Why Don't LEOs use ruger SR9/SR9C?

[Crash]

From what I read, most LEOs use S&W M&P, Glocks, Springfield XD, or maybe SIGs, but I rarely read that they use either the Ruger SR9 or SR9C. Is there something about the Rugers that make them unsuitable for LEO use?

Crash

[joe817]

I believe that is a valid question that deserves an answer. They certainly make good guns. I'd like to know the answer as well.

[srothstein]

Most cities go with low bidder or very similar package. LEOs tend to be very conservative also and stick with what they know and are used to. Word gets around in the community about what works, so they stick with it.

I know Glock became very popular 25 years ago do to an excellent marketing campaign. In addition to great deals for cities, they built up a rep with LEOs by having a very aggressive sales price for them. For a long time, a peace officer could buy a Glock for less than the wholesale price most dealers had to pay. LEOs buying their own guns for duty use made many choices based on the same criterion as cities, price.

I know Ruger has a police purchase program but I only know because GT's in Austin has a shelf marked for LEO only. They may be the best pistol on the market, but their marketing to LEOs ahs been a lot weaker than Glock or S&W.

[JSThane]

I would imagine it probably has a lot to do with the magazine disconnect "safety." IIRC, all Ruger SR9/40/45 pistols have one, and frankly, that's a potential liability in a "cop gun." Anything that makes the gun not function when the officer needs it to function is A Bad Idea. The concept of an officer being able to drop the magazine if a felonious offender is wrestling for the gun has about a one-in-a-million chance of actually becoming reality; when you're wrestling strength against strength, little things like the motor control to drop a magazine go out the window, even if you are able to A) access the magazine release -and- B) remember to actually do so. Absent such a long-shot freak occurrence, there's no reason to have them, and many reasons not to. It's one more thing that can break and potentially put your pistol out of the fight for good. It's very possible that a felonious offender can wrap -his- mitt around yours, squeezing your hand into the magazine release and dropping the mag, disabling your gun even though you still technically have control of it. It's very possible that -you- can accidentally drop the magazine, disabling your firearm. It's possible that you might be swapping magazines, in the long-shot chance you wind up in a protracted gunfight, and you have the rare presence of mind to swap a partial mag for a full one; during that swap, your gun is disabled. It goes on.
I' honestly don't know why anyone still installs those things, frankly, except as a selling point in the name of "safety" and a sop to the gun-restriction crowd. I pull them out of any gun I buy that has one, and usually throw them away.

[joe817]

Thanks folks. Good points!

[ghostrider]

This book provides some more insight into how/why Glock owns the LEO market:

http://www.amazon.com/Glock-The-Rise-Am ... 0307719952" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;


(hint: its not just because Glocks are reliable and an easy transition from revolvers)

[K.Mooneyham]

Because all the high-speed/low-drag, go fast operators use Glocks in movies. At least, I'm certain that's part of it anyway.

[nightmare69]

The popular brands give us good discounts. I got my duty carry Sig P226 MK25 for $850 new with LEO discount. At Academy the same Sig was going for nearly $1,200 at the time. I can get a brand new Glock Gen 4 for less than $400. Does Ruger offer any LE discounts?

[ShootDontTalk]

Because all the high-speed/low-drag, go fast operators use Glocks in movies. At least, I'm certain that's part of it anyway.

You should use the sarcasm tags for this. The truth is most likely the other way around.

Does Ruger offer any LE discounts?

I don't know about bulk department pricing. GT Distributers sells the SR's at an LE discount, $400. I like my SR9C, but it does have some undesirable drawbacks for a duty weapon - as already mentioned. Great for EDC though.

[SkipB]

In 1989 the department I worked for changed over from revolvers to semi-autos. We tested several different pistols. We had to buy our on pistols but they had to be department approved. I think there were 3 or 4 approved after testing. The S&W, Ruger, Sig and I think one more just can't remember. Glock failed the testing. Not saying anything bad about the Glock but it didn't pass the testing. A lot of the Officers in our department went with the Ruger. And that is my point.

[NotRPB]

Glock versus Ruger?
I heard that you have to actually clean a Ruger