SR1911 10mm in hand

[sqlbullet]

I was able to pick up my SR1911 in 10mm last night from my FFL.  I thought I would give you a brief impressions write up with some pics.

First impression...Well, it is a 1911  We have all seen one before, but gotta start this parade somewhere, so:




It came with two of the magazines in the picture.  They are basic 1911 mags and hold 8 rounds.  Standard round top metal followers.  As typical, these start as the same blanks as any other 1911 magazine, and get the groove to narrow the mag a bit inside and different feed lips.  The mags behave exactly like you would expect.

Next I started checking fit.



The slide is fit nicely, moves smoothly once I removed the shipping oil and got some slipstream styx on the gun.  There is no play side to side or up/down.  If I were to pick a nit, I would say that they could have blended it a little better on the right rear side, but to be honest I didn't notice until I was cropping pictures for here, so it is a pretty fine nit to pick.

The barrel is as advertised and has a nicely recessed crown.



You can see in the picture a bit of copper fouling on the nitride finish.  I wish I could say that I put that copper there, but it is from the factory test fire.

Ruger did mar the finish with the typical warning prominently etched on the bottom of the dust cover.



Thanks mom.  I will do that.

In all fairness I get that in todays world such a warning is very standard.  But, it is very prominent in this location, and is much larger text than any of my other guns.  I really think they could have done this much more subtly.

As we discussed in another thread, the ejection port is lowered, but not flared.  However, the rear edge is filed back some, almost rounded.



I was planning on cutting a flare first thing, but I think I will wait and see what brass looks like first.

Now, for the one real complaint in what is otherwise a pretty flawless basic 1911 execution.  The grip safety is pretty poorly fit IMHO.  It rattles about, it has a good bit of loose play, some of which I can correct with the sear spring, but the side to side play is not likely to be addressed by that.  The beavertail is also interesting.



Maybe I am just out of it, but I have never seen one that scallops back in like that.  It is just wider than the hammer.  I am sure it works well, but it just doesn't look quite right.  Perhaps it will grow on me.

And, I can see reducing it's footprint in this way on a gun designed for concealed carry.  But on a gun that is more about accuracy and power than concealment, I don't get why you alter the profile in this way.  Perhaps this is how all SR1911's are and I just never paid attention.  And perhaps I am more sensitive to it since the part is so poorly fit to begin with.

Takedown was as you would expect for a full length guide-rod.  At some point you have to capture the recoil spring with a paper clip.  The hole is easily accessible with the slide locked to the rear.  I personally capture after I remove the slide, which works to if you are familiar with the method.

The trigger "out of the box" was gritty and had a good bit of creep.  The gun had minimal shipping lube, and shipping lube is more for corrosion protection than friction reduction.  I did not detail strip the gun.  I field stripped and blew some cleaner into the action.  I then lubed it up liberally with Slipstream Styx.  Once that was done the pull smoothed out a bunch.  There is still a tiny bit of creep, but I have only dry fired it about 50 times.  I am certain by 500 rounds in the trigger will be creep free.

I want to end on a high note, so I saved this tidbit for last.  And I didn't think to get a picture of this.  But, I was really surprised by the recoil spring.  First, it is a good stout spring.  I would say a 22 lb spring.  Second, and this is the big one, it is a flat spring.  I expect this spring will stand up well to a long steady diet of full-house 10mm loads.

And, to end on a picture:



Oh!  Weights:

Gun*:  38.1 oz
Barrel: 5.0 oz
Slide: 13.2 oz
Upper: 20.4 oz

*No magazine, which is why the weight is less than the spec weight on Ruger's website.

[jbaker30]

Very nice write up sqlbullet. Look forward to range report.

[BEEMER!]

I'm surprised you did not report on chamber support.

That's the big deal!   

[sqlbullet]

Chamber is in the original Ruger specs.  Ramped barrel, and it is fully supported as that implies.

[4949shooter]

Thanks for the great review Sqlbullet.

[dred]

I don't like this:


Otherwise ... I absolutely want one ... without the engraved warning label.  Heck I hate mattress tags too, so I
cut them off let them fall off.

I look forward to learning about how she shoots.

[Barry in IN]

If they had to put the warning on there- and Ruger can't seem to help themselves- that's better than any exterior spot I can think of.

[Zephyr]

Doesn't seem like a bad pistol for the money.  I would do a few minor tweaks, such as new grips, trigger, and ambi-safety.  Maybe Ruger, will deign to offer this 1911 in .38 Super someday; we can only hope.

[ottoman]

Does it have a flat firing pin stop?

[RJM52]

"Maybe I am just out of it, but I have never seen one that scallops back in like that.  It is just wider than the hammer.  I am sure it works well, but it just doesn't look quite right.  Perhaps it will grow on me."

I find with a standard WIDE beavertail grip safety that in trying to do a speed load that the safety slows me down because the flair interferes with my right index finger knuckle as I shift my grip to hit the mag button...  Much prefer this style....

Bob

[sqlbullet]

Been at scout camp....

ottoman, the firing pin stop is the A1 style.

One other item to note.  The slide stop, safety and other bits are carbon steel.  I carried it on Monday while working around the yard to get a feel for it.  Generally I don't carry guns I haven't shot, but I was at home and wouldn't have to fight very far to a rifle....so I took the chance.

At the end of the day when I removed the gun from my Galco Summer Comfort holster, there was a light skiff of rust on the thumb safety and the slide stop.  So, carbon steel, with a non corrosion resistant black finish.

Making these parts of carbon steel instead of stainless, or at least giving them better corrosion resistance sure seems like a strange way to save $6 in manufacturing costs.

Otherwise it carried like any other 1911.

[Intercooler]

 Really nice piece and glad to see more 10mm's being offered. I have read a bunch of YouTube buzz about people getting them ASAP!