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Ruger Security 9 Review [Great Budget 9mm]

Item: Ruger Security 9
Rating: 4.7
Author: Travis Pike

by Travis Pike

January 14, 2023

Finding a good budget firearm can be tough to do. So many handguns advertised as budget would be better categorized as cheap. However, the Ruger Security 9 falls squarely into the budget category, and today we are going to talk about why in this Ruger Security 9 review.

Ruger Security 9

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Security 9 Specs

Barrel length 4 inches
Overall Length 7.24 inches
Weight 23.7 ounces
Height 5 inches
Capacity 15 rounds
MSRP $379

History of the Security Series

The Ruger Security 6 was Ruger’s first entry into the double-action duty market of revolvers, and it became a favorite of the company’s lineup, with about 1.5 million produced. The six is Security 6 is a clear reference to the capacity of the classic revolver. The nine in Ruger Security 9 isn’t a reference to capacity but to the caliber. This 9mm semi-auto handgun is a far cry from the classic revolver, but they share a few traits.

Both were built with affordability and duty use in mind. Ruger has had several lines of semi-auto handguns, and the Security 9 is their latest. It’s a fairly simple handgun that shaves off some not so necessary features to provide a robust, reliable, and accurate firearm. You won’t get interchangeable backstraps or night sights with a gun this cheap.

What you do get is a perfectly competent firearm well suited for concealed carry or hammer defense. Heck, it would be at home in the holster of a security guard, although most police would likely go the Glock or SIG route. The budget price point of the Security 9 makes it quite attractive, and the Ruger guarantee of quality helps secure its place as a budget gun and not a cheap gun.

The Security 9 replaces the SR series of handguns with something a little more modern and a lot sleeker. The Security 9 comes in two sizes, the full and compact. While guns are plenty similar, I’m reviewing the Security 9 full-size today. While it’s called a full size, it is smaller than guns like the P320 and Glock 17 and is more Glock 19 size with a 4-inch barrel and 15 round capacity.

Ruger Security 9 Features

1 Single Action Hammer Fired Design

2 Easy Adjust Sights

3 Easy Adjust Sights

4 Trigger and Manual Safety

5 Picatinny Rail

Security-9 Variations

The Ruger Security 9 comes in a number of variations and colors. Apart from the standard mentioned above, below we have another 3 options for this pistol.

Banging Hammers With the Security-9 – Our Take

Unlike most modern handguns, the Security-9 uses a hammer-fired design. In an age of striker-fired pistols, this stands out. It’s not your typical hammer, but a single action-only hammer that’s completely shrouded. You cannot manually cock the hammer. This same design proved to be successful on the LCP 2 and LC9, so it makes sense to stick with it.

This design implements a very striker-fired-like trigger. It’s one consistent trigger pull that came in at about 6 pounds. The pull is short, but it’s spongy and grinds a bit. It feels like two pieces of plastic rubbing on each other. The reset is short and audible, but I can barely feel the click. Ruger didn’t equip the Security-9 with a bad trigger by any means, but no one would be impressed by it.

The sights are fairly large and easy to see. The rear sight has a Glock-like U shape, and the front sight is a simple white dot. Adjusting the sights is really easy. Loosen the screw, move it where you want it, then tighten it down. No sight pusher or muscle is required. The big sights are easy to see but cover a fair bit of the target at range. From a practical standpoint, it’s not an issue. At defensive handgun ranges, you’ll engage with ease. From a precision standpoint, a 3.5-inch group at 25 yards is the best I can do.

Holding On

The grip is just long enough to completely fill my hand. It lacks any obnoxious finger grooves or weird features. We don’t see any fancy grip work here. The rear hump is enough for a good high grip, and the trigger guard undercut is just average. The grip texture isn’t very aggressive, and I think a little stipple work would improve the grip. The grip’s circumference feels nice and thin, less block than a lot of striker-fired polymer-frame guns.

Ruger tossed on a manual safety for those who prefer. According to the internet, it’s removable, but that seems like a fairly bad way to modify a gun outside of the manufacturer’s specs. Going from same to fire is quick and easy, but going from fire to safe it’s as intuitive. I’d much rather go from safe to fire easily, though.

Recoil is mild and predictable for a weapon this size. It’s plain average and expected for all guns of this size and caliber. Hanging and blasting away isn’t much of a challenge. When it came time to blast away rapidly, the gun didn’t wiggle or fight its way out of my hand. I could keep it down and on target. Pulling off double taps, controlled pairs, and failure to stop drills doesn’t present a ton of challenge.

The Cost of Admission

After a fair bit of booming, powing, and banging around, I’ve come to find the Security-9 to be quite reliable. In fact, other than a primer that seemed to be a dud, I didn’t have any malfunctions. I couldn’t get that one round of Winchester White Box to fire in a secondary pistol either, so I think it’s an ammo issue.

The Security-9 retails for less than 400 dollars. Heck, I’ve seen it for less than 300 here and there. At that price, I feel the Security-9 is the budget-grade pistol to beat. For the price, I think this is the most affordable, high-quality handgun on the market.

So, in the end, I think this is an excellent pistol. I feel as though it falls in the affordable range, while also being very reliable. And although it isn’t as accurate as other options out there, based on its price, I think it’s a great ROI. It is because of this that I added it to our list of best 9mm pistols, and ranked it in the budget friendly options. But, as you’ll see, it didn’t get my #1 spot for best budget pistol.

Security 9 Pros and Cons

Affordable
Reliable
Easy Handling

Grip Needs a Little More Texture
Not Super Accurate

Report Card
Shootability	9mm recoil with a full-sized weapon is nothing. This gun isn’t snappy or painful and is fairly easy to shoot rapidly.	A
Reliability	The Security-9 ticked and tocked like a reliable clock. It ate standard, steel cased, and JHPs without complaint. For home defense and concealed carry it’s more than capable.	A
Ergonomics	The ergonomics are on point and perfectly useable. However, the grip could be a bit more textured and aggressive.	B
Accuracy	In the accuracy department, the big sights and so-so trigger makes it tough to be match grade accurate. For defensive use, it’s perfectly capable.	B
Value	The Security-9 is the most affordable handgun option that’s suitable for defensive use. At less than 400 dollars, it’s tough to find a better pistol.	A+

Ruger Security 9

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Our Grade

A-

Reviewed by Travis Pike

Reader’s Grade

A-

Based on 43 Reviews

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Ruger Security 9 Gun Deals

Brownells

$355.99

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Primary Arms

$369.99

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Palmetto State Armory

$379.99

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Guns.com

$438.15

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Ruger Security 9 Ammo

Range Rounds

MagTech 9mm 115 GR FMJ Ammo

Marketplace	Cost Per Round
Natchez Shooter’s Supply	$0.24
Brownells	$0.23
Palmetto State Armory	$0.34

Best Defense Rounds

Hornady Critical Defense 115 GR

Marketplace	Cost Per Round
Cabela’s	$1.24
Midway USA	$1.24

Ruger Security 9 Starter Pack

So what’s next? Well, if you decide to get the Ruger Security 9, you’re going to need to pick up some must-have basics. Here’s our recommendation for what you need to get started.

Gun Cleaning Kit: Otis All Caliber Elite Range Box on Amazon or build your own personalized cleaning kit with premium components.
Shooting Glasses: All it takes is one piece of rogue hot brass, and you’ll learn the importance of shooting glasses. But not all glasses are built the same. See our recommendations for the Best Shooting Glasses.
Hearing Protection: Firing a gun without wearing proper ear pro can be very dangerous and detrimental to your hearing. Find out the best hearing protection for you in our full length review.
Storage: Check our our article on the Best Biometric Gun Safes
Targets – If you’re wanting a great resource for shooting practice or zeroing your optics on your optics rifle or pistol, download our FREE Sighting in Targets below.

With the basics outta the way, let’s jump into some cool accessories you might want to consider when purchasing your Ruger Security 9

Security 9 Upgrades and Accessories

There’s a bunch of different options available to accessorize the Ruger Security 9. However, if we had to choose only a few options… Here’s our picks.

Ruger Security 9 Accessories

1. Streamlight TLR-7 Weapon Light	White LED produces 500 lumens IPX7 Waterproof Low Profile	Check Amazon
2. Pineworld Biometric Gun Safe	Reliable Biometric Scanner Sturdy and Well Built Cheaper Than Most Biometrics	Check Amazon
3. Decibullz Custom Molded Earplugs	Great In-Ear option Custom molded – super easy and comfortable NRR: 31	Check Amazon
4. Security 9 Magazines	Compatible with the Ruger Security-9, Security-9 Pro, and PC Carbine models Standard OEM factory replacement magazine 15 Round Capacity	Check Price

HOW TO CARE FOR YOUR Ruger Security 9

Not only do you need to keep your firearms safe and secure, you’re also going to need to know how to take care of it. While scouring the internet, we came across this excellent video;