July 10, 2020
By Stan Trzoniec
Ruger's Security-9 Compact semiautomatic pistol is now available with a Viridian laser mounted on the trigger guard. Thanks to a double-stack, 10-round magazine, the glass-filled nylon grip feels full, and the grip has stippled panels on all sides including the grip extension. The stippled panels are neither harsh nor aggressive, but just right to allow good purchase. The backstrap has a little arch to it, which I like.
The alloy steel slide has cocking serrations fore and aft and is matte blue. The frame features a hard-coat aluminum chassis with full-length guide rails to keep everything running smooth and tight.
The no-snag rear sight can be drifted for windage only. An Allen screw in the center allows the sight to be moved and then locked down. The sight’s notch is large and crisp, and the white outline makes for fast sight acquisition even in poor lighting.
The single-side safety has a red indicator when in the Fire position. Trzoniec found the slide lock lever difficult to use as a slide release. The front sight is a post with a white dot, and it can be drifted for windage. The front and rear combine for a clean sight picture, and the top of the slide is finished in a satin blue to keep reflections at bay.
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The barrel is just under 3.5 inches long with a cone-shaped profile that locks tightly with the slide. The front of both the slide and the Picatinny rail have been contoured for easy holstering.
Within the slide is a massive extractor and a hefty mechanical ejector. The barrel extension has a “view port” (Ruger’s term) that serves as a loaded-chamber indicator.
This is a hammer-fired gun, which means it’s easier to rack than a striker-fired gun yet delivers a strong strike on a primer for sure ignition. While trigger pull averaged about five pounds, it has a clean and snappy reset.
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Controls are straightforward. The manual safety lever is on the left side only. This safety might take a little getting used to because it pivots on the front side of the lever rather than the rear as most other guns.
The Viridian red laser attaches to the trigger guard and rail. It has on/off buttons on both sides of the unit. When down, in the Fire position, a red dot appears under the lever; when up, a capital “S” appears for Safe. But you have to have good eyes to see both. Additionally, the pistol has an integrated trigger safety to prevent the hammer from falling unless the trigger is pulled.
With the slide locked back and the magazine out, I had a hard time working the slide stop as a release. I needed to pull back on the slide a little while pulling down on the stop to release the slide.
The Viridian laser is made of high-strength polymer. It is mounted on the trigger guard and is also attached to the pistol’s Picatinny rail. A red on/off switch is found on either side of the unit. Pushing it in will activate the laser; pushing it again shuts it off. If you forget to turn it off, it will power down within five minutes.
The unit has adjustments for both windage and elevation. The laser is supposed to come sighted in, and while the dot seemed to align with the sights as I first took the gun out of the box, when I took it to the range, I discovered I needed to make some adjustments.
At the range, I was impressed how the gun handled in my hand simply because of the wide grip. Shooting a short-barreled compact gun in 9mm can be hard on the hands with a narrow grip, but the Ruger never wore me down throughout the morning of shooting—even with the Barnes +P loads.
The sights were more than adequate, and even though I was shooting in the daylight, I did try the laser, which was somewhat visible at the 15-yard line. Indoors the laser was bright and gave a clean sight picture at anything I aimed at.
The coned barrel locks up tightly in the slide, and the front of the slide and the Picatinny rail are contoured for easy holstering. The five-pound trigger pull made it hard to get small groups, and going into it I figured I would be more than satisfied if all my shots would be within a three-inch circle. So I was more than pleased at the averages I got. The best group of the day went to Hornady ’s 124-grain XTP: a 2.6-inch five-shot group.
My only concern was the fact that when the gun went empty, getting it back into battery is a two-hand operation. With your thumb on the slide lock, you have to pull the slide back just a bit with your other hand to let the slide follow to chamber a round.
Figuring I did not have my Wheaties for breakfast, I asked another shooter to try it, and he also had to use both hands. So if you like to use the slide-lock lever as a release, this is something to consider.
For a price point of under $450, I rate the made-in-America Ruger Security-9 with the laser a good buy. Ruger continues to produce top-quality, reasonably priced firearms for sporting and defense uses. This gun is one of them.
Ruger Security-9 Compact with Viridian Laser Specs Type: Hammer-fired semiauto centerfire Caliber: 9mm Luger Capacity: 10+1 Barrel: 3.42 in. OAL/Height/Width: 6.5/4.4/1.0 in. Weight: 22.4 oz. Construction: Blue alloy steel slide, glass-filled nylon frame w/aluminum chassis Trigger: 5 lb. pull (measured) Sights: drift adjustable white outline rear, white dot front; adjustable Viridian red laser Safety: Single-side thumb, hammer block Price: $439 Manufacturer: Ruger, ruger.com Ruger Security-9 Compact with Viridian Laser Accuracy Results Notes: Accuracy results are averages of five five-shot groups at 15 yards from a sandbag rest. Velocities are averages of 25 shots recorded on an Oehler Model 35P chronograph. Abbreviation: JHP, jacketed hollowpoint
