SR9c barrel peening

[Takedown]

I posted on another topic earlier about the half moon cut out on the slide of the SR9c then I took a closer look at the barrel itself and noticed the peening in the picture below. I contacted Ruger and they want me send it in for a closer look. I absolutely love the compact version, more accurate than the full size, but with only 200 rounds through it I figured Ruger should verify if there's an issue since I have not seen this on my full size SR9.

 

[mike7mm08]

That is exactly how peening started on my first SR9. It only got worse. After three new barrels and lots of headaches Ruger finally replaced the pistol. New one has been problem free. Not many rounds through it though. But in the past peening was seen within a couple mags. One barrel even showed peening after just working the slide a couple dozen times.

 

[Takedown]

Two weeks later - Ruger shipped it back today, looking forward to seeing what they did to resolve the issue. The guy on the phone said he didn't have access to the repair notes but that I should have a copy of them in the box when it arrives on Tuesday or Wed.

 

[Scott]

Keep us updated; that's about how my SR9 barrel has looked since about the first 100 or so rounds. It now has - I don't know, maybe 1000rds with no further peening

 

[BiG MiKE86]

After looking at this thread I took mine apart and noticed the same marks. Ive gotten about 1100 rounds through mine.

Did you notice any markings on the slide itself? Any pictures?

 

[HuttoAg96]

I see something similar on my sr9c with 7-800 rounds through it. I couldn't care less about it if it is strictly a cosmetic issue. Does it actually impact the fireability or accuracy? Mine still shoots pretty true.

 

[Gat0rBait]

I see something similar on my sr9c with 7-800 rounds through it. I couldn't care less about it if it is strictly a cosmetic issue. Does it actually impact the fireability or accuracy? Mine still shoots pretty true.

This?

What happens if you dont send it off? as in if it keeps getting worse what could the end result be?

 

[EdgeSR9]

I see something similar on my sr9c with 7-800 rounds through it. I couldn't care less about it if it is strictly a cosmetic issue. Does it actually impact the fireability or accuracy? Mine still shoots pretty true.

Yes, would like to know.

 

[jhearne]

Only way to find out is keep shooting it as is. A few people now are starting to just let it wear in and keep shooting it until it fails. So far I've only read of one account that had a slide lock up from peening.

Josh

 

[7tcu]

My SR9 peening kept getting worse until finally the slide would hang up. Ruger replaced the barrel and no more problems. Have since traded off because trigger pull problems.

 

[Nakagawa]

^When you say you have had no more problems do you mean that the new barrel they gave you solved the problem, or that since its brand new again, the peening hasn't shown just yet. I love the Sr9c, just not the idea of the slide hanging up due to the peening. This is the only con I have against the pistol right now. I have my eyes set on the springfield XDm or the Sr9c.

 

[Takedown]

Got it back the other day and the repair note stated that they replaced the barrel and repaired the trigger bar. Here is a pic right from the factory with only 20 test rounds throught it by them; seems to have the same markings.......

 

[Takedown]

Anyone know why they added the half moon cut out in the slide of the compact? That seems to be what's causing the damage to the barrel; my full size is perfect.

 

[Guppy]

Take a file and knock that area down and put a very small bevel, just enoguh to remove the flash and it should stop forever. If it does not stop then Ruger may need to take a look at it. All four of mine did that same thing and stopped.

 

[sibby]

I had this same problem after 200 rounds through the gun. I love the gun but this kind of pissed me off. This is simple engineering and should have been prevented in the design. I have since then hand ground and polished a leading bevel on both the barrel and edge of slide to remedy this problem. Again, I love the gun but this kind of issue should be fixed long before a product makes its way to the customer.

 

[krtsr9c]

I just joined this site and this is the first time I have heard anything about this! I am not really sure what peening is, is it happening at the area where the slide and barrel meet on top of the gun? I am thinking that is what ya'll are talking about due to the picks on this thread. Is the slide gouging the barrell where they meet? Sorry for the ignorance, but just got my SR9c on 5-27 and only had a chance to shoot 26 rounds through it. So in order to keep this from happening I should lightly file the edge of the barrel down where the slide meets or the area on the slide or both?

 

[jhearne]

Hi and welcome krtsr9c,

You are correct about where the problem is occurring. It's where the slide and barrel lockup on the leading edge of the chamber block of the barrel. Basically, the force of the slide coming back slams into the barrel because sometimes timing or tolerance issues can cause it to have some interference there. Over time, the abuse the slide dishes out can deform the metal of the barrel and form a burr and can potentially effect the performance of the SR9s. However, this is very rare and I have only seen one other forum member shoot his peening SR9 until it locked up. Everyone else is either proactive about having it repaired until fixed, or just take a stone to it and smooth it out and keep shooting it, with no noticeable effect on the gun or it's performance.

As for a proactive approach to prevent peening, I would wait and see. Normally, less than 100 rounds is too early to know if yours will peen or not. Some guns, including mine show a sliver of shiny metal on that leading edge from wear and hundreds of rounds of shooting. It never gets worse than that for most owners. Extreme cases of peening have started early on (150 or less rounds), others see it starting between 250-1000. Once you get into the 750 range of rounds fired, it's normally not going to happen. I think the percentage of peening SR9c's is considerably less than that of previous SR9's. Ruger implemented a new cut into the slide where this problem is occurring to try and stem the numbers of peening SR9's and I think the ones that are still peening after the new design, are extreme cases of bad tolerances.

My advice is to shoot it and if you notice what you might think is excessive wear on that leading edge, document it by taking pictures of it. Hopefully you have a decent camera with a good Macro function on the lens and can get nice clear photos. Document the wear after every 50-100 rounds and if it's getting worse in your comparison photos, call Ruger. If it has stopped getting worse, then, I'd say the slide and barrel have worn in and should be OK for the rest of the time you own the gun.

Josh

 

[graygun]

I had this same problem after 200 rounds through the gun. I love the gun but this kind of pissed me off. This is simple engineering and should have been prevented in the design. I have since then hand ground and polished a leading bevel on both the barrel and edge of slide to remedy this problem. Again, I love the gun but this kind of issue should be fixed long before a product makes its way to the customer.

I think I'll do that to mine.

 

[Yosemite Sam]

I've often wondered if the "peening" issue isn't more related to metallurgy than design and mechanics. It seems to me an awful lot of metal is getting deformed in some of these cases. (In others, it's clear people are freaking out about a little wear-in, but that's beside the point.) I'm wondering if the barrel steel being used is not as hard as the designers intended. But what do I know? I'm not a pistol engineer, or even a mechanical engineer for that matter, and Ruger is in the metal-making business. I suppose with a harder barrel steel you might be seeing cracks in the slide in these cases.

-- Sam

 

[krtsr9c]

Thanks, Josh for the clarification of peening and also I liked the video on feild stripping the SR9. Since my SR9c is new and only had 26 rounds put thru it (plus I am a south paw) the slide catch button is pretty stiff and does not seem to work as easy as everyone elses! Guess I need to work it some and break it in. ...Kurt

 

[Al James]

I thought we decided that they are machining the slide and barrel on the SR9c's this way from the factory. In an effort to minimize any potential peening issues. Search old posts on this subject.

 

[Takedown]

I thought we decided that they are machining the slide and barrel on the SR9c's this way from the factory. In an effort to minimize any potential peening issues. Search old posts on this subject.

Ruger replaced my barrel, the part being damaged, without any other modifications. Guess what, the new barrel was getting hammered just as bad. I'm not waiting for Ruger to decide if/when to fix it right. I took it back to my LGS and told them to make it right, they did. Now I have another SR9c that has 300 rounds through it without a single mark on the barrel.

 

[UserM4]

I noticed a slight peen just like in the OP's picture when I purchased my gun brand new. Obviously it was test fired at the factory, especially since I noticed the carbon in the rifling of the barrel.

I shot 500 rounds through it so far without a single malfunction and the peening hasn't changed in the slightest. I find it to be nothing worth worrying about.

 

[agentadam]

I think the problem lies in the design. All similar locking breech pistols like a Glock,Sig,H&K,Walther, the Beretta 92 falling locking block,and even the 1911 link design have the barrel move rearward locked with the slide almost a quart inch,allowing pressures to drop off, before it unlocks and begins its downward tilt.

The SR9 tries to unlock the millisecond the slide begins rearward violently unlocking the barrel. I think this is the reason they decided to band-aid fix the problem requiring hand fitting the barrel/slide and overly tightening the lockup.

My SR9 isn't hard to rack but there is a large amount of force needed to overcome the initial lockup before the slide starts to come back. This makes a loud "clack" noise as it unlocks and then the slide wants to fly all the way back to the slide stop from the initial force making it hard to just pull the slide back part way.

It seems like this setup will at least have minor peening as pictured that should round off and stop after a couple hundred rounds. I think they would benefit from a slight bevel on that area of the barrel hood.

 

[Anonymous]

My barrel moves nearly 1/4", but clearly no less than 1/8" with the slide, before the it drops down and unlocks.