ruger sr9c review

TRIGGER
A bit long , in my opinion, on the first pull however very smooth and a very short, crisp reset on follow up. Trigger reach is good for smaller hands.

GRIP
Very good surface friction. I added a small auto Houge grip (cut on the bottom to be flush) to aid in wet hand reflexive training

SIGHTS
Very good visibility. The front sight sits up high, thoughtful holster selection is required here. The rear sight does not lend itself very well if the need comes to rack the slide off the belt or holster due the low height of the front portion of the sight. In order to accomplish this slide racking method I found the racking must be attacked at a significant angle thus muzzle sweep to the side may be more pronounced than other practiced platforms

SLIDE TENSION
Racking the slide takes some strength as it was stiff, this could be as problem for some would be owners who have arm strength issues.

TREATMENTS
With the exception of the high front sight I did not experience, nor expect to experience, any snagging on clothing. The edges are smooth and works well with a well built holster.

MAGAZINES
The pistol comes with 2 magazines, one standard capacity (17 round) and one low capacity 10 round. These also come with flat floor plates and an additional “pinky spur” plate to use for those who like or need a firm spot for the small finger. I found, in emergency/practice “tap and rack” scenarios, the pinky spur to be painful to the palm when striking this version of the mag plate. The high capacity mag makes for a good “spare” when in CCW with the 10 rounder as the active ammunition supply source thus aiding the concealment strategy.

SAFETY(s)
Before I get into this aspect of the SR9c I don’t like to consider any safety as being “safe” as the idea of a safe firearm is full with pitfalls.

There is an ambidextrous thumb safety which, in my opinion is too small and too far toward the rear of the frame. It can easily be missed when sweeping the thumb down to meet the support hand. The safety is also a bit more difficult to catch sliding the thumb up to (re)engage when desired. The trigger shoe safety is very comfortable and I don’t even notice it when firing.

The magazine disconnect (MD) and my rant about it is; This mechanism, on a handgun platform designed primarily for CCW and defense rather than bulls eye competition, is a misguided idea for a number of reasons.

a) The message that a firearm cannot be fired without a magazine in place is a poor message, something that is not what we want to be teaching people.

b) The MD “safety feature” is, unlike the thumb safety, invisible to the shooter thus the condition of the MD is unknown to him or her. If debris were to work its way under the MD spring or arm the device could be disabled unbeknownst to the shooter. It’s a mechanical device and , not unlike other mechanical devices, it has a potential to be inhibited or completely fail its intended purpose.

c) Training: Training, at a local world class facility, we often conduct dry fire exercises. The student must remove the magazine and lock side to the rear before physically and visually confirming “clear” with/by their fellow students and instructor(s). Only then can the dry fire stage(s) be initiated. There is no way an instructor is then going to let a student pull a mag out of their pocket, feed it into the pistol, and pull the trigger after previously showing clear. That is a non-starter and the SR9c’s MD means you don’t get to practice in those sessions.

d) If, In a defensive (lets all hope never happens) situation the magazine falls out, or there appears to be an opportunity to load a fresh magazine, the shooter is defenseless even if for a short time, although having a round in the chamber.

I would like to see Ruger offer the MD as an option rather than the standard in future production. I would also like Ruger to offer removing the MDs (it is not difficult) or provide instruction to those mechanically inclined.

SHOOTABILITY
The SR9c is a great firearm to carry and shoot. It comes up on target nicely, recoil is very manageable (especially with 147 grain JHP). I have put over 1000 rounds through it in the last 5 weeks and have not had any problems with feed and fire. As a testament to its fitness for harsh duty, I did not clean it for over 500 rounds of dirty ammo just to see if it would fail something somehow, it did not.

ALL IN ALL
It is a great firearm, I look forward to many hours/years of working with it. And, the price is icing on the cake too!

~ Robert Floyd