Ruger American .45 ACP revisited

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jasper661

Bearcat
Joined
Apr 6, 2017
Messages
45
I initially posted my thoughts on the American last year. A good solid, accurate hand gun. Lots of rounds down range in the last year, I have just started having problems, make that problem, singular only one. On the last round in the magazine the slide may or may not lock back. And when it does lock, if you look closely the slid stop is just barely engaging the cut in the slide. This happens with both of the mags that came with the gun. The problem seems to be a weak magazine spring.

With proper spring tension, you should be able to manually cycle the slide, and the slide stop should fully engage the stop notch in the slide.

I have been shooting 1911s for 50+ years, there are only a couple of reasons for the slide not to lock, the spring or a follower problem. I have no such problems with my SR series Ruger.

I removed the magazine spring and stretched it, that solved the problem..sort of..! After leaving the magazine fully loaded for 24 hours, the spring relaxed and the problem was back..!

I spoke to the folks at customer service, that was not very rewarding.

I feel that a heavier magazine spring, would solve the fail to lock problem and the issue with the slide closing when a new mag is forcefully inserted.
 

Mike J

Hunter
Joined
Aug 5, 2007
Messages
4,204
Location
GA
I wish I knew another source for the springs. I looked at Wolff's site & didn't see anything for it. I looked at Rugers site also. Magazines for these are expensive. Did you ask Ruger customer service if there is any way they could just sell you some magazine springs? I wonder who makes the magazines for Ruger.
 

jasper661

Bearcat
Joined
Apr 6, 2017
Messages
45
Mike

I did quite a bit of research into this issue, I found no one, who makes a replacement spring. I have dealt with BH Spring Solutions, they make a lot of replacement springs, but none for the Ruger American. They offered to make me a new spring if I sent them a pristine magazine to use as a template.

The folks at Ruger offered to send me a replacement magazine, I was in the replacement spring search at the time, and declined. I will probably have Ruger send me a new mag, and ship it of the the folks at BH.

The best answer is for Ruger to address the issue..that probably will not come about until the "Ruger American part 2".

At the end of the day the American is probably the best designed of the polymer striker fired guns. It is a truly modular design, and considerably more robust than the Sig P320 that the Army ended up with. I am not sure why Ruger did not enter the competition for the Army side arm. It would have been nice to see our military carrying an American made pistol.
 

TexasRugerMan

Bearcat
Joined
Feb 25, 2003
Messages
5
Location
Paris Texas
I began having problems with all three magazines around the same time. They would either stovepipe the round or fail to lock back on last round. I also stretched the springs and now they would function and hold the slide back on last round. Load them back up for 24 hours and the trouble starts all over again. The firearm is close to two years old with around 350 trouble free rounds, until now. .
 

TexasRugerMan

Bearcat
Joined
Feb 25, 2003
Messages
5
Location
Paris Texas
Well I made a discovery of sorts today. The magazine spring from a S&W M&P 45 was a direct drop in for the RAP 45 magazine. The S&W spring has 10 coils in it vs 8 for the RAP. Took her out and shot 50 flawless rounds through it. I'm now looking for M&P mag springs.
 

PriseDeFer

Single-Sixer
Joined
Apr 22, 2014
Messages
450
If a gun will not function with any of its own magazines where does the fault lie?
 
Joined
Nov 17, 2013
Messages
26
I ordered some of the S & W springs mentioned above from Brownells. They arrived yesterday and I tried switching out my Ruger magazine springs. One of five actually locked the slide back on the empty magazine. The other four seem to cock the magazine follower off vertical and would not improve the situation. Curses, foiled again.
 

jasper661

Bearcat
Joined
Apr 6, 2017
Messages
45
The stretched mag spring seems to work pretty well, "for me"..!

My next project is to find a heavier recoil spring, there are kits to modify Glock .45s to .45 Super, so why not the American, a more durable firearm.

Galloway Precision has a fair number of after market parts for the American, it looks like most of which are for the 9mm.

Has anyone taken the recoil spring guide apart, it sure looks like it is meant to come apart to replace the spring.

The folks that make the .460 Rowland kits sell a captured spring and guide rod assembly for the Glock 21, that looks like it would work just fine in the American. Probably an option if I cannot find a American specific spring. The only other thing for the conversion is a heavier striker spring, and Galloway has those.
 

FergusonTO35

Hunter
Joined
Aug 26, 2010
Messages
2,420
Location
Boonesborough, KY
The RAP hasnt made much of an impact here. I see lots of Rugers at the public range but no RAP's. My local shop doesnt bother to carry it anymore. The owner tells me that the SR's and Security 9 sell better so that is what he stocks
 
Joined
Mar 24, 2002
Messages
6,243
Location
Oregon City, Oregon
I have two Americans in 9mm. On my first one, after a couple range trips the slide no longer locked back after the last shot.

Just bought my boy an American. From the first day the slide would not lock back after the last shot.

What I originally considered an inconvenience looks to now be a trend. :?
 

jasper661

Bearcat
Joined
Apr 6, 2017
Messages
45
I spoke with Ruger customer service today, and fortunately the lady I spoke with has an American .45, it seems that the magazine problems have been traced to issues with the follower. I have two new magazines and a heavier recoil spring assembly in the mail.

I have been buying Rugers for the last 50+ years, and have never had a problem, that could not be fixed, and fixed in pretty short order.

The American is probably the most robust of any of the striker fired guns, since this is a design from the "ground up" there are bound to be some difficulties. Glocks are advertised as "perfection", anyone who is honest will tell you that is not true, they are still trying to get their act together, and have been around since, 1982.

WAYNO

If you are having problems with your Rugers, talk to customer service, they will make it right.
 

Mr25-06

Single-Sixer
Joined
Nov 20, 2007
Messages
284
Location
WI
jasper661 said:
I spoke with Ruger customer service today, and fortunately the lady I spoke with has an American .45, it seems that the magazine problems have been traced to issues with the follower. I have two new magazines and a heavier recoil spring assembly in the mail.

I have been buying Rugers for the last 50+ years, and have never had a problem, that could not be fixed, and fixed in pretty short order.

The American is probably the most robust of any of the striker fired guns, since this is a design from the "ground up" there are bound to be some difficulties. Glocks are advertised as "perfection", anyone who is honest will tell you that is not true, they are still trying to get their act together, and have been around since, 1982.

WAYNO

If you are having problems with your Rugers, talk to customer service, they will make it right.

So, is this issue something that needs/should be addressed in every American .45 ACP pistol? I just ordered one and am wondering if I should just go ahead and contact Ruger immediately, or wait until I possibly have problems? Did they mention if they updated the recoil spring or magazine followers on current American .45 pistols?

Thanks,

Jon
 

jasper661

Bearcat
Joined
Apr 6, 2017
Messages
45
I do not visit this forum regularly, I have my new magazines and recoil spring and have shot quite a few rounds through since then. That seems to have cured the magazine issues, and functioning has been flawless. I would think that the problems I had initially, would have been addressed with later production guns.
 

jasper661

Bearcat
Joined
Apr 6, 2017
Messages
45
Just when I thought I had all of the issues with cast bullets in my American .45 solved, it jammed up again. As hard as I tried to like that gun, it just was not reliable with my loads (loads that I have been using successfully for 50+ years in 1911 pattern guns). I sold the American and bought a Remington RP 45. Right out of the box I shot it better, it runs with semi-wadcutter bullets and is a 15+1 capacity gun.
 

Scotsman1886

Bearcat
Joined
Jul 4, 2003
Messages
69
Location
Albuquerque,NM,USA
I recently bought a used RAP 45. Both mags wouldn't hold open the slide administratively. I called Ruger customer service and they sent me a new one with an envelope to send the others back and they will send me another new one upon receipt. Fair enough I thought.

A side note. I carry a 9mm RAP for work as a uniformed Police Officer and have for about three years now. I went though the early 9mm magazine issues so I assumed it was just the followers in the 45 but we shall see.
 

jasper661

Bearcat
Joined
Apr 6, 2017
Messages
45
Single-Sixer
The American is a great design, for me the SR series guns, just seemed a little bit easier to carry and use. The American trigger is much better, the chassis is a real innovation, the feeding issues with different cast bullets in the .45ACP, is what "put me off".

Ruger sent me a couple of new magazines and a different recoil spring assembly, which was an improvement, but still not the answer for SWC bullets.

As a career police officer. I am aware that reliability is of paramount importance. Hopefully the new mags will solve your difficulties.

Regardless of the "hype", the Rugers are better guns than the "Austrian" imports.
 

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