William B. Ruger was, without a doubt, one of the greatest firearms designers / inventors who ever lived. Ruger’s fertile mind led to the manufacture of a wide range of mechanical innovations, from golf clubs to hand tools to automobiles, before he met the young aristocrat Alexander Sturm and established Sturm, Ruger & Co, in 1949. When Sturm Ruger first began producing their dandy little 22 semi-auto pistol, few would have guessed that the future of the firearms industry would be forever changed as a result. From this humble beginning, Sturm Ruger was quickly established as an innovator in the firearms field, and Ruger has since become one of the largest, most diverse, and most successful firearms companies to ever exist. It all began 75 years ago, with the simple, unassuming, and inexpensive little 22 Caliber Ruger “Standard Auto” pistol. Ruger is celebrating its 75th Anniversary with the introduction of several special commemorative models including the 75th Anniversary Mark IV™ Target 22 Semi-Auto pistol, which I have already reviewed for the Lipsey’s Bulletin.
Ruger 75th Anniversary SR1911
Just as the Colt “Model P” (Single Action Army) revolver was the handgun that defined the America of the 19th Century, going into the 20th Century, the Colt “Model of 1911” semi-auto pistol was the handgun that defined the America of the 20th Century, going into the 21st Century. Not coincidentally, the Colt Model P was adopted by the United States as its primary military sidearm in 1873, and was replaced by the Colt 1911 as the US Army’s primary sidearm in 1911. The venerable 1911 is currently being manufactured worldwide by a great many companies, and, despite many more “modern” and “innovative” pistol designs now available, the 1911 shows no signs of slowing down; the 1911 pistol remains, in the opinion of many shooters (myself included) the greatest semi-auto pistol ever designed, and the perfect fighting handgun.
Top of slide is engraved with Ruger’s 75th Anniversary logo
In observance of the 100th Anniversary of the 1911 pistol’s introduction, in 2011 Ruger introduced its own version of the venerable pistol: the SR1911. With the SR1911, Ruger redefined the 1911 pistol, offering real innovation in design and manufacture that resulted in a line of American-made 1911 pistols that were truly improvements over those that came before, with the legendary Ruger strength, reliability, and accuracy built-in.
Detail of laser engraving on the 75th Anniversary Ruger SR1911’s slide
As the latest of their 75th Anniversary commemorative firearms, Ruger is offering the 75th Anniversary SR1911 pistol, which features all the innovations of the standard SR1911, specially embellished to celebrate the 75th Anniversary of the company. Unlike other 75th Anniversary commemorative models, which are specially marked and numbered but unlimited in production, the 75th Anniversary SR1911 is limited to only 750 units to be produced; this means that the 75th Anniversary SR1911s will not be easy to find, but the search is definitely worth the effort.
Top of slide is engraved with Ruger’s 75th Anniversary logo
The 75th Anniversary Ruger SR1911 is available only in 45 ACP, they way God and John Browning intended. Based on their full-sized, all-stainless version (Model 6700), the 75th Anniversary version (Model 6765) features a Government-length 5-inch Match Grade barrel, mated to the slide with a Match bushing. All major components are CNC-machined from stainless steel, which results in an extremely precise and tightly-fit pistol, without as much labor-intensive (and thus expensive) hand-fitting. Such precision fitting results in a high level of accuracy, without sacrificing reliability, and this pistol did prove to be both very accurate and 100 percent reliable out of the box.
The frame is also CNC-machined from stainless steel, and both frame and slide are finished in a pleasing low-glare finish. Like all SR1911 pistols, the 75th Anniversary SR1911’s frame features an integral plunger tube for the slide stop and thumb safety, rather than a staked-on tube; this is a significant improvement over the traditional 1911 design, as the staked-on tube can detach under hard use. Like the standard full-size stainless model, the 75th Anniversary SR1911’s small parts (grip safety, thumb safety, mainspring housing, slide stop, magazine release, hammer, ejector, and extractor) are finished in black, which makes a very pleasing aesthetic contrast to the stainless frame and slide. The thumb safety is right-hand only, and is extended for easy access. The grip safety is an upswept beavertail, into which the rounded and skeletonized hammer nestles very nicely with no chance of “hammer bite”. The grip safety also incorporates a grooved “memory bump”, which makes it easier to activate, especially for those shooters whose thumb “rides” the thumb safety to help mitigate muzzle flip under recoil. The mainspring housing is flat and finely checkered, and the magazine release is extended and checkered.
Custom engraved and checkered thin-profile wood grips are both effective and beautiful
The trigger is a medium-length aluminum unit, skeletonized for weight relief, and features a set screw for overtravel adjustment. As with all SR1911 pistols, there is thankfully no automatic internal trigger safety, as is seen on many (“Series 80”) 1911s; this is a wonderful thing, as the Series 80 safety system greatly detracts from a 1911 trigger’s natural smoothness. Like all Ruger SR1911 pistols, the 75th Anniversary SR1911 features a titanium firing pin, resulting in a faster lock time without sacrificing reliability. These attributes combine to result in a superb trigger feel: the trigger pull is glass-smooth, with zero creep or overtravel, and consistently releases at 2.5 pounds of pressure. A shooter can spend hundreds of dollars on a 1911 action job, and come out no better than the trigger feel of this SR1911.
The sights on the 75th Anniversary SR1911 are excellent, and identical to the sights found on the standard stainless full-size SR1911. The front sight is dovetailed into the slide for windage correction and ease of replacement if desired, and features a white dot. The rear sight is an excellent Novak® “three-dot” unit, likewise drift-adjustable for windage correction with a set screw to lock it into place, and is tapered fore and aft for ease of drawing and reholstering the pistol. The “three-dot” sight picture is very popular among today’s shooters, as it is quick and easy to acquire in various lighting conditions.
Boge shoots the 75th Anniversary SR1911
As can be seen, the 75th Anniversary SR1911 is functionally identical to the standard stainless full-size SR1911, which makes it the equal of any factory 1911, as well as many custom 1911s, made today. The 75th Anniversary SR1911 is set apart by its commemorative embellishments: namely, the slide engraving and grip panels. The slide is beautifully laser-engraved in deep relief, with scrollwork panels on each side aft of the angled cocking serrations. Forward of the cocking serrations on either side is more tastefully-rendered scrollwork; forward of this scrollwork on the port side is a beautifully-rendered eagle against a field of stars, with a Ruger logo against a waving American flag background on the starboard side. Finally, there is another area of scrollwork at the muzzle on either side, and all engraving panels are bordered. On the top of the slide between the front sight and the ejection port, the Ruger 75th Anniversary logo is engraved. The quality of the engraving is like no laser-engraving I have seen; the depth of relief, especially on the soaring eagle and the waving American flag, yields a three-dimensional effect that is simply stunning.
Five-shot group, fired standing offhand at five yards (fifteen feet)
The 75th Anniversary SR1911’s grips are equally impressive: thinly-profiled, with an excellent feel. The grip panels are made from what Ruger calls “Custom Engraved Hardwood”, and the color and grain looks very much like Cocobolo. The grip panels feature Ruger medallions, with matching scrollwork engraving above and below bordering a checkering panel on each. The color of the grip panels contrasts beautifully with the stainless steel frame, and the engraving on the wood compliments the slide’s engraving very nicely.
Finally, the 75th Anniversary SR1911 utilizes a special serial number range, with an “R75” prefix, further setting these pistols apart from the rest of the Ruger line.
Simply Rugged Holsters “Tanker” rig, made by Rob Leahy and hand-carved by Richard Gittlein
The entire aesthetic effect is both beautiful and tasteful, and qualifies the 75th Anniversary SR1911 as what my Texas friends would call a “Barbecue Gun”; but at its heart, the 75th Anniversary SR11 is a fine pistol which deserves to be shot, and I did not spare this SR1911 the shooting. This pistol proved to be a joy to shoot, accurate and 100% reliable. The slide’s ejection port is lowered and flared for reliable ejection, and the feed ramp and barrel throat are polished to ensure reliable feeding (the barrel hood also features a loaded-chamber witness hole). There were absolutely zero malfunctions of any kind: GI-style FMJ “Ball”, lightweight high-velocity lead-free hollow points, heavy hot-loaded hollow points, the 75th Anniversary SR1911 ran it all like a sewing machine. Accuracy was also quite pleasing, but not surprising given my experience with Ruger SR1911s to date. On paper at “Social Work” distance (five yards), shooting standing offhand, cutting one-inch five-shot groups was easy. Ringing steel and turning rocks into dust at longer ranges proved to be equally easy, and the weight of the all-stainless pistol made long shooting sessions comfortable.
The 75th Anniversary SR1911 ships with two stainless steel magazines: one seven-round with flat floor plate, and one eight-round with bumper pad. The 75th Anniversary package also includes a special lockable plastic case, a Ruger-branded polymer bushing wrench, and the usual paperwork. At $1799 suggested retail, the 75th Anniversary SR1911 sells for $570 more than the standard full-length stainless model’s $1229 MSRP, but it is more than worth the difference. Limited to only 750 units, the 75th Anniversary SR1911 will not be easy to find, but perseverance will pay off with one fine 1911 pistol.
The Ruger 75th Anniversary SR1911 not just a pretty face: it is a piece of Ruger history and American history, as well as a wonderful shooter. This is an heirloom that any pistolero would be proud to pass down to future generations.
Specifications – Ruger® SR1911® 75th Anniversary Model
Model #: 6765
Model Type: Full-Size
Slide: Stainless Steel, Low-Glare Stainless Finish, Laser-Engraved
Frame: Stainless Steel, Low-Glare Stainless Finish
Barrel: Stainless Steel, 5 Inches, 6-Groove, 1:16″ RH Twist
Grip Panels: Custom Engraved Hardwood
Overall Width: 1.34 Inches
Overall Length: 8.67 Inches
Overall Height: 5.45 Inches
Weight: 39 Ounces
Sights: Drift Adjustable Novak® 3-Dot
Thumb Safety: Black Finish, Extended, Right-Hand Only
Grip Safety: Black Finish, Upswept Beavertail with Memory Bump
Magazine Release: Black Finish, Extended & Checkered
Mainspring Housing: Black Finish, Flat, Checkered
Extractor / Ejector: Black Finish
Trigger: Aluminum, Skeletonized, Overtravel Adjustment
Trigger Pull: 2 Pounds, 8.5 Ounces
Magazine Capacity: 7+1 / 8+1
Magazines Included: One 7-Round and One 8-Round
Accessories Included: Limited-Edition 75th Anniversary Lockable Plastic Case, Manual,
Polymer Bushing Wrench
Available in CA / MA: NO
Special “R75” Serial Number Prefix, Limited to 750 Units
MSRP as of March 2024: $1799.00
To locate a dealer near you visit www.lipseys.com/dealerfinder
ABOUT THE AUTHOR:
Boge Quinn is a life-long shooter, born and raised in the Great State of Tennessee. A co-founder of Gunblast.com (https://gunblast.com/)in the year 2000, along with his brother Jeff Quinn, Boge has continued on with Gunblast after Jeff’s passing in 2020. A Lifetime Endowment member of the NRA, Boge serves on the Board of Directors of The Shootists (https://shootists.org/), an organization started by John Taffin in 1985, as did his brother Jeff. Boge appreciates firearms of all types, but his soul is particularly stirred by the “older style” guns: lever-action and single-shot rifles, along with Single-Action and Double-Action revolvers and 1911-style pistols. As a former professional artist, Boge appreciates the aesthetics of a fine gun, as well as its mechanical precision and practical application. His particular affinity lies in the world of handguns, and he has hunted mostly with handguns of all types since the mid-1970s. A regionally well-known musician, Boge is also a Deacon in the same Baptist Church where his brother Jeff formerly served as Deacon, and where their Dad finished his 50-year career as Pastor.