An acquaintance posted a photo on social media asking if anyone knew “what this pistol is?” It was a Ruger SR1911, but it had the black (apparently anodized) frame similar in appearance to the SR1911 CMD-A (the lightweight “Commander” sized) pistol.
Heading to the Ruger website – while I’m a “boomer,” I know a little about the error-net – I found the Ruger SR1911-A, Model Number: 6792, Caliber: 45 Auto.
It’s a full-size (5” barrel) 1911 pistol with an aluminum frame and with Ruger’s polished titanium feed ramp. The hardened feed ramp prevents the feedway from getting nicked up from HP ammunition.
The website noted this is a new product, so I got to asking for one for T&E.
It quickly arrived, in a classy hardshell box with one seven-round and one eight-round magazine.
It was tight. I don’t recall the other Ruger SR1911 models to be so closely fitted with the exception of a 10mm and a creation from their Custom Shop. This gun rivalled those.
It’s pretty much standard Ruger fare: stainless steel barrel and slide, Novak sights (with that pattern of white dots), the extended thumb safety and grip safety – properly fitted. The differences include the anodized aluminum frame, giving an unloaded weight of just over 31 oz.
After photography, I field stripped the piece and noted white grease along the frame rails – a smart idea. I added some oil to the exterior of the barrel over which the barrel bushing rides, the barrel lugs and the front of the hood of the barrel. I ran a bead along the slide pickup rail too.
The following day, I took it for a very short range trip in advance of the rain. I began the break-in with some aged Cor-Bon 230gr. JHP +P ammo. While ammo like this had been stout in our issue S&W Model 4506-1 pistols many years ago, the torque in the alloy-framed SR1911 caused some painful wrist flex on the right side. I still noticed the extreme torque (call it “instant flinch”) when shooting the piece left-handed. It wasn’t painful, so the discomfort was likely due to previous injuries.
I tried some Federal Classic 185gr. JHP – and got a failure to feed with the last round in the 8-round magazine. It ran without issues in the seven round Ruger magazine. With some trepidation, I shot some Federal Gold Medal Match 185gr SWC (‘softball’) ammo. Its short length overall is the bane of auto pistols’ existence. It ran just fine in the SR1911-A.
Both 185 grain loads hit to point of aim at ten yards.
I ran a modified Bakersfield PD qual. As I had no holster with me, I ran it from a legitimate low ready and cut the times by ½ second. I needn’t have bothered – I nicely went over time on each stage. Using the target downloaded here and printed locally, I had “C” zone hits on each stage. My “last round stoppage” with the eight-round magazine bit me again on the last string, leaving me with a score of 90 – barely. This was no fault of the gun.
I planned a second range trip, upon which I’ll report soon.
-- Rich Grassi