Are Ruger semis as reliable as Glocks?

Help Support Ruger Forum:

Joined
Jan 2, 2005
Messages
4,004
Location
Northern Illinois
Other than the LCP that I got rid of, I still own every Ruger semi that I have ever bought. My experience has been that they are fully reliable, and my LC9s is my everyday carry gun. I have both my SR40c and my old P97dc strategically located in parts of my home, although my "main" home defense handgun, in my bedroom, is a Glock 17. I know that Hickock45 has said that the only brand gun that he would trust he life to, right out of the box without a round yet fired, is a Glock because of their legendary reliability, but in fairness, my Rugers have been every bit as reliable as my Glock, at least so far. If I didn't trust my life to my LC9s I would get rid of it and buy, possibly, a Glock 43 or a 26, but I think the trigger on the LC9s is better than what Glock offers, and for me, a manual safety is a plus. Do you think Ruger can match Glock for reliability, and if not, why do you still own Rugers?
 

GunnyGene

Hawkeye
Joined
Nov 23, 2013
Messages
9,373
Location
Monroe County, MS
Haven't had a single problem with the 9E I bought a little over 2 years ago no matter what I feed it. Somewhere around 500 rds thru it. :)
 

Mike J

Hunter
Joined
Aug 5, 2007
Messages
4,219
Location
GA
In all honesty I have never owned a Glock. I do own or have owned pistols made by Ruger, Springfield Armory (XD), Kel-Tec, Taurus, Kahr. In all honesty I haven't had any reliability issues other than the Kel-Tec (it was caused by me damaging the mag catch when I sanded inside the grip to make it where the mags would drop free). My Rugers work about as well as anything else. I still may wind up with a Glock 23 sometime but that is because it is one of those guns that are just easy to shoot well for me. Of course the most reliable option would probably be a quality double action revolver but I trust my semi-autos.
 
Joined
Mar 24, 2002
Messages
6,279
Location
Oregon City, Oregon
I don't think I personally have ever had a failure of any kind with any Ruger Semi Auto, but I've witnessed other folks with multiple failures that have caused the guns to be returned for repair.

I've also never had a failure with a Glock. If the ergonomics on a Glock were not so horrendous, I might still own one.
 

DonD

Single-Sixer
Joined
May 25, 2013
Messages
201
I have two SR9Cs, the older one has over 1000 rds through it. One failure due to a faulty Tula round solid primer strike, no ignition. Newer one has 200 rds and no issues.

I've had several Glocks and I much prefer the Ruger. I like the feel, appearance, having an actual safety, a real loaded chamber indicator as well as a better trigger.

As to legendary Glock reliability, I had a G20 (10mm) that wasn't reliable. Wouldn't function with Double Tap ammo which is good stuff. Sent it back to Glock and got the most hated response, "It checks fine". Found out that they function checked it with the same lame plinking ammo I used, aluminum Blaser ammo. Who in Hades buys a 10mm semi auto to fire watered down generic ammo?

Glocks are generally very reliable guns, my remarks were not intended to dump on them but they are not heads and shoulders above others. Don
 

lonewolf5347

Single-Sixer
Joined
Mar 22, 2008
Messages
199
Location
n.y.s.
I have the sr9 and after doing work to it the gun will run with both my Glock 19
and 17.
The trigger breaks at 3 1/2 lbs.
The only problem is the gun doesn't like short brass. I will get light primer strike. I have removed the mag block and if I could only change the rear sight.
I favor Glock because of the large sights it is easy to see when age starts gaining on you. I must have well over 8 thousand round s down the bore and really no major problem. I will the bore is on the large size . I run .358 dia. cast bullets 122 gr. TC bullet using 3.6 bulleye powder
 

22/45 Fan

Hunter
Joined
Dec 8, 2001
Messages
2,123
Location
Pittsburgh, PA, USA
lonewolf5347 said:
if I could only change the rear sight.
You can. ShopRuger sells a replacement fully adjustable rear sight and matching front sight. The rear sight replaces the OEM blade and does not require driving out the factory dovetail base so installation only requires a screwdriver and small punch. Look here: http://shopruger.com/SR-Series-Sight-Set/productinfo/12936/
 

Opus1792

Bearcat
Joined
Jul 31, 2017
Messages
4
I've had excellent reliability with my lc9s. I like the external safety as well.
 

GunnyGene

Hawkeye
Joined
Nov 23, 2013
Messages
9,373
Location
Monroe County, MS
22/45 Fan said:
lonewolf5347 said:
if I could only change the rear sight.
You can. ShopRuger sells a replacement fully adjustable rear sight and matching front sight. The rear sight replaces the OEM blade and does not require driving out the factory dovetail base so installation only requires a screwdriver and small punch. Look here: http://shopruger.com/SR-Series-Sight-Set/productinfo/12936/

I've never understood the reason for putting fancy sights on a SD carry gun. If you can't hit a man size target from 20 or 30 feet with standard drift sights (or no sights at all) then you've got other problems that won't be solved with after market sights. :)
 

gunman42782

Hunter
Joined
Jan 4, 2004
Messages
3,384
Location
KY
IMHO, when we are talking about service sized pistols, yes, Ruger is very reliable, and just as reliable as Glock. I have seen both malfunction, (usually because the shooter was limp wristing, or didn't clean the gun) and have seen a few Glock .40s have a catastrophic discharge (used to work at a range). Never seen but one Ruger blow up, and believe it or not it was a Redhawk! (Of course, the guy said it couldn't be his reloads!) All that being said, any company, and I mean ANY company, can put out a lemon every so often. Glock, Sig, even H and K, it can happen. That's why you thoroughly test your gun before you rely upon it to protect your life.
 

websterz

Single-Sixer
Joined
Jun 28, 2014
Messages
105
9000+ rounds through my EDC SR9, and the only failure was a failure to chamber with cheap TulAmmo when the pistol was brand new. Everything through the pistol since that one failure has been my own hand loads and not one single issue. That's why it's my EDC! And yes, I carry my own loads in it every day.
 

FergusonTO35

Hunter
Joined
Aug 26, 2010
Messages
2,420
Location
Boonesborough, KY
Every Ruger I have ever owned has been reliable and more accurate than I can hold. Biggest problem I see is that Ruger keeps totally changing their pistol lineup whereas Glock makes incremental changes over time. Meaning, Ruger seems to be perpetually stuck in a new product with issues cycle. Glock isn't perfect by any means but has had *most* of their issues resolved for quite awhile now.

It's also hard for me to wholesale embrace a pistol line when it seems that at any moment Ruger is going to make it walk the plank in favor of something completely different. I was excited when the P345 came out, as were a lot of folks. I thought it was going to be next generation of P guns. Unfortunately that never happened and Ruger instead went with the SR's. Now, we see the SR's getting smaller in the rear view mirror in favor of the RAP.

I love Ruger but I'm planning to stick with their core products such as single action revolvers and 10/22's.
 

lonewolf5347

Single-Sixer
Joined
Mar 22, 2008
Messages
199
Location
n.y.s.
Yes they have the complete sight the only problem is The front sight is to tall to holster in my IDPA set up
 

Ruger Redhawk

Single-Sixer
Joined
May 25, 2003
Messages
430
Location
North Carolina
First off as I have said before I have never been a fan of the Ruger Semi autos other than the SR1911's that I have 4 of. 3-45's and a 9mm.

I have a P89X (9mm/30 Luger) that I have never fired that's LNIB. Then I've had 4 LCP's and can't say I've been real happy with any of them but the Custom LCP has been the best so far that was a replacement for the LCPII I had. In all fairness I never fired one of them and I traded it off.
Now I have some Glock's and have been very happy with all of them.
I bought a new G20 in 10mm a month or so ago and haven't fired it yet. I'm sure it will be like the rest of my Glock's it will be 100% reliable right out of the box.
I have a couple Glock 9's, a couple 40's, a 45 ACP and now the 10mm and I wouldn't hesitate trusting any of them with my life and that goes for the 10mm I haven't even fired. I honestly don't think I could or would say that about the Ruger's. Even my SR1911's especially the 9mm has had stoppages.
 

wvjoetc

Single-Sixer
Joined
Nov 25, 2012
Messages
166
Location
Raleigh Co. WV
I have two Glocks, a G23 and G27. I also have three Ruger P89's, the only reason I don't have the Ruger by my bedside is it does not have a light rail and night sights. The Glock 23 has night sights and a light. My P89's are totally reliable.
 

ditto1958

Blackhawk
Joined
Jun 23, 2012
Messages
567
Location
Wisconsin
Nope. Everyone knows Glock = Perfection.

Seriously, Ruger semi-autos seem to be quite popular at the range where I shoot, and I've never noticed anyone having a reliability problem with one. Nor have I ever read a review or seen a YouTube video where anyone had reliability issues with a Ruger semi-auto.
 

teuthis

Single-Sixer
Joined
Dec 16, 2008
Messages
168
Location
Wisconsin
I have a Ruger 9E and I love it. Sold my Glock. I find the 9E to be completely reliable and accurate. I much prefer it to the Glock for ergonomics and the fact that it has a safety. I think that all the different brands of high quality pistols out there are about equal now. None of the models that were not reliable have survived. I find the 9E the equal of any pistol I have used. It is my pistol of choice.
 

FergusonTO35

Hunter
Joined
Aug 26, 2010
Messages
2,420
Location
Boonesborough, KY
The late model P guns may be the best bottom feeders Ruger ever made. Certainly, they are at least the equal of the contemporary S&W metal frame pistols and they are a screaming bargain compared to the Euro equivalents from Sig and H&K. As they should be, given that Ruger had over twenty years to get them right. When you make a particular product for decades, usually you get better at it unless you absolutely gut QC in favor of price and volume as Winchester and Marlin did to so many of their products.

Glock has been making a family of pistols based on a single design for nearly forty years now. Other than dimensions, capacity, and caliber they are all the same gun. Glock doesn't make firearms other than auto pistols, as far as I know. So, the firm sticks with one design and keeps refining it without reinventing it every decade or so. This isn't perfection by any means, but it does create very predictable quality and performance which is exactly what you should expect out of any firearm.
 
Top