RUGER

[Ben Towe]

They brought out the American at the price point the 77 hawkeye was at five years ago and then jacked up the prices of the all steel 77 close to what you'd pay for a Model 70.

I can never recall an M77 as cheap as an American, even 10 or 15 years ago. While I'm not a huge fan of the American, I've heard far more praise about it than negative reviews.

I'm honestly surprised that the No. 1 has hung on in any form for this long. While it's a nice looking rifle, I'm not willing to pay large sums of money for a modern single shot rifle, and practically no one else is either.

[DMZX]

I have always considered Ruger's "blue collar" firearms. Over built, reliable, sturdy, good value, etc., are the terms often associated with the brand. That is what has always drawn me to their products over the years.

I still have:

- Ruger Old Army that was one of the first ones made
- Mk II that dates back to the late 1970's
- A 10/22 that I bought from a pawn shop in the late 60's
- A GP-100 that is 20 years and 10k rounds old

Current Ruger offerings still follow that "working class" dictum. My LCR is a great little trail gun. Light, rugged and essentially weatherproof. My SR9 is my favorite 9mm (albeit it got recalled twice: barrel peening and trigger) because it comfortable and trouble free.

When things settle down a bit, my short list includes a SP101 in .22LR and a SR1911.

When I think back I realize I have never sold a Ruger. I gave my P95 to my son and a 10/22 to my daughter. They will get the rest of them as well.

[wilson396]

I still remember way back when Bill Ruger talked about limiting magazine capacity. I was immediately turned off from Ruger as a company. From what I understand, they've taken a different direction as a company. But that bitter memory is still burned in my brain. I'm sure Ruger makes a fine gun, but so do other gun manufacturers. I'll pass on Ruger when there are plenty other and some superior guns to choose from.

[Glenn E. Meyer]

Interesting view. In the handgun world, SW was partner to a horrific deal. Colt and Taurus pushed the smart gun. Don't buy them.

Forgiveness is a noble part of human nature. Being bitter gets us nowhere.

[reinert]

As many of the folks on the forum, I grew up as a youngster/teenager during the hunting, gun culture era of the late 50's and 60's. I wouldn't trade the memories and experience from those years for anything. We had a little general hardware store in our hometown in Minnesota that we purchased many of our family's firearms and ammo from back in the gun section of the store. Generally, there were a couple of dozen rifles and shotguns that were on the rack, and, of course, plenty of ammo. Never a shortage, ever, in those days. Back then, my dad and my two older brothers pretty much exclusively used shotguns and .22s.

The owner, who knew my dad and my brothers (and me) very well, would let us take a shotgun or .22 out in the field under my dad's guidance on a weekend to see if we liked it or not, and then we'd either purchase it, or maybe, try another one out. Of course, we always took good care of the loaner, and brought it back as clean as we got it (one reason why we had that privilege). He (the hardware store owner) just wanted us to be happy with our new (many times a used) firearm. Yup, those were the days, and that was quite a great little hardware store. But, this is a thread about Ruger firearms.

In the mid-60's, and along with some help from my dad, I walked out of that store with my brand new Ruger 10/22, and it cost $54.50. I still have the gun, and the walnut stock, though a bit dinged up here and there, still looks great (it has a 5 digit serial number). Though it has a pretty bad (horrible actually) trigger pull, nobody back then told me about such things. And so, many, many red-winged blackbirds, squirrels, rabbits and sputzies fell on my grandpa's farm at the report of the rifle's Federal Hi-Power .22 long rifle ammo (about a penny a round in those days, sometimes cheaper as I remember). Later on, I put a Weaver C6 rimfire scope on it, and it's still there. What a great .22 Bill Ruger made me.

Through the years I've owned a Single-Six convertible .22 (didn't care for that one much), a security six in .357 mag., which I wish I still had, and a Model 77 in .280 Rem. that I wish I still had too. I still have my model 77 in 6MM Rem. that I wouldn't sell or trade for anything and paid $179.00 for it back in '79, brand new. I've got a New Model Blackhawk in .41 mag. that I've had forever, and will keep that one for another forever. Bill Ruger was still around and working when all the arms in our safe were made with his name on them. What a great man.

One day last fall, I was picking up my Model 700 Rem. (love those too) from my gunsmith (new crown job), and we had good little confab. During the palaver, we got on Ruger stuff, and he told me that Bill Ruger pretty much believed that people shouldn't be allowed to have guns at all, but since the 2nd amendment allowed as how the folks have the right to have them, he thought that he'd just make and sell them to the citizenry. My lower jaw pretty much came close to hitting the floor on that one, and my Smithy told me again it was a true deal. Still can't hardly believe it myself, but has anyone on the forum ever heard this? It really doesn't matter to me all that much, as I'll always respect the name and use my Rugers no matter what Bill thought. It certainly was his right to build his great guns, especially my old 10/22. And may Ruger firearms keep building their great guns under Bill's name for many, many years to come.

reinert

P.S. My first shotgun was also from that hardware store mentioned, and it was a Model 37 Winchester break-open single barrel (as my grandpa called them). It was a 20 gauge, and I wish I still had that on too. I believe it cost around 40 bucks, brand new.

[bbqbob51]

I want them to make an SP101 22LR with a 6" barrel. I also like full lug revolvers (even though a lot of revolver aficionados don't) so I would also like it to have it with a full lug barrel.

[arch308]

I've always been a big Ruger fan, the working man's guns. I have owned quite a few and still do. I've regretted selling every one that I've sold. I've got a '70s era #1 with a bull barrel in 7mm Rem Mag. It is the finest hunting rifle I own and will easily group under 1" with most any ammo. I don't hunt with it much as it's more gun than I need and I hate to take it afield and put any more dings in it. But now and then I do shoot it at the range. It is just heavy enough that it is fairly comfortable to shoot.
They just don't make 'em like that anymore. I don't really know what it's worth nowadays. I gave $415 for it back in the '90s.

[McShooty]

I think your 7 Mil Mag No. 1 would bring a bit more than 415 bucks today.

Reinert: Thanks for your stories. I have a few similar ones and they are bitter sweet. Regarding Bill Ruger's personal beliefs, he did seem to be highly respected by members of the shooting press and I think he was voted "American Handgunner of the Year" one time. I wonder if that would have been the case if he were, at bottom, against gun ownership.

For a person to lay out big bucks for any gun, not just a No. 1, he has to "get it." And if you don't "get it" for a No. 1 you will not, of course, buy one. If you want a really accurate AR 15/16/etc., you will need to lay out some big bucks. I don't "get it" for such poppers, so I will never buy one. More power to those who will. My idea of a great afternoon is sitting at a bench with my No. 1 .22 Hornet and a good supply of handloads to try out. Talking about big bucks for a single shot, have a look at the Dakota.

[reinert]

McShooty,

I have to say about the "get it" comment, that I too have my own #1 single shot I reload and play with, but it's a Shiloh Sharps, LRE, in 45/90 cal... black powder and cast bullets. That's a whole other can 'o worms on the reloading bench to make that beast mind ya. There's many that wouldn't "get it" with that one, too. But that's just part of the wonderful diversity that we have in the shooting world brought to us by our 2nd amend RIGHTS, and our fine men and women serving in the armed forces that make it all possible.

I just hope we can enjoy our shooting sports for many years to come, regardless of the endless fight we'll have with the anti's. We're all in this thing together, for sure. Thanks for starting the thread; been fun reminiscing.

reinert

[SPEMack618]

In reading this, I realized another Ruger gun that I would like to see made is a sem-auto variant of the Ruger MP9. I would buy one of those and SBR it in a second, or six months, however long the NFA process is these days.