Anything special to know about the SR9c?

[Deus Machina]

So, after getting my very small inheritance from grandma's passing (no grief; that lady gave the reaper a fight), feeling bare after selling my last pistol for rent money a year ago, and imbibing just a bit, I was glancing through Gunbroker for things I'd been eyeing in the shop.
Ended up the sole bidder on a used duo-tone SR9c with two 17-round mags, and... I think I did alright at $249.

So. All the reviews I've looked at before and since are good. Any little quirks or bonuses that aren't immediately obvious at the gun counter? Any way to check when it was made or what recalls it went through?
Now to get one of the shorter mags, a holster, keep an eye out for tritium sights....
Guess I can finally sell the nice holster from my CZ.

 

[Armored farmer]

A nice choice, and a very good pistol imho. I have one 9mm. It's an sr9c. I think you did well.

A formidable HD gun with the 17rd mag and a weapon light.
A good CCP with the 10rd compact mag.

Well done.

 

[Deus Machina]

Well, I severely missed my CZ PCR. But the price on those certainly hasn't come down, and used ones are not to be found.
Been fondling the SR9's since I first saw one. I do appreciate Ruger. And wanted something at least as small as the PCR.
My first polymer pistol, too! Not a fanboy of that, but I look at it objectively.

 

[JEB]

ive had and gotten rid of an sr9c and an sr40c, but still own the full sized sr9. nothing wrong with the first two, but the 9c left with the ex-wife and the 40c never saw any trigger time so it got traded. the only tip that comes to mind is to remove the magazine disconnect. did it to all three of the ones ive had and it helped to improve the trigger on all of them.

 

[Deus Machina]

Gah, just realized this went in the slightly-wrong category...
Anyway, from the ones I've tested, I hardly think I'll need to improve the trigger. Better than Glock. Especially considering my habit of carrying loaded, safety off. In holster, of course. I'll just have to re-train for the safety first, of course.

 

[Jonesy814]

I have had an SR9c for almost 5 years. Have probably run around 3000 rounds of all sorts and weights of ammo through it with absolutely no problems. The trigger pull is fantastic as is accuracy. A friend got one at the same time I did and he has had the same experience as me. We both noticed we shoot it better with the compact 10 round magazine. If for some reason I HAD to sell it, I would get another as soon as I could.
New the run about $400 where I am and I haven't seen a used one for under $300

 

[herrwalther]

I had a SR9c for a few years. There were a few things I didn't like about it so ended up trading it away, at a huge loss value wise. But I wanted something different.

There is a loaded chamber indicator on top of the slide. It is rather obnoxiously large if you are used to smaller ones on a XD or an indent on an extractor. If it really bothers you, file down the little tab that pushes on the loaded cartridge. It can lower it a little bit. Although you can't do much to make it shorter.

The ambi safeties do not have an indent in the frame. So they are a little *too* easy to swipe on or off. I went through a couple different holsters that wouldn't hit either side of that safety to the off position while carrying it.

Other than those two little quirks it was a good gun for me. Nice trigger even with the magazine disconnect intact. I liked that the back strap was reversible depending on your hand shape. After a 500 round break in I think I only had 1 or 2 malfunctions that weren't ammo related.

 

[Davek1977]

I have one and i'm pretty fond of it. i've never had a malfunction, though my nephew managed to have a few, but i think limp wristing was the culprit. its fed everything i've tried, be it brass, steel, or aluminum cased, fmj or hp bullet. probably about 500 rounds through it, maybe more, and i'd trust my life to it

 

[Deus Machina]

Well, nothing's turned me off in my searching.
I'm not one that minds loaded chamber indicators or magazine disconnects, as long as they don't interfere with anything. Maybe I'll take out the disconnect, maybe I won't, I'll have to see.
I'm also a fan of DA/SA hammer-fired stuff, but... I'll get used to it.

 

[bumbazine]

I have had both a CZ85B and an SR9C for some years now and honestly find that I shoot the Ruger a little better, even though the CZ has a better trigger.

If you've decided to get the Ruger, however, I would recommend that before you put your money down you take a look at the Ruger American Compact. I don't have one, but I've compared one side-by-side at the gun counter with an SR9C and found the grip to be more comfortable and the trigger better than the SR9C. Also the thumb safety (you can get it with or without) is larger and easier to manipulate. It'll probably cost you a little more though.

It's worth a look.

 

[Mike Kerr]

I have had one for over a year now and it is a good compact sized 9mm. The trigger is just fine, as it is, for the type of gun, in that it is smooth enough with just a minimal number of practice rounds to establish your tempo. With practice the trigger becomes almost as quick as some single actions. The loaded round indicator is easily ignored if it bothers you and is not in the way of anything. If the magazine disconnect bothers you simply remove same. It is a solid little gun that is pretty easy to shoot well.

I had to blacken my white dot sights to avoid glare from overhead range lights but most folks won't have to worry about that. The safety swipes just like a 1911 style but the safety itself is a little on the small side and requires some noticeable amount of extra practice time to manipulate it 100 percent on a quick draw.

Your price sounds good and I think you will be pleased with your purchase.

 

[bullseye308]

I'd get a few at that price. Bought one for the wife a couple years ago for Valentine's Day. Took her to a stocked shop and let her paw over a bunch and that is what she choose. After I picked one up at a gun show I really liked it, and wished I'd gotten me one too. I recently got her a few extra 17 round mags for it with the spacers and a holster will be next.

I shoot Glocks and really like the feel of the Ruger SR9C. After only about 1500 rounds it is utterly reliable, and very accurate.

 

[Deus Machina]

If you've decided to get the Ruger, however, I would recommend that before you put your money down you take a look at the Ruger American Compact.

Oh, I saw one at the shop. Wider and heavier--not enough of a problem after being used to my CZ--but the compacts are nowhere to be found locally, and never near that price I could find online.
They're very nice, though. Solid stuff.

 

[bannockburn]

Deus Machina

My first introduction to the SR9c was at a local shooting range a few years back. The guy shooting in the stall next to mine had a new one and I could see he was having a hard time keeping his shots on paper. So during a reload session he came over and asked me to try his Ruger out to see if it was him or the gun. I took it and put 5 shots all in the black at 30'. Really liked the trigger, sights, and how well the gun felt in my hand. Made a note to myself to check one of these out as I was in the market for a compact 9mm.

Some time passes and after trying out similar size guns from Glock, S&W, and Springfield Armory, I decided to go with the SR9c (made another note to myself to come back to this gun shop as they also had a CZ P01 in the case; which I did a week later). Very pleased with the SR9c. Extremely reliable and very accurate. I like the overall ergonomics of the gun, the ambi safety, could do without the loaded chamber indicator (but not a deal breaker), and the little backstrap insert which you can easily change to suit your preference (nice design touch). Trigger and sights are both great and needed no adjustment. Overall I think you get a lot of gun for the money with the SR9c.




Should also add that it's very easy to conceal and very comfortable to wear it for long periods of time. The holster is a Bianchi Minimalist.

 

[Deus Machina]

Checked out the American pistol again, side-by-side. I'm not above lining up a quick flip.
It's notable wider. Since I'm looking for the easiest compact CCW, that's out until I have more money to play with.

Bannockburn, that's a nice setup. I got spoiled with my adjustable FIST Inc. holster, and not sure how much I'm going to like the kydex thing I bought. I've never had the box-o'-holsters so many end up with, so I might end up scraping together enough to grab another FIST.
Unfortunately I'm a small guy, and rarely wear jackets or overshirts, so the wide range of OWB holsters are out for me.

 

[jjones45]

The only quirks or problems with the sr series of guns that I’m aware of are mainly limited to the sr45’s, not the 9’s and 40’s. Remove the magazine disconnect safety and never look back. Those things have been known to cause light primer strikes in the ruger sr series of handguns. Ruger finally wised up with the American series and no longer put that stupid mag disconnect in there. Now if we were talking about the ruger sr45 I could go through and list a ton of things that wrong with that model. The 9c is good to go

 

[Edcnh]

II owned one for a couple of years and eventually traded it. It was a good reliable gun. At the time I decided I wanted a full size 9mm.

 

[Jim NE]

Another satisfied SR9c owner here. I'm thinking about carrying mine again, but there are some smaller IWB options that are still in the same general capacity and barrel length range. That would be my only caveat. Otherwise a near perfect gun.

 

[justice06rr]

It is a great pistol for sure. I've had both the SR40c and 9C. I like the duo-tone slide models. Very nice looking and handles well. All the features you would want on a basic semiauto; unless you don't like those then get a Glock =)

$249 is a steal. Congrats!

 

[Deus Machina]

After the USPS tried to deliver it yesterday while the shop was closed, and then just decided to stop tracking it until an end-of-the-night update, I got my hands on it.
Thank the license to carry and the lack of a waiting period that brings.

Honestly a little impressed with this. Unsurprisingly a little lighter than the old PCR, and though it's topheavy it balances very nicely. The trigger isn't amazing and I'm not a fan of the plastic, but it's much nicer than when I looked for my first CCW. Crisper than I expected and not as light as I feared which, coupled with the trigger safety, means I won't be afraid of carrying it with the safety off.
Much smaller grip than I'm used to--almost worryingly thin walls between the outside and the mag well at spots--but it points naturally and it's shaped so nicely that the flat side of the backstrap is nearly CZ-comfortable. Wish the mag adapter would have a way to lock it on instead of just slipping in place. I'm going to put a tiny dab of Shoe Goo on it to keep it in place until I feel like it needs to move. And you guys were right, it's a much different weapon with the 17-round mag.

The serial number puts it at a 2010 manufacture but as a testament to either Ruger's metallurgy or the user's lack, the contact points are just beginning to polish in.
I'm glad I don't shoot thumbs-high. Those serrations would invalidate my fingerprint cards.

Edit: partially solved the serration complaint. A jeweler's file knocked the sharp edges off just a little. And I even brushed the extractor to match the rest of the slide, since I popped it out to scrape out the crud.
I've decided I like the little cosmetic touches, like how the serrations follow the lines of the grip.

 

[bannockburn]

Deus Machina

Glad you like it! After trying one out at the range, I felt this was one gun that fit my smaller size hand perfectly as well being very ergonomic in it's design and function. Let us know how it does at the range.

 

[If1HitU]

It is a great pistol for sure. I've had both the SR40c and 9C. I like the duo-tone slide models. Very nice looking and handles well. All the features you would want on a basic semiauto; unless you don't like those then get a Glock =)

$249 is a steal. Congrats!

I don't own a SR40c or 9C,for the $249.00 price I can see one in my collection one day sooner or later.

 

[Armored farmer]

I have always wanted Mrs farmer abd i to each carry the same model pistol. I think we would both be comfortable with the sr9c.

 

[Jeff H]

I've had my SR9 since before Obama was in office. Great gun, never let me down. I wouldn't hesitate getting an SR9c.

Mag disconnect safety comes out easy enough. That is all I would change.

 

[BigBL87]

I think it's a good gun at a good price. It was comfortable to grip and the recoil wasn't bad when I shot one. I personally didn't like the trigger, though. Couldn't nail down exactly what I didn't like, but it just wasn't for me.