Ruger’s entry into the 1911 field has dropped. [Click here for TTAG’s review.] The SR1911 will run ya eight bills ($799). Eight rounds or nine, depending on which mag you deploy. Five inch barrel. Thirty-nine ounces. Any finish you like as long as it’s low-glare stainless steel. So, what’s the SR1911’s USP (Unique Selling Point)? The website proclaims it’s “a classically styled pistol designed with all of the modern manufacturing advances that you have come to expect from Ruger.” Did I expect a titanium firing pin and heavy firing pin spring? I did not. But the fact that the SR1911 is “100% American-made in American factories with American workers” comes as no surprise. (American parts?) I was hoping Ruger’d bring the gun in around five or six bills, but then I’m hoping that Diet Coke is the Fountain of Youth. Official press release and pics after the jump . . .
Sturm, Ruger & Company, Inc. (NYSE: RGR) is proud to announce the Ruger SR1911, an “All American” classic rendition of John Browning’s most famous handgun design.
The public debut of the Ruger SR1911 pistol will take place during the NRA Annual Meeting in Pittsburg, Pennsylvania April 29 – May 1.
The single-action .45 Auto Ruger SR1911 features a bead-blasted stainless steel frame and slide, precision CNC machined for a precise slide-to-frame fit.
The stainless steel barrel and bushing are produced simultaneously, from the same ordnance-grade barstock, for a precise fit and improved accuracy. The slide features rear cocking serrations and a dovetailed three-dot sight system with a Novak rear sight and standard front sight.
“We are very proud to offer a 1911 pistol, an icon of American gun design and manufacturing,” said Ruger CEO Michael Fifer. “In this 100-anniversary year of the introduction of the Government Model 1911 it is only fitting that such a firearm be completely manufactured in America with all American-made components.”
The Ruger SR1911 pistol features a titanium firing pin and heavy firing pin spring, which negates the need for a firing pin block, offering an updated safety feature to the original “Series 70″ design without compromising trigger pull weight. An extended thumb safety offers improved manipulation and an oversized beavertail grip safety provides positive function and reliability. A visual inspection port offers visual confirmation of a round in the chamber.
[HTML1]
Positive extraction is facilitated by an improved internal extractor. The plunger tube for both the slide stop and thumb safety is integral to the frame and will never shoot loose. The swedged link pin also will not shoot loose. The SR1911 uses a skeletonized hammer and an aluminum, skeletonized trigger with an adjustable over-travel stop. The Ruger SR1911 features a standard recoil guide system and flat mainspring housing.
The Ruger SR1911 grips feature a Ruger logo in checkered hardwood panels. Each pistol is shipped with one 7-round and one 8-round stainless steel magazine, bushing wrench and a soft case. The SR1911 will fit currently available holsters.
I love 1911’s and this is a nice looking gun. I’d like to see a review on how the Ruger performs.
Apparently it’s a “series 70” gun that lacks a bothersome firing pin safety but has a titanium pin / heavier spring to keep it drop safe. From what little I know of 1911s, all of the mass-produced versions either have a firing-pin safety which is disconnected by the grip safety or as part of the trigger pull.
If it just lives up to Ruger’s reputation for durability/reliability it would be a better deal than most 1911s at that price range, right?
“If it just lives up to Ruger’s reputation for durability/reliability”… ? huh? Ruger has been getting flammed all over the place for the crap they’re putting out now. Not as bad as Remington, sure, but still not what they used to make. Hopefully the boys up the hill from me can get their act together. Of course, no matter how much improvement they may make, a Ruger 1911? That just sounds wrong…
Oh c’mon. That flaming is unsubstantiated internet fodder. For everyone bashing Ruger are more praising it. Even Nutnfancy praises the current Rugers like the SR9. The only thing about Ruger is that the fit and finish can be a bit rough which is why they are less expensive than their competitors. But their stuff is well engineered and overbuilt. I’m a HK fanboi and even I like Rugers!
I would think with the retail at $799, street price would be somewhere in the neighborhood of 700, which would be a pretty good deal. Cheaper than the similar pistol from Remington, S&W, Kimber, and probably still a little less than an upgraded Springfield Armory. I think they will sell, especially if they are as good as Rugers are supposed to be. Unfortunately of late they haven’t all lived up to the standard.
nice looking gun, but i’m not falling over myself to get anything in 45 currently anyways, ammo is too expensive. but i wonder what exactly is its advantage over other 1911s in the same price range
If Diet Coke was the Fountain Of Youth, I’d be about four months old by now.
Anyway, I like the integral plunger tube. I’ve never had one come off the frame but I’ve heard enough stories about them. And glad to see they didn’t reinvent the extractor like Para has. Once again, stories abound though mine have been trouble free.
Wonder if the frame/slide blanks are cast or forged.
I had the plunger tube fall off my Series 1 Kimber ProCarry.
Cast frame, forged slide. I’m very interested in this Ruger!
milled from bar stock
The frame is cast.
Looks nice, like all 1911’s. Isn’t the Springfield Range Officer also $799 and has an adjustable rear sight?
Smart of them to emphasize the “all-American” aspect of this gun.
Wow! A new steel 1911! With a whole eight rounds in the magazine! With — be still my foolish heart — an improved extractor! And — gasp — a visual inspection port! Just what the world was waiting for! Alert the freakin’ media!
Zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz.
poke
Better an $700 all-American 1911 than a metel-injection-molded Armscor for $450. Other than their really ugly lever-actions and those unimpressive 9mm carbines from ten years ago, Ruger hasn’t laid a major egg in a long time. This doesn’t look like one, though it may arrive in time for Easter.
“unimpressive 9mm carbines”….? Love my PC9.
…and my PC40 works great.
MecGar 20-round aftermarket mags…not so much.
I love my Super Red Hawk 44 Mag, its a powerful yet solid shooter with near rifle accuracy. So I bought the SR1911. Its a sweet shooter, smooth and accurate. I think it packs a lot of features you’d find in far more expensive 1911 renditions, but it has Ruger’s solid-as-a-rock feel, and looks good too. Many 1911’s misfire a few times during the first 200 rounds, especally if you use anything other than ball ammo. I fired my first 60 rounds with only 1 glitch – using JHPs. Next time I’ll bring more ammo.
Does anyone know if this will accept standard Colt 1911 magazines, or does it require proprietary Ruger magazines?
I read the Ruger website and specs and it did not say anything about the magazines other than capacity.
As an owner of several 1911’s, I would like to buy a Ruger 1911, especially if it can use my existing inventory of 1911 magazines.
My sources tell me it will accept all 1911 magazines so no worries there. It is a great looking gun and I can’t wait to get my hands on one.
The literature says it will accept any standard 1911 magazine.
Oh goody, another clone of something by Ruger…. …… ……
Huh… what… sorry. 1911 clones have gotten boring to me and usually make me doze off.
Well, formaldehyde (one of the chemicals aspartame forms in your body) is fantastic for preserving dead flesh – maybe just maybe it will accomplish the same wonder for your living tissue, or maybe the aspartame critics and conspiracy theorists are right and it will just cause you to gain weight, get cancer, etc.
Aspartame was discovered by a scientist pursuing an anti-ulcer drug. If it worked for that purpose it would be sold with a long list of known side effects. Since it is a food additive it is claimed to be completely safe. For your health you may wish to cease consumption at some point.
Ah yes, Rumsfeld’s weapon of mass destruction. Another tale of revolving doors, stove-piped intelligence (not) and personal benefit by a “public servant” (again not).
Toxicologically speaking, formaldehyde isn’t “formed”; it is metabolized from methanol, which we also consume when eating fruit, beer, and liquor.
I’ll give up fruit. But I’ll give up my beer and liquor when they pry them from my cold, gray hands. Which, by the way, will be extremely well preserved.
Left unsaid, the fruit, beer and liquor methanol does not metabolize to formaldehyde like aspartame in the human. Thus said you might qualify as a PR hack for Searle, Monsanto or ADM Patrick. Framing, questions not asked, and statistics are all just tools in the hands of those responsible.
PR.. really Phil? How does any of what I said sound like PR? I was commenting on “Critics” comment about the safety of aspartame… I love diet soda and won’t likely stop drinking it any time soon. While I’m here, please explain how methanol in fruit is different than methanol derived from metabolized aspartame. Am I to assume that arsenic in cashews is different than arsenic found in mine leachate also?
I ran across a website that is offering Pre-orders on this firearm!!!
http://www.woodburyoutfitters.com/The-Ruger-SR1911-Centerfire-Pistol-P11758C1728.aspx
Wow! At $20 off list I should buy a dozen or so and make a fabulous profit reselling them at list.
/sarc off
What a great looking 1911! I have owned a P-90 since it came out and am very happy with it. I have an original colt 1911 goverment model and would love to have the Ruger in my safe. Great job and keep up the good work. Looking forword to seeing which new 1911 model will be released next! An officers compact would be nice.. hint hint
Mine is on order, can’t wait! Come on Ruger, give us a 1911 9mm too!
The only thing I don’t like about the SR1911 is that they have not yet announced a model with an ambidextrous safety. This is a MUST HAVE for us lefties!
Yes, what DO you like? Not sarcastic. Interested.
I like pretty much everything about it so far except for the lack of an ambidextrous safety. I love Ruger’s handguns. I’ve owned 3. I currently own a SR40 & a SR9C. never had any problems with any of their guns. I especially like the idea that this could be a reliable carry piece that will most likely sell for somewhere between $640-$700, which is a damn good price compared to competing manufacturers’ products. Right now my EDC piece is a Kimber Tactical Custom II, and that goes for about $1200. If the SR1911 feeds pretty much any factory JHPs (including +P cartridges) then I see no reason to spend hundreds more on a Kimber, S&W or Sig 1911 as a carry piece. I’m pretty confident that Ruger has a winner here, and I am looking forward to seeing what other 1911 models Ruger produces. Assuming that they expand the line to include the aforementioned ambi-safety, and maybe some 3 & 4″ models, I will probably end up buying one.
Go to Hickok45 for a review of the new Ruger SR1911.
He gives it a very good rating
Gentlemen, I want one! I read the main article on this new Ruger SR 1911. You may not know it, but this is not (I repeat NOT) a 1911 clone as are most other 1911’s. According to the article, This beautiful weapon is based on John Moses Brown’s original 1911 specifications and designs. I had read an article on Ruger and how things are done in their shop. Ruger builds a new weapon and then sets the price to it from the resources the parts are produced from. Most other firearms companies price the new idea and then build the weapon to the price…..long before they even know how much it cost to produce the item. The SR (that’s “swift response”) 1911 has a larger thumb safety that the thumb fits well. There is no stip of metal used as a safety sticking up between the firing pin and hammer. It needs no slide block, since it has a super strong firing pin spring with the firing pin (both made of titanium). The rear grip safety is longer going all the way up to the top of the grip; so that you have an easy grip safety release, if you are the type of person who grips the weapon up high on the handle. The slide and basic grip housing are manufactured from a block of 410 and 415 stainless steeel, respectively. If you get a second complete set of Ruger SR 1911 magazines for it you’ll have a total of 31 rounds…..more than any other 1911. That’s 2 magazines with 7 rounds each (14), 2 with 8 rounds each (16), plus the 1 round “in the pipe” (total=31). The average .45 ACP has 7 round magazines…..8 round mags. if available. Ruger provides 1 of each for this new weapon equaling 16, with the one in the chamber. I want 1 with a second set of magazines. The article stated that the SR 1911 is supposed to be easier to field strip for cleaning and reassemble than most other versions. The Colt is hard to field strip and reassemble. The Remington R1 is a little bit easier; especially in the reassembling process. The article also had a second Suggested Retail Price for the SR 1911 of $645.00. I’m awaiting the testing of the weapon in order to check out it’s capabilities; which will probably be in the next Guns & Ammo magazine edition. There are other features to this beautiful weapon, and you could get the latest Guns & Ammo to read them for yourself. With Ruger using Brown’s original specs. and plans; it will be extremely hard to beat.
it’s Browning, not Brown…
I just bought a Ruger SR1911 and I love it. Another REAL gun from Ruger (Real Gun = Steel. Not plastic crap that can double as a container for my lunch…a.k.a Glock, XD, Etc..lol). It will join my CZ 75B, and M9 as my all steel Semi-auto trio. I payed $700 for my SR1911
I purchased the SR1911 last week took it to the range yesterday ,and was very pleased with it .The overall finish is great, very solid gun,was a dream to shoot .I have allways had a great relationship with Ruger , quality products,excellent craftsmanship.
Just purchased the SR1911 and just the looks are impressive, the feel and action are great also. Put 350 rds through it and I love it. I’m retired Marine Corps, and was introdused to the Colt government issue in the 70s. This is a far cry from the weapon I shot back then. GOOD ONE Ruger!!!
Well I purchased the 1911 Rugar and being a Ruger fan for many years and owner of many Rugers over the years, I feel Ruger drop the ball on what could’ve been a great 1911. My first experience with the firing was good feel and no jam’s however it does have some of the original 1911’s design defects or over sight. The thing dents and damages shells bad, if a person reloads then you dont want this gun, unless your going to spend another $50-150 on a little reworking to prevent the shells from hitting! A shell getting hit and dented like what I experienced is an big NO, NO! Sooner or later this type of problem causes malfuctioning and in a gun of this price range it should not be happening. I’ll stick to my Kimber! Ruger was no help and will not even reply to e-mails and phone messages left for them to reply too! It’s been a month and to them customer service doesn’t exsist and least for me anyways! That’s my two cents! Be safe!
Bought the SR1911 at the PX, no tax at $710. Read this article and many others before my purchase.
Fire 56 rounds on initial outing. Bench fired first mag at 10 yards, to check sights (vs me factor). SR1911 was dead on accurate out of the box. All 56 rounds stayed inside The 2″ square center box. I’m totally impressed. Trigger pull is short and sweet, about 4.5 to 5 pounds (my best guess). Love the sights and overall feel of the grip & trigger.
Been a long time Glock fan, but fired this better than my G23.
Have now fired several hundred rounds and this gun grows on me more with every outing. Very happy with my purchase of the beautiful, well made handgun.