The Keefe Report: Ruger Goes 10 mm

The much anticipated (by me, anyway) Ruger SR1911 in 10 mm Auto has finally arrived. The sample arrived in our offices—a handsome matte stainless and black rendition of the firm’s take on the 1911. The 10 mm Auto is enjoying something of a resurgence of these days. They say it is of interest by hog hunters, but I think anyone who appreciates a powerful flat-shooting handgun should be a fan of the 10 mm. I’m sure the reasons Col. Jeff Cooper was such a proponent still exist, too.

                                           

The new Ruger has a 5” barrel without a bushing. Lock-up at the front is via a cone-shaped barrel fitted within the slide’s front, and there is a full-length guide rod. The barrel itself is black from its nitride coating and it has six-groove 1:16” RH twist rifling. Magazine capacity is eight rounds. The grip safety is a beavertail with a memory pad, and the checkered mainspring housing is flat. Both of the latter are black, as are the slide lock and extended manual safety on the gun’s left side.

Topping the stainless slide is a Bo-Mar-style target rear sight that is windage and elevation adjustable, while the front sight is a simple post front. Both are dovetailed into the slide in the event you want to change them.

Stocks are Hogue black rubber, done in the classic double diamond pattern. While not the most attractive stock step up I’ve seen, they help you hold on to this SR1911.

For my trip to the range I selected the SIG Sauer Elite 180-gr. FM J bullet moving at about 1150 f.p.s.—not quite a 200-gr. bullet at 1200 as originally conceived, but it is still a considerable step up from the .40 S&W. Remember, this is a 10 mm, so despite the gun’s 40-oz. weight, it was a little snappy, but quite manageable. I have fired that same load out of polymer-frame 10 mm guns and have to say the SR1911 made shooting it very pleasant. The big surprise was the energetic ejection. To say that cases are ejected briskly is an exercise in understatement.

I’m told Ruger uses the same mainspring and recoil springs that it employees in its .45 ACP guns. And perhaps best of all, the 10 mm SR1911 is priced not much more than other Ruger SR1911 pistols. At a $1,019 suggested retail price, this is quite a fun and shootable value.

For more, visit Ruger.com.