50 Years Of Ruger Genius

In the lofty realm of American firearms designers, Bill Ruger walks among the giants.

When Bill Ruger's Standard Model pistol appeared in 1949, I badly wanted one. I was prepared to mow lawns all summer to earn its $37.50 price. My widowed mother put her foot down. Earlier, I'd picked cherries to buy a bolt-action .22, but she wouldn't allow her pre-teenage son to own a handgun.

The stylish Ruger fired my imagination. It had the same effect on thousands of others who saw those early ads. The strikingly handsome guns sold at a highly reasonable price and received glowing reports.

Word quickly spread that Ruger's new pistol was the .22 to have. I finally acquired a blued Mark II with a bull barrel. I've owned this pistol for years and continue to use it with great satisfaction. A marvel of design and engineering, it's one of the most accurate and reliable handguns I own. Today, Ruger's .22 auto pistol is offered in no fewer than 18 distinct variations.

The Man Behind The Guns

William Batterman Ruger, the man behind the Standard Model pistol, had worked as a gun designer at the U.S. government's Springfield Armory. He later designed a machine gun that the Auto Ordnance Corporation purchased, and worked as a production engineer for that company during World War II.

After the war, he formed a new business with the eventual goal of producing sporting firearms. While working on new gun designs, Ruger also did subcontract manufacturing for other companies and developed a line of carpentry tools. The business failed in 1948, just as Ruger was perfecting the design of his new rimfire pistol.

Ruger soon went into partnership with his friend Alexander Sturm, forming Sturm, Ruger and Company. Sturm was a graduate of the Yale Art School and an avid firearms enthusiast. He provided the financial backing for the new enterprise.

A writer as well as artist, Sturm wrote some early ads for the new company and designed the now-famous Ruger trademark. Tragically, he became seriously ill and died in the fall of 1951, just two years after the company was founded. The Sturm, Ruger "red eagle" trademark he created was permanently changed to black in mourning.

This year the Red Eagle has been resurrected for the 50th Anniversary commemorative model M4-50. The blued-steel 50th Anniversary Model is machined to the same contour as the original Ruger pistol.

In The Master's Footsteps

Spurred by the success of the Standard Model Pistol, Ruger began designing new guns at a pace unmatched since the days of John M. Browning. Ruger mirrored Browning's genius, creating a wide variety of innovative firearms -- rifles, handguns and shotguns alike.

Like Browning, Ruger developed guns that were rugged, accurate and reliable. He made wide use of manufacturing efficiencies, keeping prices within reach of the average shooter. In 1953, Ruger began producing handgun components through precision investment casting. These castings replaced the rough forgings that required extra finishing.

Ruger instinctively understands the buying public, often flying in the face of conventional gunmaking wisdom. As other manufacturers relegated single-action revolvers to the grave, Ruger introduced the Single-Six .22 in 1953. Gunsmoke, Wagon Train and other TV westerns helped create a demand for single-action sixguns, and Ruger was happy to fill that demand.

Close on the heels of the rimfire Single-Six, he introduced the .357 Mag. Blackhawk in 1955 followed by a .44 Mag. version a year later. These immediate successes were followed by the diminutive Bearcat .22 in 1958 and the big Super Blackhawk in 1959. A .22 Magnum Single-Six appeared that same year.

Almost single-handedly, Ruger revived shooter interest in western-style sixguns that required manual cocking before each shot. Lured by Ruger's success, other manufacturers soon reboarded the single-action bandwagon. Single-action revolvers owe their current popularity -- if not their continued survival -- to Bill Ruger's foresight

Classics In The Making

After Ruger unveiled the .44 Mag. Super Blackhawk, he introduced a brand-new carbine chambered for the same cartridge. Originally dubbed the "Deerstalker," the autoloading magnum carbine was the first in what was to become an extensive lineup of Ruger rifles.

The Deerstalker moniker was soon abandoned because Ithaca was marketing a slug-shooting shotgun with the same name. Some 250,000 .44 Mag. Ruger Carbines were produced before the model was discontinued in 1985.

I used one of these slick-shooting little rifles (it was just over a yard in length and weighed just 5 3/4 lbs.) for a couple of years with real satisfaction. I never encountered the feeding problems some shooters later reported. I'd like to see the Ruger Carbine revived (as the Bearcat recently was), although I'm told manufacturing costs peculiar to the design make this unlikely.

The 10/22 appeared in 1964. Closely resembling a downsized .44 Mag. Ruger Carbine, the 10/22 autoloader was a real home run. It soon became one of the most popular rimfire rifles ever made. The Ruger 10/22 remains the best-selling rimfire auto rifle on the market today, 35 years after its introduction. It has spawned an entire industry of aftermarket barrels, stocks and other accessories designed specifically for the little .22.

A .22 WMR version joined the 10/22 lineup this year.

Single Shot Success

A longtime fan of the Farquharson and other classic falling-block designs, Ruger again defied conventional wisdom by introducing the No. 1 Single Shot rifle in 1967. This was a typical Ruger move--he designed and produced a rifle he wanted to make. He didn't spend a lot of time worrying about demand or marketability. He gambled there were enough single-shot connoisseurs to make the project viable. Once again, he was proven right.

The Ruger No. 1 is today offered in a half dozen variations and 23 different chamberings. Barrel lengths range from 20" to 26". All No. 1 rifles are shipped with a pair of quickly detachable 1" Ruger scope rings at no extra cost.

Evolution Of The 77

The Model 77 bolt rifle debuted in 1968. Like other Ruger products, the Model 77 has evolved over the years. Today's Model M77 Mark II features a three-position wing safety, integral scope bases and controlled-round feeding. A Mauser-like claw extractor combines with a fixed-blade ejector for positive ejection of fired cases. Left-handed and express rifle versions are available, as are walnut, laminated and allweather polymer stocks.

A lookalike rimfire, the Model 77/22 came along later. This is now available in .22 LR and .22 WIVIR versions, as well as .22 Hornet and .44 Mag. variations.

Similarly, the Ruger Model 96 lever carbine introduced in 1996 is offered in .22 LR, .22 WIVIR and .44 Mag. chamberings. The Model 96 lever carbine--like the Model 77/22, 77/22 Magnum, 77/22 Hornet and 77/44 bolt rifles -- feature the same rotary-feed magazine used in the popular 10/22 autoloader.

Ruger Goes Combat

Ruger had another big success in the Mini-14. Inspired by the M1 Garand service rifle made famous in World War II, the Mini-14 chambers popular .223 ammo. The light, handy auto carbine has been hugely popular, as has the Mini Thirty 7.62x39mm version designed for deer hunters. Stainless and blued rifles are available, in both standard and Ranch Rifle variations.

Developed in 1996, the PC4 and PC9 carbines digest 9mm and .40 S&W pistol ammo. The autoloading rifles use the same magazines as Ruger's P-series pistols. Intended primarily for law enforcement and self-defense, the Ruger carbines are offered with standard open sights or ghost ring receiver sights. Integral scope mounts accept a variety of optical sights.

Ruger Blackpowder

In 1997, Ruger announced the Model 77/50 -- an in-line percussion rifle built around the Model 77 bolt action. The muzzleloading bolt rifle offers several advantages over traditional side-hammer firearms from the past. Ignition is faster and more reliable, and cleaning is greatly simplified.

The .50 caliber percussion rifle is designed for accuracy, and comes standard with Ruger's quick-detachable scope rings and an assortment of black powder accessories. It's now available in blued steel and stainless, with plain birch, checkered walnut, laminated hardwood or black polymer stocks.

O/U Ruger Style

The lone shotgun Ruger manufactures has become a modern classic. Developed in 1977, the Red Label over/under was originally offered in 20 gauge only. Again, this defied convention. Among American shotgunners, the 12 gauge is an overwhelming favorite.

The 20 was first out of the blocks simply because Ruger liked the way smaller-bore guns handled. He has always built the guns he wanted to build -- the prerogative of a firearms genius who also happens to be a self-made multi-millionaire. A 12-gauge version was to follow later.

The Ruger over/under is currently available in Red Label, Woodside and All-Weather Red Label versions. All Ruger shotguns wear stainless steel receivers, but the All-Weather model introduced in 1999 also sports stainless steel barrels and a black synthetic stock.

A 28-gauge stackbarrel is also offered. Unlike most twin-tubed 20 gauges, this gun isn't manufactured on the larger 20-gauge frame. While it adds significantly to production costs, Ruger insisted on scaling the gun to true 28-gauge dimensions throughout. The result is one of the loveliest, liveliest 28-gauge stackbarrels,

Ruger Revolvers

Ruger's best-known handguns are likely the single-action Single-Six, Blackhawk, Super Blackhawk, Bisley and Vaquero revolvers. Single-action sixguns built Ruger's early reputation in the centerfire handgun market.

The first double-action Ruger revolver appeared in 1971. The Ruger Security-Six was chambered for the .357 Mag. and .38 Special cartridges. It featured toolless disassembly and several other innovations. It was discontinued in 1985, replaced by the Ruger GP100 in 1985 and the smaller SP101 introduced three years later.

The GP100 chambers .357 Mag. cartridges, while the SP101 is available in .22 LR, .32 Magnum, 9mm, .38 +P and .357 Mag. chamberings.

The Ruger Redhawk came along in 1979. The heavy-frame revolver was made to digest .44 Mag. loads, and a .45 Colt version was later added.

The "Big Momma" of Ruger wheel-guns is the massive Super Redhawk. This is available in both .44 Mag. and potent .454 Casull chambering. Integral scope mounts are featured in all Super Redhawk revolvers and are available on certain Redhawk models.

Ruger On Duty

Ruger also turned his hand to designing affordable, reliable auto pistols chambering 9mm, .40 S&W and .45 ACP rounds. The first P-Series pistol appeared in 1985. The latest guns in this continuing series are offered in a variety of configurations, including manual safety, decock-only and DAG versions.

In a half century of firearm innovation, Bill Ruger has made very few missteps. The most notable of these was the single-shot .256 Hawkeye pistol built on the Blackhawk revolver frame. The Hawkeye was a short-lived dud, but I wish I had one. Surviving copies are worth a small fortune to collectors.

When you think of firearms genius, two names leap to mind: John M. Browning and William Batterman Ruger. These two men have had greater influence on American firearm design than any other inventors. Browning made- an enormous mark, while Ruger continues to have great impact on firearm development.

COPYRIGHT 1999 Publishers' Development Corporation
COPYRIGHT 2000 Gale Group