The Ruger RS45 is a polymer, striker fired pistol chambered in .45 ACP as part of Ruger’s SR series. The pistol features a double stack magazine, ambidextrous magazine release, and ambidextrous thumb safety.
Designed to compete with other polymer pistols, the SR45 features internal drop safeties and a trigger safety similar to Glock brand pistols. The entire SR series was produced between 2007 and 2019 when striker fired guns were starting to take over the market.
This pistol was a combination of older design features, modularity options, and newer standards for carry. It is essentially a full-sized pistol chambered in .45 ACP and is best compared to something like a 1911 or SIG P227.
With these guns as our baseline, the SR45 falls somewhere between them in terms of function and capacity. The SR45 is roughly the same length as the 1911 and is relatively taller while having more capacity than the 1911 with a base capacity of 10 rounds in a magazine.
This is to be expected when using a double stack magazine and matches the P227’s base capacity. However the SR45 is roughly an ounce lighter and overall bigger than the P227. This places the SR45 in the role of a duty carry pistol.
While it could be used as a concealed carry handgun, the size and weight of the gun make it less than ideal to use. The weight does help with mitigating recoil but it can take a toll on the end user if they are carrying it around all day.
The size of the gun, combined with a lack of quality holster options, will be harder to conceal, especially if you have a smaller body type.
However there are some appealing features to the SR45. The thumb safeties, loaded chamber indicator, and cocked-striker indicator all help with instilling confidence in individuals who are new to firearms.
If you do not intend to do a lot of shooting, practice, or similar activities, the SR45 is a good option on a budget. This is because these handguns generally go for half the price of most quality pistol options.
The SR45 is a legacy model from Ruger. There are no new models being produced and that means there is going to be a lack of support for the gun as years go on. While the sights can be replaced with your preferred iron sight options, it does not lend itself to being modified.
The cost to get a red dot for the pistol outweighs the initial cost to purchase it. Add in the fact that parts will eventually not be available for the gun and you have a pistol that will need to be replaced somewhere down the line.
There were numerous malfunctions, such as failures to feed, out of spec magazines, and abnormal parts wear that led to the SR series being discontinued. This left a decent number of these guns on the secondary market, but without the support needed to be able to run them for years of hard use.
If this is a range gun or something you are unlikely to shoot regularly it is a good investment.
Let’s look at some of the features and considerations for the SR45.
SR 45 Features:
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Firearm purchases require a background check and must be picked up in person by the purchaser
SBR transfers will not be accepted