Let's Hear It For Ruger!

[Echo]

I bought a Ruger Convertible Blackhawk in 357/9mm about 50 years ago, and loved it. It was stolen a couple of years ago, and Son Jim found another on Gunbroker, and bought it for me to replace the old one. It was sent to my neighbor Salim, who has an FFL, and I took it to the range to try it out. It shot sorta OK, dreadfully high @ 25 yards, but went bang. Problem was that the half-cock feature didn’t work. Supposedly, when at half-cock, the cylinder is free of the bolt and so can turn for shucking empties and reloading. I had to hold the hammer back a trifle to release the bolt from the cylinder, and that is not satisfactory. I guess the previous owner had messed with the sear. So I called Ruger to return it for repair. They said they didn’t have parts for that old of a gun, but that I could have the Safety Feature (transfer bar system) installed, and that would fix it. So I had Salim send it.
A little over a week ago they called Salim to tell him that they couldn’t repair the gun (for some reason) – and they were sending a new gun to replace the gun they couldn’t repair, and did I want 357 or 357/9mm? Well…
A new 357/9mm showed up Thursday, the grips off the old gun showed up the next day, I installed them, and went out to the range yesterday to check it out. It goes bang, and I kept most in the black.
A brand-new gun for an old gun they couldn’t repair…

As in the Subject – Let’s Hear It For Ruger!
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[Skinny]

You cant beat that with a stick!

[rintinglen]

Good for you! whatever else you may say about Rugers, there service is second to none.

If only I did not have to use their warranty service so often, I'd think a lot more highly of them.

They have turned into Bangor Punta--sell lots, don't worry about the quality and just fix the ones that come back. You'd think that the money they'd save in shipping labels alone would pay for a substantial upgrade in their QC department.

[sghart3578]

Great story, thank you.

[LUCKYDAWG13]

yes good story and glad they took care of you and that you got a new revolver just asking but did you have the option of getting back
the one that you sent them Back

[bedbugbilly]

Good for you and good for Ruger! Enjoy it!

[buckwheatpaul]

Ruger has always impressed me and I own a number of them for that reason....seems like they always take the high road...thanks for sharing your story.....Paul

[TCFAN]

Glad to hear that Ruger took care of the problem with a new revolver of your choice.I am getting ready to order a new Ruger revolver and that info from you is good to know,thanks.

I had the same experience with S&W 2 years ago this month. Sent in a 14-6 to be repaired and they had no parts to fix it with so they gave me a choice of a new revolver and I picked a 686.

[JBinMN]

Excellent story & re affirms my faith in Sturm Ruger & Co.!!
:)

[contender1]

I know Ruger does an excellent job of trying to help folks when a problem arises.

However,, if you sent them a 3 screw Old Model,,, then yes,,, they no longer have the parts to repair them. BUT,,, in an OM,, there are just a few parts that would have needed replacing in most cases of what you described. Most likely was a broken hammer notch, or the trigger was damaged. Spare parts like that can often be found used but not abused. I'm an OM collector,, and while the NM is a sweet gun,,, I would have fixed the OM myself,,, and the cost wouldn't have been too bad. BUT that is me,,, and as long as you are happy,,, it doesn't matter.
But,,, if you still have the serial number,,, could you please PM me that number for the collectors to record as a destroyed gun? We have a database for the OM 357's started by Bob Campbell,,, (May he RIP),, that is being continued. And a non-prefix, factory convertible,,, is a bit rarer than the prefix ones.

[G. Blessing]

I hate to say it, hate to be discouraging, but honestly, I think you got ripped off by Ruger..

The OMs are getting hard to find and are in high demand now, especially with guys building customs.. A few popular custom smiths doing conversions will only do OMs, not the NMs.

Another sixgun forum that I read has several guys that could kill for even a busted OM 357, for the popular 41 special conversion..

From what I've been seeing online, I'd bet you can sell even a broken OM for more than the cost of a NM; have cash left over.


BUT; as long as your happy with what you got, thats all that counts, congrats on the brand new toy! :)

[beagle]

Was down at the LGS one day and this fellow came in with a long barreled .22 Ruger auto stainless. It was in the shape of a rocking chair rocker. Bottom line, girlfriend left it on top of the truck when they were shooting and it fell off and he backed over it. Bolt would barely open. Sent it back to Ruger and in about 10 days he received a new one. Had to go through the paperwork drill but no charge and it was evident that it was the owner's fault and not Ruger's. Can't beat that service./beagle

[contender1]

I wouldn't say he got ripped off by Ruger. They have a liability issue to deal with. If they touch it for repairs,,, then they can be held liable if something goes wrong later on. By doing the safety conversion,,, they have "worked" on it,,, and would be liable. And since they didn't have any OM parts to fix it,,, they have to destroy it. By offering a new gun as a replacement,,, they are covered.
My point was that it shouldn't have gone to them in the first place. I know that I could have fixed it myself,, unless the internal frame was damaged. And even if that was the case,, I have a good friend who can weld things,,, and then a bit of milling can make it right again. OM parts,,,, I buy these all the time,, and have a fair stock for my own purposes.

But Ruger didn't rip him off. We can thank the stupid lawyers who LOVE to sue companies,,, even when the complainant is in the wrong. The only lawsuit Ruger ever lost was over an OM. A guy owned an OM,, and FAILED to learn how to properly carry it, with an empty chamber under the hammer. He fell, and it hit something,,,, discharged & injured him. He sued Ruger. This was after Bill had designed the NM with the transfer bar safety feature. In his decision,,, the judge directly addressed it by saying that Bill knew he had a defective design BECAUSE he had built the transfer bar action. The judge disregarded the other SA designs out there, and awarded $$$ to the plaintiff. Shortly after that,,, we also got that UGLY billboard warning on all the guns. THANK THE LAWYERS!!!!!!!!!!
Nope,,, Ruger didn't rip him off,, they just have to CYA!

[FergusonTO35]

I'll trade a better trigger pull for a handgun that is completely safe to carry fully loaded any day.

[dragon813gt]

Good for you! whatever else you may say about Rugers, there service is second to none.

If only I did not have to use their warranty service so often, I'd think a lot more highly of them.

They have turned into Bangor Punta--sell lots, don't worry about the quality and just fix the ones that come back. You'd think that the money they'd save in shipping labels alone would pay for a substantial upgrade in their QC department.

This has been my experience as of late. I don't remember the last time I bought a new Ruger and I didn't have to send it in to be finished. Their QC is very poor IMO. They seem focused on volume over quality. The issues were always fixed at no cost to me. But having to send back multiple new guns is disheartening.

In regards to the OP's gun. I would have asked for it back. I would have found a smith who could fix it. They aren't making them anymore so their value is ever increasing. Anytime one was destroyed the value of all the remaining goes up. It was the OP's decision and he seems happy w/ it. I don't like sending old guns to the scrap heap.

[mozeppa]

all this sending new guns back after the purchase....doesn't anyone but me look at what they are buying before money hits the table?
i look at the fit and finish.
i look in every nook and cranny....i try every function i can...i examine every little detail that i can without actually shooting it....or tearing it apart.

i have had over 40 hand guns and never a bad one.

trimmed down to 16 handguns now...just the one's they'll bury me with.:D

[dragon813gt]

Since the shops around here don't carry much but black guns I buy a lot off GunBroker. It doesn't excuse Ruger's poor QC. My experience is not unusual. It's a common complaint on the Ruger forums.

[Tazman1602]

I have the almost same story. I bought a Ruger Redhawk 44 mag off of Gunbroker knowing full well the cylinder had issues turning and the hammer had issues when you drew it back. I paid $400 for it. Stole it basically.

Called Ruger, got an RMA. Sent it to them on a Friday thinking "well that will be gone for a few weeks" ...... The VERY NEXT Friday I got a signature only package from Ruger. They had fixed ALL issues, tuned the cylinder and did a bunch of other stuff. I had told them it was broken when I bought it and expected to be billed for it.

In the box with the brand new factory fixed Redhawk was an invoice..........for ZERO dollars and a note that said: "Thank you for the privilege of letting us fix your Ruger Redhawk". I simply could NOT believe it.

Sent it to Magnaport to have quad trap ported and it's one of the most accurate guns I own and my second favorite 44 mag.

I also lately had the privilege to afford a Ruger Precision rifle Gen II in 308. It is absolutely the most accurate out of the box rifle I have ever owned. It is now my favorite rifle. Have a Loopy on it now but am going to get a Shepherd 6-18 X 40 DRS scope for it.

LOVE RUGER!!!

Art