New 1911

I have an SR 1911. It has not failed to function. I did see some posts about people finding rust under the grips not long after I got it. Mine had it. I contacted Ruger customer service & they sent me a shipping label. I had it back a week after I sent it in without rust. I haven't heard about anyone having this issue in a long time. There is a lot posted about these guns in the Ruger subforum at 1911forum.com or either one of the rugerforums (rugerforum.com or rugerforum.net).

Capstick1 said:

Is there anyone out there who owns a Ruger SR 1911?

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Heh. Yeah Ruger has sold one or two.

Rest Easy, Ruger is in the top three or four as far as factory 1911's quality. (actual ranking would start a bar fight) It won't be as nice as a semi custom, or the upper end like your Wilson, but it will be a solid, dependable firearm. You should do fine.

And as mentioned, if you did somehow draw the short straw on QC, Ruger has a great rep of taking care of their customers.

I got an SR 1911 not too long ago. I generally like it, but there were a few problems with it out of the box.

For starters, it comes stock with an 18lbs. recoil spring. I generally feel like that's too much and it exacerbated the problems I had getting a consistent grip on the too smooth cocking serrations. Sometimes causing me to drop the slide prematurely when slingshotting it. I changed it for a milder 16lbs. one, but then I got stem binds because the extractor was WAY too tight and probably the reason for the 18lbs spring
Once I tuned it it ran like clockwork.

The only other issue I have that hasn't been fixed yet is that the ejection port, while lowered and flared, isn't properly sized for consistent ejection of unfired rounds. I don't know if it's just my gun or the whole production line, but my experience with it only allows me to recommend it as a decent range toy that needs tweaking for anything more serious.

Capstick1 said:

After owning and shooting various polymer pistols I've recently decided to go old school and learn to master john brownings masterpiece, the 1911. Don't get me wrong. I still like my HK's, Glocks......

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I'm in the same boat as you, I've lately been leaning away from the plastic-fantastics (but still like them) and back towards metal-framed pistols again.
And, same as you, I recently stumbled into a 1911, mine's a nearly new Springfield Mil-Spec Stainless.
I've briefly owned a couple 1911's before, a Colt 1991 that I (regretfully) traded, and a Rock Island that I sold. But, I've been itching for another 1911 again lately, and this one popped up on one of my local classified sites, and surprisingly, wasn't located at the far side of the state, and I figured this particular deal was as good as I was going to find, anywhere near my price range (I'd pretty much already narrowed it down to a Ruger or a Springfield, but the Rugers I found were always more money, and a 4-hour round-trip drive).
Just yesterday, I ran a box of Federal aluminum through it, and it ran like a sewing machine !!

Now a good time to buy a Colt. Great pistol for the price.

HDCAMEL
I have a 5" with a 18 lb and I think my DW CBOB has a 18 . I know my Commander does. They all run fine and slide not hard to rack .

I believe Wilson uses a 18 in his 5" guns also.

Power racking was never an issue, but traditional thumb-forefinger racking would sometimes slip if I didn't make absolutely certain I had a good purchase because the Ruger, specifically, has cocking serrations that aren't terribly grippy. Once the spring was changed, I could rack it easily even with a sloppy grip.

The main problem I have with 18+lbs springs is that they're generally unnecessary unless the gun has another problem (i.e. my Ruger's aforementioned extractor tension issue) and even then only serve as a band-aid rather than actually fixing the underlying issue. Running a too-strong spring to overcome a too-tight extractor by force will just wear out your extractor faster. Overspringing can also lead to short-stroking with milder loads and exacerbate limp-wristing. Both are minor and unlikely, but not impossible, to be encountered, but neither of them have ever been a problem, in my experience, with more normal 14.5-16lbs springs.

Basically, it your gun needs an 18lbs spring to work, then there's a deeper underlying problem. If your gun doesn't need one to work, then there are no advantages to having one and a few minor disadvantages.

They were hard to find down here for a time. I ended up picking up a couple of the SR1911s in the Fall of 2012. They were on sale for $599. Then a CMD or Commander size in Feb 2013. Anyway I have not had any real problems with them. I consider them be be one of the best values in 1911 land right now. But Colt has also dropped prices recently on some models, so another option.

I have the SR1911 Commander. It's been great, and is as accurate as anything else I own. It's a great choice.

Guy in my last NRA Basic Pistol class had a brand new Ruger 1911 Stainless. It had probably the best out-of-the-box trigger pull I've seen on a 1911. I checked out three others at the local gun store and none were as good as his. But he wouldn't sell. I have several Rugers. The 1911 is next on my list.

I had a commander length Ruger. It was fantastic for the price-very accurate, never choked on anything. Good choice IMHO.

Capstick1

70 Series unlike the later 80 serries, in COlt 1911 Generations
The 80 series and later 1991 series has a Firing Pin Safety FPS
that is the trigger being pulled deactivates the FPS. FPS is in
case of a dropped weapon. The FPS adds about 1 Lb to the
trigger piull.

0 Series does not have an FPS>

My S&W 1911 also has an FPS but S&W tied it to the Grip Safety
not the trigger. fwiw/fyi