Ruger SR9
Encyclopedia
The Ruger SR series are a line of semi-automatic pistols manufactured by Sturm, Ruger & Company. At 1.18 in (3 cm) thick through the grip
, it is touted by Ruger as one of the thinnest double-stack pistols available. The SR series has been marketed as a backup/concealment weapon for law enforcement
as well as for civilian
self-defensive concealed carry. The Ruger SR9 chambered for the 9x19mm Parabellum cartridge was introduced in October 2007, and the slightly smaller SR9c came out in January 2010. The Ruger SR40 chambered for the .40 S&W
cartridge came out in October 2010, and the compact SR40c in June 2011.
and regulations allowing concealed carry by law-abiding citizens in various jurisdiction
s created a large market for handguns manufactured specifically for such use. Desirable characteristics for firearms of this type include: small size, thinness, high magazine capacity, lightweight construction (often achieved through the use of polymer
frames
), stealthy darkened stainless steel
slides
, high visibility and/or night sights, and large ergonomic
ambidextrous
manual thumb safeties and magazine release
s. Ruger specifically designed the SR9 pistol to address the very active and profitable concealed-carry handgun market segment and it possesses the majority of the aforementioned attributes.
fired pistol designed and manufactured by Sturm Ruger. Similar to Glock's "safe action
", the striker fired SR9 features a pre-set trigger. With this type of action, the striker is partially cocked when the slide is cycled, then is fully cocked and released when the trigger is pulled. Due to safety concerns, the moderately long and heavy trigger pull of this type is seen as ideal for law enforcement and self-defensive applications. The SR9 and SR9c have an identical trigger group. Gunblast rated both the SR9 and SR9c examples it tested with a factory trigger rearward travel at 9.5 mm (0.37 in). Gunblast rated its SR9 example with and trigger pull of 30 N (6.7 lbf), and Gunblast rated its SR9c example with a trigger pull of 23 N (5.2 lbf). Gunblasts SR40 example was rated with a trigger pull of 29.5 N (6.6 lbf). The difference in trigger-pull is due to variances between individual guns not due to a change in specs by Ruger between the models. The trigger travel is 7.8 mm (0.307086614173228 in).
The SR9 is recoil operated with a locked breech. It features a staggered column box magazine (double-stack magazine) with a capacity of 17 rounds, and is also available in a 10 round configuration for locales where capacities are restricted. The pistol has a very low slide profile which holds the barrel axis close to the shooter's hand and makes the Ruger SR9 more comfortable to shoot by reducing muzzle rise
and allowing for faster aim recovery in rapid shooting sequence. The slide is available in either brushed or blackened through-hardened stainless steel, and the frame is fiberglass
-reinforced nylon
polymer, resistant to warping or failure. The frame is offered in black or olive drab.
The SR9 also has a reversible backstrap which allows the owner to select either a flat or arched grip housing, based on personal preference. In addition, the SR9 sports a Picatinny rail
for the mounting of laser sights and tactical lights.
The SR9 boasts multiple safety devices such an ambidextrous manual thumb safety and magazine release, a loaded chamber indicator
, a visual and tactile
cocked-striker indicator, and a firing pin block safety which prevents the pistol from firing if it is accidentally dropped. The SR9 also features a magazine disconnector.
The Ruger SR9 can safely be dry fired with an empty magazine in the pistol. A Ruger-issued warning states that, due to the disconnector, dry firing the pistol without the magazine inserted will cause unnecessary wear to the striker block, but published firearms industry information notes that the SR9's disconnect can be deactivated simply by removing some of the disconnector linkage.
The SR9’s open iron sight
s are of the three-dot enhanced contrast variety, and offer drift adjustment on both front and rear blades for windage
, as well as rear-sight adjustment for elevation
.
Other manufacturers offer after market accessories like handgun holsters in various configurations and alternative contrast enhanced sight lines like self-illuminating tritium night sight elements and fiber optic sight elements for the Ruger SR-series.
The Ruger SR40 started to ship in October 2010 to dealers. This is a full-size variant chambered in .40 S&W
. The full-size .40 S&W magazines hold 15 rounds. The SR40 ships with two 15-round, flush-fit magazines and a loading tool. The basic overall dimensions and barrel length of the SR40 are the same as for the SR9, though the through-hardened stainless steel slide was modified and is 0.06 in (1.5 mm) wider than the slide of the SR9. The added mass of the SR40 slide reduces slide velocity during cycling to help reduce felt recoil
and increase service life expectancy.
The Ruger SR40c started to ship in June 2011. Like the SR9c is to the SR9, the SR40c is a compact version of the SR40. It is dimensionally equal to the SR9c; and unlike the SR40 is to the SR9, it also weighs the same. The SR40c ships standard with a 9 round magazine with an optional extended baseplate, as well as a full-size 15 round SR40 magazine with a removable sleeve. In jurisdictions that prohibit large-capacity magazines, it ships with two 9 round magazines and two extended baseplates instead.
the SR9 model because, under certain conditions, it can fire if dropped with the manual safety off and a round in the chamber. This condition can occur in pistols manufactured from October 2007 to April 2008. Ruger designed a new trigger group which corrects this issue. It includes, among other things, adding a pivoting inner blade to the trigger itself, similar to that on the Glock pistol
. This blade must be depressed to allow the trigger to be pulled. It also serves as an overtravel stop. Ruger also redesigned the magazine release, magazine disconnect & disconnect spring, and the striker blocker and striker blocker spring. Ruger initially announced that, beginning in mid-May 2008, they would retrofit SR9 pistols having a serial number below 330-30000 with the new parts, and include a spare magazine free of charge (approximately 11,000 pistols). SR9 pistols with serial numbers of 330-30000 and higher were manufactured with the safety enhancements and are not subject to the recall. Ruger began shipping recall boxes to customers in July 2008.
Some of the early SR9 pistols had a different magazine latch and were upgraded to the new style, allowing the use of early and later SR9 magazines.
Pistol grip
On a firearm or other tool, the pistol grip is that portion of the mechanism that is held by the hand and orients the hand in a forward, vertical orientation, similar to the position one would take with a conventional pistol such as the M1911....
, it is touted by Ruger as one of the thinnest double-stack pistols available. The SR series has been marketed as a backup/concealment weapon for law enforcement
Police
The police is a personification of the state designated to put in practice the enforced law, protect property and reduce civil disorder in civilian matters. Their powers include the legitimized use of force...
as well as for civilian
Civilian
A civilian under international humanitarian law is a person who is not a member of his or her country's armed forces or other militia. Civilians are distinct from combatants. They are afforded a degree of legal protection from the effects of war and military occupation...
self-defensive concealed carry. The Ruger SR9 chambered for the 9x19mm Parabellum cartridge was introduced in October 2007, and the slightly smaller SR9c came out in January 2010. The Ruger SR40 chambered for the .40 S&W
.40 S&W
The .40 S&W is a rimless pistol cartridge developed jointly by major American firearms manufacturers Winchester and Smith & Wesson. The .40 S&W was developed from the ground up as a law enforcement cartridge designed to duplicate performance of the FBI's reduced velocity 10mm cartridge which could...
cartridge came out in October 2010, and the compact SR40c in June 2011.
Development
Starting in the early 2000’s, the rapid growth of legislationLegislation
Legislation is law which has been promulgated by a legislature or other governing body, or the process of making it...
and regulations allowing concealed carry by law-abiding citizens in various jurisdiction
Jurisdiction
Jurisdiction is the practical authority granted to a formally constituted legal body or to a political leader to deal with and make pronouncements on legal matters and, by implication, to administer justice within a defined area of responsibility...
s created a large market for handguns manufactured specifically for such use. Desirable characteristics for firearms of this type include: small size, thinness, high magazine capacity, lightweight construction (often achieved through the use of polymer
Polymer
A polymer is a large molecule composed of repeating structural units. These subunits are typically connected by covalent chemical bonds...
frames
Receiver (firearms)
In firearms terminology, the receiver is the part of a firearm that houses the operating parts. The receiver usually contains the bolt carrier group, trigger group, and magazine port. In most handguns, the receiver, or frame, holds the magazine well or rotary magazine as well as the trigger mechanism...
), stealthy darkened stainless steel
Stainless steel
In metallurgy, stainless steel, also known as inox steel or inox from French "inoxydable", is defined as a steel alloy with a minimum of 10.5 or 11% chromium content by mass....
slides
Pistol slide
The slide is the part of the weapon on a majority of semi-automatic pistols that moves during the operating cycle and generally houses the firing pin or striker and the extractor, and serves as the bolt...
, high visibility and/or night sights, and large ergonomic
Ergonomics
Ergonomics is the study of designing equipment and devices that fit the human body, its movements, and its cognitive abilities.The International Ergonomics Association defines ergonomics as follows:...
ambidextrous
Ambidexterity
Ambidexterity is the state of being equally adept in the use of both left and right appendages . It is one of the most famous varieties of cross-dominance. People that are naturally ambidextrous are rare, with only one out of one hundred people being naturally ambidextrous...
manual thumb safeties and magazine release
Magazine release
A magazine release is the control on a firearm that retains a weapon's magazine.-Pistol:Heel or "European" magazine release is located at the butt of the pistol grip and is commonly a simple catch as on the Makarov or Walther P-38. This has the advantages of being both ambidextrous and resistant...
s. Ruger specifically designed the SR9 pistol to address the very active and profitable concealed-carry handgun market segment and it possesses the majority of the aforementioned attributes.
Design details
The SR9 is the first large-caliber strikerFiring pin
A firing pin or striker is part of the firing mechanism used in a firearm or explosive device e.g. an M14 landmine or bomb fuze. Firing pins may take many forms, though the types used in landmines, bombs, grenade fuzes or other single-use devices generally have a sharpened point...
fired pistol designed and manufactured by Sturm Ruger. Similar to Glock's "safe action
Safe action
The "safe action" is a firing pin lock system which Glock developed to be used in the vast majority of their pistols. The action is very similar to the quick action used by Walther and other pistol manufacturers....
", the striker fired SR9 features a pre-set trigger. With this type of action, the striker is partially cocked when the slide is cycled, then is fully cocked and released when the trigger is pulled. Due to safety concerns, the moderately long and heavy trigger pull of this type is seen as ideal for law enforcement and self-defensive applications. The SR9 and SR9c have an identical trigger group. Gunblast rated both the SR9 and SR9c examples it tested with a factory trigger rearward travel at 9.5 mm (0.37 in). Gunblast rated its SR9 example with and trigger pull of 30 N (6.7 lbf), and Gunblast rated its SR9c example with a trigger pull of 23 N (5.2 lbf). Gunblasts SR40 example was rated with a trigger pull of 29.5 N (6.6 lbf). The difference in trigger-pull is due to variances between individual guns not due to a change in specs by Ruger between the models. The trigger travel is 7.8 mm (0.307086614173228 in).
The SR9 is recoil operated with a locked breech. It features a staggered column box magazine (double-stack magazine) with a capacity of 17 rounds, and is also available in a 10 round configuration for locales where capacities are restricted. The pistol has a very low slide profile which holds the barrel axis close to the shooter's hand and makes the Ruger SR9 more comfortable to shoot by reducing muzzle rise
Muzzle rise
The interchangeable terms muzzle rise, muzzle flip and muzzle climb refer to the tendency of firearms or pneumatic arms front end to rise up after firing....
and allowing for faster aim recovery in rapid shooting sequence. The slide is available in either brushed or blackened through-hardened stainless steel, and the frame is fiberglass
Fiberglass
Glass fiber is a material consisting of numerous extremely fine fibers of glass.Glassmakers throughout history have experimented with glass fibers, but mass manufacture of glass fiber was only made possible with the invention of finer machine tooling...
-reinforced nylon
Nylon
Nylon is a generic designation for a family of synthetic polymers known generically as polyamides, first produced on February 28, 1935, by Wallace Carothers at DuPont's research facility at the DuPont Experimental Station...
polymer, resistant to warping or failure. The frame is offered in black or olive drab.
The SR9 also has a reversible backstrap which allows the owner to select either a flat or arched grip housing, based on personal preference. In addition, the SR9 sports a Picatinny rail
Picatinny rail
The Picatinny rail or MIL-STD-1913 rail or STANAG 2324 rail or a "Tactical Rail" is a bracket used on some firearms in order to provide a standardized mounting platform. A similar system is the Weaver rail mount.-Description:...
for the mounting of laser sights and tactical lights.
The SR9 boasts multiple safety devices such an ambidextrous manual thumb safety and magazine release, a loaded chamber indicator
Loaded chamber indicator
The loaded chamber indicator is a safety device present on many semi-automatic slide handguns intended to alert an operator that there is a round in the chamber...
, a visual and tactile
Somatosensory system
The somatosensory system is a diverse sensory system composed of the receptors and processing centres to produce the sensory modalities such as touch, temperature, proprioception , and nociception . The sensory receptors cover the skin and epithelia, skeletal muscles, bones and joints, internal...
cocked-striker indicator, and a firing pin block safety which prevents the pistol from firing if it is accidentally dropped. The SR9 also features a magazine disconnector.
The Ruger SR9 can safely be dry fired with an empty magazine in the pistol. A Ruger-issued warning states that, due to the disconnector, dry firing the pistol without the magazine inserted will cause unnecessary wear to the striker block, but published firearms industry information notes that the SR9's disconnect can be deactivated simply by removing some of the disconnector linkage.
The SR9’s open iron sight
Iron sight
Iron sights are a system of shaped alignment markers used as a sighting device to assist in the aiming of a device such as a firearm, crossbow, or telescope, and exclude the use of optics as in telescopic sights or reflector sights...
s are of the three-dot enhanced contrast variety, and offer drift adjustment on both front and rear blades for windage
Windage
Windage is a force created on an object by friction when there is relative movement between air and the object.There are two causes of windage:# the object is moving and being slowed by resistance from the air...
, as well as rear-sight adjustment for elevation
Elevation (ballistics)
In ballistics, the elevation is the angle between the horizontal plane and the direction of the barrel of a gun, mortar or heavy artillery. Originally, elevation was a linear measure of how high the gunners had to physically lift the muzzle of a gun up from the gun carriage to hit targets at a...
.
Accessories
The Ruger SR-series factory accessories consist of spare magazines, a grip adapter and a tool to aid loading.Other manufacturers offer after market accessories like handgun holsters in various configurations and alternative contrast enhanced sight lines like self-illuminating tritium night sight elements and fiber optic sight elements for the Ruger SR-series.
Variants
The Ruger SR9c started to ship in January 2010, according to Ruger. The SR9c is lighter and dimensionally smaller compared to the SR9, but it has the same grip width (measured across safety levers) as the full-sized SR9. The manual safety, adjustable rear sights, and updated version of the trigger are all present in the compact version also. In contrast to the SR9 recoil spring assembly the SR9c pistols are fitted with a dual recoil spring assembly. The SR9c is normally supplied with two magazines. The standard 10 round compact magazine features a flat bottom floor plate, with an extended floor plate also included. The second magazine is a full-size 17 round unit featuring a grip adapter that transforms the short compact SR9c grip into a full-sized grip. However, in jurisdictions where the number of rounds in a firearm are limited by law the SR9c is shipped from Ruger with two 10-round magazines and two extended floor plates. Additional retraction grooves (serrations) are located on the front sides of the SR9c slide, making it easier to operate and press-check the slide. The Ruger SR9c was chosen as the Shooting Industry Academy of Excellence's Handgun of the Year in 2010.The Ruger SR40 started to ship in October 2010 to dealers. This is a full-size variant chambered in .40 S&W
.40 S&W
The .40 S&W is a rimless pistol cartridge developed jointly by major American firearms manufacturers Winchester and Smith & Wesson. The .40 S&W was developed from the ground up as a law enforcement cartridge designed to duplicate performance of the FBI's reduced velocity 10mm cartridge which could...
. The full-size .40 S&W magazines hold 15 rounds. The SR40 ships with two 15-round, flush-fit magazines and a loading tool. The basic overall dimensions and barrel length of the SR40 are the same as for the SR9, though the through-hardened stainless steel slide was modified and is 0.06 in (1.5 mm) wider than the slide of the SR9. The added mass of the SR40 slide reduces slide velocity during cycling to help reduce felt recoil
Recoil
Recoil is the backward momentum of a gun when it is discharged. In technical terms, the recoil caused by the gun exactly balances the forward momentum of the projectile and exhaust gasses, according to Newton's third law...
and increase service life expectancy.
The Ruger SR40c started to ship in June 2011. Like the SR9c is to the SR9, the SR40c is a compact version of the SR40. It is dimensionally equal to the SR9c; and unlike the SR40 is to the SR9, it also weighs the same. The SR40c ships standard with a 9 round magazine with an optional extended baseplate, as well as a full-size 15 round SR40 magazine with a removable sleeve. In jurisdictions that prohibit large-capacity magazines, it ships with two 9 round magazines and two extended baseplates instead.
Chronograph results
Chronograph testing a SR9 pistol with various cartridge loadings produced the following results:| Brand / type | Bullet weight (Grains) / type | muzzle Muzzle (firearm) The muzzle of a firearm is the end of the barrel from which the projectile will exit.Precise machining of the muzzle is crucial to accuracy, because it is the last point of contact between the barrel and the projectile... ) |
|---|---|---|
| Buffalo Bore +P+ | 115 Gr HP | 1387.5 |
| Buffalo Bore +P | 115 Gr HP | 1182 |
| Buffalo Bore +P+ | 124 Gr HP | 1280.8 |
| Cor-Bon | 80 Gr Glaser | 1537.1 |
| Cor-Bon | 115 Gr HP | 1341 |
| Cor-Bon | 100 Gr PowRBall | 1428.6 |
| Extreme Shock | 115 Gr EPR | 1245.6 |
| International Cartridge | 100 Gr HP | 1183 |
Recall
On April 9, 2008, Ruger recalledProduct recall
A product recall is a request to return to the maker a batch or an entire production run of a product, usually due to the discovery of safety issues. The recall is an effort to limit liability for corporate negligence and to improve or avoid damage to publicity...
the SR9 model because, under certain conditions, it can fire if dropped with the manual safety off and a round in the chamber. This condition can occur in pistols manufactured from October 2007 to April 2008. Ruger designed a new trigger group which corrects this issue. It includes, among other things, adding a pivoting inner blade to the trigger itself, similar to that on the Glock pistol
Glock pistol
The Glock pistol, sometimes referred to by the manufacturer as Glock "Safe Action" Pistol, is a series of semi-automatic pistols designed and produced by Glock Ges.m.b.H., located in Deutsch-Wagram, Austria. The company's founder, engineer Gaston Glock, had no experience with firearm design or...
. This blade must be depressed to allow the trigger to be pulled. It also serves as an overtravel stop. Ruger also redesigned the magazine release, magazine disconnect & disconnect spring, and the striker blocker and striker blocker spring. Ruger initially announced that, beginning in mid-May 2008, they would retrofit SR9 pistols having a serial number below 330-30000 with the new parts, and include a spare magazine free of charge (approximately 11,000 pistols). SR9 pistols with serial numbers of 330-30000 and higher were manufactured with the safety enhancements and are not subject to the recall. Ruger began shipping recall boxes to customers in July 2008.
Some of the early SR9 pistols had a different magazine latch and were upgraded to the new style, allowing the use of early and later SR9 magazines.