SR 45 and the rest of the SR line was quietly discontinued. There are still some NIB, old stock pistols to be found here and there but the SR production line ended 2017 as near as I can tell.
That leaves me a bit mystified as a SR45 owner. I can't find a fault with my example. Well maybe one …… the safety is easy to flick off but flicking it back on takes some effort and focus. It is not as though it mechanical issue, but rather a ergonomic issue. That lever is small which is nice in many ways but once in the fire position the thumb wants to slide along its length rather then flip it over to the safe position. THe leverage and angle just don't work as well for going to safe as it does to fire. However flipping it from safe to fire …… not quite in the 1911 realm of easy and natural but close.
In regards to the other issues that one considers when evaluating a pistol such as size and weight … for a 45 ACP with 10+1 rounds its down right svelte. Just enough heft to make shooting comfortable. Its a full size pistol, kind of similar in size to the 1911 commander so you have the same advantage and limitations experienced gun toters would expect.
Accuracy is very good, heck even excellent. It is helped by a excellent trigger that is by anything other then single action match standards excellent (I say that because the natural comparison to match grade triggers in similar 1911 style 45 ACP). Compared to a stock Glock trigger …… well no comparison. Ruger definitely got this right.
The sights are good by todays standards. Really we have gotten spoiled in the last few years. Remember when 1911 and Browning Hi Powers ruled the pistol market? Remember those sights? I did not remember them being a handicap back then when I had 20 something year old eyes but now that I'm in my 50's and I try to use them …… well those sights ain't what they use to be I guess.
The Ruger sights are very good and align quickly and naturally. And finally I want to touch on reliability .... early on Ruger's SR series had some spotty reports of issues with functioning. I think there was some validity to those complaints. I also think Ruger quickly addressed the issue and got it fixed at the production level as well as retroactively fixed pistols sent back. My example just passed the 6K mark. I had some FTF issues early on (first 100 rounds) and then nothing further. I attribute this to some break in of a tight fit between frame and slide.
Often we look at low sales figures for designs that seem to come and go quickly, especially from big manufacturers, that are then deemed failures. People assume some mechanical or structural flaw results in their withdrawal from the market (Remington's RP 9 for example) but the SR series is an exception to that. If you see one languishing in the used gun counter at the local gun shop, don't hesitate to give it a look. Particularly if the owner has priced it according to a perception that it is a failure.
Wm
