Bad Day... Broken SR9C

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valkrider8

Single-Sixer
Joined
Oct 14, 2007
Messages
110
Location
PA
I picked up a new SR9C last year. Cleaned it up nice and put about 50 rounds through it last December. It shot really well and like all my other Rugers I was very pleased. I had an opportunity to run it again this past weekend and was quite surprised at the outcome. I was shooting some targets and on about the 40th round the gun jams. I look down and the extractor is hanging out the side of the gun. :shock: I managed to pull the slide back and get the magazine out. As I did this some pieces started falling out onto the ground. At this point the empty cartridge was still in the chamber. I was able to hold the slide back and my buddy was able to pick the empty cartridge out with a tiny screwdriver to clear the gun. Luckily we were able to find the pieces in the grass but I think I am missing an extractor spring? The extractor feels really thin almost like plastic. As you can see in the pics it snapped right in half. Anyway, any idea what might have caused this? I was shooting Herters ammo 9mm FMJ, 115 gr.(not reloads), and the gun was clean. I guess I will be contacting Ruger tomorrow as the gun has less than 100 rounds through it.




 

valkrider8

Single-Sixer
Joined
Oct 14, 2007
Messages
110
Location
PA
Yes, I found the plunger in the grass, but it does look like it fits in a little machined hole behind the piece of extractor that broke off.
 

MountainWalker

Single-Sixer
Joined
Jan 28, 2006
Messages
330
Location
Arkansas
I thought the extractor on the SR compact pistol was a really sturdy overbuilt part and it was OK that it is cast or MIM. Well, my confidence in this Ruger model is somewhat diminished. One lesson here is when you get a new pistol go out and put 10 boxes (500 rounds) through it to find just such weak points or performance issues. Only after firing 400 rounds without incident do I accept a pistol as reliable and trusted.
 
Joined
Apr 5, 2004
Messages
2,791
Location
Granbury, TX. USA
In your first pic, it looks like grainy pot metal under the blueing? Hopefully Ruger isnt using stuff other than steel? Maybe it was a fluke and had air bubbles in it? But that begs the question. How many more parts came out of the air bubble batch? How long before we hear about those too? Or maybe ots something else all together?
 

desertrat

Single-Sixer
Joined
Jan 6, 2008
Messages
225
Location
the high desert
DA_TriggR4Ruger said:
In your first pic, it looks like grainy pot metal under the blueing? ....

That's my take on it too. Looks like some cheap casting material they used.

Good thing your life wasn't depending on it when it snapped. :eek:
 

Greg Mercurio

Single-Sixer
Joined
Dec 10, 2010
Messages
168
Location
NW Montana
The failure is pretty typical of a brittle fracture from what little I can see in the photo. I'm sure the fine folks at Ruger will be happy to replace the broken extractor. Defects occur, and even the best, world class manufacturers have measurable defect rates. Considering the volume of product leaving the factory, it's likely very low, except if it's YOUR defect, then it's 100%. As this is probably an investment casting or sintered, it's possible that it missed a heat treat step and failed.

"Pot metal" is a generic term for cast zinc or other cheap metals of mixed heritage, something Ruger would likely not use in any application.
 

valkrider8

Single-Sixer
Joined
Oct 14, 2007
Messages
110
Location
PA
I contacted Ruger and spoke with a very nice customer service rep. She sent me a return label to send it back. I have no doubt Ruger will take care of it in a timely matter. I really like the gun, it felt good in my hands, is very accurate, has a decent trigger, and the action was pretty smooth. I'm looking forward to giving it another go round.
 

BuildBigBoats

Bearcat
Joined
Apr 24, 2014
Messages
3
Hello...new SR9c owner here (new meaning bought a used one (Jan 10 2013 cartridge date) yesterday shot 100 rounds today!). That failure is strange. Not what I would have expected reading all the reviews on the SR9C and owning multiple Mark IIIs, an SR22, a 10/22 TD and at one time a P95.
If it turns out to be a bad lot of extractors could you tell us your build date and/or partial serial number?
Thanks
 

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