Released just over 13 months ago, the Ruger 9mm is slim, light and configured for low-powered 9mm ammunition -- as it comes from the factory. As it's a fairly conventional 1911 in terms of machinery, this is of little import to the types of folks who would prefer a light weight 9mm 1911 to one of the 'modern striker fired' pistols. You can simply buy a low-cost spring to prepare the gun for hotter 9x19mm ammo. I'd wondered about this piece for some time, saw and ran the press release when it came out. It seemed like a smart move for Ruger: the 1911 is, for whatever reason, not going away and the 9x19mm is the most prolific cartridge out there – and the cheapest to shoot. Before someone screams about "sub-caliber" 1911 pistols, blame the Colt Manufacturing Company in place in post-World War II America – or the government. The Army called for a lighter service pistol, one chambered for the NATO pistol service cartridge, after having entered and completed WWII with a logistical crazy-quilt of calibers, magazines, parts and other stuff. The idea, I'm sure, was a land war in Europe – again – and being able to raid stores of Allies for small-arms ammunition. Colt manufactured the gun asked for, called it the Commander. This was an aluminum alloy frame under a 1911 upper with a 4.25" barrel and appropriately shortened slide. The front lock up – the barrel bushing – was configured to work in the shortened space. The gun was chambered for 9x19mm NATO.

The 'soft ball' recoil spring made recoil seem more than it really was. Changing recoil springs is cheap and easy.

The government cancelled its interest in new Army pistols and Colt manufactured the gun in .45 Auto, .38 Super and, later, 9mm. Around 20 years passed and they made the Combat Commander, a steel frame Commander originally issued in .45 ACP. Fast forward from a time in which there was but one so-called "Constitutional Carry" state and no "shall issue" states to a time in which nearly all states have some form of concealed carry. It's an era in which increasing numbers of people are gaining interest in guns and shooting. Enter the current batch of 1911-pattern guns. A summary of the gun's features is in order. First, the SR1911 has a stainless steel barrel and slide. The barrel and bushing are machined out of the same bar stock on the same machine. The barrel is ramped, Nowlin-style, enhancing feeding of the 9mm and preventing the issue of the aluminum frame-feed ramps of the type seen in earlier guns from being nicked up by hollow-points. The 29 ounce auto has black rubber stocks, marked with the Ruger logo, on the gray anodized frame. The plunger tube is integral. There is no firing pin blocking plunger, but a titanium firing pin of less mass than steel. Sights are genuine Novak, painted with three-white dots "because everyone wants them." Novak sights are great, dots are a little silly – but, as Jeff Quinn notes, than can be resolved with a Sharpie permanent marker. All of the appointments that used to be "custom" on earlier guns of the same type are present including a long thumb safety and enhanced grip safety. The slide was very easy to rack. In an old Western movie, someone would say, "Too easy." The chevron-style cocking serrations, while actually giving one a good purchase, aren't so much the reason as the light recoil spring. In an effort to have the gun run with the lightest-loaded, most-commonly purchased "big box store" style powder-puff range ammo, they put in a light recoil spring. As a result, my first range trip with the 9mm SR1911 saw me carrying Winchester White Box 115 grain ammo and a box of defense ammo – just to see if it'd work. The gun's provided with a pair of 9-round magazines, floorplate flush to the frame when inserted. I had a "3-pack" of Brownells magazines and four Wilson Combat Elite Tactical Magazines to take along to the range. Both of the aftermarket magazine brands are rated at 10-round capacity and they are each longer than the Ruger factory 9-shot magazines. One of my favorite holsters from one of my favorite makers also made the trip: Simply Rugged Holsters' Cuda pancake holster, faced in cape buffalo, with matching single magazine pouch – which I won at a shoot-off at Gunsite Academy. Rob Leahy paid homage to the classic pancake holster with this design and did it proud. The butt is pulled in closely to the wearer's side and the rig stays put. There are none finer. The factory magazines are tough to load. That's not a huge surprise and finding a mag loader for single stack magazines could suddenly be on my horizon. One of the Ruger factory magazines did not lock back on empty – in fact, it wouldn't lock the slide when trying it dry. The other did – and both locked up in the gun and fed without issues. The Brownell's magazines and Wilson Combat magazines did it all: easy to load to capacity, fed and functioned, locking the slide 100% of the time. The gun was 100% with Winchester 115 grain FMJ "soft ball." Known for its low velocities, it's pleasant to shoot and fairly accurate. There is lots of 'dwell time' in the action of the gun when shooting such mild ammo – even with the "soft ball" spring. I look forward to replacing that with a standard Commander recoil spring, just to see what happens. I fired Hornady Critical Defense 115 grain FTX through the gun too. Not a "Plus P" by any means, it's still noticeably hotter than the target ammo I used. At ten yards, I was pushing left – in this case, I believe that to be me. Likewise the vertical stringing was my grip, not the gun. Speeding up a little, I found the little gun carried on and put the hits close together. It's altogether pleasing and comfortable to shoot. So far, it's an interesting alternative to other 9mm carry options. Information on the Ruger 9mm lightweight 9mm can be found here. - - Rich Grassi