Ruger!

[sniper]

WELL!
I ordered a new 3" GP 100 Wiley Clapp edition, and waited impatiently for it to arrive. After opening the box, I was underwhelmed with the matte stainless...apparently bead blasted...finish. Really homely, in comparison the the standard finishes on GP100 and Match Champions. There were some what I thought were minor problems...the front sight and bottom and barrel top didn't meet, and the hammer pivot/disassemby pin worked out during dry fire, so it pushed the grips away from the frame.

I sent it to Ruger for correction, and this a.m. a pleasant young lady from their Customer Service division called me, and said they would replace it...no info why...the inspecting technician simply said "Replace it!" There must have been more wrong with it than my inexperienced eye could tell.
WELL...O.K.! Sooooo...they're sending me a new 4" Match Champion!

Thank you, Ruger!:D

[Three-Fifty-Seven]

...c?

[osteodoc08]

It's a shame that all the major manufacturers were in such a rush to get product out the door that they let their QC and standards slip. I imagine there has been a slight down turn in the market in general and that the next hot thing will be supressors should the hearing protection act get passed.

Hopefully Ruger will make right on their GP100. I wish they still carried the lines of the "six" line ofnyears ago. Much more attractive.

[9.3X62AL]

Doc--lotta good sense in what you posted above. Sometimes, a firearm needs to be "finished" by the buyer. Ruger is far from being alone in that regard. My latest new Ruger is an SP-101 in 327 Federal x 4.2", bought late May of this year. Dimensionally, all seems well--but the D/A trigger is STALWART and cocking the hammer S/A fashion takes considerable effort. I will give it some shooting and hope it breaks in some, but more than likely a Wolff spring kit is in its future.

[Three-Fifty-Seven]

...oo

[jmort]

This post identifies why I send every revolver out to be tuned by the best gunsmith I can find. When I compare my tuned revolvers with a new one, well I cannot compare them. Once tuned they shoot like a dream. The forcing cone, springs, internal smoothing, honing, squaring and setting the cylinder gap, the new springs, timing, and on and on. Why send for a new gun over and over. The factory will not make it right. $150 to $200 and you have an heirloom. Otherwise you will keep complaining. The real eye opener for me was my Freedom Arms 97. That is perfection from the factory at a cost. For far less, I can have a tuned Blackhawk, which still will not equal the Freedom Arms out of the box, but at less than half the cost, the tuned Blackhawk will still be more than good, approaching greatness, and is something that can handed down for generations. I dont even fire my new guns. They go right to the best gunsmith to be tuned. Otherwise just keep sending it to Ruger. They will never get it right.
Now I need to send a boatload of cylinders to Doug.

[Petrol & Powder]

osteodoc08 - I agree. The rush to get guns out the door during the Obama years resulted in huge numbers of guns being sold but the quality seems to have suffered. The good news for the OP is Ruger will make it right.

The old Ruger DA Six series (Security-Six, Service-Six & Speed-Six) were great guns! Unfortunately Ruger didn't keep those lines running after the GP-100 and SP101 were introduced. There was a small overlap in production of the Six series and the GP-100 from 1986-1988 but in 1989 the Six series was done and the SP101 came out. Ruger didn't want to keep the old line in production and clearly didn't want to compete against himself.

On a positive note, I've seen and owned some excellent GP-100's / SP101's and they are capable of outstanding accuracy. Hopefully Ruger will slow down and get a handle on its quality. They are capable of making good guns.

[jmort]

" The good news for the OP is Ruger will make it right. "

"They are capable of making good guns"

My opinion, is that Ruger is incapable of "making good guns," when it comes to revolvers, except the LCRs. You could send it back and forth to Ruger a 1,000 times and it will not be right. It will have flaws. Take matters into your own hands and get a good gunsmith. Thank God for SASS, as it spawned a number of great gunsmiths. I own a lot of Ruger revolvers. You will never get a good factory gun. Make it good with a gunsmith and have something to be proud of.

[Three-Fifty-Seven]

.....

[9.3X62AL]

This post identifies why I send every revolver out to be tuned by the best gunsmith I can find.

Now I need to send a boatload of cylinders to Doug.

Lotta good sense in this post, too.

I have been VERY fortunate with most of my Ruger wheelguns. The stuff that needed fixing or massaging I could do myself--but it WAS needed. I wish Doug Guy had been in business at the time my 45 Colt BisHawk needed its throats finished. I was successful in honing them to proper diameter with the Manson reamer set, but I would have been a lot more comfy having a real machinist do the work.

[Petrol & Powder]

jmort, no offense intended but I've had predominately good experiences with Ruger products.

Now, I'm NOT a SA guy. I own a few SA revolvers but the bulk of my shooting is with DA revolvers. I'm also not a new gun guy. Most of my firearms came to me as used guns. I examine them closely before taking possession and reject poor examples. I've had very good experiences with used Ruger and S&W DA revolvers.

[jmort]

New or used, Ruger cannot/will not put out a revolver that has a proper forcing cone, better springs, an exact cylinder gap, unifom and properly sized cylinder throats, a cylinder that is perfectly squared, a perfectly timed action, properly polished and honed internals, and an action job for a good/great trigger. For $150 +/- you get all this. Some are able to do it on their own, but not me. I have had many revolvers tuned by the best SASS gun smiths, and the difference is astounding. Ruger can't/won't do it. Trust me it is worth every penny. My Freedom Arms 97 is built exactly right. It is a marvel. But for less than half of that, I can get a Ruger that is so very much better than stock. I could send it back to Ruger 1,000 times and it will never equal what I can get by paying $200 or less. To each his own.

[M-Tecs]

The lack of QC on a lot of the current production items is troubling. Some issue are not fixable but most are. As a toolmaker/gunsmith I do 100% of my own work. I do expect all newly purchased firearms to at minimum be fully functional. Some issues are just plan irritating since the manufacturer could easily improve there product with zero cost. I do have different expectations based on cost. The more I spend the less I expect to have to do. The only product I have never found any issues with are Barnard actions and one very early Les Baer NM 1911. I have built it's equal but I have never been able to best it.

[6bg6ga]

I broke down and purchased a very slightly used Ruger Super Redhawk that was made in 2001. This is the first RedHawk for me and I was impressed with the trigger, the fit and finish but then again it was produced in 2001 instead of 2017.

[DougGuy]

Be GLAD you boys are buying revolvers! I just spent 7 grand on a Gibson guitar.. I could have bought new off the shelf limited edition true historic for a couple hundred dollars more than what I spent, and this is SUPPOSED to be one made exactly to the TEE like they made them in 1959.. Yea right.

The one I bought had been new in 2014, good wood good balance etc, bit it had been taken completely apart, the "top carve" which looks like a violin top is redone to exact 1959 specs taken from a real 1959 guitar (cylinder throats, be GLAD they left enough metal in ther to fine tune instead of taking out too much!!) the neck is removed, the fretboard removed and replaced with Brazilian rosewood, the plastic inlays are made in the same Italian factory that originally produced them for Gibson in the 1950s, the finish is a specially mixed nitrocellulose lacquer that hardens just like the stuff they used in the 1950s, but with NO plasticizer, even the particular shade of finish on the top was identically reproduced to a 1960 Gibson Les Paul Standard guitar, (worth ohh 400k or so now..) it's all reglued with hot hide glue which has been a standard with many luthiers for centuries. It dries hard and clear, and the vibration from the strings is greatly enhanced by the use of glues that have really good acoustical and vibration transferring qualities, on and on and on went the improvements and refinements....

Until the product finished is SHADES AWAY BETTER than it was when it was new, it beats the expensive new models hands down, it is VERY resonant, loud, for a solid body guitar it has amazing "projection" because of the glues and materials used in reconstruction of the instrument. Cost? About $300 less than the brand new model, aesthetically it LOOKS almost the same, ALMOST, until you begin to look closer, and then pick it up to play it. Oh damnation!! Now the REAL TRUTH starts showing itself.. This is an instrument that professional players DREAM of owning, this is the stuff that Joe Bonamassa takes out on tour with him in Europe where traveling with guitars worth half a million dollars each is very risky.. These instruments KICK IT with the very best of the good old Gibsons, and the happiness and satisfaction of ownership is far and away doubled and doubled again when you appreciate the handwork and individual SKILLS it took to pull off such a fine precise piece of work. It is as much ART as function, and no cost was spared in the effort. This is a guitar that will last my lifetime and then some.....

But you see, the revolver shares MUCH the same appointments and idiosyncrasies as the guitar! It is man made on production equipment, it has good points but is fraught with annoyances and poor workmanship from cutting production costs.

The point is this. If you want a revolver that GENUINELY impresses you every time you take it to the range or hunting, think outside the box. Think individual artisans. Think craftsmanship that only comes from a dedication to one's own integrity at one's own craft. Pursue THIS avenue, if you are really after something genuinely good. QUIT EXPECTING it to be there from the end of the production line!

Be GLAD you don't play guitar!!!!! Know how much custom smithing work I can get done for $7k? At the end of the day, I only lived once. I took the curvy road because although the straight road is smoother and without potholes, it is woefully devoid of the peaks....

http://i1202.photobucket.com/albums/bb374/DougGuy/i-hHcJF6S-X3-crop480_zpssatkxb2f.jpg (http://s1202.photobucket.com/user/DougGuy/media/i-hHcJF6S-X3-crop480_zpssatkxb2f.jpg.html)

[6bg6ga]

Be GLAD you boys are buying revolvers! I just spent 7 grand on a Gibson guitar.. I could have bought new off the shelf limited edition true historic for a couple hundred dollars more than what I spent, and this is SUPPOSED to be one made exactly to the TEE like they made them in 1959.. Yea right.

The one I bought had been new in 2014, good wood good balance etc, bit it had been taken completely apart, the "top carve" which looks like a violin top is redone to exact 1959 specs taken from a real 1959 guitar (cylinder throats, be GLAD they left enough metal in ther to fine tune instead of taking out too much!!) the neck is removed, the fretboard removed and replaced with Brazilian rosewood, the plastic inlays are made in the same Italian factory that originally produced them for Gibson in the 1950s, the finish is a specially mixed nitrocellulose lacquer that hardens just like the stuff they used in the 1950s, but with NO plasticizer, even the particular shade of finish on the top was identically reproduced to a 1960 Gibson Les Paul Standard guitar, (worth ohh 400k or so now..) it's all reglued with hot hide glue which has been a standard with many luthiers for centuries. It dries hard and clear, and the vibration from the strings is greatly enhanced by the use of glues that have really good acoustical and vibration transferring qualities, on and on and on went the improvements and refinements....

Until the product finished is SHADES AWAY BETTER than it was when it was new, it beats the expensive new models hands down, it is VERY resonant, loud, for a solid body guitar it has amazing "projection" because of the glues and materials used in reconstruction of the instrument. Cost? About $300 less than the brand new model, aesthetically it LOOKS almost the same, ALMOST, until you begin to look closer, and then pick it up to play it. Oh damnation!! Now the REAL TRUTH starts showing itself.. This is an instrument that professional players DREAM of owning, this is the stuff that Joe Bonamassa takes out on tour with him in Europe where traveling with guitars worth half a million dollars each is very risky.. These instruments KICK IT with the very best of the good old Gibsons, and the happiness and satisfaction of ownership is far and away doubled and doubled again when you appreciate the handwork and individual SKILLS it took to pull off such a fine precise piece of work. It is as much ART as function, and no cost was spared in the effort. This is a guitar that will last my lifetime and then some.....

But you see, the revolver shares MUCH the same appointments and idiosyncrasies as the guitar! It is man made on production equipment, it has good points but is fraught with annoyances and poor workmanship from cutting production costs.

The point is this. If you want a revolver that GENUINELY impresses you every time you take it to the range or hunting, think outside the box. Think individual artisans. Think craftsmanship that only comes from a dedication to one's own integrity at one's own craft. Pursue THIS avenue, if you are really after something genuinely good. QUIT EXPECTING it to be there from the end of the production line!

Be GLAD you don't play guitar!!!!! Know how much custom smithing work I can get done for $7k? At the end of the day, I only lived once. I took the curvy road because although the straight road is smoother and without potholes, it is woefully devoid of the peaks....

I don't fix guitars but I do fix the old guitar tube amps from years past or I can custom built a New old style amp that most that play amps are looking for. The quality of the new circuitry PC board type amps just don't have the sound or the Quality of the older tube amps that are point to point wired.
I can relate to purchasing a piece of gear that was engineered to perform to the highest standards.

[Three-Fifty-Seven]

" ...

[Hickok]

I like my Ruger Blackhawks and Super Blackhawks, but I always considered them "Kit guns", as their is always some work to do right out of the box.

Nowadays, we the consumer are the "quality control" for most of the American firearms industry. I will give credit to Kimber, Weatherby, CZ and Glock, because their firearms have been "good to go" for me right out of the box. I know a lot of people bash Glocks, but I have owned several, and still have two, and they worked just as represented. Take them out of the box, load a mag, and start shooting, simple as that.

[Petrol & Powder]

Good info and thanks to all for sharing personal experiences.

A gun to me is a tool. I have some that look better than others but they are all shooters. No safe queens around here.

I've owned new Rugers but the vast majority came to me as used guns. I can't remember the last time I purchased a new Ruger but it was likely more than 8 years ago.
jmort's practice of purchasing a Ruger SA and then spending some money to bring it up to the level he wants, makes sense to me. He starts with a solid platform that is the basis for what he wants. He then arrives at where he wishes to be for less money than it would take to buy straight out. If you go into that process knowing that you will spend that extra money, you've done well.

I'm not much of a SA revolver guy but DA revolvers are a different story. Rugers do generally require some work regardless of their age but the older ones seem to require a bit less work. At least in my experience. I've had some fine Six series, GP's and SP101's over the years.

I generally do most of my own work but on one occasion I sent a 2" K-frame off to a highly rated professional gunsmith. I will not name him nor will I disparage the work he did but I will say it wasn't worth the cost. The work included an action job and I had to "fix" what the gunsmith had "fixed"; proving that "Professional" doesn't necessarily equate to "good".

On another occasion I gave a K-frame S&W to a friend that was a S&W trained armorer. That gun came back to me much improved and at a fraction of the cost of the highly rated gunsmith.

Hickok mentioned Kimbers and Glocks. One of the best guns I ever owned that was perfect right out of the box was a Kimber. It was their version of the stainless steel lightweight Commander and it would shoot as well as a friend's brand new Les Baer full size pistol.

I've seen a total of 1 Glock that didn't function perfectly right out of the box. The one that had a problem was a model 22 that had a small blur on the extractor. I took the extractor out of the slide, smoothed it on a small stone and put it back in the gun. That was 6 years ago and it hasn't hiccupped since.

[Three-Fifty-Seven]

s! ;)

[9.3X62AL]

I have come close a couple different times to snagging an LCR--the only thing stopping me is how poorly my big ham hands manipulate small revolvers like J-frame S&Ws without aftermarket grips that kinda defeat the purpose of a small revolver with their length and bulk. The ones I have fired (both dry- and live-) had GREAT triggers, all were 38 Specials. I don't think I want one in 357 Magnum, not using Magnum ammo at least. These are wildly popular with our deputies as back-up and off-duty arms. Aesthetically, they sure aren't Colt Pythons--but Glocks aren't Renaissance-grade Browning Hi-Powers, either, and that doesn't affect their utility one bit.

[725]

I hate the loss of craftsmanship in most things today, but enjoy the costs of mass produced, serviceable, tools. The important stuff gets more attention and upgrades to make 'em right. The pride of work product that seems to have existed in so many industries in the past has been replaced by bean counter pressures and the bottom line. One thing I do like, however, is my Ruger LCP .380. It's a plastic tool that sees rough handling everyday and works remarkably well. Cleaned & oiled as needed and I've never had a malfunction. It is what it is. Not in the same league as my old Smith's & Colts.

[Idaho45guy]

I worked for Ruger as a CNC operator in their Prescott, AZ plant for a few months in between careers.

Their attitude towards quality is abysmal. It's a miracle they produce the occasional flaw free firearm at all (say that three times fast...).

I want to like them, but the QC horror stories and things I witnessed have dissuaded me from giving them any more business. Same with S&W. Both companies have let their standards slip the last few years in order to meet demand. I can wait a few more years for it to get back to acceptable levels before I give them any more of my hard-earned money.

[Three-Fifty-Seven]

.....

[sniper]

Three-Fifty-Seven;
I really like my new Match Champion, but like some of the other posters, I found that the trigger, while nice, needed some light stoning when I had it apart to clean a few machining leftovers out of it. The trigger is some better now, but I am going to invest in a set of springs, and stone some more when I take it down to install them.

The front sight is still not flush with the barrel, and despite the warnings of breakage, it seems a rather small thing, so, I'm about ready to say "Oh, well!", just shoot, and enjoy it. Life is too short to put up with incessant back-and-forth with Mother Ruger, but, should this reach the refund level, I will go with a Smith 686, even if I do dislike the lock!

I did email the CEO, expressing my concerns and displeasure with a gun that cost the better part of $1,000, and although he says he reads every one of his messages, I suspicion that his correspondence will be "sanitized" by one of his "bright young people". But, such is the business world nowadays!

[Three-Fifty-Seven]

.....