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Just got my SR9c (black) last weekend and won't be able to shoot it for a couple of weeks. I noticed, like everyone else, that the slide spring is very stiff out of the box and pulling the slide is not as easy as I'd like. I've read that after lots of shooting, it will loosen up. I field stripped and cleaned it when I got it, used a few drops of gun oil on the moving parts.

So, I've been removing the magazine and opening and closing the slide a few hundred times each night after work. I'm up to about 1,000 total now and was wondering if this will help loosen the spring, do nothing, or is bad for the pistol. I'm not letting the slide slam shut, just basically sliding it open as far as it can go and then holding is while it's closing.

The slide grooves sort of tear up my hands and wearing Mechanix gloves while doing it helps a lot. Any feedback is welcome.

Also, I wish the slide stop was a slide release like my 1911, but hope it'll also loosen up and wear a bit over time. Other than that, great pistol. Very comfortable, and I can hardly wait to shoot it.

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2009 4" .44 mag Redhawk, 1973 6-1/2".41 Mag Blackhawk, 2003 4" .357 mag GP100, 2011 SR9c black.

That will help to some degree. It definetly won't hurt anything as long as your lubed up. My SR40 broke in quite a bit after my first 250 rounds. I'm up to 600 useing almost all wwb with zero problems.

Make sure you take out the striker and clean and oil it as the assembly grease an be in there making the trigger pull stagey. You can remove the mag disconnect as well if you want. Its easy to do and you will find a guide on here if you look.

A few dry fires won't hurt either. All in all tho you have one of the best 9mm on the market imo and the best under $500 easy...

Locking the slide back for a day or so may help some. Mine is a lot easier to operate. My wife tried again last night and still can't operate the slide.
I told her to pretend that she was really mad at me and use that anger to pull the slide back. She laughed and said that she would stick with her .38
As mad as I have seen her get, I believe she could do it. She is 5'9'' about 180lbs.

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My Granddaddy once said, "When you see two people arguing, it's hard to tell which one is the fool".

I don't think it should vary between new pistols but the SR9c I rented at the range was brand new and I didn't think it was hard or stiff to use.

Oh, and I don't know if the wife would approve the voicing of her weight

You might just store it with the slide locked. Also, store your magazined loaded.

On the slide serrations, I took a small, fine stoe to break the edges of mine. Like 4 strokes. Slowly and carefully to keep the edge of the stone away from the bottom of the groove. My slide is black, so this left a thin line of bright steel showing. I no longer need gloves to prevent a cut (which did happen first range trip).

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Jeff
Akron, OH

+1

Thanks for the replies. Sorry if it was a dumb question. I'm going to sneak out of the house and go to the range tonight and shoot some rounds through it. I'll report back on if the arm-burning slide jacking worked or not.

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2009 4" .44 mag Redhawk, 1973 6-1/2".41 Mag Blackhawk, 2003 4" .357 mag GP100, 2011 SR9c black.

There actually is no break-in for modern firearms. It only needs to be clean and lightly lubed and all should work fine. As far as my SR9c, the gun fired perfectly from day one and has yet to malfunction after about 600-700 rounds.

The only dumb question is the one that isn't asked. Never hesitate to ask questions here. You're among friends.

BTW, before shooting my SR9c, I completely disassembled it and removed ALL of the packing grease from every nook and crannie. I coated every metal part with Eezox, then greased the slide and frame rails with Brian Enos' "Slide Glide" and reassembled. Oops! I forgot to reinstall the mag disconnect! (I'll put it back in sometime if I remember where I put it.) Anyway, it has run like a scalded monkey from shot #1 and that was MANY boxes of ammo ago.

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William Russ
"Aim small, shoot small"

Repeated working or flexing is "supposed" to be one way of weakening a spring, whether the recoil spring or the mag spring. It may not work for you, but you'll develop good muscles for the beach.
The burrs on the slide serrations are a bugger. I sent mine back to Ruger and they removed the burrs. I was cutting my fingers also, although I didn't draw blood. Call Ruger Service; tell them the burrs are cutting your fingers (I had to wear gloves) and they will send you an email which contains a shipping label which you can print out. The gun will be picked up and returned to your front door, free of charge. Thank You, Ruger Service.
Be careful about left-hand overhand racking. The safety will tear up your palm. This Ruger has not been melted well in these cases.
Sonny