The new SR9c

[kscott]

It's okay mrme, it just seemed to get a little heated there for a bit. I'm pretty thick-skinned and so far nobody on the internet has ever really made me upset or anything. But the youtube offer sounds interesting. :wink: jk. Glad to see you back and hope you stay around and join in.

 

[mrme]

On the topic of this pistol here is some more observations:

The slide serrations are sharp (to the touch) so much so that they may cut you if you aren't careful. The recoil spring is very strong hopefully it will break in, difficult for the wife to rack the slide especially given the circumstances with the sharp serrations. (I have the stainless slide model) not sure if the black coating on the black version helps to reduce the edging of those serrations on that model.

The feed ramp was a bit muddled when I took it from the box, therefore I broke out the dremel and polished the ramp. I still haven't shot it yet weather is the issue. The rest of the fit and finish is superb although I wished they (Ruger) would have opted for a smaller banner on the slide frame not sure why they feel the need to broadcast in ridiculous sized font SR9c - but it is what it is.

It's an absolute "Rosie O'Donnell" to release the slide with the slide lock to slam it forward, but that goes back to the stiff recoil spring which I'm assuming will break in over time.

It is almost identical in size to my G36 and although i am partial to Glocks I am more than thrilled at having a 9mm, with a smaller footprint than the G19, with a stainless slide, and an ambi safety and ambi mag release. The price point is better than the Glock and I think you get more for your money with the Ruger now if it shoots as good as it looks - it's a home run for Ruger as I know quite a few people looking for alternatives to Glocks just for the safety reasons. It's more comfortable than a G19 in my hand and points like a 1911 and the idea of the grip sized reduction piece is also nice as i reduced the size to the smallest grip then put on a rubber grip sleeve and it is PERFECT. The 3 dot white sights are big enough to see clearly however, night sights should be an option and will be something I look into as if this shoots well it will be a keeper and I will carry it and therefore would like some night sights - are there any out there for this unit yet, i'm assuming yes as I believe it's the same sight set up as the fullsize - correct?

 

[kscott]

Yeah the slide serrations are definitely sharp. They were on my full-size SR9 too, so I already knew to be careful. 8) And yes it is most definitely a ROD to release the slide. The manual technically says to "pull back slightly on the slide and press down on the slide lock" to release the slide, but the one on my full-size eventually broke in and became easier, although not effortless. The reason I mentioned the manual quote is because IIRC, some guy on the forum asked Ruger about it, and their reply was that it was not intended to be used as a slide release, but just a slide lock which is why it was hard to simply depress without reliving pressure by pulling back. Anyone else remember that thread??

 

[Bagger]

I purchased my SR9c last week and took it to the LGS where I bought it to shoot today.

I rented a lane for an hour and hooked up the target at the closest allowable distance which is about 7.5 meters +/-. BTW, I also have a full size SR9 that I got a couple years ago. It's my 'night stand gun'.

One of the issues I had with the SR9c was the slide release thumb lever. I could not release it without pulling back on the slide a bit and sometimes this was met with a snagged finger nail or slight abrasion on my skin. I guess I'm a tender foot, eh. I asked one of the managers at the LGS to check it out, too. He could not release it. He asked another employee to try. He could not either. The range officer tried. No dice. All were former LEOs. They scratched their heads and said that this was not something they would like to see in a new gun.

I told them I had spoken to Ruger (yesterday) and was told this would work in after firing it. Well, I ran 300 rounds thru the gun today. It is not any EZr to release the slide. I still can't do it with my thumb.

The owner of the gun store tried it. Could not release it. We went to the gun case and tried 4 other SR9cs .... all were impossible to release with just the thumb. One was a tiny bit EZr, but still hurt his hand in doing so and took several seconds to accomplish.

The owner said he did not think the gun would 'break in' regarding the slide release. Neither do I. He said he'd send it back to Ruger (free of charge) and have them look into it. I'm not sure that will accomplish anything. The gun is just made like this. But, for a self defense gun used as a daily carry, this is not acceptable for me. I train in dropping the spent mag, tossing in a fresh magazine, thumbing the slide release and continue to shoot. Having to pull back on the slide (which diverts your eyes from the bad guy/target) with the gun no longer on target when doing so is not how I was trained. And, would take precious seconds more.

The gun made 300 holes in the target at 22 feet about the size of my head. I'm a point shooter, not a sight shooter. This is acceptable to me. I had 2 FTFires, 1 FTFeed, and the slide did not stay open twice when empty. Winchester 115 grain jacketed round nose were used ... the store makes you use what they sell, not what you can bring in. The trigger feel is not to my liking either. It started out a bit 'grainy', not smooth. It got a bit smoother, but the pull is pretty heavy IMO. I could not get the middle of the pad of my trigger finger on the trigger as I can on the other guns I use, including the S/W M&P.

The price was good at $390 for the black version of the SR9c. But, due to the issues I've pointed out above, the gun will prolly be in the 'guns for resale' case next week. I'm sure others have had excellent results with the SR9c .... but, I have not. I still like Ruger, tho, and have 4-5 other pistols and rifles of that make that I enjoy. But, not this model. Your experience may vary.

 

[Turbobuddha]

Mine works very well and shoots great. Except for that stupid slide release. I've even tried hitting it with my fret hammer, it hooks very well. I'm starting to get some wear on it so maybe it'll loosen up eventually. I recall my SR9's being a bit tight as well but not like this. The weapon itself seems very acrutate.

I like the trigger on my SR9c. You really have to take the striker out and clean it and the channel it rides in. There's some stuff in there that you have to clean out otherwise the trigger is very gritty. Then a few drops of CLP and work it in a bit. Almost nicer than my newly aquired XD.

 

[moxcamel]

I'm having the same slide-release issue, and my LGS manager had the same things to say--he was puzzled as to why Ruger would have designed the gun this way, but it does indeed appear to be a design rather than just something that needs to wear in. Kind of disappointing for an otherwise very solid shooter.

 

[CenterTree]

I fear Ruger will have "another" problem child with this SR9c model. Did they make a blunder with the slide release or did they "plan" for it to be so DARN hard to use?? I know the manual states that it is a "SLIDE LOCK" not release, but then what's the point? :?:

Do you need to pull the slide back while depressing the slide lock button at the same time in order to chamber a round from a fresh mag??
That would seem insane. :shock:

I love Ruger toys, but I have a BAD feeling about this gun. I have one on layaway and am not sure if I will end up buying it at all.

 

[kscott]

I fear Ruger will have "another" problem child with this SR9c model. Did they make a blunder with the slide release or did they "plan" for it to be so DARN hard to use?? I know the manual states that it is a "SLIDE LOCK" not release, but then what's the point? :?:

Do you need to pull the slide back while depressing the slide lock button at the same time in order to chamber a round from a fresh mag??
That would seem insane. :shock:

I love Ruger toys, but I have a BAD feeling about this gun. I have one on layaway and am not sure if I will end up buying it at all.

As far as chambering a fresh round, all you have to do is pull back the slide and let go. It will "slingshot" and chamber a round. The slide stop on my SR9 was just as hard to operate when I got it, but works decently well now. It's not effortless, but its doable with just my thumb while keeping my grip.

 

[CenterTree]

kscott: thanks for the insight on the slide.

I am "on the fence" about this purchase.

 

[Bagger]

kscott ... it is good to know that the slide stop lever improves (a bit). But, who makes a gun that isn't good to go right out of the box?

I'd hate to buy a new Mustang and have to drive it 10,000 miles before the manual transmission 'broke in' so I could shift it effortlessly.

I still don't understand the intended purpose of building a gun with a function like this? I can't think of another gun made this way. I'm disappointed.

If I could get $300 for it I'd take it.

 

[kscott]

It's really not too big of a deal for me. I normally practice reloads from slide stop while slingshotting the slide instead of thumbing the slide release. For me, the time I save thumbing the slide release is overshadowed by the ease of slingshotting the slide. Personally, I just think the last thing I need to do in a gunfight is depend on my thumb hitting a lever that small. If I was shooting competitively where I had to reload really quick (but with no threat) I would want a slide release that was slick as butter.

BTW don't interpret this as me defending the fact that it is weird that it is designed (apparently) to not be slick out of the box, but maybe somehow there's a reason for it. Who knows? I'm just explaining my stance on it, and for me, in a compact pistol, it's not super important.

 

[ArmedinAZ]

If I could get $300 for it I'd take it.

How many PMs have you gotten so far? :shock:

FWIW The user's manual for the SR9 says this:

"Slide Stop: When the last shot has been fired and the magazine is empty, the
slide stop automatically holds the slide open. When there is an empty magazine
in the pistol and the slide is retracted manually, the slide stop will also
automatically hold the slide open. If a loaded magazine is inserted in the pistol
when the slide is closed and the slide is then retracted fully, the slide stop will
not automatically hold open the slide. The user can actuate the slide stop
mechanism to hold the slide open at any time by retracting the slide and pushing
the slide stop up. The slide stop can be released by drawing back slightly on the slide and
depressing the slide stop thumbpiece. When the slide is released, it will move
forward under pressure from the recoil spring."

So nothing is different for the 9C.

Edit: The user manual wording is basically identical for the P95, P93,P89...

"Slide Stop: When the last shot has been fired and the magazine is empty, the
slide stop automatically holds the slide open. When there is an empty magazine
in the pistol and the slide is retracted manually, the slide stop will also
automatically hold the slide open. If a loaded magazine is inserted in the pistol
when the slide is closed and the slide is then retracted fully, the slide stop will
not automatically hold open the slide. The user can actuate the slide stop
mechanism to hold the slide open at any time by retracting the slide and
pushing the slide stop up.
The slide stop can be released by drawing back slightly on the slide and
depressing the slide stop thumbpiece. When the slide is released, it will move
forward under pressure from the recoil spring."

The XD manual says:

"Depress the slide stop lever to allow slide to move forward and load a shell from the magazine into the chamber."

The Glock manual says:

"After the last round has been fired, the slide remains open. Remove the empty magazine from
the weapon by pushing the magazine catch (19). Insert a new magazine and then either push
the slide stop lever (27) downwards (see photo), or pull the slide slightly backwards and allow it
to spring forwards. The weapon is now again secured and ready to fire."

 

[Mike J]

ArmedinAZ wrote

How many PMs have you gotten so far? :shock:

Thats what I was thinking Armed. I'm flat broke or I would probably take him up on that one & I really don't even want one. I'm sure I could find something to do with it though.

 

[kscott]

Yeah if I were you bagger I would put that in classifieds. I think it would sell really really quickly.

 

[CenterTree]

Again from the manual>>> The slide stop can be released by drawing back slightly on the slide and depressing the slide stop thumbpiece. When the slide is released, it will move forward under pressure from the recoil spring."

Note the wording, it seems fairly certain that you need to pull back on the slide AND release the slide button AT THE SAME TIME... :!: YIKES!

THis is NOT acceptable in any way to me. I will be removing this gun from my "to own list".

Well, I always did want to buy a DRACO...LOL.

 

[Gunner70]

Well sorry to hear folks are having trouble with the Slide Release. So far mine works fine either way. The slide relaese button works fine and the "slingshot" method works as well. Very happy with this gun so far.

 

[revhigh]

Again from the manual>>> The slide stop can be released by drawing back slightly on the slide and depressing the slide stop thumbpiece. When the slide is released, it will move forward under pressure from the recoil spring."

That does seem a little silly ... seems like a sentence put in print to avoid making an engineering change that would make the gun function properly. This would be the only gun in history that I know of that requires that action to release the slide after a mag insertion.

So much for tactical reloads .... what if you were carrying a flashlight in your other hand, or were holding onto a ladder, or were doing ANYTHING else with your other hand ??

I would think this one thing would pretty much disqualify the SR9 from any LE acceptance. Woooo ... that's a biggie .... surprising there hasn't been more conversation regarding this before now.

REV

 

[3leggeddog]

Again from the manual>>> The slide stop can be released by drawing back slightly on the slide and depressing the slide stop thumbpiece. When the slide is released, it will move forward under pressure from the recoil spring."

That does seem a little silly ... seems like a sentence put in print to avoid making an engineering change that would make the gun function properly. This would be the only gun in history that I know of that requires that action to release the slide after a mag insertion.

So much for tactical reloads .... what if you were carrying a flashlight in your other hand, or were holding onto a ladder, or were doing ANYTHING else with your other hand ??
I would think this one thing would pretty much disqualify the SR9 from any LE acceptance. Woooo ... that's a biggie .... surprising there hasn't been more conversation regarding this before now.

REV

My Sr9 slide release will work with the gun hand when needed . It was a little tight the first box of shells. Has Work good for over a year now! The barrel was a different story! :shock:

 

[Scott]

Mine's gettin' looser too after about 250 rounds; I can now release it with a heavy push with my thumb; After reading the owner's manual, I didn't even know it was ok to let it release without pulling the slide back first until my CCL class instructor showed me. Obviously I'm green to the sem-auto world, but my SR9, so far, is getting better the more I shoot it.

 

[ArmedinAZ]

That does seem a little silly ... seems like a sentence put in print to avoid making an engineering change that would make the gun function properly. This would be the only gun in history that I know of that requires that action to release the slide after a mag insertion.
REV

What's interesting about this is the user's manual for the P89,95 etc etc say the same thing.

Wouldn't a wee tiny little bit of filing of the notch in the slide make this "right"?