Ruger SR9c range report (my new EDC). AK-47 bites me!

[surprise_i'm_armed]

For several years now my EDC has been a Taurus PT-111, which is a 10 + 1 pistol chambered in 9MM.
It was my first handgun ever, but it has developed some sort of "light striker" problem. You can't shoot
11 rounds out of it without a bunch of FTF's.

I've been dragging my feet about sending it back to Taurus, and have been carrying my revolver as much as possible.

Although I thought about getting another Taurus, I was more interested in getting one of what I consider the
"Big 3" - Springer XD/XDM, Smith and Wesson M & P, or Ruger. I liked the idea of a Springer XD9SC, but thought
that the difference between the 13 round short mag and the 16 rounder would not be very much.

I was more taken with the idea of the Ruger SR9c. This gun has a 10 round mag that makes for a gun almost
exactly the size of my PT-111, which means I can continue to pocket carry it in my right front pocket in a pocket
holster, and have 10 + 1 of 9MM on hand. But when I'm not at work I can insert the 17 round mag and have 17 + 1
of 9MM on hand. The short mag makes it a compact, while the long mag makes it a fullsize. Me like!!

When our forum member salty1, of North Texas Arms in Highland Village (Denton County, close to me)
posted that he wanted to sell off some of his inventory, one of the weapons that he had was a Ruger SR9c,
all black, for a good price. I was on that deal like a duck on a junebug!

Cosmo 9, another forum member, and I shoot together. He's got a nice shooting lease in Southern Dallas County where
we can fire anything we want, at any speed, without any ranger officers telling us what to do.

I had my new SR9c, 4 kinds of 9MM, and my revolver with both .38 Special and .357 Magnum.
He had his Springer XD, 9MM, 4" barrel, in OD green + an AK-47 + a CETME.

Much of the firing of the new gun was at high speed, in order to see if it would run fast and trouble free. It did.
The Ruger was fired upside down, on each side, and with a loosey-goosey limp wrist. It would never stovepipe!

By the end of the shooting day I had fired the following ammo through the SR9c:

153 rounds of Federal 115 grain FMJ.

51 rounds of WWB, 115 grain FMJ.

40 rounds of Speer Gold Dot, JHP.

32 rounds of Hornady, 135 grain, JHP.

Those 4 sets of ammo total 276 flawless rounds. No stovepipes, no FTF's, no FTE's. It was all good.

Except that when Cosmo 9 handed me his AK-47 to blast off a 20 round mag, I racked the AK's slide and
ended up losing a major chunk of my right thumb tip. Yowser that hurt!

When the end of your thumb is "hurtin' for certain", let's just say that the accuracy of my new EDC was not
exactly testable. I'm no sharpshooter, but I'm sure I could hit a bad guy somewhere in COM.

I love my new gun. Although I thought I needed a new holster, I found out that my favorite OWB (Bianchi
CarryLok 82) will also hold the SR9c as well as it did the Taurus.

I'm planning on sending the Taurus back to the factory. When it comes back it will be taken to the range for
200 rounds. If it's still a problem child - hello pawnshop. If it runs right it can become an on-body BUG.

Cosmo 9 commented that the Ruger SR9c would be a good gun for a woman since any limp-wristedness tendencies
would not result in a stovepipe. I think it's a great gun for anyone. The 10 round short mag and the 17 round large
mag give you options.

Anyone in Denton County, or close by, should get their firearms through salty1. He can get you any brand/model you want
except for Diamondbacks (too many bad ones) and Taurus (just go to Academy if you want one). Handguns, long guns, whatever.

SIA

[Beiruty]

Take care of your fingers, you need them to shoot.

[74novaman]

Thanks for the range report. I've heard lots of good things about the sr9s, but haven't had a chance to shoot one yet.

When I read you got bit by an AK, I assumed you had shot one and wanted to buy one now!

[surprise_i'm_armed]

Thanks for the range report. I've heard lots of good things about the sr9s, but haven't had a chance to shoot one yet.

When I read you got bit by an AK, I assumed you had shot one and wanted to buy one now!

No, I don't really have a place to shoot a long gun.

By the way, when I racked the slide on the AK, I had my right thumb in back of the slide, and what I did not anticipate was
that my thumb was pinched between the main part of my right hand on the slide and some hardware on the side of the AK.

Cosmo 9, being more familiar with his own gun, showed me how he racks the slide without thumb damage. Lesson learned.

A few other notes about my SR9c:

Being new, the slide needs a strong pull to retract it.

The mag release needs a good push as well. When my thumb is better, this should seem less daunting to drop.
Plus, it's good that an inadvertent light touching of it doesn't drop it.

The "loaded chamber" indicator on the top of the gun is very large, it's painted RED on each side, and is
engraved with "LOADED WHEN UP". It's larger than my PT-111's and I like the larger size.

The mag springs are stiff while loading, but I always use my UPLULA (Universal Pistol Loader Unloader Accessory)
to load mags. It's much better than the mag loaders that come with new guns.

SIA

[n5wd]

A few other notes about my SR9c: Being new, the slide needs a strong pull to retract it.

I used my son's relatively new full-sized SR-9 to shoot my CHL qualification, and it, too, was pretty stiff. I found that I did better by using the cross-handed push-pull racking of the slide, rather than sticking it out front and grabbing the slide with my left hand and trying to pull it. An overhand rack might have worked, as well, but I found that turning slightly to the right, leaving the gun pointed downrange, and doing the push/pull worked better for me. Till yours gets loosened up a bit, you might try that.

The SR-9/SR-9c guns are pretty nice handguns for the money, IMHO.

[cobbweb]

I,ve had one for over two yrs. used all kinds of ammo never had any kind of problems I have bought a lot of guns since I started carrying but the sr9c is the one I carry ever day in a cross breed super tuck I have the sig938 comeing next week but I know what will happen I,ll go right back to the sr9c.