So much for Ruger's top quality

[Hanzy4200]

I've been after a 5.5" Super Blackhawk for a few months. None of the online vendors or local shops have had any available. Found one last week my local Sportsman's Warehouse new for $729. After getting home, I noticed the laser etching under the barrel was terrible, and the grip medallion cavities were oversized. One medallion was also crooked. Whatever, its superficial. Took it out, and at 30 feet it was printing 10" off. Adjusted the rear sight until it was nearly falling out, and still 1-2" off. Went home. Decided to start fresh with a different load next day. Fired 8 rds, and on the 9th shot, the entire ejector assembly falls off! Spring goes flying, pins falling, ect. The retaining pin cavity looks stripped out, or was terribly machined. I wouldn't expect this from a Charter Arms revolver. So much for "Heirloom Quality".

My only decision now is if I return it to Sportsman's or directly back to Ruger. I know I don't want a repair, I want a new revolver.

[Conditor22]

I'd take the targets and gun to sportsmans and try trading first.

IF not, Ruger's customer service is EXCELLENT!!!! call them and they will email you a shipping label

[rintinglen]

Contact Ruger, explain the problem, request a shipping label. "Of course, you were firing factory ammunition, not handloads."

I went through a spell where literally half the Rugers I got were defective. One wouldn't even chamber the cartridge on the barrel, they replaced it under warranty and gave me a spare magazine for my trouble. They repaired my Single 7 and replaced the cylinder on my 45 colt. I have only bought two Rugers since, but they have both been excellent.

[BigAlofPa.]

My last new Ruger purchases had QC issues. Loose sights and Roll pins were the main issues.

[Hanzy4200]

I planned the emphasize factory loads. Its crazy, because I was shooting bunny fart loads when it disassembled itself. I would love to trade it, but they have no others in stock. I guess I'm calling Ruger. I have never returned a new firearm in my life. Will I get stuck paying for a second transfer/background fee?

[cwtebay]

Ruger is awesome with their customer service! And Sportsman's will definitely be easy to work with if you let them know who you purchased it from. I returned a rifle to Sportsman's that had a frozen firing pin (never even got to fire it!), they handled all costs associated with shipping and eventual return - and waived the 2nd transfer fee.

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[zarrinvz24]

I once had a GP100 4.2" that would not eject brass after it was fired from 1 chamber. I mean I really had to beat on the ejector rod in order for it to extract. I called and received a label. It went from San Diego, all the way to the New England factory, was repaired and I had the gun back in my possession in 6 days. I was bewildered. The receipt it came back with stated that they replaced the cylinder. Cost to me = $0.

[higgins]

If you send them an older .22 semiauto that has a serious problem keep all the magazines - don't even send them one. Obviously keep grips and remove parts like any aftermarket trigger components. Likely as not they won't repair it, and will offer a replacement instead. They will not return anything you send them with the defective gun. The mags and parts are worth something.

[TimD]

I had a an issue 2 years ago with a new SP-101 in 327 Federal Magnum locking the cylinder up and not ejecting from one chamber. I contacted Ruger and they sent me a shipping label. UPS picked it up at my house and returned it to me five days later. They reamed all the cylinders and replaced the hand. Did not cost me a penny.

It is disappointing quality assurance does not find these problems, but they stand behind their products.

[Drm50]

I quit Ruger SAs when New Model came out. A few months ago I picked up SBH like new on a trade and I didn’t shot it but it had very good fit and finish. I sold it to a member, just a few weeks ago. Maybe he will chime in. I’ve owned dozens of Ruger SAs taken on trade and never had any problem. I’m sure a lemon squeezes through once and a while but not the norm. I don’t like the transfer bar system or I would still be buying them. 280475

[sharps4590]

Two words.....Freedom Arms, no comparison. Yes they cost more but, there's very good reasons for that.

[Catshooter]

Rugers have never been "top quality". Good, sure. Even pretty good, but never as good as pre-1990 S&Ws. Especially fit & finish. Nowadays they both can (can, I said) suck, especially fit & finish. Like Drm50 says, a lemon can always squeeze through with any company.


Cat

[cwtebay]

I quit Ruger SAs when New Model came out. A few months ago I picked up SBH like new on a trade and I didn’t shot it but it had very good fit and finish. I sold it to a member, just a few weeks ago. Maybe he will chime in. I’ve owned dozens of Ruger SAs taken on trade and never had any problem. I’m sure a lemon squeezes through once and a while but not the norm. I don’t like the transfer bar system or I would still be buying them. 280475I purchased that Ruger! I've owned / bought / sold traded dozens. This one was for my 2nd oldest son for his carry while hunting in grizzly country. It has been a great sidearm. One thing I have to say about Bill Ruger - he started his company by selling a quality revolver that a working man can afford for 1 week's pay (quote from an 80's Sports Afield interview). He delivered, and his company CONTINUES to deliver this same aspiration. Out of all of the RH, BH, SS that I have owned - I have never felt shorted. I sent back a Bisley in 480 that wouldn't shoot and they made it right, I inquired about end shake in a '70's era BH and they paid for the repair.
Colt? I challenge anyone to say they've owned as many as I have and can say the same. Smith and Wesson? Yeah.. no. Freedom Arms? Metallurgy!, Even rifles! Weatherby? Great until you discover an issue. Remington? Well - we know that story. Winchester? Which Winchester? What company? Walther? Same. Springfield? (Do I dare utter their name?), FN? Loved their 1899!! Now?? etc, etc, ad nauseum. The point of my rant is - Ruger has stood behind their products. Period. And that's the best you can ask of any company.
Call them!!

(Oh, and btw Drm50 - thank you for a wonderful transaction and a great pistol!!)

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[MrWolf]

You will get QC issues from every company no matter the name. What matters are the frequency and if they fix it on their dime. I have a new Kimber 6 that had finish issues. No problem sending it back and getting her back nice an purty. No it did not heed to go through an FFL.

[cwtebay]

One more question to the OP - didn't the fit and finish give you pause? There's nothing wrong with telling a salesperson that thei wares they are representing are below your standards. I actually took photos and a video of an S&W that I was set to purchase, passed on the buy and sent those to S&W. They were appreciative and said they pulled that X frame from that store.

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[contender1]

Ok, let's look at things with an open mind, and an appreciation for manufacturing, in todays market.
The market is competitive. To be able to sell a product, a company must be able to build it where it can sell with it's competition. And do this while meeting the demands from the market.
(High demand,, vs low availability.)
When you employ top quality gunsmith types, (hard to find nowadays,) you will pay a lot more in wages & overhead to keep them. And when you have a LARGE company (over 1800 employees,) where everyone must be able to pass a background check, as well as a drug test, it lowers the available workforce. So, you then add in the fact that you NEED to turn out thousands of guns weekly, it becomes very hard to meet ALL the criteria.
(Typical consumer; "I want a perfect product, but I do not want to pay a premium.")
Freedom Arms makes a handgun darn near perfect, but they also cost at least 4 times the amount of a Ruger.
The TIME, (read expense) it takes to make a FA,, over a production line gun (Ruger) is why you pay the premium for a FA. OR,, Or,, you buy a production line item, that may have the occasional flaws, or need to be returned to have any flaws corrected.
Ruger employees are production line assemblers mostly. They are not allowed the luxury of being a custom gun builder or gunsmith.
And as for the QC issues,, at each building station, they have various methods to check the results of that station's portion of the build. By the time the gun reaches the end of the assembly line,, it has been checked according to each station.

HOWEVER,,,, they do not undergo a severe inspection at the end, due to the numerous inspections prior to that.
And you have to expect that OCCASIONALLY,, a gun will be built that passed everything,, but is still not "right." It's a production line item. And the employees are human,, and NONE of us are perfect 100% of the time. Humans make mistakes. (Look at your job & how often you made mistakes,, and hopefully, if honest, you'll understand this.)

With all that,, it's a simple process.
Contact Ruger, and politely explain your issues. Ask, (politely) for a pre-paid shipping label to return the gun. Ship it back, and usually within 1-2 weeks, you will get back a properly fixed handgun.
As for FFL fees,, I'd say it'll depend upon your state laws, of which, I'm not schooled in, nor how that type of service is handled. I do know that in my home state, they ship the gun back to the customer.

Remember, none of us are perfect 100% of the time. Heck, in my job, I'm headed back to a house tomorrow that I finished last week. Apparently, the customer has a critter getting in again. If my repairs didn't hold, I'll be re-doing my work, for free. I'm not perfect either.

[onelight]

Ruger has had great service on every problem I have contacted them with . Some things I fix myself
I think they make a great product for the money and for me they are worth the trouble of getting the issues lined out when they have them. They also offer some unique products that you can't get anyplace else .
No doubt there are better built guns but nothing with the same features any where near the same price range.

[ddixie884]

I got one of the single sevens when they first came out. The chambers didn't line up with the loading gate. I contacted CS and they sent UPS to pick it up. A few days later it came back fixed. No charge................

[762 shooter]

The first decent revolver I could afford back in 1972 was a Super Single Six. Still got it. For the last 39 years I have been surprised at the quality for the price point.

Send it back. They will try to make it right.

762

[sharps4590]

Well said contender1. I was in business for 35 of the 43 years I was an electrician. I hated it when it happened but on the rare occasion I had a call back it was on my dime.

Rugers are ok and represent pretty good value for the money. Some I've owned shot quite well, others didn't but, none have equaled any Freedom Arms I've owned. I've had several Rugers and with all I've had the worst thing has been a trigger that was like dragging a chain down a gravel road...and that has been amazingly consistent. Cylinder mouths are not always consistent either. A trigger job and spring change is relatively inexpensive and a good 'smith won't charge much to true the chamber mouths. Never had to do either with any Freedom Arms but, as contender mentioned, I paid 4 times as much and did so gladly for the 4 times better revolver and resale value.

[Rick R]

I’ve recently picked up two used .45 Colt NMBH revolvers. One is from 1982, the other from 2005. Neither had a turn line on the cylinders, the 2005 appears basically unfired. I think we gun-centric folks would be amazed at the percentage of guns that are purchased and then spend decades in a drawer somewhere after a couple cylinders full.

With the older gun .452” boolits hesi-stop when dropped thru the throats, then drop thru. The cylinder for the newer gun requires a few grains of Unique to make the trip and is currently at Doug Guy’s place for a bit of surgery.

[Cosmic_Charlie]

I picked up a 1987 vintage Super Blackhawk precisely because I had problems with their newer revolvers. Buying a new Ruger or Smith is a crap shoot these days.

[contender1]

Thanks sharps 4590.
In todays business world,, where large corporations are publicly traded, and shareholders EXPECT a profit,, the bean counters have a lot to say about how a business is run.
Craftsmen, (gunsmiths) are slowly a dying breed. The ones who are out there,, usually get paid a lot more than what a corporation can afford to pay AND still be profitable.
I've had the pleasure of visiting FA & seeing how they work, hand fitting & such on those fine handguns. But, if you also notice,, they do not produce the quantities of handguns, or even a large selection of firearms in general, (just a few models,) like Ruger does. FA focuses on their SA handguns, as well as delving into the single-shot guns. No plastic, tactical, stuff, no rifles, no shotguns, no semi-autos etc. They do not have the huge facility, nor the number of employees etc that Ruger has.
Top quality,, absolutely. And they charge for that.
Custom gunsmiths, same way,, they have a backlog, and it takes TIME to get a gun like you desire. But again, they charge for the work. They HAVE to to make money.

Anytime you build anything, and the demands by the buying public far exceed your manufacturing capabilities,, you can do one of several things.
Increase the manufacturing, by expanding & spending money to do so. which can result in an increase in the end product price.
Offer a new product,, but not have a quantity available to the general public for 1-3 years. (Ruger USED to do this all the time.) That creates a LOT of frustration among the buying public. (I remember those days well.)
Never expand, and never offer more than you can produce, and as such, drive customers away, or make your product so expensive that many customers look elsewhere for something.
Or, lastly, expand the company manufacturing, figuring out ways to build a good product, accepting the fact that a percentage of these products will require a return trip for special consideration,,, or even a replacement. All while doing so with a price point the average guy can afford. This is what Ruger tries to achieve.
Are they perfect?
No.
Is every gun problem free?
No.
But it's HOW they handle service issues that makes things acceptable.

And for the newer folks,, understand that even when Bill ran the company, and even long before they went public, they had QC issues. Guns had frames that turned color,, were returned, re-finished, and re-blued, then they turned color again. This was back in the 1950's and still happens occasionally now.
That is just one example of some of the QC issues the company had to overcome.

So, the good folks at Ruger try HARD to build a good product,, and when things aren't quite right, they will fix things.

[Hanzy4200]

Two words.....Freedom Arms, no comparison. Yes they cost more but, there's very good reasons for that.

I somewhat agree. I have a BFR in 500 Linebaugh, and its a work of machining art. However, it costs 2-3X that of a Ruger. The main reason I wanted the Blackhawk was for heavy use. I wanted a revolver I could feed a steady diet of full house loads without worrying about excessive wear. My dad bought a Single Six in 1978. First handgun I ever shot. 10's of thousands of rds through it. Still shoots like the day it was purchased. Built like a tank. That's what I was foolishly expecting to get.

[Char-Gar]

Ruger has always been a budget revolver. High quality cost more. Still, Ruger will make it right. I have sent a half dozen or so Ruger SAs back to the factory and everyone has come back fixed. Of course there were the Bangor Punta days of Smith and Wesson, where manufacturing made the revolvers, sales department sold them and the repair department made them shoot.

[Idaho45guy]

I worked for Ruger in their Prescott, AZ plant for a few months back in 2012. I was going through a divorce and getting ready to move from AZ to ID, so I quit my high-stress corporate insurance job in favor of something blue-collar and low-stress.

Ruger does not hire anyone off the street. They go through a temp service, which was SOS Staffing back then. The temp agency administers a test to ascertain your intelligence and abilities. The higher you score, the better the job you get in the factory. Low scorers went to the finishing department while the highest scorers go to the CNC machines.

I went to the CNC machines and was assigned to a team of about ten guys. Each machine was set up to craft a specific part. I started off doing the final machining on a trigger bar for the SR series. Each bar was mostly formed and cut, and came in boxes from an outside source. We just did the final cuts and angles and had a small gauge tool to make sure certain areas were in spec. We also had a couple of small files to remove burrs and sharp edges that would form when the cutting head started to dull.

There was no QA inspection other than the line supervisor making sure the new guy was making parts correctly for the first half hour or so. Each operator was their own QA.

On my team, I was the only one over the age of 25. The only one that was an actual gun owner and knew what the part did that we were making. I was also one of two white guys, other than the supervisor. The rest were Hispanic males. Great workers, but turnover was astonishing. My supervisor had been there the longest, at 3 years. At the end of my time there, which was about 5 months, Only two other guys remained from my first day on the job. Even the supervisor had been fired. His story was incredible and I'm hoping his lawsuit against Ruger was successful.

So, I also did sight machining, slide machining, and some other small parts that I don't recall. Worked for one shift doing laser etching on the LCP pistol when that operator was fired for trying to slip out a pistol in their lunchbox without the serial number etched on it.

After a few months on the job, Ruger then offers you a permanent position, but only if you do not have a single instance of being late or getting sick. I was hired at $12.50 an hour through the temp agency. When you are hired permanently, you get a $.25 pay raise and health benefits.

Oddly enough, We worked so much overtime (often 60+ hours), that I was bringing home the same amount in my paycheck as I was in the insurance job that paid twice as much. My time there was fun and interesting, and a rare perspective into the world of modern firearm manufacturing.

[45workhorse]

My son had a problem with a bisley. The rear sight all the way to one side. Contacted ruger, sent it back and they sent him a new pistol! And they paid the transfer fee! Pain to have to send it back, but they made it right!

[FergusonTO35]

I got a Wrangler last year and love it, superb little revolver for $200.00. Just picked up an American Ranch 5.56 and hope it lives up to expectations.

[Texas by God]

I bought a brand new .41 Blackhawk a couple of years back and it is one of the best fitted and finished Rugers that I have owned( of many). I'm a big fan of the Wrangler as well; we have two on the farm and as soon as I find more, I'll get a couple more. I've never had to send a Ruger back for repair- but I've had one Blackhawk and a SSM rebarreled at the factory- they came back with the barrel length I wanted at a very reasonable cost.
Plus new grips and reblued at no charge- that was good service!

Sent from my SM-A716U using Tapatalk

[Divil]

The SP101 .38 Special I bought to replace my departed .357 SP101 was a complete lemon. Firing pin hole bored off center so badly that misfires were common. Ruger sent me a label and after examining the revolver agreed to replace it. I should have it in a few weeks.

I also sent back a blued .38 GP100 that wouldn’t let the cylinder close when it got dirty after the first firing. Even after cleaning it it still wouldn’t latch. Ruger fixed it.

My departed SP101 .357 had a very heavy trigger but worked ok. My 9mm PC carbine has been great out of the box. My .357 Vaquero has digested its first 150 rounds without issue. My Stainless GP100 .38 has been outstanding out of the box. Ruger service is excellent but QC is definitely hit or miss.

Hope my future GP100’s in .357 are hits and my future .22 Wrangler.

[Lefty Red]

No excuse for this! That firearm should have never left the factory. I have a new Blackhawk Convertible 10/40 that looked like it was polished with a rock and had spurs and metal shaving in the action and on the parts. The trigger guard look like a file was used on it. Was going to send it into Bowen Customs for work and have them clean it up, but Mr Bowen suggested to send it back to Ruger and have them make it right first. And it’s there now. Very sure it will look great once it gets back. But not happy it had to go there in the first place.

Really looking into a BFR or FA when my shoulders are replaced. EMF, Uberti, and Peitta all make great serviceable pistols for my SAA itch. Can’t justify paying twice the amount for a Ruger that needs lots of work before it shoots right.

But, this 10\40 at least shoots great. Haven’t been this thrilled with a Ruger pistol since I got my first BH 41 mag! My 38/9 convertible is there just to fill a hole in the collection, it shoots poorly. And my 45ACP/LC is awaiting to be sent in for throat work. If it wasn’t a flattop, I would have it! Have too many Italian SAA clones that work better and are handier.

[DougGuy]

Ruger customer service is the best in the industry and they continually reinforce this fact, they have never so much as charged me a dime or made me put up the shipping either way, and they can pick up at your door and send back to your door without a transfer fee or a visit to the LGS. If they replace it with a new gun I don't know about that, I think they just record the new serial number and give this information to BATFE eventually.

Call them, get an RMA, begin by speaking HIGHLY of their customer service reputation (you will be surprised how far THAT will get you!!) put a note in with the gun listing exactly the issues you want addressed, sit back and wait, they will contact you when they are ready to ship back to make sure you will be home to greet the brown truck.


The cylinder for the newer gun requires a few grains of Unique to make the trip and is currently at Doug Guy’s place for a bit of surgery.

Rick R, Elvis has left the building! On the way home! Throats at .4525"


My 38/9 convertible is there just to fill a hole in the collection, it shoots poorly. And my 45ACP/LC is awaiting to be sent in for throat work.

You nailed it. It's all in the throat sizes and how consistent they are. The 9mm BH cylinders I have seen have been some of the worst from Ruger. Egged throats are the norm it seems and these are hard to fix. At least they left enough metal there to work with..

[RJM52]

...just remember how many handguns Ruger puts out...and we only hear about the ones that make it past the QC person...what about the other 100K...

In the last 10 years I've bought:
LCR 9mm
LCRX 9mm
LCR .38 Special
LCR .327 Federal
GP-100 MC 10mm
Redhawk 4.2" .41 Magnum
Redhawk 2.75" .41 Magnum
.22/45 Lite
MKIII Hunters in 4.5/5.5/6 7/8" barrels

Only one I had minor problems with was the LCRX 9mm...went back for sticky extraction...other than that everything was top quality... Turnaround time on the 9mm was about three weeks...zero issues since.

Bob

[tobywan45]

Bob. How does that short Redhawk handle ?
I've been thinking of picking up one iff'n I can ever find one affordable any more

Toby

Sent from my E6910 using Tapatalk

[Electrod47]

I got to chime in about Ruger. Beginning in the early 70's I decided I was a single action action guy. Though my military experience made sure I still kept a Colt Series 70 close at hand. My first 3 screw BlackHawk .357 in 5 1/2" was bought used was manufactured in 67. Later there were to be .45C .44 mags and more early Bisley .357 with 7" Barrel. Buntline Single Six and on and on through the years. I take great pride in my single actions and have 1958 Post Office Safe that weighs about 2000lbs to shelter them. OK to get to the point. I wasn't kind to that first Ruger 3 screw as my collection amassed while living in Arizona for 25 years. It was relegated to the floor boards under the seat of my 4X4 that I used to explore the backroads of that beautiful barren land. Eventually my Hi-Rise Jack must have bounced on top of it for years before I took notice.
Well battered and even the front sight twisted. When I sold that truck after 20 years of faithful service the gun went way way back into the safe for another 10 years. Now retired for several years I decided to send the gun to Ruger to replace the front sight. I figured it could be another knock around gun on the deer property now in Mississippi. I called Ruger and put in a work order for new front sight and they email me the shipping label ( No Cost ) Inside the box I put a short note telling them basically how much I appreciate the company and have been a loyal customer. And this was my first Ruger. I also mention could they look at the gun and give me an estimate to clean it up a little since it was badly dinged up. 2 weeks later a box comes to my house. The gun was as brand new. Reblued and dings removed. New grip panels. Some kind of deluxe type. I'v never seen their like before. NO CHARGE for anything. Even a fired .38 shell casing and the target at 25 yards to demonstrate accuracy. Now granted the new springs they put in the gun were way to strong for my liking, but wolff fixed that. That gun is quite the conversation piece and my barbeque gun at the annual Texas Dove hunt get together.
Personally I can't say enough about Ruger

[tward]

Come on hanzy4200, give Ruger a chance. I bought an early Bearcat and didn’t realize how bad the exterior was so I sent it to Ruger to see about refinishing. They called a week later and said they could not refinish it and felt that it was not safe to fire, I thought, oh well I got screwed on the purchase, then they offered to replace it with a new Bearcat no cost! I went for it and now must agree, best dam customer service in the industry!. Give them a shot, they’ll make it right and you’ll have a workhorse that will eat full power loads all day! Tim

[Cosmic_Charlie]

To be fair, most of the Rugers I have had were great firearms. Just the two most recent had issues. I hope they are able to continue and prosper.

[GOPHER SLAYER]

My first handgun purchase was a Single Six, bought new in 1957. It was a great pistol. My brother has it and it has never had a problem. The last new one I bought in 1973 from Kerr's Gun Shop in Hollywood. I still have it. I currently have four Rugers and never had an issue with any of them. I have owned others which I wish I still had. However, after reading all the complaints about Ruger handguns in the past few years, it seems to me that Ruger is cranking them out as fast as they can and letting the customer do the quality control. If you have a problem with one of their handguns, they are happy to fixt it. Maybe they figure it is cheaper to do business that way. I don't agree but I am not running the company. Matter of fact, they have never asked for my advice. Go figure.

[RJM52]

Bob. How does that short Redhawk handle ?
I've been thinking of picking up one iff'n I can ever find one affordable any more

Toby

Sent from my E6910 using Tapatalk

It handles pretty good. Only drawback is that the trigger on the shorty breaks just a little later than the 4.2 and will pinch my trigger finger if out of place.. Now that Hogue makes decent set of grips for the Round Butt Redhawks it take a lot of the bite out of shooting it...

They are rarely seen for sale...

Bob

[Outpost75]

I found Idaho45's comments of great interest, for I worked in Engineering at the Newport, NH facility from 1985-1988. During that period my responsibilities were primarily as government liason for export and contract orders and I also supervised customer service, the police armorer's school and was the company's QAR who worked directly with the government's inspectors.

I was hired specifically to augment the quality program for contract orders from Mil-I-45208 to Mil-Q-9858A, which was a 3-year process. I left the company when there was no need for that level of QA anymore and the revolver contracts ended.

[Catshooter]

I too found Idaho45's post quite interesting. It meshes exactly with the experiences of others I have read.

Helluva way to run a railroad, that all I can say.


Cat

[Idaho45guy]

I found Idaho45's comments of great interest, for I worked in Engineering at the Newport, NH facility from 1985-1988. During that period my responsibilities were primarily as government liason for export and contract orders and I also supervised customer service, the police armorer's school and was the company's QAR who worked directly with the government's inspectors.

I was hired specifically to augment the quality program for contract orders from Mil-I-45208 to Mil-Q-9858A, which was a 3-year process. I left the company when there was no need for that level of QA anymore and the revolver contracts ended.

I was told at the time by my supervisor that the NH plant was union and a completely different world. He said guys hired there started at $18 an hour compared to my $12 an hour.

I saw Ruger QC first-hand.

I was machining sights for the P-Series, which was about to be discontinued. The process was to place the mostly machined parts, which arrived in cardboard boxes in bulk from the Pine Tree Casting subsidiary of Ruger, into a steel plate jig that held a large number of sights. I then placed the jig in the CNC machine, and ran the appropriate program. As cutting heads wore, small adjustments were made to the machine by the operator, to ensure parts stayed in tolerance.

My process did the final machining of the rear sight, and created the two dimples on either side of the sight opening, which became the "dots" on the sight when filled with white paint.

Upon inspection, I noticed that the dots were not perfectly centered on the rear sight opening; they were off to the side by a 1/16th or 1/32th of an inch. But what was odd, was that not all sights were equally off, while some were perfect. All from the same jig, on the same program settings.

I alerted my supervisor, who alerted Quality Control. They showed up and inspected the parts, inspected the jig, and concluded that the jig was worn out and only 1 out of 10 sights were improperly machined. Ignore it and keep cranking out parts since the gun was at the end of it's production cycle.

A year later, I was at a Sportsman's Warehouse and asked to see a Ruger P95. Inspected it and sure enough, the rear sight dots were shifted to the right by 1/16th of an inch. I showed my brother and the salesperson the off-centered sights and explained why they were. Both were incredulous that a company would actually ignore and accept such a defect just to save money. But there was the proof.

I have never purchased a Ruger firearm made in that plant.

[DougGuy]

I alerted my supervisor, who alerted Quality Control. They showed up and inspected the parts, inspected the jig, and concluded that the jig was worn out and only 1 out of 10 sights were improperly machined. Ignore it and keep cranking out parts since the gun was at the end of it's production cycle.

A year later, I was at a Sportsman's Warehouse and asked to see a Ruger P95. Inspected it and sure enough, the rear sight dots were shifted to the right by 1/16th of an inch. I showed my brother and the salesperson the off-centered sights and explained why they were. Both were incredulous that a company would actually ignore and accept such a defect just to save money. But there was the proof.

It's lame that they would decide that customers don't deserve any better than that but on the other hand, I bet they eagerly replaced defective sights when customers called and complained so, by greasing only the squeaky wheels, they are saving on the grease..

There are reasons unknown to us why Ruger's guns remain affordable, and for every complaint about their QA on a gun forum, if they read them all and acted accordingly to improve the product at every turn, we'd NEVER be able to afford them, they would be priced out of the market and into the same market as S&W and other more expensive offerings.

The money that customers saved on buying Ruger, can be put towards improvements like better sights, grips that fit better, cylinder throats and trigger work.

[Chill Wills]

This is an interesting read. Especially from Idaho45guy. A window to how things happen at Ruger.

[contender1]

As noted,, many issues can appear with any manufactured item. (Not just guns.)
And remember,, the company is in business to make one thing. MONEY. The guns are the means to that.

Using Idaho45's post,, about the "1 in 10" problem. Following what DougGuy said.
If 1 in 10 were off,, that means that 9 out of 10 were correct. Throw in the FACT that of all gun owners out there,, only about 15%-20% are serious gun people, and MIGHT find it to be an issue. Heck, the 80%-85% of the others most likely never shoot much or especially enough OR are good enough to know something is "wrong."
And as noted, at the end of production, a company doesn't want to spend MONEY to fix something that will just be more expense, over income.
And yes, if a problem gets reported, they can easily fix the complaint.

I currently own a Std Auto that was shipped WITHOUT the notch cut anywhere near the middle of the rear insert. The very edge of the rear sight has part of the sight notch. I asked myself; "Why did the MACHINE OPERATOR NOT catch this issue?" Now,, I know I can get a replacement rear right easily,, but I kinda like the "mistake" and don't need to shoot it.

DougGuy gets exactly what I was talking about.
To build top quality guns, you sacrifice time, and spend more,, and the product costs more. Or, you build a QUANTITY, on a production scale, at an affordable price, and stay in business.

Another thought, on the pay scale from NH to Az, that was mentioned. Unions.

Bill Ruger went to Az because he liked the state, the climate, AND because not only was Az a gun friendly state,, NO UNION. That saved him MONEY! Bill Ruger used to have a picture in his office, behind his desk. It was a painting of wooden barrels, overflowing with MONEY. He felt a person should be able to buy a gun, at a fair working man's price, shoot it a lot, wear it out, and buy another one. He actually didn't support the "collector" of his own stuff. But he did collect other things himself.

I have personally discussed the QC & return numbers with a Ruger executive. They vary by model. The lowest return rate, .04% to as high as .5%. Now, when you make 50,000 guns of one model, and you have .5% returned,, that equates to 2500 guns out of 50,000. While that seems like a lot,, look hard at the fact that 47,500 guns are fine.
And of course,, most of the time,, you hear a LOT more complaining,,, or the complaints are louder than the happy customers.

I can say I've owned well over 400 Ruger handguns in my lifetime,, and in all that,,,, I've only had a problem with ONE that had to be returned to the factory. It worked fine,, as it was a SR9, that had started peening the slide. But the function was fine. However,, I returned that one & Ruger replaced it with a new gun.
I have also had the privilege to visit one of their plants. I can attest to the fact that many of the employees are NOT gun people,, but machine operators. They do not always know or understand the issues SOME people can have with a "bad" part. But I can attest to the fact that if an employee does purposely ignore a problem in their assy station, they will be shown the door.
At the same time,, some of the employees are super good nice folks who DO enjoy firearms, and take their job very seriously. I was discussing a station with one employee, and he impressed the heck out of me by his knowledge, AND attitude towards his part in the building of those guns. And I saw similar attitudes in other areas too.

Remember, they now have a huge commitment to producing a QUANTITY of firearms to feed the hungry market at an affordable price. And if a problem arises, they will do what it takes to fix the problem.


Lastly, NOBODY has been 100% perfect all the time since Jesus left us.

[kerplode]

I own a lot of Rugers, and I like Ruger's product quite a lot, so keep that in mind that I'm not hating on them when you read the rest of this...

I've had quite a few new Ruger products with issues out of the box. Ruger always takes care of them no questions asked, and the guns always come back right.

But that being said...

It's disappointing that it comes to that, and in a perfect world, they'd all be right before the left the factory. But, the thing is, Ruger is not "Heirloom Quality"...Not even close...Not in the same universe as "Heirloom Quality". They mass produce a decent product that normal people can afford and they do it at high volume and for maximum profit. If you want "Heirloom Quality" you need to spend 5x to 10x the cost of a Ruger to get into that territory

Honestly, a good many of their customers probably never even fire 100 rounds total through their Ruger products. They won't know the difference if their sight dots are off 1/32" or if the barrel is a little crooked. If you've been to the range lately, you'll notice most people can't shoot worth ****. If you're already shooting 18" groups at 10' how do you know your sights are a little off or the barrel is over torqued? If you're not a gun guy and haven't experienced anything better than a Ruger, how do you know it's not supposed to "jam" here and there or that the screws aren't supposed to get loose?

So for Ruger, it's cheaper to just fix the guns that people actually notice faults with and complain about than to make all the guns right. I bet probably less that 1% of the guns with problems ever make it back to the factory for repair.

Also, the entire industry is going full bore these days. It doesn't surprise me in the slightest that the **** Ruger is shoveling out the door is even ****tier than usual.

[Idaho45guy]

I have personally discussed the QC & return numbers with a Ruger executive. They vary by model. The lowest return rate, .04% to as high as .5%. Now, when you make 50,000 guns of one model, and you have .5% returned,, that equates to 2500 guns out of 50,000. While that seems like a lot,, look hard at the fact that 47,500 guns are fine.


And since Ruger typically sells over 1 million firearms per year, that means that over 50,000 consumers received a defective firearm last year. And that's only the ones that noticed the defect, or bothered to return their firearms.

I wish all firearm companies were required to disclose their defect rate. It would be nice to have a verifiable set of data to go off of.

[slohunter]

I guess I'm lucky, of the many Rugers I own all have been flawless but the newest one I own was made in 1986.

[Kavein]

I’ve had several Ruger revolvers that needed a tear down and cleaning of rough edges. Other than that I think their quality is comparable to any.

[Win94ae]

My Ruger Super Blackhawk's cylinder pin would work it's way out upon recoil. Now that was a problem.

edit
And Ruger didn't really try to make it right, they threw the same parts at me which did nothing to fix the problem.

[downzero]

Ruger might be the most successful manufacturer in my safe. Every gun I've had of theirs is flawless. I pulled my 22/45 out of the safe a few weekends ago and it reminded me how much I missed shooting rimfire. If I were you, I'd get the gun fixed and it wouldn't change my mind one bit, and I'm the kind of customer to be bitter over these things.

[Hanzy4200]

I stopped at Sportsman's Warehouse this afternoon to see what they had to say before calling Ruger. They said they would be willing to handle the issue with Ruger.......if I bought their $40 "Firearm Service Plan" first. No thank you. Called Ruger when I got home and the lady was extremely understanding. She had me a RMA number and a prepaid shipping label in about 5 minutes. I should have prefaced the thread that I own 6-7 other Ruger firearms and all have performed extremely well. I did not intend to create a Ruger bashing thread. It's just incredibly frustrating to find so many problems with a brand new revolver.

[cwtebay]

I stopped at Sportsman's Warehouse this afternoon to see what they had to say before calling Ruger. They said they would be willing to handle the issue with Ruger.......if I bought their $40 "Firearm Service Plan" first. No thank you. Called Ruger when I got home and the lady was extremely understanding. She had me a RMA number and a prepaid shipping label in about 5 minutes. I should have prefaced the thread that I own 6-7 other Ruger firearms and all have performed extremely well. I did not intend to create a Ruger bashing thread. It's just incredibly frustrating to find so many problems with a brand new revolver.I am very happy to hear that you had this experience with Ruger customer service!!
(Sportsman's... maybe not?)
This whole thread made me realize that I haven't bought a gun in over a month!! I hear a 44 Ruger carbine calling my name....

Sent from my Pixel 5 using Tapatalk

[contender1]

See,, Ruger Customer Service does try hard to help, and take care of the occasional issue.

Keep us posted.

[ChuckO]

And since Ruger typically sells over 1 million firearms per year, that means that over 50,000 consumers received a defective firearm last year. And that's only the ones that noticed the defect, or bothered to return their firearms.

I wish all firearm companies were required to disclose their defect rate. It would be nice to have a verifiable set of data to go off of.

A defect rate of 0.5% very significant and should be reduced, but 0.5% is only 5,000, not 50,000.

[jim147]

I wonder if they can write these warranty repairs off on their taxes like some other manufacturers can?

[downzero]

I wonder if they can write these warranty repairs off on their taxes like some other manufacturers can?

Business expenses are a deduction for every business:

https://www.law.cornell.edu/uscode/text/26/162