Anyone here have or has shot a Ruger SR9?
- Thread starter Corry
- Start date
I really like mine, and its first generation. Its not the Maybach of pistols, but it is tough, super reliable, and accurate. Also fully ambidextrous out of the box, which helped draw me to it. Also has a little rail built in underneath so you can slap tactical junk on it if you want. You can't go wrong for the money.
bcbravo2zero
CGN Regular
I just bought one. I've been shooting carbines for years, but I thought I'd join my range-buddies with their pistols (which I have shot plenty).
I bought it based A LOT of research...perhaps 10+ hrs on the internet, plus handling one on two separate occasions before the buy. Basically, the latest versions are "gen 3", even though Ruger doesn't use that term. Of the reviews/comments from the last 2 yrs, the vast majority are positive. Some say, "pretty good" and some say "excellent"...for the price. There are a few detractors. Most of them, I believe, are being overly critical or have had the misfortune of getting a lemon.
Anyway, for the price, it seems like a great little pistol for fun at the range.
I bought it based A LOT of research...perhaps 10+ hrs on the internet, plus handling one on two separate occasions before the buy. Basically, the latest versions are "gen 3", even though Ruger doesn't use that term. Of the reviews/comments from the last 2 yrs, the vast majority are positive. Some say, "pretty good" and some say "excellent"...for the price. There are a few detractors. Most of them, I believe, are being overly critical or have had the misfortune of getting a lemon.
Anyway, for the price, it seems like a great little pistol for fun at the range.
bcbravo2zero
CGN Regular
When did you guys buy your SR9s? Generally speaking, it seems that there is quite a difference in satisfaction...not to mention, trigger...between older (roughly pre-2012) vs. newer (2012 to present) in the reviews I've read.
Also, guys who have much higher-end guns seem to be more likely to be dissatisfied with the SR9 versus, well, a guy like me who isn't that serious about pistol shooting. Case-in-point, a range-buddy of mine doesn't care for it at all...but then he's a big IPSC competitor with guns that cost 3X to 4X the cost of the SR9...so I get it.
Your thoughts...
Scott Bear
Regular
- Location
- Prince George
I had one once. I should never have sold it. Mine was very accurate with a nice trigger. The only thing I don't like about them is the big plastic block on the mag (all steel with a pin or internal block would be better) and the location of the safety. I never used the safety so I didn't really care.
Have fun with it.
Have fun with it.
I think you have it figured out pretty well. High end competitors and gun snobs don't like it. But its not really meant as a competition piece, and Ruger isn't trying to be a "premium" brand at this price point. For people who want to practice and enjoy some recreational pistol shooting without spending huge $$$, the SR9 is great.
Its about 7-8 months old, so a newer version. It's reliable, and feels OK in the hand, its just the horrible trigger and mediocre accuracy that really lowers it in my opinion. I can live with the cheap manufacturing, but I just have better more accurate pistols already, some cost the same, some cost a little more, some a little less. The most expensive pistol I own is still under 1k....the SR just doesn't seem like a very well thought out design overall.
thunderhand
Regular
- Location
- Mississauga
just waiting for my tax return , then i too shall have one.
I owned one for a few months. I liked the feel of it in my hand but could not get the grip right to shoot well with it compared to my full-sized all metal guns. The lightness that would make it a nice carry gun in the States doesn't really have any function - for me at least - as either a range toy or as a competitive gun. In contrast, I tried out my buddy's M&P from the M&P Range and Carry Kit and thought it fit very well and was quite sturdy.
bcbravo2zero
CGN Regular
Thanks.
I'll say this: my Galloway Precision upgrades are on their way to my buddy's place in Seattle as we speak. I find the trigger to be fine, but for $60 (US) I'm looking forward to some improvement.
bcbravo2zero
CGN Regular
You bring up a good point re: hand size and how a gun "feels". I have medium sized hands. Sadly this eliminates a number of options that would be available if I had big mitts. The SR9 felt really good in my hands. Better than the M&P even with the small backstrap...besides that, the trigger felt truly awful.
pisces-guy
CGN frequent flyer
- Location
- West Kelowna, B.C.
Galloway Precision and the Ghost Rocket connector, and a few polished bits and springs...trigger fixed!
bcbravo2zero
CGN Regular
My GP bits 'n pieces are on the way.
BTW, I meant that the M&P trigger felt awful (in all fairness, that's from dry-firing only). My SR-9's trigger is pretty good...should be better with aftermarket parts installed.
pisces-guy
CGN frequent flyer
- Location
- West Kelowna, B.C.
If Ruger would just tighten up the tolerances on the slide, which is a bit sloppy...the SR9's accuracy would improve and it would be a damned good pistol, with a few mods, especially considering it's price. I guess Ruger made the slide's fit as loose as it is to improve dependability when the gun gets a bit dirty, but it doesn't help accuracy at 20/25 yards.
- Location
- chilliwack BC.
agreed, that is one flaw in the ointment for me too. The tolerance there is pretty loose. I didn't really notice that until I had another pistol that is so tight its not even funny.
- Location
- Burnaby, BC
So I just received my brand new Stainless SR9. First impressions- fits my hands better than G34. Trigger pull feels WAY better with a lighter and cleaner break than the G34. Better looking than any Glock IMO. Narrower grip feel and easy to operate mag release and slide stop. I prefer the 3 dot sight picture over my G34 squares. Tolerances seem very tight and built very well.
Things that I would change. Too many safeties- trigger safety, firing pin block, thumb safety, chambered round indicator, and thumb safety, plus I think there is a magazine disconnect. Amazingly with all this extra crap, trigger still feels better than the Glock but make for too many pins and levers, profile could be cleaner without these unnecessary features. Captured recoil spring may be a tad heavy... Find it odd since my beretta M9 is much lighter recoil spring -shouldn't all recoil spring weights be the same for all 9 mm? I dunno, maybe it's an engineering thing or travel distance and weight of slide. The SS slide of the SR9 is heavy like my Steyr and spring weight feels similar.
Range report as soon as I get a chance to head to range.
Things that I would change. Too many safeties- trigger safety, firing pin block, thumb safety, chambered round indicator, and thumb safety, plus I think there is a magazine disconnect. Amazingly with all this extra crap, trigger still feels better than the Glock but make for too many pins and levers, profile could be cleaner without these unnecessary features. Captured recoil spring may be a tad heavy... Find it odd since my beretta M9 is much lighter recoil spring -shouldn't all recoil spring weights be the same for all 9 mm? I dunno, maybe it's an engineering thing or travel distance and weight of slide. The SS slide of the SR9 is heavy like my Steyr and spring weight feels similar.
Range report as soon as I get a chance to head to range.
Nice gun! Got mine in November and have about 300 rounds thru it...no issues, feeds well, never a problem. I have a few 1911's and it feels really good in the hand. I don't shoot it as well as my 1911's but that's me not the gun; a novice shooter friend of mine tried it and outshot me with it. I was considering the SR9 or an M&P range kit and happy I went with the SR9. Managed to buy a Blackhawk Sherpa holster, double mag holder, and 2 spare mags all for less than the cost of the M&P kit. Now thinking about the SR45 next???
