Ruger

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Ruger Sponsors Shooting Team

January 16, 2018 by

Ruger has announced that they will be sponsoring a shooting team. The official announcement is below but their PR Manager, Paul Pluff, let the cat out of the bag on Sunday on Tom Gresham’s Gun Talk radio show. One of the things he noted on the show was Ruger’s interest in developing up and coming junior shooters. Given Pluff’s service on the Board of Directors of the Scholastic Shooting Sports Foundation, he has seen many of these juniors in action.

Sturm, Ruger & Company, Inc. (NYSE-RGR) is proud to announce the launch of its professional shooting team. This move marks Ruger’s formal debut in the competitive shooting sports arena. Leading this team is newly signed world champion shooter Doug Koenig and more shooters will be announced in the coming weeks.

“We are very excited to introduce Team Ruger, and particularly with a shooter of Doug Koenig’s caliber at the helm,” said Chris Killoy, Ruger’s President and CEO. “Doug is an outstanding addition to the Ruger team, bringing both a winning attitude and a true passion for growing the shooting and outdoor sports to the team.”

In addition to serving as Team Ruger’s Captain, Doug will also represent the Company as an official Brand Ambassador. Highly regarded for his talents, Doug is an athlete, lifelong hunter and world champion professional shooter. Doug began shooting competitively at the age of 17, winning both regional and national competitions. Since turning Pro in 1990, he has shot a perfect score of 1920 an unprecedented 17 times at the NRA Bianchi Cup. As he approaches his 31st year competing, this 18-time Bianchi Cup Champion’s wins include more than 70 National and 10 World titles.

“I am thrilled to join Team Ruger and partner with such an iconic brand in our industry,” said Koenig. “Ruger’s depth and breadth of products is a perfect fit for both my competitive shooting and hunting endeavors,” he concluded.

Doug also hosts his own TV show, “Doug Koenig’s Championship Season,” where Ruger is now the Presenting Sponsor. Each week, the show features a gritty combination of fast-paced shooting competition and wild hunting adventure – all with rugged, reliable Ruger® firearms.

Media and team inquiries should be directed to Paul Pluff, Public Relations Manager and coordinator for the new shooting team.

Getting Doug Koenig from Smith & Wesson is a coup for Ruger. Not only is a coup but it indicates the seriousness with which they are embarking on this new endeavor. Someone with the stature of a Doug Koenig is not going to switch teams on a whim and he had to be assured Ruger was serious about it. I would not be surprised to see a “Doug Koenig Special” 1911 being released down the road.

From what I understand, the rest of the Ruger shooting team will be introduced at the SHOT Show. It will be interesting to see who all is on the team in addition to team captain Doug Koenig.

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Ruger Reintroduces The SP-101 In 9mm

November 2, 2017 by 1 Comment

The Ruger SP-101 in 9mm Luger (or Parabellum) had become something of a cult favorite with prices to match. Possible reasons for this may have been it was discontinued in 1998 with limited numbers on the market or because 9×19 ammo tends to be cheaper than either .38 Special or .357 Magnum ammo. It was originally available in both the 2.25″ and 3″ barrels and used moon clips to hold the non-rimmed ammo.

This week Ruger answered the prayers of those that wanted a SP-101 in 9mm but didn’t want to pay twice the price of a .38 or .357 Mag model. They have reintroduced the SP-101 in 9mm with a 2.25″ barrel.  MSRP on the reintroduced model is $719 but I’m sure the street price will be significantly lower. Checking gunbroker.com, I see them being sold for as low as $519 plus shipping.

SP-101 in 9mm 

Here are the specs on the reintroduced model:

  • GripsBlack Rubber, Black Synthetic
  • Front SightBlack Ramp
  • Barrel Length2.25″
  • MaterialStainless Steel

 

  • Capacity5
  • Rear SightIntegral
  • Twist1:16″ RH
  • FinishSatin Stainless

 

  • Overall Length7.20″
  • Weight25 oz.
  • Grooves5
  • CA ApprovedNo
  • MA Approved & CertifiedNo
  • Suggested Retail$719.00

I have a 3″ SP101 in .357 Magnum that I bought used a few years ago. With .38 Special wadcutters, it is the ideal gun to introduce new shooters to a center-fire handgun. The weight of the revolver makes it a very soft shooting handgun.

The new or reintroduced SP101 will definitely go on my “have to check it out” list.

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Rimfire Challenge To Transition From NSSF To RCSA

October 18, 2017 by

Despite what Asheville’s Thomas Wolfe once wrote, you can go home again.

The Ruger Rimfire Challenge was originally developed by Ken Jorgenson of Ruger, Michael Bane, and the late Nelson Dymond. In 2014, the responsibility for running the Ruger Rimfire Challenge passed to the National Shooting Sports Foundation and it became known as the NSSF Rimfire Challenge. On January 1, 2018, the Rimfire Challenge will pass to a new non-profit organization run by Jorgenson and Bane called the Rimfire Challenge Shooting Association. Thus, it will have closed the circle and returned home to its founders.

Below is the NSSF’s press release, in part, on the transition:

NEWTOWN, Conn. — The National Shooting Sports Foundation® (NSSF®), the trade association for the firearms industry, is proud to announce that the NSSF Rimfire Challenge will be transitioned to a new organization: the Rimfire Challenge Shooting Association. The transition takes place Jan. 1, 2018.


Originally developed by Sturm, Ruger & Co.’s Ken Jorgenson, along with author and TV personality Michael Bane and the late Nelson Dymond, a long-time and well-known shooting match director who held a strong passion for rimfire firearms, the program was first known as the Ruger Rimfire Challenge. NSSF took over the administration of the program in 2014, changing its name to the NSSF Rimfire Challenge. The new organization will be led once again by Ken Jorgensen and Michael Bane.


Designed to introduce new shooters to the shooting sports in an exciting, family-friendly format, Rimfire Challenge matches focus on competition with .22-caliber rifles and pistols. Matches are open to shooters of all ages and shooting experience levels, with events conducted at ranges nationwide and an annual World Championship taking place each October.


“It’s truly a great thing to see this program return home to the people who had this wonderful idea to begin with,” said Tisma Juett, NSSF Manager, Recruitment and Retention. “The NSSF is proud to have been a part of growing a shooting sport that has proven to be such a wonderful activity for mothers and fathers, sisters and brothers, neighbors and friends in which to participate. We wish Ken and Michael much success and look forward to many more firearms owners joining the shooting sports with them.”


“I am excited to once again be involved in the day to day operation of the Rimfire Challenge events,” said Jorgenson. “The concept originally created by Nelson and implemented as part of the Ruger Rimfire Challenge is as valid today as it was in the beginning. We will work to continue that vision and grow the rimfire competition opportunities for shooters of all skill levels.”


“I could not be happier to once again be a part of the Rimfire Challenge!” Bane added. “It is a wonderful sport, a way to bring whole families into the competition. Ken and I are committed to bringing the Rimfire Challenge to the next level. It’s going to be fun!”

Michael Bane makes the announcement of the change on the video portion of his weekly podcast. You can see it at this link. As he notes, the first year will be about stability and communication. He doesn’t see any major rule changes coming immediately. The existing rulebook along with examples of courses of fire can be found here.

All shooting competitions go through life cycles and I think change like this is important. New management and new ideas along with a fairly low cost of entry should help the Rimfire Challenge continue growing and bringing in new shooters. The more that we can show that the shooting sports are fun, the less likely that the gun prohibitionists will be to convince the general public that guns are “icky”.

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Two New Ruger Handguns Released Pre-NRA Annual Meeting

April 10, 2017 by 1 Comment

Sturm, Ruger & Co. released two new handgun models on Friday. The first was an addition to the LCRx line in .22 LR and the second was their a laser-integrated version of their LCP II.

The LCRx is the exposed external hammer version of the LCR. Previously only available in .38 Special +P and .357 Magnum, the new LCRx in .22 LR features a 3″ barrel, 8-shot capacity, adjustable rear sights, Hogue Tamer grips, and the other features that made the LCR famous. Given all of this, it has the makings of a updated and more modern kit gun at an MSRP about $200 less than the S&W Model 317 Kit Gun.

The specs on the LCRx in .22 LR are here.

The second new handgun model is the LCP II with a factory-installed Viridian E-Series red laser. What makes this really interesting is that the laser is from Viridian and not from Crimson Trace. Ruger had for years worked with Crimson Trace on grip-integrated lasers as well as frame-integrated laser. This is just speculation on my part but the purchase of Crimson Trace by competitor Smith & Wesson undoubtedly played a part in switching to Viridian lasers.

The specs on the LCP II with Viridian E-Series laser are here. The addition of the Viridian laser adds $90 to the MSRP of the LCP II bringing it up to $439. That’s not too bad and having a laser in such a small gun would be a plus in my humble opinion.

All in all, Ruger has two new winners here. I’m anxious to see what is released at the end of the month in Atlanta at the NRA Annual Meeting.

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SHOT SHOT Day One – Gunblast.Com

January 19, 2017 by 1 Comment

Jeff Quinn in this report on Day One of the SHOT Show starts off with a great interview of Ruger CEO Mike Fifer. The other highlights were a Colt representative talking about the reintroduced Colt Cobra and a discussion by Linda Powell of Mossberg’s new 590 Shockwave shotgun. This latter product is quite interesting in that it is a pistol-gripped 14″ shotgun that does not require a NFA tax stamp.

To read more about the Mossberg 590 Shockwave, go here.  Ammoland.com does report that the shotgun is sold with this disclaimer:

Disclaimer: Although the Mossberg 590 Shockwave is classified as a “firearm” under the Gun Control Act of 1968 (GCA), and is not subject to the provisions of the National Firearms Act (NFA), state and local laws may be more restrictive. Even though, it is legal federally, the 590 Shockwave may be considered a “short-barreled” shotgun or “assault weapon” by certain state and local laws; and therefore illegal to possess. Please check with your local authorities concerning the legality of possessing a firearm of this configuration.

Checking North Carolina law, 14 NCGS § 14-288.8.(c)(3) classifies a shotgun as a “weapon of mass death and destruction” if it has “a barrel or barrels of less than 18 inches in length or an overall length of less than 26 inches.” If you have a Federal tax stamp then possession of such a shotgun is permitted. As I read this – and I’m not a lawyer – the shotgun must be both greater than 26 inches overall in length and must have a barrel of 18 inches in length or greater. By using “or” instead of “and” in the description of such a prohibited shotgun the legislative intent is that both conditions must be met. This leads me to say that this is a law that needs changing as I’d like one of those shotguns!


UPDATE: Regarding North Carolina law and the legality of possessing the Mossberg Shockwave, I received this message on Facebook from fellow blogger Chris Maynard.

It is not a shotgun because it never had a stock, rather a pistol grip from the factory… If it was under 26″ in length, it would be an AOW… But over 26″ makes it a “firearm”… Per federal law…

So that should mean that it is not restricted by NC law supposing they follow the federal definition of “shotgun”

But the same statute also restricts ” Any type of weapon (other than a shotgun or a shotgun shell of a type particularly suitable for sporting purposes) which will, or which may be readily converted to, expel a projectile by the action of an explosive or other propellant, and which has any barrel with a bore of more than one-half inch in diameter” so this gun should qualify under that.

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Ruger GP-100 In .44 Special

January 19, 2017 by

One of the firearms that I had hoped to shoot at Industry Day at the Range was the new Ruger GP-100 in .44 Special. As events conspired to keep me from the SHOT Show, I am relying on my friend Rob Reed’s post about it at AllOutdoor.com.

His impression:

I was able to put a few rounds through the gun and my initial impressions were favorable. The trigger was good in double-action and very good in single-action and the rubber grips absorbed the recoil of the standard pressure .44 Special rounds very well. Since it is based on the tank-like GP 100 I’m sure it will handle the hotter .44 Special loads that approach Magnum territory as well.

He also included this video of the Ruger representative going over the specs of the revolver.

You can read more about the specifications of this new revolver at Ruger’s website here.

If you subscribe to Guns Magazine, Massad Ayoob has a very complimentary review of this new revolver in this month’s issue (March 2017).

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Ruger Redhawk In .45 ACP And .45 Colt

June 15, 2015 by 6 Comments

Now this is interesting. Ruger is getting into the .45 ACP revolver game. They have just announced a new version of the Ruger Redhawk that will handle both the .45 ACP with moon clips and the .45 Colt.

The specs are below:

Model Number: 5032 | Caliber: 45 Auto / 45 Colt
Material: Stainless Steel Finish: Satin Stainless
Front Sight: Ramp Rear Sight: Adjustable
Barrel Length: 4.2″ Overall Length: 9.50″
Weight: 44.00 oz. Grips: Lasered Hardwood
Twist: 1:16″ RH Grooves: 6
MA Approved & Certified: No CA Approved: No
Capacity: 6 Suggested Retail: $1029.00

It’s a bit pricey but they are still making double action revolvers unlike the bankrupt Colt. I have a couple Ruger revolvers and they are solid, well-made handguns.

UPDATE: Ed Head has part one of his review of the Ruger Redhawk in .45 ACP/.45 Colt up. Ed is one of the people that Ruger sends firearms to so that they can be wrung out before launch.

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A Couple Of Tidbits From Ruger’s Quarterly Report

May 5, 2015 by

After the close of the stock market yesteday, Sturm, Ruger & Co. released their quarterly earnings report. Below are a couple of tidbits that I gleaned from it which I thought were interesting.

  • In the first quarter of 2015, net sales and the estimated sell-through of the Company’s products
    from the independent distributors to retailers increased 12% and 15%, respectively, from the
    fourth quarter of 2014. The National Instant Criminal Background Check System background
    checks (as adjusted by the National Shooting Sports Foundation) decreased 15% during the
    same period.

  • New products, including the AR-556 modern sporting rifle and the LC9s pistol, represented
    $22.8 million or 17% of firearm sales in the first quarter of 2015. New product sales include
    only major new products that were introduced in the past two years.

It looks like Ruger has done well even if the market has contracted somewhat. It would be interesting to know how much of the new sales were attributable to the AR-556 and how much to the LC9s. With the market demands for ARs cooling somewhat if prices are any indication, I’m guessing the LC9s represented more than 50% of the $22.8 million in sales.

Ruger holds it annual shareholder’s meeting this morning. It is being webcast and you can see it at this link.

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Ruger Getting Into 10/22 After-Market Trigger Business

December 16, 2014 by 4 Comments

Ruger is getting into the 10/22 replacement trigger market. They just announced the BX-Trigger which is a drop-in trigger module for the 10/22. It reduces the trigger pull from approximately 6 pounds to 2.5 pounds. The BX-Trigger will go on the market starting this Friday. It will be available directly from Ruger and from many retailers. The MSRP on the BX-Trigger is $89.95.

If I had to guess, someone at Ruger realized that they could be making good money in the 10/22 after-market parts business that they were losing to companies like Volquartsen. I don’t know without testing how the new BX-Trigger will compare to the Volquartsen components but the complete module sells for about what Volquartsen sells their match hammer and sear.

The release from Ruger is below:

Sturm, Ruger & Company, Inc. (NYSE: RGR) announces the launch of the BX-Trigger™: a light, crisp, “drop-in” replacement trigger assembly that is compatible with all Ruger® 10/22® rifles and 22 Charger™ pistols. The BX-Trigger is a Genuine Ruger Factory Accessory and is the perfect upgrade for all 10/22 rifles and 22 Charger pistol models because of the significantly reduced pull weight of approximately 2.75 pounds (versus 6 pounds on the standard 10/22 trigger).

“We have made continuous improvements to the 10/22 over the years, but the BX-Trigger is an exciting performance advancement,” said Ruger President and COO, Chris Killoy. “The BX-Trigger was designed for easy installation, superior performance, and legendary Ruger reliability. Like the popular BX-25® magazine for the 10/22, the BX-Trigger will deliver the excellence and value that shooters have come to expect from Ruger.”

The BX-Trigger is sold as a complete assembly that “drops in” to replace the existing trigger assembly, with no additional adjustment or “fitting” required. A video of the installation process can be found at Ruger.com/BX-Trigger

Beginning December 19, the Ruger BX-Trigger will be available for purchase directly from Ruger at ShopRuger.com or from local independent firearms retailers.

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Ruger Recalls Some American Rimfire Rifles

March 18, 2014 by 1 Comment

Ruger has announced a safety recall of some of their American Rimfire rifles in .17 HMR and .22 WMRF (Magnum) manufactured between November 17, 2013 and January 8, 2014. The recall is due to the lack of a hole that vents gas in case of an obstruction or case rupture.

From Ruger:

WHY ARE YOU RECALLING THESE RIFLES
We have determined that Ruger American Rimfire™ rifles chambered in .22 WMRF (Magnum) and .17 HMR manufactured between November 17, 2013 and January 8, 2014 were manufactured without a vent hole. This hole appears just below and behind the serial number on the left-hand side of the receiver. The hole does not serve any function during normal operation of the rifle, but is a safety feature and may help vent gas in the event of a problem such as a ruptured case head or bore obstruction, for example. We want to recall the rifles and add the vent hole.

How to determine if your rifle needs the retrofit
First, only Ruger American Rimfire™ rifles chambered in .22 WMRF (Magnum) and .17 HMR within the serial number range 830-34831 to 830-43880 are subject to the recall. If your rifle is chambered in .22 LR or falls outside of this serial number range, it is not subject to the recall. If you do have an Ruger American Rimfire™ rifle chambered in .22 WMRF (Magnum) or .17 HMR, you need only examine the left side of the receiver, just below and behind the serial number. If there is a hole there (Figure 1), then you do not need to return the rifle. If there is no hole (Figure 2), then the rifle should be returned.

For instructions on how to return a rifle without the vent hole, go to this Ruger webpage.

H/T Old NFO at The Gun Blog Black List