[BlueTrain]

I think that lots of Ruger fans would be happy saying that a Ruger felt like a Ruger, shot like a Ruger and was built like a Ruger. They would do things that were innovative when gun writers (or the market) couldn't persuade other companies to do, such as the floating firing pin on their single action, at least, eventually. They also exploit the market, if you will forgive me for putting it that way, for a given product by offering it in a large variety of calibers, barrel lengths, finishes, and other features, sometimes much more so than the competition.

There are two things that we as consumers really know little about from the companies standpoint. One is the competition and the other is the market. I've mentioned before that we like to talk about how we'd like this gun or that gun to be reintroduced. I could come up with a list as long as my arm and I have long arms. Then one day someone's dream gun shows up on a dealer's shelf and sits and waits for Mr. Right to come along. Eventually everyone that wanted one has one, if they can afford it, and then the manufacturer stops making them and goes on to the next project. Somehow a distributor may figure into a lot of these unusual variations but I don't know the details of that part of the business but some of the larger distributors carry a lot of the risk in these sort-of-special runs by buying the whole run.

Actually I think that when business is slow they are more likely to do less with new product development and introduction. But who knows what next month will be like?