Odd Barrel Peening (picts)

[Jumping Frog]

My barrel hood is peening. I figure I have three alternatives, what do you recommend?

1. Take the time and effort to send this back to Ruger and be without my SR9 for 6 weeks.
2. Take a file to it myself and see if I can dress it up.
3. Ignore it. It has already beat itself into a fit and will not get any worse.

This is already a replacement barrel. When I bought it BNIB in March, I stripped the gun to clean before shooting and saw that the original barrel had been cast undersized and was not completely machined around the full circumference at the muzzle end. That took six weeks before Ruger replaced the barrel and supposedly fitted the new barrel to the gun.

 

[DA_TriggR4Ruger]

That looks pretty bad. I'd send it in to Ruger yet AGAIN. Please do let them know how dissatisfied you are with it, after all, as you mentioned, this IS the second replacement is it not?

 

[Yosemite Sam]

I know this is heresy, but for a company that makes a lot of money in the casting business, you'd think they'd be more careful with their metallurgy...

-- Sam

 

[TRanger]

I know this is heresy, but for a company that makes a lot of money in the casting business, you'd think they'd be more careful with their metallurgy...

-- Sam

+1 Send it back for replacement. Then get rid of it and buy a quality pistol.

 

[mike7mm08]

Have Ruger at the least replace the barrel. From my personal experience with peening multiple times I would ask for a new gun. They replaced my barrel three times and could not stop the peening. It seems that Ruger has no clue as to what is causing the peening. Just most of the time a new barrel fixes it. I think there is something going on with the pistol it self not just soft metal in the barrel.

 

[Ski]

Comparing your barrel to mine, the area where yours is being gouged is where mine begins to taper inward toward the centerline of the barrel. I don't see the same taper on your barrel. It doesn't appear that the slide is being peened (unless the pictures do not show it), thus if it were mine and I was not having any other problems with it now (considering your concerns with your previous problems with the gun) I think I'd dress up the area with file and stone and keep shooting the gun. Initially I had some peening in the area at the top of the barrel where it locks into the slide. I dressed this area with a fine stone to get rid of the slight ridge that was forming. After 1000 some rounds, so far so good. It's a tough call on your part, but if I were going to get rid of it I think I'd follow the advice above and send it back to Ruger first...

 

[Jumping Frog]

Well, my question was semi-rhetorical, since I've known I need to send it back (sigh). Just wanted to leave it open-ended to see what kind of input people would offer.

I don't want to try dressing it myself for two reasons. First, if it doesn't provide satisfactory results, I don't want any problem with Ruger balking over a warranty repair. Second, whether I sell the pistol now or years from now, the barrel would be an issue.

 

[graygun]

I guess it's a good thing they're not making engines. I think they should halt production until they get it right.

 

[brickman7]

Well, my question was semi-rhetorical, since I've known I need to send it back (sigh). Just wanted to leave it open-ended to see what kind of input people would offer.

I don't want to try dressing it myself for two reasons. First, if it doesn't provide satisfactory results, I don't want any problem with Ruger balking over a warranty repair. Second, whether I sell the pistol now or years from now, the barrel would be an issue.

I don't think I'd try to fix it myself either..it would kinda leave yourself open to the "well, it looks like you did it when you tried to fix it" feedback from Ruger...I sure hate to see this kinda stuff happening...I put a lot of faith in Ruger because they have a good reputation and I like dealing with American products!!!!

 

[Jumping Frog]

I don't think I'd try to fix it myself either..

I hadn't posted on this thread for a while, so an update is in order.

Ruger paid to ship the SR-9 back and replaced the barrel. I also asked them to lighten up the magazine release, because it is exceptionally stiff to do a tactical reload.

I got the gun back with a new barrel. No discernable difference with the mag release. I haven't shot it since getting it back because I think I am going to sell the gun instead. I just haven't figured what I want to buy for my 9mm instead. Which kind of stinks because I really like the look and features of the SR-9. Too bad it has problems.

I doubt I will ever buy another Ruger, unless I see evidence of their quality levels making a huge improvement.

 

[mike7mm08]

If your looking for a proven 9mm look at the Springfield Xd. Very similar grip angle to the SR9 just a little bit wider. I have one and love it. I like my SR9 better as far as the grip goes but I still don't trust it to be problem free. Ruger replaced mine after multiple trips back to them and problems not being fixed. I thought of selling it but I was not willing to sell it at a lose. So I just shoot it hope no troubles arise. If no troubles pop up and I can better the trigger I will be happy with it. But if I need a no questions asked trouble free gun the XD is what I reach for. It will feed anything and the trigger was worked down to about three pounds. It is a very sweet pistol.

 

[graygun]

How about the P-89 and the P-95; aren't they proven guns? The chunkiness of them would be,at most,a minor issue for me.

 

[Hillbilly Jim]

Tell where you are at and what you want for the pos SR9.