gun and yes i have been very busy with it putting it through its paces. Its just so much fun to shoot, i just can't get enough.

Im kinda ashamed to admit it, but i got the Ruger SR1911 and this a few weeks later and i probably only put 150 rounds through the 1911 cause i have been shooting this all the time and probably cause its ALOT cheaper to shoot!

I had a few FTF's with both magazines today back to back. I know for a fact its the magazine, cause if i close the slide slowly, its sliding right over the first round. Its just one of those things it seems that they don't seat correctly or something, not exactly sure

Adamantium · April 18, 2012, 02:36 PM

The SR22 has got an aluminum slide right? If the slide stop is made of steel it should be no surprise which is going to win out.

blchandl2 · April 18, 2012, 07:22 PM

The slide has a steel pin where the slide stop makes contact.

Pilot · April 19, 2012, 06:33 AM

Does anyone know how Ruger is addressing this issue? Is it widespread, as the OP suggests?

boostedtt91 · April 20, 2012, 06:06 PM

yes it is a widespread problem, everyone i have ever seen or heard about has this happening to there gun. I have been really busy so i haven't got a chance to call Ruger about it yet, but i plan to

boostedtt91 · April 24, 2012, 03:43 PM

Well i ordered another magazine for my SR22 and it just came today. I loaded it up with 10 rounds and probably had 5 FTF with this magazine

I dont know if all these SR22 magazines are problematic or whats going on.

Marquezj16 · April 24, 2012, 03:47 PM

You know I shot over 400 rounds through mine this weekend. Not one malfunction. Ammo used were CCI mini mag, Win Super Speed, Blazer Bulk and Rem High Velocity. What ammo were you using?

Justice06RR · April 25, 2012, 02:59 AM

Quote:

Well i ordered another magazine for my SR22 and it just came today. I loaded it up with 10 rounds and probably had 5 FTF with this magazine I dont know if all these SR22 magazines are problematic or whats going on.

Was this one you bought or a replacement from Ruger? Sorry to hear your issues, but since its a relatively new pistol some problems are expected to arise. at least you have the backing of Ruger's great customer service.

On another note, 6k rounds is quite a lot for a short amount of time compared to most average shooters. But since 22lr is pretty cheap to shoot, i don't blame you!

bitttorrrent · April 25, 2012, 07:49 AM

Wow, 6000 is a lot. I just have 150 so far and is a great little gun with no issues.

I think i would rather put 6000 thru my mkII cause it is an all steel gun, but should be no problem.

I wonder what they rate the gun for - like 20,000 rounds before it should show some wear?

tommims · April 30, 2012, 08:53 PM

Hey, I like the SR22. I've only had mine for two days and counted myself very lucky to even find one.

My one range session went very well - no issues. I even successfully adjusted the sights.

Thanks for the insights you guys have shared.

Crosshair · April 30, 2012, 10:54 PM

Well as long as Ruger keeps the Mark series we'll let the market figure out the SR22.

voyager4520 · May 1, 2012, 04:32 AM

The newest slides have a steel pin in the cut-out that the slide stop catches into. You might want to give Ruger a call about the slide wear.

Shadi Khalil · May 1, 2012, 05:20 AM

That wear reminds of my P22, I can't tell the extent from your photo but mine was pretty bad. I imagine Ruger will either replace the slide or the whole gun. That's what S&W did with my P22, which I sold shortly after receiving back. I haven't read Through the other post so I don't know if this has been covered but, what is the slide made out of? The P22 slide was built from zinc alloy and from my experience was pretty weak. I've read that the SR was built from aluminum and not the same "pot metal" the P22 was constructed from. Anyways, thanks for the great report.

Moyer · May 1, 2012, 07:47 PM

Yes, the slide wear is very much like the problems with the older P22s. To my knowledge, those issues with the P22s were worked out a few years ago. I'm generally a Ruger fan, but I'm surprised they didn't see this issue coming since the whole gun is basically a P22 copy.

danez71 · May 2, 2012, 10:30 PM

Quote:

I'm generally a Ruger fan, but I'm surprised they didn't see this issue coming since the whole gun is basically a P22 copy.

No... it... isnt.

Look at the schematics and parts lists and you'll see for yourself instead of continuing to spread misinformation.

They look similar and are about the same as Ford and Chevy trucks.

Crosshair · May 3, 2012, 01:30 PM

Quote:

They look similar and are about the same as Ford and Chevy trucks.

Wait, you mean they aren't? Just look at them, they both have 4 wheels.

Moyer · May 7, 2012, 07:54 PM

Quote:

No... it... isnt.

Look at the schematics and parts lists and you'll see for yourself instead of continuing to spread misinformation.

I didn't mean that they're the same gun. I mean that it should be obvious that Ruger was going after the P22 market when they decided to produce the SR22. AFAIK, they're the only two mainstream subcompact lightweight tacti-cool 22s being made. The SR22 has more in common with the P22 than it does with any other gun.

The P22 had the exact same issue with wear on the zinc slide before a steel pin was added by the slide release. There were other slide wear issues with it as well.

SR22 · May 7, 2012, 10:20 PM

I had the exact same issues with the slide wear and FTF on the 2nd round in my magzine. I finally realized that it was due to the fact that the spring which holds down the slide stop has gone missing, thus the slide stop was catching the slide thus causes the FTF. Not only it causes the slide to be held back but also worn out the slide.
My SR22 is now back at Ruger for repair and I will find out what they will do to fix these issues.

Inazone · May 8, 2012, 02:24 PM

My SR22 was great for the first few hundred rounds, but I experienced numerous FTFs on my last range visit. It could just need a cleaning, which I have been a bit lazy about, but I also noticed that I had *zero* FTFs shooting the HP or flat-nosed copper ammo that I started out with, and the problems coincided with switching to round nose lead. It didn't seem to matter what brand the ammo was.

I'm going to clean the gun and try again with the same ammo as last time, but if it still gives me trouble, I'll go back to some copper HPs and see what happens.

Marquezj16 · May 9, 2012, 11:14 AM

I have not had this problem and I used blue loctite to prevent it.

Has anyone had their barrel screw get loose or has Ruger fixed the problem?

I have been really fortunate with my SR22. Zero problems and very accurate. A lot of fun to shoot as I don't have to work hard at all.

Only negative for me is loading 500 rounds into two 10-rd mags.

April 15, 2012, 10:56 PM	#2
bedbugbilly Senior Member Join Date: November 19, 2009 Posts: 3,287	Thanks for the report - sounds iike it has worked well for you. I am hearing lots of praise overall for this little 22. Wow . . . 6,000 rounds . . . you have been busy with it. Only cleaned 2 to 3 times though? If you send it back to Ruger for an overhaul, I wonder if they'll clean it for you too? __________________ If a pair of '51 Navies were good enough for Billy Hickok, then a single Navy on my right hip is good enough for me . . . besides . . . I'm probably only half as good as he was anyways. Hiram's Rangers Badge #63

April 15, 2012, 11:17 PM	#3
Rogervzv Senior Member Join Date: February 5, 2011 Location: Huntington Beach, CA Posts: 1,075	5000 rounds and only cleaned twice or three times? Wow. I clean mine after every range visit. Only takes maybe seven minutes. A clean gun is a happy gun. My first SR22P (I have two) has some wear in the same place your photo shows. Does not seem to affect the gun though. If it does I will call Ruger. I have not had the FTF from the magazine that you describe. In fact, excepting for one dud round, in 2000 rounds I have never had a feeding or firing failure with the SR22P. __________________ The difference between a citizen and a civilian is that the citizen makes the safety of the body politic his personal responsibility, protecting it with his life. The civilian does not.

April 16, 2012, 09:29 AM	#4
swan_derek Member Join Date: April 15, 2012 Posts: 16	Thank you Thanks for the write up, I love mine!

April 18, 2012, 02:36 PM	#7
Adamantium Senior Member Join Date: June 6, 1999 Location: El Paso, TX Posts: 1,021	The SR22 has got an aluminum slide right? If the slide stop is made of steel it should be no surprise which is going to win out. __________________ New gun, same ol' shot.

April 19, 2012, 06:33 AM	#9
Pilot Senior Member Join Date: December 21, 2000 Posts: 4,193	Does anyone know how Ruger is addressing this issue? Is it widespread, as the OP suggests? __________________ Pilot

April 16, 2012, 10:44 AM	#5
Marquezj16 Senior Member Join Date: April 3, 2011 Posts: 2,088	Thanks for sharing. I have not noticed any odd wear on mine, but then again I've only shot 2000 or so rounds. Keep us posted as to what Ruger does for you.

April 17, 2012, 07:20 PM	#6
boostedtt91 Senior Member Join Date: January 28, 2011 Location: Danville, Pa Posts: 520	yeah i wanted to see how long it would go being dirty and so far its not caused any issues. I probably only brushed and cleaned the bore out once and it still looks spotless. The most i do when i clean it is just clean the slide and contact points to get rid of all the burn't residue. If not, ill get hot residue hit my arm when firing. I am VERY happy with this little gun and yes i have been very busy with it putting it through its paces. Its just so much fun to shoot, i just can't get enough. Im kinda ashamed to admit it, but i got the Ruger SR1911 and this a few weeks later and i probably only put 150 rounds through the 1911 cause i have been shooting this all the time and probably cause its ALOT cheaper to shoot! I had a few FTF's with both magazines today back to back. I know for a fact its the magazine, cause if i close the slide slowly, its sliding right over the first round. Its just one of those things it seems that they don't seat correctly or something, not exactly sure

April 18, 2012, 07:22 PM	#8
blchandl2 Senior Member Join Date: November 1, 2008 Location: TN Posts: 525	The slide has a steel pin where the slide stop makes contact.

April 20, 2012, 06:06 PM	#10
boostedtt91 Senior Member Join Date: January 28, 2011 Location: Danville, Pa Posts: 520	yes it is a widespread problem, everyone i have ever seen or heard about has this happening to there gun. I have been really busy so i haven't got a chance to call Ruger about it yet, but i plan to

April 24, 2012, 03:43 PM	#11
boostedtt91 Senior Member Join Date: January 28, 2011 Location: Danville, Pa Posts: 520	Well i ordered another magazine for my SR22 and it just came today. I loaded it up with 10 rounds and probably had 5 FTF with this magazine I dont know if all these SR22 magazines are problematic or whats going on.

April 24, 2012, 03:47 PM	#12
Marquezj16 Senior Member Join Date: April 3, 2011 Posts: 2,088	You know I shot over 400 rounds through mine this weekend. Not one malfunction. Ammo used were CCI mini mag, Win Super Speed, Blazer Bulk and Rem High Velocity. What ammo were you using? Last edited by Marquezj16; April 24, 2012 at 03:53 PM.

April 25, 2012, 07:49 AM	#14
bitttorrrent Senior Member Join Date: April 21, 2011 Location: Chicago Posts: 703	Wow, 6000 is a lot. I just have 150 so far and is a great little gun with no issues. I think i would rather put 6000 thru my mkII cause it is an all steel gun, but should be no problem. I wonder what they rate the gun for - like 20,000 rounds before it should show some wear?

April 30, 2012, 08:53 PM	#15
tommims Junior Member Join Date: April 27, 2012 Location: Colorado Posts: 1	Very first post Hey, I like the SR22. I've only had mine for two days and counted myself very lucky to even find one. My one range session went very well - no issues. I even successfully adjusted the sights. Thanks for the insights you guys have shared.

April 30, 2012, 10:54 PM	#16
Crosshair Senior Member Join Date: December 16, 2004 Location: Grand Forks, ND Posts: 5,333	Well as long as Ruger keeps the Mark series we'll let the market figure out the SR22. __________________ I don't carry a gun to go looking for trouble, I carry a gun in case trouble finds me.

May 1, 2012, 04:32 AM	#17
voyager4520 Senior Member Join Date: April 1, 2009 Location: SE Colorado Posts: 840	The newest slides have a steel pin in the cut-out that the slide stop catches into. You might want to give Ruger a call about the slide wear. __________________ Glock 23,27

May 1, 2012, 05:20 AM	#18
Shadi Khalil Senior Member Join Date: September 23, 2006 Location: Alexandria, VA Posts: 5,210	That wear reminds of my P22, I can't tell the extent from your photo but mine was pretty bad. I imagine Ruger will either replace the slide or the whole gun. That's what S&W did with my P22, which I sold shortly after receiving back. I haven't read Through the other post so I don't know if this has been covered but, what is the slide made out of? The P22 slide was built from zinc alloy and from my experience was pretty weak. I've read that the SR was built from aluminum and not the same "pot metal" the P22 was constructed from. Anyways, thanks for the great report.

May 1, 2012, 07:47 PM	#19
Moyer Member Join Date: December 20, 2011 Posts: 47	Yes, the slide wear is very much like the problems with the older P22s. To my knowledge, those issues with the P22s were worked out a few years ago. I'm generally a Ruger fan, but I'm surprised they didn't see this issue coming since the whole gun is basically a P22 copy.

May 7, 2012, 10:20 PM	#23
SR22 Junior Member Join Date: May 7, 2012 Posts: 4	SR22 slide issue I had the exact same issues with the slide wear and FTF on the 2nd round in my magzine. I finally realized that it was due to the fact that the spring which holds down the slide stop has gone missing, thus the slide stop was catching the slide thus causes the FTF. Not only it causes the slide to be held back but also worn out the slide. My SR22 is now back at Ruger for repair and I will find out what they will do to fix these issues.

May 8, 2012, 02:24 PM	#24
Inazone Member Join Date: April 27, 2012 Location: Minnesota, USA Posts: 89	My SR22 was great for the first few hundred rounds, but I experienced numerous FTFs on my last range visit. It could just need a cleaning, which I have been a bit lazy about, but I also noticed that I had zero FTFs shooting the HP or flat-nosed copper ammo that I started out with, and the problems coincided with switching to round nose lead. It didn't seem to matter what brand the ammo was. I'm going to clean the gun and try again with the same ammo as last time, but if it still gives me trouble, I'll go back to some copper HPs and see what happens.

May 9, 2012, 11:14 AM	#25
Marquezj16 Senior Member Join Date: April 3, 2011 Posts: 2,088	I have not had this problem and I used blue loctite to prevent it. Has anyone had their barrel screw get loose or has Ruger fixed the problem? I have been really fortunate with my SR22. Zero problems and very accurate. A lot of fun to shoot as I don't have to work hard at all. Only negative for me is loading 500 rounds into two 10-rd mags.