My New Ruger SR1911

[deadduck357]

Back in December of 2010 I had the privilege of being invited to Gunsite for the introduction of several new Ruger products, among them the Ruger Gunsite Scout Rifle, which I have reviewed previously.

Also present at the gunwriters' review was Ruger's then-secret SR1911, which we've been keeping quiet since. I personally am not a 1911 aficionado. I like the design and have owned several, but I'm not as familiar with the platform as some. One hundred years after its adoption by the U.S. Government as a military service sidearm, Ruger is now offering their version of John Moses Browning's classic pistol.

The 1911 type has been produced in many configurations by many manufacturers in numerous countries. Some companies currently producing the 1911 use parts imported from foreign countries, whereas Ruger's new SR1911 is wholly American-made. Every pin, spring, screw, and part is produced domestically in the United States of America.

The pistol is built on a 1911A1-styled frame, including crescent relief cuts on the frame behind the trigger, though it departs from the -A1 with a flat mainspring housing and a lowered and flared ejection port.


Pistol specs:

Manufacture: Sturm, Ruger & Co
Model: SR1911
Caliber: .45ACP
Capacity: 7 or 8 rounds
Barrel: 5 inches (mfr)
Weight: 36.4 oz (w/o mag)
Trigger pull: 5 lbs 7.0 oz (tested)
Grooves: 6
Twist: 1/16 right hand

We were amply provisioned for testing. Seen here are four .50-caliber cans of preloaded 7-round magazines. Because the only thing better than shooting is having somebody else load the mags.

...we ran out anyway. Ruger brought several more cases of .45ACP but after we burned through the initial lot of preloaded magazines we had to reload our own.

On the range with the SR1911. We shot in two alternating groups.

We also shot in low light...

...and later in full dark with flashlights. This range session yielded no usable pictures.

Later we toured the Ruger factory as Prescott, AZ, where we got to see the manufacturing of the SR1911 and various other pistols. This is the CNC machine used for milling barrels and bushings.

At left, matched barrels and bushings before the machine. At right, after machining.

Two SR1911 frames in the CNC machine.

Slides in CNC machine.

Slides after final cutting.

Ruger's Coordinate Measuring Machine (CMM) used to ensure precise tolerances on all major parts.

 

[deadduck357]

Back at Gunsite, Ruger's Mark Gurney enters the Playhouse with the SR1911.

Engaging a target.

Sheriff Jim Wilson entering the Playhouse.

Sheriff Jim engaging through the door.

The sheriff pie-ing.

The Gunsite instructors and range officers. Left to right: Il Ling New, Ed Head, Chris Weare, LaMonte Kintsel.

Left to right: Michael Bane, myself, and Jeff Quinn.

 

[deadduck357]

Ruger sent me the current production SR1911.

Included is a padded pistol case, a lock, and a bushing wrench.

The SR1911, fresh out of the box.

The pistol features a conventional recoil spring instead of a full-length guide rod. It is of all steel construction with no plastic parts. Frame and slide are stainless steel, as are the barrel and bushing. The frame is cast. Originally the grips were black hard rubber, but since the gunwriters' review Ruger switched to Diamondwood. My understanding is that this is a laminate impregnated with resin for greater durability with a traditional appearance. The grip pattern is the classic double diamond with the Ruger emblem. Sights are Novak 3-dots dovetailed into the slide.

The SR1911 is built along the lines of the Series 70 1911s, as there is no firing pin safety block. Also of note, this model does NOT feature a magazine disconnect safety.

Included are one 7- and one 8-round magazine.

Over five test pulls the trigger averaged at 5 lbs 7.0 oz with a Lyman electronic gauge. This is a departure from the models tested at Gunsite, which felt considerably lighter.

Bottom of the slide.

Breech face and extractor.

Rear of the slide, showing firing pin and plate.

Barrel hood is stamped .45 AUTO.

Polished throat. The cutout at the rear of the barrel hood is the loaded chamber indicator.

Internal parts after field stripping.

 

[deadduck357]

Right grip panel, showing Ruger's emblem and Diamondwood grip panels.

Nicely beveled magazine well.

Ruger's obligatory warning, as present on the dust cover. Not overly obnoxious.

Skeletonized trigger with adjustable overtravel. Also note the pronounced magazine release.

Skeletonized combat hammer and extended safety lever.

Extended beavertail safety with raised memory bump. Also visible, the flat steel (not plastic) mainspring housing with not 20, not 30, but 25 lines per inch. Nicely done, Ruger.

Polished feed ramp.

Note the lack of firing pin safety block.

Demonstration of the loaded chamber indicator. Note brass casing. Simple, but effective.

Ruger's emblem on the right of the slide. Tastefully done.

Right side view of the SR1911.

Though I have yet to take this pistol to the range and put it through its paces, the model I tested at Gunsite ran flawlessly through countless rounds, and nobody on the firing line reported any malfunction that I am aware. Fit and finish are superb and frame to slide fit is tight with no play. As mentioned above, the trigger is heavier than that of the model tested at Gunsite, though possibly it may improve with shooting. The Novak sights are very user friendly and highly visible, allowing for quick target acquisition. The slide serrations allow for positive slide manipulation and are nicely cut to correspond with the angle of the pistol grip.

The black accents of the smaller structural components nicely compliment the satin stainless steel frame and slide, and the addition of reddish Diamondwood grips adds a touch of class, recalling the design's origins while embracing a century of refinements

Range report to follow.

 

[Dr.Rob]

Ruger certainly made it attractive. Any idea what the street price will be?

Nice grips too.

 

[bullseye717]

Please make a commander!

 

[9mmepiphany]

Interesting sight set.

Any idea why they are using a front sight blade shaped like the ones we used to use on compensated guns or why they changed the profile of the rear Novak?

 

[MYREDTAIL]

An Ambi safety would of been a nice touch also.?

 

[bannockburn]

Very nice review, along with some great photos, especially through the manufacturing process. Thanks for the info.

 

[earlthegoat2]

The more I am seeing these guns the more impressed I am.

I dont even really like 1911s either.

Ruger is doing everything better than Remington in the 1911 pistol. 100% US made for a pistol that will sticker for under the price off all the other US made 1911s. Seems spot on to me.

 

[Shipwreck]

Great review!!

As for the comment about the ambi safety - many 1911 guys hate the ambi safties. For concealed carry, they sometimes get in the way. And, the two halfs always seem to work loose a little bit over time.

 

[Wishoot]

Nice review. I would love to know what the MSRP is.

 

[Walkalong]

The single sided safety is a plus for me. I think Ruger has a winner on their hands. We shall see.

 

[earlthegoat2]

MSRP: 799

http://www.ruger.com/products/sr1911/models.html

The ambi safety should only be plus for lefties. I feel your pain in that even though I am right handed. Ambi for the sake of it just gets in the way and is a general waste.

 

[Geneseo1911]

Wow. I'm floored. Thanks for the detailed write-up. I didn't expect it to be so pretty or so cheap. It may be time for another 1911.

I'm amazed (and thankful) that they didn't make the safety warning more obnoxious (although its still obnoxious) or add a bunch of superfluous safeties.

The only change I would've made is put the warning on the MSH. Or skipped it.

This will be bad for Springfield, Remington, Taurus, et all; especially if they offer other finishes for those who don't like SS. I'll admit I rolled my eyes when I first heard the words Ruger & nineteen-eleven together, but it looks like they pulled it off.

 

[Creature]

I am not a big Ruger semi-auto fan...but their 1911 looks like it has what it takes to change my mind.

 

[Vonderek]

I was all done buying any more guns but I think I want one. Let us know how the gun functions after you've put a few rounds downrange. I'm never too impressed with how a gun functions at a media event as I'm sure the manufacturer has gone to great lengths to make sure the test samples are right. Although yours also has probably been given special attention. Doesn't change my mind much...still want one.

 

[dcarch]

Maybe it's time to trade in the Kimber. I haven't had any problems with it, but I've heard terrible things about their CS, and that Ruger just looks awesome.

 

[jem375]

Damn, another gun to buy..lol.... I have always liked Ruger handguns so will add another to my safe...

 

[Remo223]

I'm going to seriously consider a commander version when ruger makes one.

 

[General Tso]

My LGS just told me that they're in the Lipseys "book" but not shipping yet. He said the "book selling price" will be $599. I really want one. Ruger MSRP is $799.

 

[mgmorden]

Included is a padded pistol case

That's the only thing I don't really like that I've heard about these. Not sure if that will be in the final retail cut, but I've always liked Ruger's all plastic cases. Foam just tends to attract moisture which makes me avoid padded cases for longer term storage.

That said, I still have a Springfield Armory case from a previous 1911 that I sold (and kept the case as I planned to later acquire another), so I'm good to go. Might feel a little wrong keeping a Ruger gun in an SA case, but oh well .

Overall though this looks like exactly what I'd want out of a 1911: stainless, beavertail grip safety, full sized, novak sights. For the sake of others I hope they make all the variations ya'll want but for myself this is almost exactly what I'd want.

The ONLY different I might would want, and it's minor (and something that I"m sure I'm in a minority opinion on), is that I would personally like if they had squared the trigger guard. It's not a major difference but I feel that I can get a slightly better grip on a gun with a squared guard. That won't really affect my purchasing decision though.

 

[mgmorden]

Interesting sight set.

Any idea why they are using a front sight blade shaped like the ones we used to use on compensated guns or why they changed the profile of the rear Novak?

No idea on the specific reasons, but one of the videos I've seen on it states that Ruger brought in some consultants from Novak to specifically tailor the sights to this gun, rather that them being like a set of aftermarket sights. Whether that makes a real difference or it's just marketing talk (ie, making them different just so that they can state the difference) remains to be seen.

 

[possum]

thanks for posting, and sharing this info. Though I personally do not use or like 1911's, It is good that the 1911 fans have another option.

 

[BP Hunter]

Oh, boy. Me like mucho very much!