Ruger SR9c??? Am I crazy???

Living behind enemy lines in the People's Republic of Massachusetts, we are limited to buying new handguns that are on our MA EOPS list and they must meet the AG's Regs (the mysterious, unpublished "top secret" list). That limits us in many ways. While my collection (accumulation) is primarily made up of S&W products, bought both new and used, I do own a handful of Ruger products and others including a new LC9s. I find it helpful to own more than one brand for variety and general comparison purposes. Nothing original or unique about that.

One handgun that keeps coming back onto my non-S&W possibilities list is the Ruger SR9c. Several reasons for that despite the fact that I think the gun is a little weird looking with its silly, oversized LCI and that weird takedown pin assembly that looks like it was designed by a Ruger janitor, not a gun designer. The main reasons are: 1) Dirt cheap price (especially "slightly used"), 2) 10-round capacity (the max allowed by our MA AWB), 3) a MA-compliant trigger that seems to be better than most comparable MA-compliant S&W products out of the box (no need for an Apex kit), and 4) a nice compact size and feel for a "maximum legal capacity" 9mm handgun.

The thing is that I am not particularly fond of plastic generally and I've already got the new Ruger LC9s and a couple Shields. In other words, plenty of plastic! On top of that, I am awfully short on cash right now and am approaching what I feel is a maximum manageable size for my gun collection (accumulation). So why the Hell does the SR9c keep coming back onto my possibilities list?

Part of the problem is simply a lack of other good, interesting, affordable options. I have been called "Mister Under $500" in regard to my gun collecting (accumulating) activity. Retirement and relative poverty keeps me from collecting/accumulating many big dollar items.

So am I crazy or not? Would an SR9c be a sensible purchase for me under the circumstances? Or would it be just plain outright silliness for an old man who is mainly an S&W guy? Help!!!

It's a great gun.

I have and frequently carry a SR9c. I also frequently carry a Kahr CM9. In the past, I've carried (in the pretty small 9mm category) Glock 26s, a Kahr PM9 Covert (that's the short PM frame with the mid-sized P9 slide assembly), a Rohrbaugh R9s, a CZ RAMI and a Walther PPS (to name the ones that spring to mind).



I find my SR9c to be the easiest of all of these to shoot rapidly and accurately. I like the trigger the best on it, too. It carries far better than usual for a double-stack in that the Ruger engineers appear to have put some real thought into making it thin. It is, however, pretty large for a "subcompact" 9mm - it's larger than the G26, for instance (tho not as thick or as clunky) - and it's been completely reliable for me with a wide variety of ammo.

When I take newbies out to shoot, of all the subcompact 9mm pistols I mentioned above, the SR9c and the Glock 26s were the ones they shot best. I'm very pleased to have mine.

I had one for many years but sold it to fund my sig p320 carry. It's an excellent carry gun. The trigger isn't bad, especially after breaking it in. The sights are very accurate (I like the large front sight with smaller rear sights). The gun never malfunctioned on me and I put over 1k rounds through it. They're very underrated pistols.

My brother in law has one and likes it. It's been 100% reliable for him. It's been a longtime since I last shot it but I do recall liking it.

Not crazy, get it!!! And I especially agree with your comments about the trigger. When I bought my FS 9mm it was between the Ruger and M&P. Went with the M&P because it felt better in my hand but I sure missed the Ruger trigger. APEX kit fixed the trigger but at a cost.

I had a 40c twice. And I traded a 40c twice. Despite my lack of satisfaction, it's a fine gun.

The gun was okay. Never any issues, I could be satisfied with it if I were to somehow be limited to it being my only choice.

Again, the gun had no issues. It was reliable and trustworthy. I did do a trigger job on my second one, which made it an even better shooter. I also replaced some of the internal plastic like the guide rod and striker indicator to stainless steel.

My problem was the size. It's pretty large for my carry needs. Usually 9 or 10 active hours. For me, I have to go smaller for my EDC guns. But that's my only issue, and it's not just that gun, but most "compact" guns.

So if you want one.... go for it!

My 2 cents . I have the SR9E! The Cs bigger brother Love it! On the Ruger forums a lot of 9C users there and they all seem to LOVE the C.. I was thinking of getting the SR9C because it could use my (E 17 round mags as well as the 10, but the size difference is not much so I got the Shield....... You will like the SR9C Great gun

I don't know if it matters or not, but it's easy to remove the magazine disconnect on the SR9C too. All you need is 3 minutes and youtube. Galloway Precision sells a lot of custom ruger parts too.

They are nice little guns and really do like them for the smooth handling they have. For a small range gun they are great do to the light short trigger pull.

If I was you I'd try holding out unless you see one at a good price. But they are one of the nicer polymer pistols out there.

All positive, supportive comments so far! No one who thinks I'm crazy to be thinking SR9c? That's a big relief!

One other purely "personal preference" question I must ask: Which is considered preferable out there? The all-black model or the two-tone model?

I ask that only because the two-tone model tends to sell for less in my area, both brand new and slightly used. Should I draw the conclusion from that price difference that most folks prefer the all-black version?

Thanks again for all the support!

Shorty 45 MK2 said:

They are nice little guns and really do like them for the smooth handling they have. For a small range gun they are great do to the light short trigger pull.

If I was you I'd try holding out unless you see one at a good price. But they are one of the nicer polymer pistols out there.

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They tend to go for relatively short money even brand new at my favorite (lowest priced) MA dealer... ... but they recently had several "very slightly used" ones at the same dealer's shop tagged at $299.99.

They all eventually sold, but it's only a matter of time before more appear. I'll admit that the (very low) price and the (MA maximum) 10-round capacity in a lightweight compact pistol with a decent trigger are the driving forces behind my troubling recurring interest.

Conversely, I'll admit that the hideous LCI and the peculiar looking takedown pin assembly are the two items that have kept me far, far away.

Philadelphia Patriot said:

I don't know if it matters or not, but it's easy to remove the magazine disconnect on the SR9C too. All you need is 3 minutes and youtube. Galloway Precision sells a lot of custom ruger parts too.

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Yeah, I did the mag disconnect removal.

I dislike high-albedo stainless showing on anything, so I was happy to get the blackened one. Your call which suits you better.

TTSH - you really can't go wrong with the SR9c. It is a sweet and soft shooting 9mm. Had one for a couple of years, never had a malfunction. It's very accurate, has a very nice trigger (nicer than the Glock, IMHO), easy to takedown and clean....what's not to like?

I sold mine to feed my 3rd Gen affliction - a 908s and a 909. Figure I can always buy the Ruger but might not find many more affordable 3rd Gens.

Personally, I think it's a bargain among the plastic fantastics. I'd probably go with the 9E or SR9 simply because the 17 round mag (with the grip extension for the 9c) feels so much better to my hand. The 10 rounder with the pinky extension is OK by me.

Yes, I think it's a little large for a "compact" model. I do prefer the slimness of the S&W single stacks. But for what it is, you can't go wrong. Honestly, at its price point, it really is a good value.

Good luck!

Dan

CoronaDan said:

TTSH - you really can't go wrong with the SR9c. It is a sweet and soft shooting 9mm. Had one for a couple of years, never had a malfunction. It's very accurate, has a very nice trigger (nicer than the Glock, IMHO), easy to takedown and clean....what's not to like?

I sold mine to feed my 3rd Gen affliction - a 908s and a 909. Figure I can always buy the Ruger but might not find many more affordable 3rd Gens.

Personally, I think it's a bargain among the plastic fantastics. I'd probably go with the 9E or SR9 simply because the 17 round mag (with the grip extension for the 9c) feels so much better to my hand. The 10 rounder with the pinky extension is OK by me.

Yes, I think it's a little large for a "compact" model. I do prefer the slimness of the S&W single stacks. But for what it is, you can't go wrong. Honestly, at its price point, it really is a good value.

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Thanks Dan! As you may know, S&W 3rd Gens are my true love and addiction. But a little variety is good too, especially if it is available at a relative bargain price and in the absence of any good 3rd Gen deals on models I don't already own.

Ruger is the second most popular brand in my collection/accumulation. Way down the list from S&W for sure, but still the second most popular brand. Picking up an LC9s, for example, was a no-brainer for me. Didn't even have to think twice about it. Done!!!

But the SR9c has been a tough animal for me. I am really conflicted about it. It's been on and off the "possibilities list" more times than I can count. But weirdly, it always comes back.

If only it didn't have those two oddball cosmetic features that bother me so much... it would be a done deal by now.

Follow-Up...

TTSH said:

But the SR9c has been a tough animal for me. I am really conflicted about it. It's been on and off the "possibilities list" more times than I can count. But weirdly, it always comes back.

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Okay, after endless on-and-off appearances on the "possibilities" list, I finally did it. I purchased a used one... a two-tone 9mm SR9c in "as-new" shape for $299+Tx.

I'm still not fully sure how I feel about that, but it was an itch that had to be scratched... so I scratched it.

Taking it to the range will have to wait until after the wife's vacation ends, but I'll report back on my impressions once I have something more to tell.

At the price I paid, I can hardly go wrong. If I don't like it, I can dump it for practically no loss. If I do like it... well, that's a scary prospect! Stay tuned!

I have the full size and love it. I carry the lc9-s and love it. Not interested in the compact just because I think it's too big to carry. I go as small and light as possible.

I like the LCI and manual and may safeties. That's why I got the ruger of the m&p. And I am laser accurate with the full size and very accurate with the lc9-s.

I got the black model. Hate two toned guns.

I've not owned one myself but my son, a deputy sheriff, had one for a while that he wanted to carry off duty. He didn't have it long. Didn't like the trigger, didn't like the safety (which had a tendency to brush off and was too small anyway). It shot OK, but he had enough issues with it to convince me that I didn't need to spend any of my money on one.

kbm6893 said:

I have the full size and love it. I carry the lc9-s and love it. Not interested in the compact just because I think it's too big to carry. I go as small and light as possible.

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I understand. I've got an LC9s too. But the quest for a modern, lightweight poly handgun designed around a 10-round magazine capacity (MA max for post-ban) kept bringing me back to the SR9c as a possibility despite a couple features I don't particularly like.

kbm6893 said:

I got the black model. Hate two toned guns.

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I'm not much of a two-tone guy either, but it works okay for me on poly-framed guns. I had my choice of either. For whatever odd reason, I went two-tone.

Wyo said:

I've not owned one myself but my son, a deputy sheriff, had one for a while that he wanted to carry off duty. He didn't have it long. Didn't like the trigger, didn't like the safety (which had a tendency to brush off and was too small anyway). It shot OK, but he had enough issues with it to convince me that I didn't need to spend any of my money on one.

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Well, we shall see what we shall see. As I've made clear, this is not a gun I'm married to. Rather, this is a gun that a ton of people seem to like and it fits my quest for a current production pistol specifically designed around a 10-round magazine capacity.

I'm not sure about others in magazine-restricted states, but the law in MA has greatly influenced what I'll consider buying in a pre-ban or post-ban pistol. In any post-ban pistol (ones with no pre-ban magazines available), 10-rounds becomes the ideal. Fewer rounds is a compromise and guns requiring "crippled" magazines are even a greater compromise. Again, this is why the SR9c has remained attractive to me despite a few things I don't like about the gun.