Ruger SR1911 Light Weight Commander at the range.

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  • AngryRooster

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    I was finally able to get the time to get to the range today. I bought a Ruger SR 1911 light weight commander last week from Buckshot in Winchester. Great shop, almost all of my purchases over the last couple years have come from them. I traded the last remaining Springfield in the house for the Ruger. It was a 4" XDS bi-tone. The 4" shot much nicer than the 3.3" but was still a handful when spending a day at the range. Since I like to shoot my guns as much as I like to carry them, and taking into consideration the debacle Springfield inflicted on us a while back, I decided to say goodbye to the XDS. As always Buckshot was great and the transaction was smooth. I picked up a 7 round Wilson mag while I was there and found a couple of the Wilson 47D mags on sale at Brownells.

    I'm not new to the 1911 platform. I've owned many over the years but it's been a long time since there was one in my stable. At least 15 years. I took an assortment of ammo to the range with me and started out at 10 yards. I quickly moved the target back to 15 yards after about 50 rounds. The little Ruger shot very well with few complaints. The trigger is nice and crisp without being too light. Coming from a Glock/M&P background I did not want a super light trigger. It shot to POA with everything I put through it. The ammo I took was:

    WWB 230
    HST 230 +P
    Ranger T 230 +P
    My reloads consisting of 230 HP platted from Xtreme bullets over 5.0 grains Bullseye.

    My main complaint about the gun was it kept throwing brass in my face. Not a glancing blow, or bouncing off the hat. They were right in the face. I was hit in the glasses at least a dozen times, several in the forehead, one right on the nose and a couple on the mouth. I caught one right above the left eye that jammed itself between my glasses and face about a half inch above my eyeball. That one sat there and burned until I could smack it out of my face. This is the only problem I had with the gun, but it was a big problem.

    Okay, on to the fun stuff. Here are some pictures of the targets. I tired to take a video as an afterthought but for some reason my Android was being difficult so pictures are all we get.

    View from the bench. Target was at 15 yards measured with Bushnell range finder.

    IMG_20150428_145107_010.jpg


    All targets together. Starting at the top left is the Federal HST 230 +P. Top center is my reloads. Top right is the WWB 230. Bottom row left is the Ranger T 230 +P and the bottom center is a few from my Glock 21 just to see how I dealt with the trigger adjustment. After several hundred rounds through the Ruger I felt like something was broke with my Glock. I kept squeezing the trigger and nothing happened. Nothing was wrong, I just wasn't pulling the trigger FAR enough. I'm sure I'll end up spoiled with a 1911 trigger in the house again.

    IMG_20150428_145130_337.jpg




    Below are a few closer pictures.
    Fed HST 230 +P

    IMG_20150428_145135_626.jpg



    Ranger T 230 +P

    IMG_20150428_145157_076.jpg



    WWB 230

    IMG_20150428_145149_581.jpg



    Xtreme 230 HP plated over 5.0 Bullseye

    IMG_20150428_145142_346.jpg



    Overall I like the gun but need to see what can be done about the brass to the face. It seemed to be aiming the brass back at my eyes. Eye protection is always a good idea when shooting, in this case it's mandatory. I would not let someone shoot this gun without it. I wear prescription glasses and have pretty poor vision without them. Halfway through the day I was wishing I had a pair of goggles or a riot helmet.
     
    Last edited:

    wtburnette

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    Thanks for the RR. I was looking at getting one of these myself, but after fondling it at USDS, I can honestly say I'm now looking to go a different direction. I really want to get a bobtail model for carry, so I'm now looking at the DW VBOB. I know, quite different from the Ruger and quite a bit more expensive. The brass to the face you experienced just makes me even more determined to go that route.
     

    AngryRooster

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    I spoke with Ruger today and told them about the brass to the face. They asked me a couple of questions and wanted to know if I did any mods to the gun. I told them that the only thing I did was to try out a 20 lbs recoil spring after I got nailed for a while. I still got pelted regardless of the spring. The gun functioned fine with either one other than that. I put the factory spring back in and shot some more, still got nailed.

    Ruger wants the gun back to look it over. They emailed me a 2 day shipping tag and said it should take between 5-10 days after they receive it. I'll take someone else with me this Friday and try it again then ship it off on Monday so it doesn't spend the weekend in some random place. I doubt it will make a difference but he wants to shoot it anyway. I told him to make sure he has safety glasses and a ball cap for his eyes.

    At least while it's gone I'll have plenty of time to order and load more of those Xtreme 230's.
     

    AngryRooster

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    Noticed something else strange today. The left grip panel has a small gap at the bottom. Enough that a paper clip can slip in. I took the grip panel off and the lower bushing is sticking up and is a little crooked. It looks like it is cross threaded into the frame. I didn't screw with it since the gun is going back anyway. I'll add that to the brass issue and see what they say. If it is cross threaded or stripped then it's damaged the aluminum frame and no other bushing will fit properly in the future.
     

    AngryRooster

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    Had a bit of a delay getting it shipped off to Ruger, life seems to happen. Anyway, I got it shipped yesterday (Monday) and checked the tracking information today. Gotta love FedEx tracking. It says it left Indy today at 4:22pm and arrived at the sort facility in Phoenix at 4:49pm. So when did FedEx get transporter technology?

    View attachment 38653
     

    AngryRooster

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    Btw
    fine shooting there

    Thank you. I hope the gun comes back soon and doesn't assault me with every shot. I'm wondering if they will have to replace the frame with that cross threaded grip bushing or if there is something else they can do. Once it comes back and everything checks out then it will get some new night sights and VZ grips to wear.
     

    oldpink

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    It's clear that your SR1911 is permanently damaged.
    When it comes back from Ruger, I'll do you a favor and take it off of your hands.
    :evilangel:
     

    AngryRooster

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    When I saw this bumped, I was hoping you had heard back already.

    I really wanted to get it in there sooner but too many things happened. Father had third stint installed, uncle from California we see once every 10 or 15 years came for a visit, mower broke and with our Central American climate and a 3 acre front yard I've been busy. New chicks, building new reloading/casting bench for the barn, storage shelves. Wasn't there a thread about cloning someplace? How do I go about getting one?
     

    AngryRooster

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    Gun is not back yet but I did get some news and it's on it's way. I got a FedEx shipping notice email on Friday but no word from Ruger so I gave them a call. They said they tuned the extractor but it didn't need replaced. They said they fired 35 rounds of 230 FMJ and it threw them to the side like it should, no brass to the face. They didn't say anything about the grip bushing so I asked. They didn't have it listed as something to look at so I told them again about the gap. They dug the box out of the outgoing stack and opened it up to check it out. They said the bushing was bad and it didn't look cross threaded to them. They replaced it and boxed it back up and it still went out on Friday. It will be here on Wednesday and I plan to run at least 300 rounds through it by the weekend with 3 different shooters. I'm also going to check that bushing again. Once everything checks out then it will get a set of night sights and VZ grips to wear.

    Between now and Wednesday I've got to get some ammo cast, PCd and loaded. I want some factory FMJ, and HST along with some of my own to take to the range.
     

    oldpink

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    That's the best possible way to use the time waiting for your Ruger to come back.:yesway:
    You're over in Randolph County, not very far from Modoc, right?
     

    PRasko

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    I have never messed with an extractor, I wonder what "tuning" means.

    It's tensioned incorrectly. That's all.

    Every once in a while you'll get one that needs to be tensioned so it doesn't spit brass in your face, top of head, or in my case between my cheek and glasses... :(
     

    AngryRooster

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    The gun showed up today, one day early. The paperwork inside says they adjusted the extractor and fired 35 rounds of Black Hills 230 grain with no problems. It did not say anything about the grip bushing. The gap in the grip is gone and they fit flush now. I took the grip off and it looks like they just tightened the cross threaded bushing. It is still the same bushing, there was a mark on it before I sent it back, and it's still cross threaded. I'm not happy about that at all, especially when they told me it was fine and they were going to replace it. The bushing is solid and the grips are solid. I like the thin grips better than the full size and plan on replacing the stock ones with a set of VZs. I guess my choices are to live with it like that and blue loctite it in place or return it to Ruger again. I don't know what the normal procedure for cross-threaded parts are. I've rarely heard of it with new firearms. I doubt I'll ever put different size grips on it.
    The good news is I got a free Ruger cleaning rag for the inconvenience and they didn't put an idiot mark on it when they put it back together. Turn around was quick once I was able to get it to them.

    I need to get some ammo cast, PCd and loaded now. I'll get to try out some new powder coating as well. It's the signal blue from Smoke on CB. My pot is clogged pretty bad though. I'm going to have to disassemble it and see if I can get it straightened out. I have an order in for a new rod and spout. That should be here this week as well. If I can scrounge up some pure lead instead of wheel weights then I'll do up some HP 200s and see how the expand. My WW lead doesn't work well for that.
     
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