The 9mm Parabellum, or Luger, or 9x19, if you prefer, gets a bum rap. It first arrived chambered in the German Luger in 1902 and was soon adopted by the German military and used in both world wars in the Luger and also the Walther P-38. Three years after the arrival of the 9mm, John Browning developed the .45 ACP which, with the Model 1911, became the standard sidearm and cartridge for the United States military. Both of these cartridges were developed using hardball bullets which were the standard for more than 50 years.

I don’t know how many articles comparing the 9mm to the .45 were written prior to the mid-1950s, however, there certainly were dozens of them in the last half of the 20th century. When both cartridges are loaded with hardball, it’s not very difficult to make a case for the superior stopping power of the .45. In the 1950s when it appeared the military would be looking for a new pistol, Colt developed the Lightweight Commander with a 41⁄4” barrel and alloy frame, while Smith & Wesson went with the new Model 39 chambered in 9mm. The military stayed with the 1911. At this time hardball was still about the only ammunition available.

Smith & Wesson’s Model 39 was the first American manufactured semi-automatic chambered for the 9mm, however, 20 years earlier Browning brought out the excellent Hi-Power, the first high-capacity 9mm with a magazine holding 13 rounds. Shooters were faced with a choice of 7+1 rounds of a 1911 or the 13+1 rounds allowed in the Browning. The choice was superior stopping power or higher capacity and easier shooting. Both the 1911 and the P-35 Browning Hi-Power achieved classic status decades ago.

In the 1960s a young fellow by the name of Lee Jurras was about to change the concept of bullets and also the age-old argument of the 9mm vs. the .45 ACP. Lee founded SuperVel Cartridge Company and emphasized lightweight, hollowpointed, jacketed bullets. It was the first major change in bullets since the 1870s. I know of no individual who has had a greater effect in providing the excellent handgun ammunition we have today than Lee Jurras. Lee also promoted handgun hunting and founded the Outstanding American Handgunner Awards Foundation.

The argument about the 9mm and .45 ACP took on a new look as the ammunition changed. Now most were willing to concede the 9mm with proper jacketed hollowpoint bullets was at least the equivalent of hardball .45 ACP. However even in the mid-1980s and into the 1990s, the 9mm was still being bad-mouthed as somehow worthless. This doesn’t make any sense when quite often those who trashed a 9mm semiautos felt a .38 Special pocket pistol or a short-barreled .357 Magnum were okay. Check the ballistics on all three sometime. There is certainly nothing anemic about modern 9mm ammunition.

Ruger’s Autos

Ruger started producing centerfire semiautos in 1987 with the 9mm P-85, and then continued to branch out into other calibers, .45 ACP and .40 S&W, and also continually upgraded their models, slowly but surely reducing their size. I not only purchased the P-85 more than 20 years ago, I also added a P-90 in .45 ACP and a P-91 chambered for the .40 as they became available. I pretty much ignored the other Ruger autos until the arrival of the KP345 a few years back. With this pistol Ruger revolutionized their auto line and have now continued this new direction with their latest, the SR9 chambered in 9mm.

After 20 years of the P-series, Ruger has made a major change. The original P85 had a steel slide and alloy frame. Ruger’s autos progressed through the basic models, P89, P90, P91, P93, P94, P95 and P97, not only producing standard models but also some which were DAO. Over the two decades, Ruger moved towards more compact models and polymer frames culminating in the KP345. All of these versions had/have external hammers.

The SR9 is the first non-P series Ruger pistol, and as such is striker fired. There is no external hammer, however the SR9 is equipped with what Ruger calls a Striker Status Indicator at the back of the slide. The back of the striker can be seen through a small circular hole when it’s cocked and disappears from view when it’s not. There’s also a Loaded Chamber Indicator on the top of the slide. When the chamber is empty it is flush with the top of the slide, while the front of the indicator protrudes slightly revealing a red spot when there is a round in the chamber. Another safety feature is the ambidextrous 1911-style safety which is easily operated by the thumb of the shooting hand.

Because of internal safety features, the manual thumb safety is not necessary, however I like having it. Pistols are carried in many different ways besides a holster and this extra safety prevents the trigger from activating the striker should the SR9 be carried in a backpack where, although highly improbable, it’s possible for some object to contact the trigger. Even in the normal carrying mode I will opt to use the safety.

Ruger says of their internal safety features: “Your SR9 also is equipped with an internal striker blocker that prevents the striker from contacting the primer of a cartridge in the chamber until the trigger is pulled. An additional trigger safety blocks trigger bar movement until the trigger is pulled. An internal trigger bar interlock prevents the trigger bar from moving down to release the striker until it is moved back by trigger movement.”
Ruger describes the SR9 as a “Semi-Double Action” due to a trigger pull rated at 61⁄2 pounds. However, the trigger pull on the test gun measures out at just over 8 pounds.

Capacity is 17 + 1 rounds of 9mm except, of course, in those states where the powers have determined shooters can not be trusted with more than 10 rounds; they allow two 10-round magazines. Along with this high capacity, the SR9 is exceptionally compact weighing less than 27 ounces, with a slide width right at 1” and a maximum width, including thumb safety and slide release of 1.25”. Barrel length is 4” with a collar at the muzzle end to lock it tightly into the slide. There is no perceptible play between the barrel and slide.

Reliable

The SR9 was tested extensively using both handloads and factory loads and performance was absolutely flawless. One thing I particularly appreciate about the old P85 is its absolute reliability; no matter what it is fed it has proven to be 100 percent reliable. The same is true of the SR9. Factory load or handload, standard load or +P, 90 grain or 147 grain or anything in between, all perform the same in the SR9. It never failed to feed, it never stuttered, it never hiccupped, it never stovepiped. It just plain works.

Most test-firing consisted of four-shot groups at 20 yards and 10-shot groups at seven yards. Many 10-shot groups were well under 2” with several close to 1”. The longer distance four-shot groups, depending upon the load used, were anywhere from just over 1” to about 31⁄2”. The most accurate load proved to be Black Hills Subsonic 147 grain JHP with a 11⁄4” group at both distances. There are many excellent ammunition choices for use in the SR9 as can be seen in the accompanying Test-Fire chart.

Ruger has always led the way in providing exceptional values to shooters at reasonable prices since that first $37.50 Red Eagle .22 semiauto arrived in 1949, and the SR9 is no exception to this rule. It comes in a hard case with two 17-round magazines and a magazine loader for an MSRP of $525. The reality is the street price is much less. I like it — lots.

For more info: www.ruger-firearms.com.

We have determined that some Ruger SR9 pistols manufactured between October 2007 and April 2008 can, under certain conditions, fire if dropped with their manual safeties in the “off” or “fire” position. The pistols will not fire if the manual safety is in the “on” or “safe” position.

We will retrofit all Ruger SR9 pistols starting with serial number prefix “330” (330-xxxxx) with these new parts at no charge to our customers.

In order to ensure correct fitting, the new parts must be installed at our Ruger factory in Prescott, Arizona. We will remove the old parts and install the new trigger group promptly, at no charge, and will return the pistol to you. The old parts will not be returned.

Step 1: Contact us and provide your name, address, telephone number and SR9 serial number. Provide your information by any of the following: Website: http://ruger.com/SR9Recall/SubmitInfo.html; E-mail: SR9Recall@ruger.com; Fax: (928) 541-8873; Phone: SR9 Recall Hotline, (800) 784-3701 (available Monday - Friday, 8:00 a.m. to 8:00 p.m. EDT).

Step 2: When we are ready to retrofit your SR9, we will send you a shipping label and shipping box with instructions so you can return your pistol to us FREE of charge.

Step 3: We will install the new trigger group in your SR9 and return it to you FREE of charge. When we do, we also will send you a FREE extra magazine as a “thank you” for your patience and cooperation. We will make every effort to return your pistol within one week, so we will not ask you to send it to us until we are ready to receive it. We expect to begin sending shipping labels and boxes in late June.

Do not load or fire your pistol until it has been factory retrofitted with these new parts! If you must fire your pistol, be sure to keep the manual safety in the “on” or “safe” position except when you are actually firing.

Thank you,
Sturm, Ruger & Co., Inc.

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