But in January 2019 I was at the SHOT Show’s range day and had the opportunity to run a then-new Ruger Custom SR1911 that was different for a couple of reasons. First, it was chambered in 9mm and second it was a Doug Koenig signature model. Koenig was at the range so we had a chance to chat. He is deservedly proud of the pistol, as his name is on the slide!
Today, the Koenig model is still in Ruger’s lineup, also with a model also chambered for .45 ACP, and take my word for it the pistol is everything it should be and maybe more, depending upon one’s expectations.
A little background seems necessary. Koenig is a world-class shooter. He’s won the Bianchi Cup championship several times. He captured three World Speed Shooting championships at the Steel Challenge. He knows a little something about shooting pistols.
So when I wandered into the Ruger display at the range, there was this bundled up guy in a red stocking cap and shades — it was pretty cold and windy that morning — and I didn’t recognize him. Besides, I was too busy drooling over the pistol.
Ruger Koenig Custom SR1911
The perfect 9mm Model 1911?
One of the perks of being a gun writer is the occasional elbow-rubbing with interesting people, and under normal circumstances, being able to attend the annual Media Day At The Range preceding the annual Shooting, Hunting and Outdoor Trade (SHOT) show.
Over the years I’ve met, and even shot with, some colorful folks. One year at the old Coors Schuetzenfest, I met actors Claude Akins and John Russell. The next year, I shot with actor Robert Stack, who proved himself no slouch with a rifle. Tom Gresham is a pal and so is Mas Ayoob.
So far as the actors were concerned, the ones I’ve shared a range with were shooters so their screen time isn’t just camera trickery. The folks whose names are familiar with any serious shooter are, themselves, pretty serious shooters.
Alas, 2020 wasn’t normal as I skipped the show for the first time in decades due to a little surgery I had in December 2019 and this month’s SHOT Show is cancelled due to a major headache known as COVID-19. I think we’ll all be glad to see 2020 long in the rearview mirror.
I’ve got one custom-built Model 1911, built by the late gunsmithing maestro Richard Niemer and it’s a marvelously accurate sidearm. Like the Koenig model, my pistol has cocking serrations fore and aft, an ambidextrous thumb safety, a beavertail grip safety with the bump for positive disengagement and a 5” barrel.
Ruger’s entry has an adjustable rear sight, fiber-optic front sight, flat match trigger, Hogue Piranha G10 grip panels, 25 lpi checkering on the front strap, flat mainspring housing and a target-crowned barrel cut with six lands and grooves on a 1:16-inch right hand twist. But wait a minute, you say? That’s kind of a slow twist, isn’t it?
Uh-huh. According to Ruger literature, this is to increase accuracy with lightweight competition bullets. Makes sense — a light bullet will punch a nice hole in a cardboard target.
Happy to say from personal experience, it works! I didn’t get to shoot Ruger’s pistol much, but when I did, I hit everything I aimed at. So did others who fired while I stood back and watched.
Not necessarily a fan of a 1911 platform in 9mm — all of mine are chambered for the .45 ACP — the fact this pistol was dead-bang accurate was a very pleasant eye-opener. I didn’t necessarily suffer an epiphany but the thought of plugging big, fat cottontail rabbits or snowshoe hares in the noggin with a 9mm did cross my mind and I’m not sorry for it. I admit this is an oddball desire but I like a sidearm with which I can fill my frying pan when the opportunity arises.
The first time I tested an SR1911, it was a Commander-sized model in .45 and it was also a gem. It had standard drift-adjustable metallic sights for street use, a crisp trigger, and it was also accurate. I cannot recall having any trouble with it, going through a few hundred rounds just to make certain.
Koenig’s SR1911 signature model in 9mm comes with a pair of 10-round magazines. The .45-caliber version is supplied with an 8-round magazine and a 7-rounder.
If you like the 1911 platform, you will probably love Ruger’s Custom SR1911. Wrap your hand around one and send several rounds downrange. I can’t guarantee you’ll meet anybody famous, but you just might get a sense of what they like.