Does Ruger drop test their semi auto handguns?

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I was reading about the problems Sig Sauer had with the 320, where the gun could fire if dropped a certain way. Although they have fixed the problem apparently, it made me wonder about other striker fired semi autos, especially from Ruger since I own several. Does Ruger claim to "drop test" their guns before going into production? I hesitate to test it myself out of fear of damaging the gun, and would feel a bit more secure about any gun that I carry (like the LC9s that is currently my EDC) if I knew it had been tested for the ability to not fire if dropped.
 

SR1911SHOOTER

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vito said:
I was reading about the problems Sig Sauer had with the 320, where the gun could fire if dropped a certain way. Although they have fixed the problem apparently, it made me wonder about other striker fired semi autos, especially from Ruger since I own several. Does Ruger claim to "drop test" their guns before going into production? I hesitate to test it myself out of fear of damaging the gun, and would feel a bit more secure about any gun that I carry (like the LC9s that is currently my EDC) if I knew it had been tested for the ability to not fire if dropped.



Vito,
Do not drop your gun.
Blackie
 

DGW1949

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Vito...if absolute safety in terms of being 'drop proof' is your main concern, I would submit that nothing beats a Series-80 Colt. About the only way you can get that one to fire while it's hammer is back and it's thumb safety 'on' would be to place it onto a fire.
Other than that, about the best you can strive for is what Blackie suggested...don't drop your gun. And just to take that particular caution one step farther, take special care to never drop ANY semi-auto which lacks a meaningful safety mechanism, or has been tinkered on, treated to a 'trigger job' and/or otherwise altered in a manner calculated to make it 'easier to shoot'.

As for your specific question itself...I don't know for certain if Ruger 'drop test' each model of gun they market or not, but even if they do, that still doesn't mean that they drop test every single gun they make before shipment, eh?...So regardless, the ball is still in your court, so to speak.

DGW
 

22/45 Fan

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There are "drop test protocols" that all manufactures use and all currently designed guns pass. However, the protocols are not 100% assurance than the guns can't fire under any conceivable circumstances as the first Ruger SR's and the Sig 320 have demonstrated.

The designers do all they can to make the guns foolproof but, as the saying goes, fools are endlessly innovative. If it is at all possible for the gun to fire if dropped, no matter how unusual the circumstances, some customer will eventually find the way.

As noted, if you require absolute assurance that any gun cannot possibly fire no matter how or where it is dropped, carry it with the chamber empty.
 
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I don't intend to drop my guns, nor would I carry a gun without a round in the chamber. What I think is a better idea is if somebody else on the forum tries dropping their Ruger semi autos on to a concrete floor at various angles. That way we would all know how safe the guns are to a dropping accident, and all of our guns, other than the one guy who chooses to do the tests, stay pristine. Any volunteers?
 

DGW1949

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vito said:
I don't intend to drop my guns, nor would I carry a gun without a round in the chamber. What I think is a better idea is if somebody else on the forum tries dropping their Ruger semi autos on to a concrete floor at various angles. That way we would all know how safe the guns are to a dropping accident, and all of our guns, other than the one guy who chooses to do the tests, stay pristine. Any volunteers?

Beings how it's you and your gun that you are worried about, it seems to me that you ought to be the one doing the testing.
If you ever do decide to give it a whirl (no pun intended), you probably shouldn't use a live cartridge though. An empty, primed case would be OK, but nothing with a bullet and powder...

Just sayin.

DGW
 
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Ah yes, kind of reminds me when Ruger first came out with the Mark III and the chamber indicator on the left side, allowing the lever to REST on the rim of the cartridge,,,,was brought a few of them to "find out" and yeppur, they ALL went off........... :shock: :roll:

and yes, when we had the shop back in the early 70's, we DID in fact "drop test" a few guns from time to time ( on a carpet remnant laid out on the concrete floor) sometimes they did ,most of the time did NOT. 8) :wink:


remember back to the early Ruger Mk I ( RST's) and after a clip full, the next thing many folks did was pull the trigger one more time to see if it was empty????!!!! :oops: :? ( saw that ALL too often)

Happy ( and safe) New Year......... :)
 
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My guess is if some internet wanna be found out that a gun would fire when dropped, we would have heard about it, that is exactly how we found out the SIG 320 had an issue....never say never but my guess is that most currently manufactured semi autos have been tested by the internet yahoos and some may fire but not consistently enough to make news, as did the SIG.


Don't drop your pistol, but if necessary, throw it at your attacker if all else fails :lol:
 
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I've heard of problems with the 24/7, in fact I heard a sales guy at Cabelas tell a couple he wouldn't sell them that model, because he'd heard of issues. I'd say if they can be sold in California they have passed drop tests for what that is worth.
 

Thel

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Problem is that Ruger only has one auto on the approved California list. If I recall there has to be some way of marking the case in semiautos so Ruger is not bothering trying to get them approved. They did have some approved in the past before the case stamping requirement.
 

Ruger45

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I do believe that government regulations require the gun pass the drop test. The Sig in question actulay passed the test. (I don't know what the specks of the test are) to get said Sig to fire upon being dropped it has to hit the floor at just the right angle.
 

Conservative

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If you DO drop your pistol - DON'T try to catch it.

Let if fall.

More than one person has been killed when they did catch it...
 

GunnyGene

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Ruger45 said:
I do believe that government regulations require the gun pass the drop test. The Sig in question actulay passed the test. (I don't know what the specks of the test are) to get said Sig to fire upon being dropped it has to hit the floor at just the right angle.

Buttered side down, I presume. :wink:
 

wiz1997

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I'll admit I have dropped my SR9c at least twice, a round in the chamber, safety on.

Neither time did the firearm discharge.

Both times it was dropped, it landed on hard concrete.

So my SR9c has been "drop tested" and did not discharge, whether the factory "drop tests" them or not is an unknown.
 

22/45 Fan

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wiz1997 said:
So my SR9c has been "drop tested" and did not discharge, whether the factory "drop tests" them or not is an unknown.
Yes, the factory certainly drop tested them during development and you just confirmed they did their homework well. All current gun models are drop tested by their makers before they are put on the market. There is a standard protocol that they all follow and it's quite complete. The Ruger and Sig recalls were based on a very unusual drop method that was discovered after the tests were defined and conducted.
 
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