SR1911 10mm Failure...And The Final Update

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Handgun$1 said:
Sorry to join and post so much right away but, I don't know anyone locally to talk to about 1911s. I have a couple of questions regarding my 10mm.


Could these barrels breaking this way be dangerous? In neither occurance was there a malfunction or other indication of the breakage as with the original poster.

Would you ask Ruger for anything other that a repair? I will never be able to trust this pistol nor, feel that it is safe?

Thank You

I don't think a person can predict if such a failure could become catastrophic. Even in a total case failure caused by an out of battery condition, gases are vented into the magazine well. Seems when mine failed, although rendering the gun completely inoperable, the misguided energies were contained by the design of the pistol. Things just came to a screeching halt.

After the second return of my gun to Ruger, the only information I've received, is from FedEx telling me my gun will be in town next Tuesday. I've heard nothing from Ruger, although I did ask them for a complete replacement or refund. So at this point I don't know if I'm receiving a new gun, or the same one. Either way, it will take many rounds until I will ever trust this gun, if ever. Seems there is no warning that this failure is imminent.

We're seeing a few more reports of these failures.. Your reported failure is now #4 and #5 that I've read. There may be a #6, but after that poster reported the similar lock-up of his pistol, he reported nothing further. And these are only the reports we see on websites such as this. And in fairness, it could be 6 failures out of many thousands of successes.
 

Handgun$1

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Thanks for the reply Hawkeye. I suppose we will just have to see if Ruger takes care of us. I agree, how can we ever rely on this model gun?
 

Nobska Light

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I reported my barrel failure here on Feb. 14. Ruger replaced the barrel. The second failed in a similar fashion after ~ 50 rounds. Ruger elected to issue a new pistol instead of a third barrel, and it has functioned flawlessly so far. No explanation of the defect.
 
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Another update. First, I stayed home all day waiting for FedEx to deliver my pistol, and they would require a signature with identification. They gave me a 12 hour window. :? I then received an email saying they attempted delivery, but nobody was home. NO WAY! I've been waiting just inside the door so they wouldn't be able to pull this crap again. No doorbell ring, and no knock. And...no attempted delivery tag. I called FedEx and they said they'd be happy to try again tomorrow. I said not a chance! Ya better get it here now! I think she heard veins popping in my head and me slobbering all over the phone, as she agreed to have it delivered today. It showed a short time later. The nice young girl said she was so sorry, as she attempted delivery to the same house number on a different street. Ya think?

Anyway, to the point...
I opened the box to see the same gun I sent them. The repair ticket said "barrel repaired, extractor replaced". I don't know what they repaired on the barrel, and I don't know why a new extractor will help the gun feed hotter ammo than at .40 S&W levels. I had no extraction or ejection issues before. In fact, it throws the empties 20 feet. They did test it with different ammo this time. 20-rounds of Remington FMJ, 1150 fps, which is still very anemic.

We'll see. :shock:
 

Handgun$1

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Hawkeye,
I hope it doesn't break again. When I sent mine back the first time they replaced my barrel and extractor also. I shipped my back again today. I wonder how many times they will replace our barrels?
 
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Received the pistol back from Ruger yesterday. Whatever they did or didn't do, the moon and stars were aligned today such that in spite of me shooting roughly 150 rounds thru this gun today, with only one exception, the gun operated flawlessly.

.


I started with a very clean and well lubricated gun. I tried a half dozen different loads from as many manufacturers, both pipsqueak level as well as dinosaur stoppers, and the only failure was at round #16, a fairly warm FMJ load by Minuteman Ammunition, a local manufacturer of new ammunition. This is one of the loads that has caused me fits previously.


It will be a while til I'll consider this gun truly functionally acceptable, but if some subsequent range trips prove this gun remains on the straight and narrow, it might actually spend some more time outdoors other than just at the range.



Today I am quite pleased with this pistol.
 
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I was with WAYNO during his last test session. His SR actually performed functionally better than mine. I had some trouble with a standard load that had been sitting around for 8-9 years. Mine as it had previously with the warmer loads, performed well with only one failure to feed.

Hopefully we can trust these nice handling accurate pistols going forward. It was a good day..... :D

Dave
 

Yawn

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Heliman said:
.

Hopefully we can trust these nice handling accurate pistols going forward. It was a good day..... :D

Dave


The pistols MAY not be the problem... i am steadily losing trust in Ruger and how they handle things. Company trust is a big deal... (see chevys recent add campaigns, or Trumps recent possible lie troubles). I have always gone with the vendor who stands behind their product. Ruger has been sliding steeply in this aspect and so has my trust in them. And one of my main purchasing factors is product AND brand trust.
 

Mike J

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That makes sense. I really hope you don't have any more issues. I know any of us can get a bad example of almost any product. I also know Ruger has taken care of you. I just hate to see someone have issues after they spend their hard earned money on a product.
 

1911Tuner

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Both of Wayno's malfunctions are related and the root cause is likely the same. There are possible explanations as to why it only happens with one type of ammunition, but I won't go into that here.

The top one is called a Bolt Over Base misfeed...or BOB for short. Bob is an ass. I've seen him rear his ugly head many times over the years. What is happening here is that the slide is literally outrunning the magazine as the round tries to move into feeding position. The breechface catches the case in the extractor groove instead of correctly on the backside of the rim, forcing the rear of the case down causing the bullet nose to go up. 99.9% of the time, the cause is either weak ammunition that doesn't cycle the slide fully rearward, or excessive action/recoil spring tension...the latter of which simply accelerates the slide too fast for the magazine to keep up.

The bottom one is called "Jumping the Magazine" and the mechanism is no more than Newton's !st Law governing inertia...or as I like to call it...Newton 1A. Objects at rest tend to remain at rest. As the slide starts its trip rearward, the spring compresses and the slide and frame become an action-reaction system separate from the one that set it in motion, with the spring itself acting as the vectored force between the two interacting objects.

The compressing spring is fighting to push the slide forward, and is pushing the frame backward at the same time while the cartridge is working to obey Newton and stand still...and the frame along with the magazine are literally pushed out from under the cartridge. Just as the cartridge has slipped its position in the magazine, the slide impacts the frame, jerking it suddenly backward...and the round escapes and winds up lying on top of the magazine. Under just the right circumstances, the slide will strip and chamber the round under it, and the jumper will wind up on the ground with the empty brass.

There are two approaches you can take to squashing this bug. Either drop the recoil spring rate by a couple pounds, or order an extra power magazine spring. I prefer to do both, though I've had good success with these particular misfeeds by simply going down on the recoil spring rate. I like 14 pounds for .45 Caliber pistols.

And don't be concerned with frame battering or the like. Several years ago, top end pistolsmith Ned Christiansen fired one of his 10mm pistols repeatedly with full power ammunition without a recoil spring without damage...as I have done for many years with .45s to demonstrate that it can be done without causing problems or worries about early unlock timing.
 

Rodfac

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As always, 1911Tuner, a great post on an interesting topic. You've got an entire file on my laptop with your tips on 1911's....thanks.

Wayno, et al, sorry to hear of the problems, and while I've no interest in the 10mm as a woods or CC piece, your troubles with and success or lack thereof, with Ruger's customer service make interesting reading.

I've had the company's single actions, quite a variety of them since 1966, as well as both the 5" and CMD versions of the SR1911 in .45 ACP, and been thoroughly satisfied. Both of my 1911's are comparable in accuracy and reliability to my treasured Colts from the early 70's...many with after market gunsmithing for trigger and accuracy issues. I'm a fan of all of the above and continue to regard Ruger as a first rate company that stands behind its products...albeit with some beta testing done after marketing...a practice they'd do well to discontinue.

Best Regards, Rod
 

dakota1911

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I have had mine since last fall. It was sort of an impulse buy from a LGS that had them on sale for $729 plus I also got a Ruger shirt and hat as I recall. I told the Ruger fellow a couple extra mags would have been nicer. For full disclosure It only has little over 600 rounds through it so far as I have three other 1911s in 10mm.



I also bought the Blackhawk in 40S&W/10mm convertible and it has been fun. I did end up putting some grips I got off the shopruger web site back in 2013 or so. I initially put them on a SR1911-CMD I bought back then but old myself I would have to put them on a 10mm if Ruger ever made one.



Anyway have shot the Ruger with a variety of factory and hanloaded ammo and have reeeeely looked for a crack. Anyway just checked it over again as I shot it yesterday and still no signs of a crack. I note it does have a "R" stamped on the left side of the barrel link (as you look at the barrel from the rear left side. Hopefully that is not for reject.
 

dakota1911

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Another interesting thing in a post like this to many of us is what is the serial number of the pistol. Maybe not the exact serial number, but close. On the previous page WAYNO's looks like 672-946xx. Mine which I have not had a problem with... yet..... is close to 672-945xx. The one Hickok45 did his review on was 672-90754..........

https://video.search.yahoo.com/yhs/search?fr=yhs-pty-pty_maps&hsimp=yhs-pty_maps&hspart=pty&p=hickock+45+and+Ruger+SR1911-10#id=1&vid=e555de550b23c6ec38f43a474003b23a&action=click
 
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Update, Jan 12, 2019...

As often as I think things are looking up, or as I often as I make excuses, the truth is, this gun is still giving me fits. There's just too many different loads that will not function in this gun.

I never gave it a thought initially, but apparently this gun qualifies for the Davidson's Lifetime Warranty. A local dealer has taken this gun by the horns and will attempt a replacement from Davidson's.

Wish me luck. :mrgreen:
 
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WAYNO said:
Update, Jan 12, 2019...

As often as I think things are looking up, or as I often as I make excuses, the truth is, this gun is still giving me fits. There's just too many different loads that will not function in this gun.

I never gave it a thought initially, but apparently this gun qualifies for the Davidson's Lifetime Warranty. A local dealer has taken this gun by the horns and will attempt a replacement from Davidson's.

Wish me luck. :mrgreen:

Great idea! I hope it works out! Hopefully it will be as accurate as your original. :wink:
 
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