SR9C better than Taurus 709?

[weemsf]

I am pondering trading my 709 for a Ruger SR9C. i was very impressed with the trigger in the Ruger. It is a bit larger and I am not sure about the large mag/small mag configuration as they seem to be shipped. Anybody shot both?

 

[Stratrider]

I would quit pondering and make the move. Yes I have shot both and the Ruger feels much better overall and the trigger is better. I found less muzzle flip with the Ruger.

 

[Sonnytoo]

I watched my shooting buddy with Taurus customer service when his 1911 safety fell off of the gun. They sent him a new safety and told him to snap it on. It soon fell off also. He sold the gun quickly. Hopefully, that was a rare experience.
Sonnytoo

 

[weemsf]

Local shop wants $135 difference from the Taurus 709 to the Ruger SR9C. I would do $100 in a second, not sure I want to go the extra $35. I have a gun back at Taurus for CS as well, but it seems to be moving along in the system.

 

[ab4ka]

Personally if I was willing to go $100, I wouldn't sweat an additional $35. I'm not a Taurus hater, but just on my experience with the two brands I'd grab the Ruger.

 

[weemsf]

I am giving it more and more consideration. I bought the Taurus at a good price, so I would wind up with about $450 in the Ruger.

 

[Anonymous]

I've never been impressed with Taurus auto's.

 

[weemsf]

The little gun shoots okay. It is hard to disassemble, but I understand that comes with break in time on the pistol. It's trigger takes some work to master. Does not like "hot" 9MM ammo either. It was cratering with ammo that I shoot out of my CZ75B with no issue at all.

 

[weemsf]

Well, I sold my 709 and it will make the exchange for the Ruger SR9C easier.

 

[Takedown]

I have both. Currently selling my 709, one, because it's too small in my hand to shoot very accurate consistently, second, it only holds 7 compared to the SR9c that holds 10 or 17 with extension. The trigger on the 709 feels mushy too.

 

[weemsf]

Most poly framed guns tend to have somewhat mushy triggers. When the P95 came out, I thought it had the best trigger of all the Ruger semi-auto's at the time. The SR9C seems to have a much better trigger than the 709.

 

[boomer1]

Hello all,

Yep, I own both guns, a stainless SR9c and a blue 709. I just bought the SR9c and haven't yet had the opportunity to put it through its paces. I have been attracted to Rugers ever since I bought my P85 back in the 80's. I like the look, the fit and the finish of the pistol. The SR9c was my birthday present to myself this year. I have had the 709 for about a year. I just got it back from Taurus for repair/refinement due to continuous FTE, after running 300 rounds through it with most ammo, Remington, Winchester, Federal, Magtech, PMC, Speer, etc. It is my impression that while they seem geared to the similar market, they are certainly not the same "me-too" pistols. The 709, due to its slim, single-stack mag design and size, is a definite CCW. The SR9c is typical Ruger style, an over-engineered American firearm. It will work as a CCW, but certainly heftier than the 709. My next trip to the range should be interesting, I will be checking out the Ruger for the first time and re-checking the Taurus for reliability.

Happy trails.

 

[Gizmo42]

boomer, take some 124 gr ammo with you for the first shooting session. I know not all had the same issue I did at first but I initially used 115 gr ammo and had a lot of FTEs. I switched to 124 gr, which all fired perfectly, for 100 rds or so then the 115 gr worked much better. The springs are pretty stiff initially and need to loosen up a bit.

 

[agksimon]

I was using a 709 stainless for IDPA events and did quite well with it, but had to reload more often because of the 7 round mags and being left handed, it took extra time to take off the right hand safety. Gun had no malfunctions at all, shot every type of amm and was very accurate. I sold it to a guy I knew and got an SR9C. Higher mag capacity and ambi safety. It shoots very well too and not that much bigger than the 709.

 

[revhigh]

I've never been impressed with Taurus auto's.

Their 1911 is actually very nice. They shoot well, are fairly well fitted, and except for all the silly cosmetic doo-dads, aren't a bad gun. I'm not a fan of Taurus at all, although I DO think they've come a long way in the last 5 years. I've personally shot 3 different PT1911's, and they all shot very well. If you're the type of person who buys the whole 'get a $1200 gun for $600' routine, you probably can't do better than the PT1911. Regarding breakage ... I've seen far more Kimber 1911's break than Taurus's.

I'd actually own one, but all that cosmetic garbage just aint my style in a 1911.

REV

 

[weemsf]

I've never been impressed with Taurus auto's.

Their 1911 is actually very nice. They shoot well, are fairly well fitted, and except for all the silly cosmetic doo-dads, aren't a bad gun. I'm not a fan of Taurus at all, although I DO think they've come a long way in the last 5 years. I've personally shot 3 different PT1911's, and they all shot very well. If you're the type of person who buys the whole 'get a $1200 gun for $600' routine, you probably can't do better than the PT1911. Regarding breakage ... I've seen far more Kimber 1911's break than Taurus's.

I'd actually own one, but all that cosmetic garbage just aint my style in a 1911.

REV

What cosmetic garbage are you speaking of? I have seen what I call their "pimp" guns, but the regular 1911's they make are pretty plain aren't they?

 

[revhigh]

What cosmetic garbage are you speaking of? I have seen what I call their "pimp" guns, but the regular 1911's they make are pretty plain aren't they?

ambidextrous safety - what ? You're left handed AND right handed ?
target hammer - worthless
ugly rear slide serrations - disgusting
even uglier front slide serrations - more disgusting
checkered trigger guard - for what ??
checkered mainspring housing - OK ...
checkered front strap - for what ??
genuine Heinie ‘Straight Eight' two dot sights - should have target sights
beavertail grip safety with memory pad - everybody wants this - not sure why ...
extended magazine release - for what ??

REV

 

[boomer1]

boomer, take some 124 gr ammo with you for the first shooting session. I know not all had the same issue I did at first but I initially used 115 gr ammo and had a lot of FTEs. I switched to 124 gr, which all fired perfectly, for 100 rds or so then the 115 gr worked much better. The springs are pretty stiff initially and need to loosen up a bit.

Hey Gizmo, thanks for the info. That may have made a difference. Looking back over my range notes, the Rem, and Federal were 124 gr, Win 147 gr, Speer, Magtech and PMC 115. One of the issues last year was the shortage of 9mm ammo, of any type/wight, at least that was the way it was in the Pacific Northwest. There is now a much better selection of ammo available. When take the 709 to the range I will try some 124 gr as you suggested, since I got it back from Taurus.

 

[weemsf]

What cosmetic garbage are you speaking of? I have seen what I call their "pimp" guns, but the regular 1911's they make are pretty plain aren't they?

ambidextrous safety - what ? You're left handed AND right handed ?
target hammer - worthless
ugly rear slide serrations - disgusting
even uglier front slide serrations - more disgusting
checkered trigger guard - for what ??
checkered mainspring housing - OK ...
checkered front strap - for what ??
genuine Heinie ‘Straight Eight' two dot sights - should have target sights
beavertail grip safety with memory pad - everybody wants this - not sure why ...
extended magazine release - for what ??

REV

Hey REV,
Ambi safeties are common on high dollar guns. I use my left thumb to drop my safety, however.

Hammer? I like a target (commander style) hammer, but the Taurus one has the lock in it.

Different people hold the gun in different ways, some use the front of the trigger guard with their off hand index finger, and I personally like checkering on the front strap, just a matter of taste.

I agree with you on the slide serrations.

For tactical use, the straight eight sights are my preference. For adjustable sights, I prefer target black.

Extended mag release again is for tactical use, not target. I guess some of it just depends on whether you are going to punch paper or use it as a personal defense weapon.

Thanks for your thoughts though.

Best to you! Keep looking up, the Lord Jesus is going to come back and straighten this world out before long.

 

[revhigh]

Thanks for your thoughts though.

You're welcome !!

I'm kind of a purist when it comes to 1911's, as I'm sure you can tell LOL. To be honest, I couldn't imagine someone using the PT1911 as a carry gun ... not sure why ... I just always looked at that gun as a target gun, although it really isn't purely target. I also thought that the only reason that they used those sights was to have a 'big name' part to brag about, that they could put on it cheaply.

They really are fine guns, I really liked the 3 that I got a chance to shoot. Decent trigger right out of the box for a 1911. 2 out of the 3 guys I knew that had them got rid of them ... primarily because they got no respect at the range, rather than that they had any issues with them. Too bad ... they were nice guns .... only problem is that they say 'Taurus' on 'em ... :D I have way too many Colt and Springfield 1911's to put one with 'Taurus' on it in my stable. I've got way too many already.

Take care !!

REV

 

[weemsf]

I have a Brolin Arms framed and slide 1911, Bomar rear and black front. It is more of a "tactical target" gun. Very littel of fancification on it, has Nowlin internals. Had to add a very slightly extended mag release due to trigger stirrup issues. It has little to no checkering on it. Wish I had a nice Commander size.

 

[ArmedinAZ]

. I've seen far more Kimber 1911's break than Taurus's.
REV

2 questions:

What is the ratio of Kimbers to Tauri that you see?

What part is breaking on all these Kimbers?

I lurk over on the 1911 board and honestly don't notice any more "I've got a problem" posts on the Kimber forum than on the Springfield or Colt forums. Can't even remember seeing a "My slide stop, sear, hammer, thumb safety, etc broke in half" thread.

Like here the fanboys give suggestions then say send it off to Kimber and they'll fix it.

Interestingly, right now at 1911forum on the Colt forum on page 1 there are 3 "problem" threads, on the Springfield forum 3 "problem" threads, on the Kimber forum 1 "problem" thread, and 3 on the Taurus forum. Of course a snapshot isn't a true indicator but to pick a random moment to take a look might tell you that parts breakage isn't rampant.

It's been mentioned here many times that people with problems will go out of their way to complain and skew things, and Kimber sells a pile of guns...just not seeing what you'd expect in large numbers of problem posts. They certainly aren't for a 1911 traditionalist kind of guy and the conversations there are different than here but wholesale breakage of MIM parts doesn't seem to be a problem.

Oddly I have the Springer Mil Spec and the Kimber Series 1 SS Compact, both stock, and I shoot the Kimber better. Can't explain it.



Sorry for the continued thread hijack...... :oops:

 

[revhigh]

2 questions:

What is the ratio of Kimbers to Tauri that you see?

What part is breaking on all these Kimbers?

I'd say about even ... probably 4 MIMbers and 3 Tauri in 1911's. LOL. I will say though, that the Tauri shot far more accurately than the MIMbers. A buddy had 2 MIMbers and swore by them, until he got a Colt Gold Cup ... now he has 2 Gold Cups and no MIMbers.

The guys at my range are primarily Colt and Smiff guys. I'm one of two that has gone wayward and gotten into CZ's, Glocks, and Sigs .... although the vast majority of my collection is still Colts. There's a few guys lightly into Ruger SA revolvers, but not many are into Ruger DA revolvers like me. They all shoot Colts and Smiffs in revolvers.

Primarily slide stops, hammers, and thumb safeties. Thumb safeties by the dozens :D.

Common MIM parts to fail on MIMbers are slide stops, hammers, sears, disconnecters, mag catches, plunger tubes, firing pin stops, thumb safeties, ejectors, beaver tails, and mainspring housings. Of those, slide stops and safeties are by far the most prevalent, from what I've seen and heard. These are also the parts that are immediately replaced when a custom build is attempted on a MIMber frame.

Just as an aside ... the original Gen 1 Kimbers were fine weapons, it's primarily the current ones that are loaded with MIM parts and plagued with breakages. Even having said that ... I've never seen one where the accuracy impressed me, but I've only shot 3 or 4.

I sometimes wonder if those who swear by them have ever shot any other 1911's, especially Colts.

REV

 

[boomer1]

boomer, take some 124 gr ammo with you for the first shooting session. I know not all had the same issue I did at first but I initially used 115 gr ammo and had a lot of FTEs. I switched to 124 gr, which all fired perfectly, for 100 rds or so then the 115 gr worked much better. The springs are pretty stiff initially and need to loosen up a bit.

Hey Gizmo, thanks for the information. I finally was able to go to the range and do some good test firing of my new SR9c and my "just got back from Taurus" 709 slim. Prior to going I field stripped each pistol, did a thorough cleaning and oiling, including the striker assembly of the SR9c (as described in the Ruger Tech Tip videos). I put a lot of holes in paper, putting those pistols through their paces. I took two boxes of 124gr FMJ American Eagle (AE), two boxes of 115gr FMJ Speer Lawman, one box of 115gr FMJ Remington, and one box of 147gr FMJ Winchester "white" rounds. I started by putting a box of the 124gr AE through each pistol, as you suggested. I used half of each respective type of ammo with each pistol. The SR9c had no problems at all with any of the ammo. The 709 still had about 5 FTEs with the Speer ammo, but no problems with any of the other ammo. That is a significant improvement over my last range session with the 709. I wasn't really shooting for accuracy, but rather concentrated on reliability. That being said, I was able to get several good groupings of holes in the paper with each gun at 25 and 50 yards. The 7 shot mags of the Taurus were a pain to have to continually reload. The 10 and 17 shot mags of the SR9c were a dream to use by comparison. I am certainly impressed and enjoyed the SR9c, it is my new favorite pistol. The 709 is a good, compact CCW. I will post my next range report, will probably repeat with similar ammo. Thanks to all for the advice and tips. :)

 

[Gizmo42]

Glad it all worked out ok for you. Hopefully the taurus keeps getting better.

 

[Stratrider]

Where does one find the Ruger Tech Tip Videos? Thanks.

 

[boomer1]

Where does one find the Ruger Tech Tip Videos? Thanks.

Take a look at the main Ruger webpage, www.ruger.com. In the middle of the main page, there is a button titled "Ruger Videos," hit that button. about 1/3 down the "Video" page this is a button titled "Tech Tips," hit that button, it should take you to the list of tech tip videos. There is a lot of good info there....

Hope that helps...

 

[Stratrider]

That helps, I just missed it there. Thanks.

 

[boomer1]

That helps, I just missed it there. Thanks.

Glad you found it. You have to know what you are looking for.... I believe that someone on the forum pointed it out to me...

In the "stickie" notes at the top of the this area, Ruger Semiauto Pistols, there is a great posting, SR9 How-to, of the pistol disassembly and a lot more great info.