Ruger SR45 light strikes

[Carl in Ct]

When I first got my SR45 it ran perfectly. I ran all kinds of ammo through it, no problems. Then one time I got a couple of light strike failure to fires with Herters cheap crap ammo. Not a lot, maybe 2-3 out of 100. Chalked it up to bad ammo.

Then I got a few light strikes with American Gunner ammo but I also got that in my 9mm American Gunner ammo and I never had any issues with my CW9 with any ammo so I again chalked it up to bad ammo. Then I got a bunch of light strikes with the SR45 with Federal Premium HST ammo and Winchester white box. A lot of light strikes, like 1-2 per 10rd mag. Horrible. It was a tad dirty but not that bad.

My buddy said he heard that the Ruger firing pins had a tendency to pull debris back into the firing pin channel. So when I did my post shooting cleaning I took the firing pin out and sure enough I found debris in the channel. There was normal gunk but also what looked to be two small pieces of primer were in there.

I shot it again Friday and no problems this time. 60rds of Winchester white box and 11rds of Federal HST. No light strikes or failure to fires at all. My theory is the cheap Herters ammo probably had cheap primers that the Ruger firing pin brought back pieces of into the channel.

Hoping it stays ok now, no more Herters ammo. Hope this helps anyone experiencing light strikes with a Ruger striker fired pistol.

 

[Paul455]

I clean the striker channel after every range visit on my SR45.

I have run a few thousand rounds thru it with no issues.

 

[Carl in Ct]

I clean the striker channel after every range visit on my SR45.

I have run a few thousand rounds thru it with no issues.

Yeah I will from now on too.

 

[bill o]

You don't lube your firing pin channel, right? It should be dry.

 

[Carl in Ct]

You don't lube your firing pin channel, right? It should be dry.

Correct, no lube in there.

 

[tuna]

How do you like the SR45? I'm really getting an itch for one, but I'm hesitatating on getting one.

 

[hminsky]

Geez, I had this problem with a Ruger LC9 , it would shave brass off of the primer and fill up the firing pin channel. It seems like a problem
with Ruger's design.

I never found a satisfactory solution, even after I sent it back to the factory for repair, it still had issues. I gave up on that model.

 

[Al-Jim19]

How do you like the SR45? I'm really getting an itch for one, but I'm hesitatating on getting one.

Had one a while back. It was comfortable to shoot. More accurate than I am. Had issues FTE so I sold it. If I were to get a .45 again it would be a glock or MP.

 

[92G]

both the SR9 and SR45 i owned had to go back to Ruger for all sorts of various issues, including light strikes. i believe one of the dozen fixes they performed included a new striker spring. i figured the mag disconnect safety could be interfering with striker movement so i removed it.

my SR45 mag springs also went to shit after very little use so that was the end of the SR series for me.

 

[Carl in Ct]

both the SR9 and SR45 i owned had to go back to Ruger for all sorts of various issues, including light strikes. i believe one of the dozen fixes they performed included a new striker spring. i figured the mag disconnect safety could be interfering with striker movement so i removed it.

my SR45 mag springs also went to shit after very little use so that was the end of the SR series for me.

Wow, I don't blame you for giving up on them after all that. Mine has been great except for this light strike issue which I hope has been solved with more thorough cleaning on my part.

 

[Carl in Ct]

How do you like the SR45? I'm really getting an itch for one, but I'm hesitatating on getting one.

I have really liked mine a lot. It's very comfortable to shoot, including with +p ammo. It has minimal muzzle flip and it is straight up so you can quickly reacquire the target over and over. When I am at the range I find I can get into a nice easy rhythm with it and keep clanging plates without really having to reset my sight picture. Not sure if that makes sense the way I tried to describe it.

The trigger is good out of the box, no need for gunsmithing or replacement parts. I can't speak to the problems others have mentioned because I have not experienced those, just the light strikes which I think is solved.

 

[92G]

Wow, I don't blame you for giving up on them after all that. Mine has been great except for this light strike issue which I hope has been solved with more thorough cleaning on my part.

unless the striker channel has thick gunk in there, the spring should be strong enough to still ignite primers. in other words, it should run even with a dirty striker channel. if the striker channel needs to be perfectly clean for ignition then there's an inherent problem, likely fixed by heavier striker spring.

this gets to another issue with the SR design. the magazine disconnect safety impedes striker movement when the magazine is removed. it's another point where the gun can fail. thankfully it's easily removed. you might want to check your mag disconnect safety and make sure it's not gunked up or stuck. such a failure will mimic light strikes but it's not. the main difference being if the mag disconnect is malfunctioning the primer will have no strike at all.

 

[Carl in Ct]

unless the striker channel has thick gunk in there, the spring should be strong enough to still ignite primers. in other words, it should run even with a dirty striker channel. if the striker channel needs to be perfectly clean for ignition then there's an inherent problem, likely fixed by heavier striker spring.

this gets to another issue with the SR design. the magazine disconnect safety impedes striker movement when the magazine is removed. it's another point where the gun can fail. thankfully it's easily removed. you might want to check your mag disconnect safety and make sure it's not gunked up or stuck. such a failure will mimic light strikes but it's not. the main difference being if the mag disconnect is malfunctioning the primer will have no strike at all.

I don't think it was the gunk as there wasn't that much of it but definitely some. I am pretty sure it was the debris which appeared to be two small pieces of primer metal that got suck in. All of the primers that failed to fire had decent strikes but not quite enough to go off apparently and they all went off the second time so I don't think it was the mag disconnect.

I hate mag disconnects and was seriously considering not putting it back in when I had it apart. It wasn't very dirty BTW, just a tad. Are there any concerns as far as functionality over the long haul with taking it out?

 

[92G]

I hate mag disconnects and was seriously considering not putting it back in when I had it apart. It wasn't very dirty BTW, just a tad. Are there any concerns as far as functionality over the long haul with taking it out?

aside from having an open area in middle of the slide, i have seen no particular issue with removing it. theoretically more debris could access the striker channel but this is just speculation. there will be some who whine about the legal aspects of removing a mag disconnect at which i reply with the following: 1) 95% of firearms don't have a mag disconnect and 2) if pistol is used the mag disconnect issue will least of one's worries.