Major issues w/ new Ruger SR 1911

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Am I the only one who read this thread and thought the problem could have been a limp wrist? Even a good shooter could have a bad day especially when they are used to shooting a Glock and change over to their first 1911...
 
Enjoyed reading this thread but yeah, "limp wristing" or the need for proper breaking in with heavier bullets were my initial guesses. My Ruger KP-90 will gobble up anything, but my Glock 30SF definitely needed 230 grain fodder for the first couple hundred rounds. I know, no break in period for Glocks, but well ... in the real world guns need to be shot to loosen up and "wear-fit" the parts even if it's just a smidgen.
 
ALL 1911 STYLE 45'S NEED 300-500 ROUND BREAK-IN BEFORE BEING RELIABLE.
Older model Colts, built for warfare are the exception.
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Oh, please. Seems like this one will never die.

The "Old Colts/Built for Warfare" weren't rattletrap loose when they were new. I had a 1925 commercial Government Model that had almost imperceptible movement in the slide and frame when it was dry. A drop of oil in the rails removed all play. It was unaltered, and would run with hardball...hollowpoints...and even lead 200-grain SWCs.

The pistol was designed to function. If it's built correctly to spec...feed decent ammunition from proper magazines...it will function. It's a machine. It doesn't have a choice.

Another one is the "Limp Wrist" malfunction. While the chopped variants with their grossly oversprung slides do present a problem in that area for some...a 5-inch pistol with the standard spring will function, whether it's gripped like a vise or barely cradled on the thumb and index finger. Upside down..sideways...or in-between.
 
"In any feed or return to battery failure, the first suspect is the magazine. Always."

Am I missing something, didn't he say that he tried 3 different magazines including a Wilson combat?:confused:

LD
 
I honestly think it was a break-in issue or Ruger did a little buff here and there. I did try 3 mags including a Wilson Combat mag and had the same results w/ all of them. I tried the 2 Ruger mags when it came back from Ruger and they both worked great. As far as limpwristing goes, I shoot my Springfield loaded w/ no limpwristing problems and glocks also without any issues. The only thing I can narrow it down to is break-in? It was also cleaned and lubed originally and taken apart twice during the first time it was shot. It doesnt really matter now cause it works great and has fantastic accuracy! Oh yea my friend also purchased a GP100 6" over the weekend and that is also one hell of a gun!
 
Johnny Lightning said:
I honestly think it was a break-in issue or Ruger did a little buff here and there. I did try 3 mags including a Wilson Combat mag and had the same results w/ all of them. I tried the 2 Ruger mags when it came back from Ruger and they both worked great. As far as limpwristing goes, I shoot my Springfield loaded w/ no limpwristing problems and glocks also without any issues. The only thing I can narrow it down to is break-in? It was also cleaned and lubed originally and taken apart twice during the first time it was shot. It doesnt really matter now cause it works great and has fantastic accuracy! Oh yea my friend also purchased a GP100 6" over the weekend and that is also one hell of a gun!
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Yep, my best guess would be a break-in and lube issue. I had a new Kimber fullsize a few years ago that had some similar problems. Gunshop owner told me(and I qoute) "oil her up like a whore in Thailand, shoot the @%$# our of her". I did just that and about 100 rounds later, it was running like a dream with any ammo. My guess would be that Ruger did just that with the gun while they had it. A lot of 1911s like it wet, especially in the beginning.
 
Johnny Lightning said:
I honestly think it was a break-in issue or Ruger did a little buff here and there. I did try 3 mags including a Wilson Combat mag and had the same results w/ all of them. I tried the 2 Ruger mags when it came back from Ruger and they both worked great. As far as limpwristing goes, I shoot my Springfield loaded w/ no limpwristing problems and glocks also without any issues. The only thing I can narrow it down to is break-in? It was also cleaned and lubed originally and taken apart twice during the first time it was shot. It doesnt really matter now cause it works great and has fantastic accuracy! Oh yea my friend also purchased a GP100 6" over the weekend and that is also one hell of a gun!
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This sounds like an ammo problem. Maybe someone at the warehouse dropped the pallet with his box of ammo and squashed the ammo box you friend bought. Stranger things can happen.

I am kind of surprised that you and your friend didnt try several different brands (and different boxes / lots ) of ammo before sending it to Ruger.

My buddy has a SR1911 and it shoots WWB just fine. Shoots reloads too.

Anyway, ammo can come from the factory with some pretty wild defects. I got a box of Tula .223 that had a round in it with a gouge that ran around the base of the cartridge and then half way up the side. If I had shot that round, it probably would have taken my gun apart.

DSC01619.jpg
 
"Limp wrist" seems to be the malfunction reason du jour on gun web sites. I've purposesly tried to make my 1911's malfunction by extreme limp wristing the gun - they always work.

If the gun is setup correctly, it should not malfunction from limp wristing during recoil. This is not only true of 1911's, but other guns that I own as I've tried limp wristing a Springfield XDm and an FNX-9 - both of those guns worked just fine.
 
Kinda funny that your friend didnt try different (better) ammo during the first range session before declaring the Ruger to be a lemon...
 
Well all I know is that a $700+ gun should be able to fire most any ammo out of the box including WWB. I can understand a Hi-Point having a 200 round break-in period, but a $700 gun should have had the slide to frame connection lapped at the factory & not rely on shooting the gun to lap it. If they indeed think that it is OK to send out a gun that doesn't work well until it has had that many rounds throught it, then I really don't want it. None of my guns, includling Glocks, M&Ps & even my Taurus guns, had to have 200 rounds shot through them in order to work effectively.

I just bought a Springfield Range Officer & immediately stepped into the range at the store. The only thing I did was inspect the barrel to be sure it was clear, oiled the barrel hood & the rails, then shot the heck out of the gun. The only problem I encountered was the fact that my wife shot it first and left her ring on her finger:what:. Now the front strap is boogered up pretty bad...but the gun never had the first FTF & I used nothing but WWB ammo. Just saying...
 
I probably should have suggested a different ammo when it started to malfunction but have never had an issue w/ winchester white box w/ my springer or glocks or any other guns that I have shot. I have heard of one bullet being out of spec but a whole box?...guess it can happen if they drop it on the factory floor!! My friend and I did shoot the remainder of the original box of wwb when the ruger 1911 came back from being looked over and it shot the wwb just fine.
 
I have two Rock Island Armory 1911's. One I bought, the other went to me when my brother was killed. From day one nothing but complete reliability. My RIA was so reliable my brother bought his. I think we payed around $500 for them. I do know for sure ruger will make it right. They just made it right for me>
 
In the OP Johnny mentions the problem getting the slide back into battery. A couple posts later he mentioned that after firing the slide action felt gritty. Both tend to indicate a lack of cleaning, possibly some manufacturing debris hidden in the action being jolted around in firing and getting into the slide rails.
 
I couldn't disagree more about break in. As someone who has owned several 1911s I find the "better" guns tend to require more break in. Glocks, M & P's are great guns but better 1911s come with an entirely different level of frame to slide tightness. I would not consider any 1911 ready for carry until it had at least 500 rounds thru it. Glocks on the other hand should be broken in by 200 rounds. ALL semi-auto's require some break in, just because some shoot great out of the box doesn't mean some hiccups can't develop.

As far as the gun in question, it sounds to me like a lube or ammo issue. 1911s like to run wet unlike many semi-auto's, especially during break in. On most 1911s the first thing I do is junk the factory mag and replace with a Kim pro-mag or Wilson mag. As far as ammo, I love Blazer Brass for range ammo, seems to be reel consistent and fairly cheap.
 
ruger 1911 problem

I agree, let Ruger fix it they have a good reliable warranty and service department. Off hand does anyone know who makes the pistol for Ruger? that is the only part about their new 1911 that scares me from getting one. Be safe!!!
 
Ruger is making the gun themselves. They've been making 1911 frames and parts for a while for at their Pinetree Casting Facality. They even made frames for Caspian.

Ruger is making everything in house except the mags amd sights. Mags are made by Mec-Gar and the sights are Novaks.
 
All that mattered to me is that my friend got his sr1911 back from ruger and it worked properly shooting the black hills ammo and the wwb too. Ruger stood behind their product and fixed whatever was wrong. Possibly nothing was wrong and it needed to be cleaned a little bit better on my end :eek: or it just needed some more lube :p or it needed a little more break in which ruger took care of. :) Next time I get a 1911 - hopefully a Les Baer Premier II, I will try diff. ammo before figuring there is a problem w/ it. Although you are not supposed to clean or take apart a les baer before you shoot 300-500rnds. :D
 
burk said:
I couldn't disagree more about break in. As someone who has owned several 1911s I find the "better" guns tend to require more break in. Glocks, M & P's are great guns but better 1911s come with an entirely different level of frame to slide tightness.
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Apples and oranges.

Polymer-framed guns NEVER have the type of slide/frame tightness traditionally sought in 1911s, but that doesn't make them less accurate.

Barrel-to-slide tightness/lockup consistency is arguably far more important than slide-to-frame tightness when seeking accuracy -- and most quality polymer-framed guns match most quality steel guns in that regard -- and are just as accurate, if you use the SIGHTS!!

My biggest "problem" with 1911 reliability has always been magazines -- which isn't really a 1911 problem.

I know of several folks locally who have Ruger SR1911s that have been very reliable from the first shot, and several who have the higher-level Wilson 1911s that have also been reliable from the first shot.

I think it's far too easy to over-generalize on this subject.
 
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