Range Report - Ruger SR1911

[ptmccain]

Well, I took the Ruger SR1911 out to the range today, and shot it for the first time, putting it through its paces. What a pistol!

I’ve been reading around on the Internet from “experts” that this thing is bound to be a piece of junk, sure to fail, go bad, do something wrong, or be wildly inaccurate, in other words, surely, Ruger’s first attempt at a 1911 will be a bad one, or one only half-way well done.

It performed flawlessly, through over 400 rounds, not a single misfeed, FTF, or FTE. Nothing, and I tried my best to get it to stutter and cough. It would not hear of it. Unlike my Springfield Loaded through its first few hundred rounds, the Ruger SR1911 had not a single issue.

I stripped one off the mag and had one in the chamber and shoved the magazine back in fully loaded…perfect performance. I used four different magazines with it, Ruger’s own 8 and 7 rounder, that it came with, some relative inexpensive Kimbers, a bunch of Kimber Pro-Tac and one Wilson ten round magazine. Again, it performed flawlessly with each magazine. I shot it as fast as I could through four magazines in a row, one right after the other…flawless.

I thought…using the least expensive crappy ammo I could find would be its undoing. I just knew the “experts” had to be right. But, again, shooting the cheapest FMJ brass ammo I could find, from some Hungary or Czechoslovakia company…I put over 400 rounds through it today, no problems.

At 25 feet, from a bench rest, I shot a one inch group, at 25 yards, put them into about a two inch group, and at 50 yards, I got most of the shots in the black on the bulls-eye target.

How can I trust the “experts” who predicted my Ruger SR1911 would be so bad?

You can see for yourself…

Part One
Part Two
Part Three
Part Four

[se3388]

Great report, I like the links to You Tube, that’s a good touch. I have been wondering about them. Academy is supposed to get them in soon. I think one might be in my future, it’ll fell at home in the safe with the five other 1911’s. Now if Ruger would come out with a Commander length model.

Steve E…

[ptmccain]

Thanks, Steve.

I’m still stunned by what I experienced this morning.

As I said elsewhere, if I can do this well with it, literally out of the box, a whole lot of people are going to fall in love with it.

I’m 50.
I’ve never shot a handgun before, until a year ago.
I only got my first 1911 last April.
I’ve only shot about 1,000 rounds through a 1911.

The sights on this thing blow away my SA Loaded sights, and the quality is very obviously superior to the SA.

Ruger has planted its flat firmly in the ground with this thing and if I were Springfield Armory, I’d be VERY nervous.

[Suwannee_Tim]

@ptmccain

…How can I trust the “experts” who predicted my Ruger SR1911 would be so bad?..

Ruger has a checkered reputation because lots of folks have been burnt by them. With a lemon gun you don’t have much recourse except to sell and take the hit. This sort of thing pisses people off and they are vocal about it. As far as trusting experts, very few people have access to the kind of data it takes to make objective judgements and these are mostly gun company employees who are not going to share such data or even tell the truth for that matter. What you are left with is folks who have more or less experience and access to more or fewer anecdotes and they may or may not be honest. In many cases the answer is you can’t trust the experts, you pretty much have to buy one and try it out. Ruger seems to be getting their act together, I’ve been burnt by Ruger several times and consequently there are not many Rugers on my “To Get” list but I’m happy for folks like you. I suspect having spotty quality is less damaging to a rapidly growing company like the Ruger of twenty or thirty years ago than the mature Ruger of today. I also suspect the internet has a lot to do with forcing companies to behave.

[Denali]

Congratulations on your new pistol, it is however a Ruger, and that means that it’s true measure will be ascertained over time, not a single, or tiny handful of range sessions!

Ruger has a very checkered history, I hear reports such as yours all the time, where the particular pistol in question is the best thing since sliced bread, they almost always end with the rebuke you seem to have for those who seem to have reported a different experience with the Ruger product.

I hope you’re pistol continues to be a good one, however when judging Ruger product, I’ve earned a healthy sense of skepticism based upon the “big picture” as opposed to individual experience!

[ptmccain]

Which Ruger products have you owned, and what has been your specific experience with them?

[HKUSP.40]

I have been very interested in this 1911. I’ve had nothing but great things to say about Ruger. I own an LCP, 10/22, and MKII Target. All have been great firearms.

[Denali]

@ptmccain

Which Ruger products have you owned, and what has been your specific experience with them?

Moi? I’ve owned the following,

1. Two KP345PR .45 autos, both went back multiple times, including broken(from the box)slide stops, defective sear/trigger, defective magazine disconnect which would activate on a live magazine rendering it useless, improperly fitted barrels(both guns), poorly fitted rear sights that simply didn’t fit the dovetail and would drift on their own sometimes releasing the captured mag disconnect spring once again rendering the pistol useless!

2. KP94 .40 S&W, defective trigger/sear(from the box), resulting in a full auto burst fire at “Bill’s Gun Shop & Range” the day before Thanksgiving 2005!

I had so many issues with the KP345’s that I can’t remember them all, both pistols were four digit serial numbers, Ruger definitely redesigned the barrels at about the time I owned them, this consisted of Ruger losing the hump at the top of the barrel hood for whatever reason, mine were rubbing out of spec which resulted in galling at the forward end of the barrel hood!

We must not forget the two ongoing major recalls revolving around Ruger centerfire pistols, including the LCP & the SR9, further there have been numerous problems with their LCR though I’m uncertain if they’ve issued an actual recall pertaining to them, or if they will adopt the approach of the P345’s and just quietly continue to repair them as they roll in?

While I do sincerely hope you got a good one, I would never buy another Ruger centerfire pistol, under any circumstance, period!

[C4IGrant]

I once had a hi-point 9mm carbine. It ran. I have know of BM, DPMS only OLY AR’s with over 10K (no major issues).

When we examine a firearm for quality, we first look at the industry standard for that class of weapon and then compare build quality, parts used (MIM, etc) and listen to what experts in the field have to say about them.

We also like to follow the law of averages for new firearms. Meaning that if we took 100 of these guns and shot them all with the same ammo for say 5,000rds, how many would hold up? 10%? 25%?

So 400rds and a statistical sampling of one means nothing (sorry). Run the pistol through a couple 3 day pistol classes and report back when you have about 5K through the pistol.

C4

[varoadking]

@C4IGrant

I once had a hi-point 9mm carbine. It ran. I have know of BM, DPMS only OLY AR’s with over 10K (no major issues).

When we examine a firearm for quality, we first look at the industry standard for that class of weapon and then compare build quality, parts used (MIM, etc) and listen to what experts in the field have to say about them.

We also like to follow the law of averages for new firearms. Meaning that if we took 100 of these guns and shot them all with the same ammo for say 5,000rds, how many would hold up? 10%? 25%?

So 400rds and a statistical sampling of one means nothing (sorry). Run the pistol through a couple 3 day pistol classes and report back when you have about 5K through the pistol.

C4

You’re a regular ray of sunshine, ain’t ya?

[Redhat]

@C4IGrant

I once had a hi-point 9mm carbine. It ran. I have know of BM, DPMS only OLY AR’s with over 10K (no major issues).

When we examine a firearm for quality, we first look at the industry standard for that class of weapon and then compare build quality, parts used (MIM, etc) and listen to what experts in the field have to say about them.

We also like to follow the law of averages for new firearms. Meaning that if we took 100 of these guns and shot them all with the same ammo for say 5,000rds, how many would hold up? 10%? 25%?

So 400rds and a statistical sampling of one means nothing (sorry). Run the pistol through a couple 3 day pistol classes and report back when you have about 5K through the pistol.

C4

Grant,

Wouldn’t that still only be a sample of 1 as you said?

[C4IGrant]

@Redhat

Grant,

Wouldn’t that still only be a sample of 1 as you said?

No idea what you are talking about.

C4

[Redhat]

@C4IGrant

No idea what you are talking about.

C4

Even if he puts 5k rds through it that’s still only a sample of one gun.

[Straight_Shooter]

Who cares what anyone thinks- sounds like its gonna be a nice shooting piece.
Hows the overall fit & finish? What about the trigger pull?

[Smuckatelli]

@ptmccain

It performed flawlessly, through over 400 rounds, not a single misfeed, FTF, or FTE. Nothing, and I tried my best to get it to stutter and cough. It would not hear of it. Unlike my Springfield Loaded through its first few hundred rounds, the Ruger SR1911 had not a single issue.

My first FTF was after 2100 rounds with a Colt Commander

@ptmccain

I thought…using the least expensive crappy ammo I could find would be its undoing. I just knew the “experts” had to be right. But, again, shooting the cheapest FMJ brass ammo I could find, from some Hungary or Czechoslovakia company…I put over 400 rounds through it today, no problems.

My FTF wasn’t due to a FMJ round, the pistol has no issues with those, cheap or expensive. My FTF came from a high end JHP round. did you fire some JHP through the pistol on this test?

@ptmccain

How can I trust the “experts” who predicted my Ruger SR1911 would be so bad?

I think it really depends on how you plan on using the pistol, if it is plinking on the range…no problem. If it is for carry and FMJ is your comfort zone, no problem. If it is for carry and you want to use JHP. you probably should get some more rounds down range before you are willing to bet your life on it. Just my opinion, take it or leave it.

I’m not an expert but what is this fixation with proving experts wrong?

After 3850 rounds in 10 months through the Colt Commander, I still don’t call it ‘flawless’.

[Ryo]

Sounds like it’s running good… But put more rounds through it, including the good stuff to make sure it’s reliable. You never know, your next range trip you might have issues.

[ptmccain]

@Straight_Shooter

Who cares what anyone thinks- sounds like its gonna be a nice shooting piece.
Hows the overall fit & finish? What about the trigger pull?

The finish is superb, quite nice actually. The fit is tight as a drum. I have a SA Loaded with a 3.25# trigger, so I thought I would be bothered by the Ruger’s heavier trigger, but it is really not an issue, It breaks very crisply and has little to no trigger creep.

[ptmccain]

@Smuckatelli

I’m not an expert but what is this fixation with proving experts wrong?

It was sarcasm, hence putting “experts” in quotes.

[ptmccain]

@Ryo

You never know, your next range trip you might have issues.

I guess I just have to keep taking it out every weekend and shooting it a lot!

Bummer.

[eternal24k]

@C4IGrant

I once had a hi-point 9mm carbine. It ran. I have know of BM, DPMS only OLY AR’s with over 10K (no major issues).

When we examine a firearm for quality, we first look at the industry standard for that class of weapon and then compare build quality, parts used (MIM, etc) and listen to what experts in the field have to say about them.

We also like to follow the law of averages for new firearms. Meaning that if we took 100 of these guns and shot them all with the same ammo for say 5,000rds, how many would hold up? 10%? 25%?

So 400rds and a statistical sampling of one means nothing (sorry). Run the pistol through a couple 3 day pistol classes and report back when you have about 5K through the pistol.

C4

I take it you aren’t selling these yet