Ruger quality has gone down the drain...check out their cobble job

[Tripplebeards]

If you check out my previous post on the American 450 bushmaster on missing bluing and scratched you will see I sent the new rifle back to Ruger to have it reblued. They ended up replacing the barrel instead of bluing it and I would assume the lugs didn't match up so their repair shop must have cobbled it as it wasn't like this when I sent it in. What a joke. It looks like some kid took a dremmel tool and sloppily ground it three places around the lugs to make the bolt close.

Dose anyone else's Ruger American have grind marks on their bolt from factory?

Last Ruger rifle I'll own. Their workmanship and quality has gone down the drain.

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[thegatman]

Old Rugers are the best. New ones are cheaping out. Would not buy a new Ruger.

[Tripplebeards]

I googled some pics of them and there are notches on the bolt in these spots from factory but they went to town on it with a dremmel. I'll probably get out my file, 1500 grit sand paper, and some mothers polish and fix it myself. By the time I send it back a second time they'll probably screw something else up.

[lefty o]

it is really too bad, but their quality has been on a pretty good downward slide for about 10yrs now.i honestly dont think ill ever buy another new ruger.

[Tripplebeards]

Well it took me about an hour of filing, then 200,220, and 1500 grit sandpaper and then mothers polish. I didn't pull out the dremmel and buff it to a shine but it looks 99 percent better. It cycles smoother now...of course.

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[Tripplebeards]

I guess that's what happens when you try to sell a million guns...quality goes in the toilet.

[jmort]

That is a bottom of the line econo gun.
What level of fit and finish can Ruger afford on their cheapest models???
People are buying Ruger Americans and Savage Axis guns to save money.
The Hawkeyes I have seen look like they have a high level of fit and finish.

[lefty o]

it sure shouldnt look like those first pictures, even if its the cheapest thing they sell.

[Tripplebeards]

That is a bottom of the line econo gun.
What level of fit and finish can Ruger afford on their cheapest models???
People are buying Ruger Americans and Savage Axis guns to save money.
The Hawkeyes I have seen look like they have a high level of fit and finish.

It doesn't give them a right to Half a$$ the repair job because it's their entry level rifle.
I bought it because it's the only factory bolt gun available chambered in 450 bushmaster. I paid $500 for it. I have better quality firearms I've paid a lot less for. They now have a scout version that I would have grabbed up if I knew was available before I pulled the trigger on this one. I have couple Hawkeyes, a 77/44, Ruger carbine, vaquero, and couple p89s. Seems like all the newer Rugers have been cheapened no matter what which model it is. Sad,because I really love my older ones.

[jmort]

I have a lot of Ruger handguns. I think the 450 Bushmaster is a great round and kudos to Ruger for putting that gun out there. I have no problem with the quality of the Ruger handguns I have. New and old. I have four P89 DCs and love those guns. I have four LC9s Pros and they all are as reliable as a gun gets. Have a bunch of LCRs and love those as well. Just got a couple LCP II s and never, ever thought I would own, let alone love a .380 ACP anything. Got some Underwood 380 ACP ammo for street use and now getting set up for casting and reloading those pop guns. 250 ft lbs with a decent bullet is no joke, especially in a tiny gun. Only Ruger Long Gun I have ever owned is a 10/22. Doubt that will change.

[54bore]

It doesn't give them a right to Half a$$ the repair job because it's their entry level rifle.

I FULLY AGREE!! I own one Ruger Revolver, a GP-100 Talo exclusive, i went with the Talo version in hopes their Quality Control would be better, i am sure glad i did! This GP-100 is really nice. I have seen MANY MANY of their standard GPs, Blackhawks, Redhawks, etc. At gun shops that i would not have settled for, piss poor fit n finish, just plain rough. The old Rugers are absolutely beautiful guns, high lustre finish, very nice fit n finish. I would GLADLY pay more for a gun like they USE to make years ago! But now days I avoid Ruger. Several years ago I bought 4 brand new Ruger Revolvers the same day, 3 of them had to be returned for repairs, A GP-100 (they replaced the barrel) A Blackhawk .30 Carbine (Wrong ejector installed from the factory) the distibutor i went through checked his inventory of the .30 Carbines after my issue and had to send a PILE of them back (30-40 of them iirc?) all had the wrong ejector. And last a SBH .44 Magnum, everytime i fired it the base pin would jump forward and obviously the Cylinder would bind up, the cut was off at the cross latch, Ruger had to recut and fit it. The only keeper was single six .22-.22 Mag convertible. These were all brand new in the box guns that i had special ordered through an FFL

[Tripplebeards]

I FULLY AGREE!! I own one Ruger Revolver, a GP-100 Talo exclusive, i went with the Talo version in hopes their Quality Control would be better, i am sure glad i did! This GP-100 is really nice. I have seen MANY MANY of their standard GPs, Blackhawks, Redhawks, etc. At gun shops that i would not have settled for, piss poor fit n finish, just plain rough. The old Rugers are absolutely beautiful guns, high lustre finish, very nice fit n finish. I would GLADLY pay more for a gun like they USE to make years ago! But now days I avoid Ruger. Several years ago I bought 4 brand new Ruger Revolvers the same day, 3 of them had to be returned for repairs, A GP-100 (they replaced the barrel) A Blackhawk .30 Carbine (Wrong ejector installed from the factory) the distibutor i went through checked his inventory of the .30 Carbines after my issue and had to send a PILE of them back (30-40 of them iirc?) all had the wrong ejector. And last a SBH .44 Magnum, everytime i fired it the base pin would jump forward and obviously the Cylinder would bind up, the cut was off at the cross latch, Ruger had to recut and fit it. The only keeper was single six .22-.22 Mag convertible. These were all brand new in the box guns that i had special ordered through an FFL

My dad bought a New RedHawk last year that the cylinder blinded. I ground when the cylinder rotated and cylinder wouldn't line up with the barrel. If He would have fired it, it would have blown up in his hand. He took it back and traded it for a new vaquero. The vaqueros finish wasn't finished by the front sight and handle didn't fit correct and was hanging off one side on the vaquero. He accepted it in trade. I will get a talo next time around. I will have to get around to polishing it for him and replacing the grips.

[Texas by God]

That's shoddy work on Rugers part. Looks like you cleaned it up but my gosh- you shouldn't have to. Well I hope it redeems itself in the shooting dept!
Best, Thomas.

[Tripplebeards]

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Here are some better photos after I worked on it. Not perfect but a lot cleaner look. I might get out the dremmel a polish it along with the bolt to get rid of bolt friction noise when cycling as well. I figured I'd do it myself instead of having to send it back and forth a second time. But Bluing I can't do.

[ikarus1]

That is a bottom of the line econo gun.
What level of fit and finish can Ruger afford on their cheapest models???
People are buying Ruger Americans and Savage Axis guns to save money.
The Hawkeyes I have seen look like they have a high level of fit and finish.

Right here is the truth. $399 gun gets high volume low effort. However when you sent it back that shouldve been addressed.

[Jedman]

That's a lot of grinding ! It should not have taken that much to make it work right.
Ruger makes most of its parts like the bolts from investment castings and should be made to fit without any additional grinding.
That would be unexceptable to me but I don't know what you could do to get them to replace the bolt or give you a new rifle that's not cobbled up ?
I too once thought Rugers were great guns but have changed my mind over the past 20 years as I know of plenty of new Rugers that don't shoot worth a darn and you can waste a fortune in trying to get them to like something that will group well.
Sorry for your loss.

Jedman

[Tripplebeards]

So I figured I'd continue on project now that I'm home from work. I felt the trigger grind when testing it. The trigger release has deep scratches in it causing it to bind when pulled.
It catches on the inside of the trigger and makes a grinding noise when pulling it. If ruger doesn't send me one ill guess I just have to sand and polish it too. It just keeps getting better.

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[Tripplebeards]

Well I filed,sanded,and polished the trigger release and since I had the trigger out( and I felt a little creep besides the grinding) I polished it as well.

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So I then reassembled it and the release was still grinding against the side of the trigger. The pin that holds it in place is way too small in diameter. I remembered using one of my punches as a pin to take the slop out of my 77/44's trigger a few months back. I grabbed my punch set and found the correct diameter that fit tight. I cut it off and reassembled again.

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Much better but as you can see there is too much slop between the release and the inside of the trigger housing giving it room to wiggle back and forth when squeezing it. It is still is rubbing against the inside trigger housing just not as much. I know there is a guy who sells bolt shims for the 77/44 and also sells smaller ones that would work in this. You can see the gap I'm referring to that is causing it to shift side to side...

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Well, I have no shims so I put it back together and once aligned in the gun I was pulling the trigger straight back...the grinding and rubbing gone and the trigger is awesome! It is crisp as crisp can get. I don't have a scale but it's at or under 3lbs. I slammed the bolt a dozen times as hard as I could to make sure it would not slam fire. Problem solved and I can live with a shiny trigger release.

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[Blanket]

Ruger and quality can not be used in the same quote

[jmort]

"Ruger and quality can not be used in the same quote"

Are you sure about that???