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Sturm, Ruger & Company, Incorporated is a firearm company based in Southport, Conneticut. Better known simply as Ruger, Sturm, Ruger & Co. produce rifles, shotguns, pistols and are perhaps best known for their single and double action revolvers. Currently Sturm, Ruger & Co. is the fourth largest gun manufacturer in the United States.

History[]

Sturm, Ruger & Co. was founded in 1949 by William B. Ruger and Alexander McCormick Sturm in a small rented machine shop. Their first creation, the Ruger Standard, an automatic pistol shooting .22 Long Rifle rounds was successful enough to launch the entire company. This success meant that Ruger has an almost exclusive monopoly on the .22 LR rimfire rifle market in the US. The popularity of the 10/22 semi-automatic rifle in particular has also increased Ruger's standing.

Ruger is also a major player in the .22 LR rimfire semi-automatic pistol market, the Ruger Mk II and Mk III following on from the Standard as popular guns.

Ruger Single Six

Ruger Single Six, the first single action produced by Ruger

In the 1950's, spotting a hole in the market for single action revolvers, the Ruger Single Six and later Ruger Blackhawk were released. These guns, particularly the Blackhawk and its subsequent variants, are well known for their classic look and use in Westerns and Cowboy Action Shooting.

Originally controlled by both Ruger and Sturm, the company was owned exclusively by Ruger, following Sturm's death in 1951, until Ruger's death in 2002. Ruger Casting has plants are located in Newport New Hampshire and Prescott Arizona creating iron and aluminum castings.

From 1949 until 2004 Ruger had made over 20 million guns, with their firearms being used for hunting, target shooting, self-defence and law enforcement. Ruger guns are also highly collectible.

Products[]

Apart from a single attempt at a submachine gun, the Ruger MP9, Sturm, Ruger & Co. have exclusively produced rifles, shotguns, semi-automatic pistols and both single and double action revolvers*:

All models are called Ruger... unless stated*

Rifles[]

Semi-Automatic Pistols[]

  • P-Series
    • P85 (discontinued)
    • P89 (discontinued)
    • P90 (discontinued)
    • P91 (discontinued)
    • P93 (discontinued)
    • P94 (discontinued)
    • P944 (discontinued)
    • P95
    • P97 (discontinued)
    • P345
  • SR Series
  • LCP
  • Mark I / Standard (discontinued)
  • Mark II (discontinued)
    Ruger Mk II

    Ruger Mk II .22 Automatic Pistol

  • Mark III
  • LC9
  • SR1911
  • SR22

Shotguns[]

Revolvers[]

Ruger Redhawk and Blackhawk

Ruger Redhawk and Blackhawk comparison

Single Action

Double Action

Others[]

Ammunition[]

Ruger 204

The .204 Ruger, a co development between Hornady and Ruger.

Ruger have also been known to produce their own ammunition for use with their products. To do this Ruger have often teamed up with ammunition producer Hornady to construct some of the worlds most potent rounds, from the .204 Ruger to the .480 Ruger (at one stage the worlds largest calibre pistol cartridge).

USA Shooting Team[]

Sturm, Ruger & Co. have helped fund the USA shooting team, and supplying guns via TALO Distributors Inc.

Awards[]

Sturm, Ruger & Co. have received awards from the Shooting Industry Academy of Excellence for:

  • 1999 - Ruger .22 Magnum 10-22
  • 2002 - Ruger 77/17RM .17 HMR Rimfire
  • 2007 - Ruger M77 Hawkeye
  • 2011 - Ruger Gunsite Scout Rifle (M77-GS)
  • Manufacturer of the Year:
    • 1992
    • 1993
    • 2005
    • 2008
    • 2010
  • Handgun of the Year
    • 1993 - Ruger Vaquero
    • 1997 - Ruger Bisley-Vaquero
    • 2001 - Ruger Super Redhawk
    • 2008 - Ruger LCP
    • 2009 - Ruger LCR
    • 2010 - Ruger SR9c
    • 2011 - Ruger LC9
  • Rifle of the Year
  • Shotgun of the Year
    • 1992 - Ruger Red Label Sporting Clays
    • 2002 - Ruger Gold Label Side-By-Side

Resources[]

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