Ruger Revolvers Latest Production .

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mrt949

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Was at the local gun shop .Man was I VERRY DISAPOINTED with the new RUGER SP101 current production runs . The fit and finish in these pistols were the worst i have ever seen in a RUGER product . Is it the way things are today?What happened to pride? My older SP101 is a work of art .
 
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There SP’s might be down in quality but I picked up a new Ruger Blackhawk earlier this year and it had the finest trigger I have ever seen on a Ruger (And I have owned a lot of them) and was accurate. The finish was very nice.
 
This is a trend across the board.
However, Ruger is behind in production therefore the rule of "supply and demand" is their friend. For Ruger it means more money. For the consumer? Well, not so good. This is where you see prices go up and QC is pulled aside for a little talk behind the curtain.

I've seen this a hundred times. Not just in firearms, but in production jobs I have worked in the past. Pressure to produce gets passed down the chain of command, so the stringent inspections that were once implemented get loosened a little to increase production. There will always be the "good ones", but upon inspection the ones with the "minor defects" (mostly cosmetic) will be sent out rather rerun through their respected department for a minor cosmetic fix.
 
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My older SP101 is a work of art .
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Treasure it then, because it is the outlier. I've been fiddling with them since the late 90's and I have yet to see one that didn't benefit from reliving sharp edges in and around the trigger-guard, knocking the edges and tops down on the hammer checkering and turning the barrel up square to correct windage errors.

This is not to say they are bad guns. They are splendid little .357s and in their niche, nothing else quite compares to them.
 
'A work of art'? Seriously?
I've never seen anything with the Ruger name on it that I would consider a work of art.
My new GP100 is very nice. Very satisfied. Much nicer than my older Blackhawks.
My older SP101, built in 2000, is pretty rough in fit and finish and the trigger is very poor.
 
As much as I like Ruger products I wouldn't call them works of art. They aren't supposed to be pretty. They're supposed to go bang every time. I'd be disappointed if a new Smith and Wesson showed poor attention to detail.
 
The two I looked at yesterday looked like when the milled the undercut near the front sight , The endmill grabed left marks like a wood screw .A little better finishing and deburing would have made a sale .Both guns were the newer SP 101 with adjustable sights .357 mag & 22lr. I haved owned RUGERS from the 1970 'S .
 
'A work of art'? Seriously?
I've never seen anything with the Ruger name on it that I would consider a work of art.
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This can also be a matter of taste. There are several paintings, worth millions, that "to me" looked like they came in last at a finger painting contest by kindergarteners.

Maybe just another case of "eye of the beholder", but I have several Six Series that I think are very nice looking.

SixCat.jpg
 
Well... I certainly dont agree with your comments about fit and finish. I have 3 new SP101s, a New GP100, a New Single Six, a New Single Ten, and a Super Redhawk, and GP100 from the 1980s that I bought new, to compare the newer ones to. The fit and finish of my guns that were made in 2012 are just as well done and beautiful as the guns from the 1980s. I dont think the quality has slipped at all, from what I have seen. I also have older, and 2 new 10/22s and they are as good as, or better than the older rifles. Ruger has been really pushing out the firearms recently, and Im sure there have been some slip-ups, but certainly not a total downturn in quality.
 
Maybe just another case of "eye of the beholder", but I have several Six Series that I think are very nice looking.
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That is a very nice gun.
I guess when I hear 'work of art' regarding guns, I think Colt SAA, 1911, Python,....
 
I've been very happy with Ruger, but I can definitely see how the intense demand they've been getting would allow some stinkers out the door.
 
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My post was for what I saw that day. When I say work of art ! I am saying plain and simple hand gun that I am not worided if it's scrached .They are tools for a reason.
 
I bought a GP100 3" this year and and guess I lucked out.

The fit and finish is great, and the trigger is the best I've ever found on a GP100. Seriously, this gun has a very decent trigger.

Everything was much better than on older models I've seen.
 
Didn't know there were any 3" GP's coming off the line these days. That's good news.

I purchased a LCR-22 and SR22-P this year. Both seemed to be worthy of the Ruger name. I seldom look at SP-101's. Just never really saw a need for one. I am very interested in handling one in 22 however (the new model, disliked the old production).
 
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I can't say about the GP- other than I never cared for them in favor of S&W.
One Ruger I bought never worked right out of the box. It was a single six with a 22mag cylinder. 22 LR & shorts did fire but 22 mags did not. I dumped it. After some years the next Ruger I bought was a new model super blackhawk in 44 mag for deer season. Fit and finish was not so good. I'd be ashamed of that handgun at the factory if I was the one that cranked it out. My dealer spent a lot of time on it to make it look better. If he didn't. I'd leave it there unsold. What surprises me is that you can spend quite a lot of money on a handgun expecting the best and not seeing it. My next step is to dial it in firing three different ammo brands. With luck I might be able to remove and install the cylinder after cleaning. My dealer and I had quite a hard time with getting that cylinder & pin in place. I think he dumped a few ounces of RemOil on it and said the parts were dry, tight, sticking and with some use it should work in to operate as expected.
 
So much for bad mouthing Rugers

That harsh comment I made was in regard to a 7 inch I bought a couple weeks ago. Just tonight I picked up the same gun in the 10 inch version. The muzzle end parts are not the same (piece of metal between the barrel and front sight blade). Fit and finish appear absolutely fine.
 
My biggest criticism about Ruger revolvers has been the sharp edges. They can cut you. I wish the hammer on my SRH was smoothed out as it cuts if it meets skin. The edges around the trigger guard is another area where they could improve.

I never expected the fit and finish of a S&W or Colt when I buy Rugers. I am pleased with the revolvers overall. Ruger occupies the #3 position relative to numbers in my accumulation.
 
I think that most of us would agree that the company's founder & namesake likely NEVER intended any of his guns to be works of art. His mantra was a quality, good workin' firearm for fair dough that the working man could afford.

Even so, if I'm looking for a Ruger product to submit as the closest to a work of art, it's likely to be in the form of a Number 1 rifle or a Red Label shotgun. I'd have to agree that no Ruger handguns have ever left the factory looking like fine, exquisite and high-dollar BBQ-type guns.
 
That harsh comment I made was in regard to a 7 inch I bought a couple weeks ago. Just tonight I picked up the same gun in the 10 inch version. The muzzle end parts are not the same (piece of metal between the barrel and front sight blade).
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I've let this rest since yesterday hoping for clarification, but none has been forthcoming...

I can only assume that you meant a 7.5" and 10.5" barrel respectively...

As to the "end parts" comment, I am still stymied...

:confused:
 
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