Ruger SR1911 thoughts and comments

[richhodg66]

I'm not a real avid handgunner and even less so with auto loaders. What are you guy's thoughts on this particular one?

[jeepyj]

My son has one. Two things that impress me with it are: His had a decent trigger right out of the box and it will eat anything. My opinion it's a good quality pistol.

[PoisonIvyMagnet]

I'm not a real avid handgunner and even less so with auto loaders. What are you guy's thoughts on this particular one?I don't own one, but shot one at the range last summer. Exchanged 45's with the guy shooting next to me for a little while, he wanted to see how my Kimber felt in comparison to his new SR1911. Personally, I really liked his pistol. Shot as well as mine, ate everything I fed into it. The slide mated to the frame really nicely, no slop in it at all. My friend is looking to buy a 45 of his own soon, and I recommended he look into the Rugers.

Sent from my HTC6535LVW using Tapatalk

[VA Jim]

I’ve had mine for a couple of years now. Never a hiccup. I don’t think you can find a better 1911 for the money.

[richhodg66]

Good to know since I now have one. I won it in a raffle to benefit a high school trap team. Not the kind of thing I would have likely bought myself.

It's been quite a while since I loaded any .45 ACP. Gonna have to look around to see what I have cast up for it.

[Bazoo]

I've never had any dealings with them. I had an uncle that had one that jammed.. Dunno what his or its problem was. I looked at them in the store, and they let me field strip it. I liked that it didnt have a firing pin block. Id say its a heck of a buy for a new 1911 personally.

[dhom]

I bought one about a year ago in 10MM. I think it is a great buy. Shot everything I tried from factory 155-180 gr bullets under 2" at 25 yds. Actually, the only thing it doesn't shoot well was Federal 180 FMJ. The first handload I tried was 11 gr/AA#7 and it shot 1" groups.[165 gr Sierra HP] The only down side if this is one is that the brass is in the next county.

[Petrol & Powder]

The SR1911 is on my short list for pistols.

I like the design and a few features really stand out: The plunger tube integrated with the frame and the lightweight titanium firing pin.

If you've ever had a plunger tube detach from a 1911 frame and I have, you'll appreciate the integrated plunger tube.
The use of a lightweight firing pin increases the safety of the pistol without the need for a firing pin block.

I think Ruger took a good design and made it better.

[LUCKYDAWG13]

I have two one in 45 and one in 9mm they are just awesome not one hiccup in either one with thousands of rounds down range

[Electric88]

When I was looking to get my first 1911, the Ruger SR1911 had just released. I think I had to wait close to 6 months for one to make its way to the LGS, but it was definitely worth the wait. My buddy has a Kimber, and when we get together to shoot we routinely swap for a few rounds for the fun of it. He never has a bad thing to say about it, which doesn't necessarily take away from his Kimber.

I was more than pleased with it, and would gladly make the same choice again. It's a smooth shooting handgun that eats everything I've given it. It's also more accurate than I am when given the handloads it prefers.

[anothernewb]

IMO one of the best 1911's out there in it's price range. 11k rounds through mine and counting. will be near 12k by Easter. been flawless except for 2 jams that were the result of poorly made rounds by me. otherwise not a single FTF, FTE, or FTFire.

Surprisingly little wear between the parts as well. still tight, and still shoots touching groups as 50' if I do my part.

Only change I would have ever made is adjustable rear sight (just cause I like them best) and apparently now they do make them that way.

[rockrat]

I had two at one time. They both shot very well and ate everything. did send them down the road though as I wanted a longslide.

[Panman213]

I too had to wait a while for them to be available at my toy store, well worth the wait and is one of the most reliable 1911's I have. I will soon be adding a SR1911 in 9mm to the arsenal.

[BigBore45]

I have one i use for idpa and 3gun. it had a small link problem and the barrel was rough and leaded. i sent it back to ruger and true to form Ruger came through with the warranty. I had a hand writing note from the tech that worked on it saying the link pin was a touch short and he replaced the barrel and hand lapped it he also fit a new slide to the frame by hand as the short link may have caused damage he said.

After that little hiccup, it has been a dream gun for the price point. I know ruger doesn't always make the most accurate or best finished gun but man im a huge fan because of the toughness, reliability and customer service.

Back to it, the Ruger SR-1911 IMO is one of the best 1911's for the money you can buy.

[contender1]

I own 6 1911's. The Ruger, out of the box,, is excellent. One of mine is a Ruger & it's been perfect. Used it in competition some.

[oldhenry]

I've had mine for about 2 years & love it. The trigger is perfect right out of the box & the sights are exactly what I wanted. I don't count rounds, but many have gone through it.

I'm waiting for any nearby dealer to get an "Officer" model in 9mm.

Henry

[Char-Gar]

I have one and know several others that do as well. They are first rate pistols out of the box that has all the upgrades anybody could want or need. People can spend more, but they won't get more.

[sparkyv]

First, let me say that I'm not a 1911 guy. (not a Glock guy either :shock:) But I've shot it in officer and government .45ACP and government 10mm. All were great shooters. The .45s outdid the Kimbers side-to-side in my hands. Was I impressed. Best bang for the buck in 1911s. I was so impressed that I now own the 10mm Target model. It's a shooter. I recommend highly.

[Outer Rondacker]

Here I go. I have the SR1911. I love it. Shoots great. I own sigs glocks 1911s s&w you name it. This gun like most Rugers of today has crappy tooling. It does not affect the way it shoots but I also tuned it up really well. My buddy got the Remington 1911 at the same time I picked up my ruger. His was so much smoother. His came with a nice case mine came with a cardboard box. His was three hundred dollars less at the time. Just saying if it is a ruger thing then by all means but if its a 1911 thing then RIA. Man my Armscor 1911 is smooth as butter for half the price.

[bisleyfan41]

Bought mine in 2013. Absolute reliability and stunning accuracy with every brand and kind of ammo I've used.
It's the most accurate handgun I've ever fired. At 25 yds with irons, it outshoots my Ruger Hunters with 2x Leupolds and my FAs. And it must be the gun; I can shoot a handgun, but I ain't that good. It'll shoot 8 round, ragged hole groups @25 yds with bulk 230 gr ball all day long.

[user55645]

Owned one
Sold it
Bought a Sig 1911
No regrets

[bgw45]

The first one I bought was a 5". Locked it up in a Random Rest and it shot better groups than my Les Baer. It has never skipped a beat. So, I picked up a Commander and it is great too. I'm keeping em.

[Outer Rondacker]

Took mine to the range today. Ran like a top. Guy next to me well that was a different story.

[Xringshooter]

I have 3, 2 full size, 1 commander size. One of the full sized I put a threaded barrel in it and use it to demonstrate suppressors. None have ever given me any problems and people are amazed when they handle and shoot the suppressed one - both how quiet it is and how well balanced it is with the suppressor attached.

[DocSavage]

I have 4 SR 1911,2 45 auto,9mm Comander and a 10mm. All but the 9mm were great out of the box,the and 9mm needed a slightly heavier recoil spring at 12 lbs. Factory spring was way to light causing failure to feed.
As far as the 10mm and it launching brass into the next county a flat bottom firing pin stop solves the problem nicely.

[sparkyv]

As far as the 10mm and it launching brass into the next county a flat bottom firing pin stop solves the problem nicely.

Woah! What is this magical flat bottom firing pin stop you speak of, DocSavage? Please elaborate as I would like to recover more than just 60% of my 10mm brass.

[Idaho45guy]

Here's my take having never owned or shot one, but I did work for Ruger...

During my divorce in 2012, I quit my $80k a year insurance adjuster job and went to work at Ruger as a temp while I got my house ready to sell and move back to Idaho.

The Ruger factory in Prescott, AZ really was a miserable place. Horrible management. Guards walked around the factory watching employees and you had to go through a metal detector and have your lunchbox gone through on the way into and out of work. Felt like a prison.

Anyway, I was just starting there when the SR1911s were being produced. They only let the most experienced and competent workers work the line. The guys that worked on it had a great sense of pride that they were selected to build Ruger's new flagship pistol.

Now, that was five years ago so I don't know how they run things now. But I heard nothing but good things about the SR1911s.

As a new guy, I was a CNC operator making trigger bars for SR pistols, sights for SR pistols, and I did some machining of slides for the old P-Series.

[Petrol & Powder]

Woah! What is this magical flat bottom firing pin stop you speak of, DocSavage? Please elaborate as I would like to recover more than just 60% of my 10mm brass.

By reducing the size of the radius on the lower edge of the firing pin stop (making it "flatter and less rounded) you change the mechanical advantage of the slide acting on the hammer. Less radius or a flat bottom firing pin stop will slightly retard the rearward movement of the slide at the very beginning of the slide's rearward travel.

A large radius on the rear lower corner of the firing pin stop results in the upper portion of the firing pin stop (the area above the radius) acting on the hammer farther from the hammer's pivot point (hammer pin). This gives the slide a slightly greater mechanical advantage on the hammer. Think of the hammer as a lever and the farther from the pivot point you push on the lever, the greater the mechanical advantage will be.

If we retard the rearward movement of the slide just a little bit at the very beginning of the slide's rearward movement, we rob the slide of a tiny bit of inertia. Plus, once the bullet leaves the barrel, the weight of the bullet is removed from the mass of the barrel/slide assembly (remember the barrel and slide are still locked together at this point)

SO, by altering the profile of the lower corner of the firing pin stop, we can alter the initial acceleration of the slide/barrel assembly and that in turn affects the speed at which the slide recoils during the rest of its journey. Slower slide speed results in ejected casings not flying as far.

Personally, I would place functioning over brass recovery.

[Outer Rondacker]

Ya mine chucks brass into the next timezone as well. But its in a nice pile when I go to pick it up. Just 20 feet away at the 4 o'clock mark.

[DocSavage]

Woah! What is this magical flat bottom firing pin stop you speak of, DocSavage? Please elaborate as I would like to recover more than just 60% of my 10mm brass.
It's a replacement for the standard firing pin stop,it has a very small radius on the bottom and the small radius helps slow down the rearward momentum of the slide. It's not magic just physics and how JMB originally designed the 1911

[DocSavage]

My brass stays within 6 to 8 ft with the fbfps. Haven't had a FTF or FTE in 300 rds put thru the pistol with the replacement firing pin stop.

[Outer Rondacker]

Hey Doc you wouldnt have a link to where we can buy a part like this would ya? Would better help to understand it if we could see a picture. Just asking.

[hpdrifter]

Hey Doc you wouldnt have a link to where we can buy a part like this would ya? Would better help to understand it if we could see a picture. Just asking.217803

Midway has all kinds. The picture/jpg shows a couple of rounded ones and asmaller one with a flat bottom.

https://www.midwayusa.com/s?userSearchQuery=1911+flat+firing+pin+stop&userItemsPerPage=48

Oooops, link may not work cause I was logged in.

Midway, Brownells, and untold numbers of online purveyors have them.

Also, be forewarned that there MAY be a little fitting required. Some slide in and some require a bit of file and polish work.

[35remington]

If you fail to slant the surface of the firing pin stop so the hammer contacts the stop all along its length rather than up high near the firing pin hole, the small radius firing pin stop (this is the correct term, as it does not have a flat bottom as installed.....if yours does, it is wrong) confers no benefit.

Having the hammer touch the stop high on its face and not near the bottom as well is the common situation. This negates the usefulness of the small radius on the stop.

Users mistakenly install such a stop without slanting the face of the stop, rack the slide, note the increased effort, and mistakenly assume the gun’s slide under firing sees the same increased resistance to movement as when they racked the slide by hand.

It does not.

The slide “kicks” the hammer into motion suddenly, not gradually as with hand racking the slide. Under such conditions if the hammer contacts the face of the stop high, and leaves a gap twixt bottom of hammer and the stop face, and unmodified stops ALL do, much of the benefit of a small radius stop installation is lost.

Resign yourself to fitting the stop yourself with a full contact slant (this is considerable work in trial and error) or pay someone else to do it.

Do not kid yourself that merely putting a slight radius on the edge of the stop and filing the sides for a close contact fit when inserted into the frame is enough. It ain’t.

This modification is very worthwhile, but its actual effective execution is more work than most will let on because hand operation of the slide is mistaken for an attenuating effect that does not exist in actual firing operation if the stop is not slanted to match the at rest slant of the hammer.

The small radius stop is not snake oil. But its actual effective application requires some work on your part or paying someone to do that work on your behalf.

“Drop in” ain’t gonna get it done.

[35remington]

To fit with a full contact slant, more material is removed from the top of the stop than near the bottom. It is helpful to use a blued stop and when checking use Dykem or some other method of marking the hammer and stop to ensure full contact all along the hammer length is being made, and pretty much full contact simultaneously when the hammer is at rest on the stop face.

This is a lot of work. If you haven’t done it or had someone else do it, your small radius stop is not working as it should. I pretty much guarantee in that instance your hammer is contacting the stop high and not low near the base of the hammer. This is of little use in realizing the benefits of the small radius on the stop.

[Outer Rondacker]

Thanks for the links Doc.

[Petrol & Powder]

If you fail to slant the surface of the firing pin stop so the hammer contacts the stop all along its length rather than up high near the firing pin hole, the small radius firing pin stop (this is the correct term, as it does not have a flat bottom as installed.....if yours does, it is wrong) confers no benefit.

Having the hammer touch the stop high on its face and not near the bottom as well is the common situation. This negates the usefulness of the small radius on the stop.

Users mistakenly install such a stop without slanting the face of the stop, rack the slide, note the increased effort, and mistakenly assume the gun’s slide under firing sees the same increased resistance to movement as when they racked the slide by hand.

It does not.

The slide “kicks” the hammer into motion suddenly, not gradually as with hand racking the slide. Under such conditions if the hammer contacts the face of the stop high, and leaves a gap twixt bottom of hammer and the stop face, and unmodified stops ALL do, much of the benefit of a small radius stop installation is lost.

Resign yourself to fitting the stop yourself with a full contact slant (this is considerable work in trial and error) or pay someone else to do it.

Do not kid yourself that merely putting a slight radius on the edge of the stop and filing the sides for a close contact fit when inserted into the frame is enough. It ain’t.

This modification is very worthwhile, but its actual effective execution is more work than most will let on because hand operation of the slide is mistaken for an attenuating effect that does not exist in actual firing operation if the stop is not slanted to match the at rest slant of the hammer.

The small radius stop is not snake oil. But its actual effective application requires some work on your part or paying someone to do that work on your behalf.

“Drop in” ain’t gonna get it done.

All very true. /\ This modification requires more than just a drop in firing pin stop. Because this is a fitted part and material is removed to "fit" the part, it is oversized in a few key places to start with.
1. The side edges of the firing pin stop are slightly thicker than needed and are filed to closely fit the slots in the slide. This also helps to lock the extractor in exactly the correct position and keep it in that position.
2. the lower corner is square or nearly square. This edge needs to have a radius but it is a very slight radius. 35remington is correct that it shouldn't be perfectly square.
3. The rear face of the firing pin stop needs to be slanted so that the portion that contacts the hammer first is the lower section of the firing pin stop. Without this fitting, it will do little to alter the acceleration of the slide.

[Greg S]

I'm pretty much a Colt and Springfield guy since I use them to build off of. From what I hear, they are doing it right and if a 9mm Commander fell into my lap for the right price I'd have no problems shelling the dough out.

[respiegel]

I have one and it is my favorite 1911, and I must say I’ve bought alot of Ruger pistols over the years and it has the best finish so far.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk Pro

[DocSavage]

I purchased mine from EGW and I believe Wilson Combat has them as well.
There a gentleman by the name of Harrison (I think that's his name) that makes them as well and is highly thought of on the 1911 forums.

[DocSavage]

I should note that I had a gunsmith fit the stop,total cost $15 for the part and $20 to install. There are also 2 versions for series 70 and 80.

[Old Rvr.]

I bought a New 5" a while after they came out because of all of the features they had and the Positive write up's , but sold it to fund a real special Milsurp . I missed it and was able to stumble on to a Commander like New at a real right Price . I never had a problem with either of them and I also picked multiple 1911 Mags at Gun shows from all different manufactures and they all work Fine . Its a Nice reliable Gun .

[9.3X62AL]

I have fired 3 different examples of the Ruger 1911-series pistols. All were superb in accuracy and function. These cannot come into California due to our state's Handgun Safety Certification poppycock, but friends in the United States own them and let me play with them from time to time. Whatta place, OY VEY!

[buck1]

Mine has been 100% reliable and very accurate. Not a single malfunction. Loves cast and Jwords all the same.