Sturm, Ruger & Co. 60th Anniversary
American Gun Manufacturer Ruger® Celebrates Sixtieth Year
Apr 20, 2009
When Sturm, Ruger & Co., Inc. opened for business, its future was in serious doubt. Industry insiders believed that
- All the worth-while ideas had already been invented; there were few new ideas
- Established big-name gunmakers (Remington, Winchester, Colt, Smith & Wesson) would continue to dominate the American firearms market
- Gun manufacturing was in a decline
Instead of failing, Jim Carmichel wrote in Outdoor Life (June/July 1999, p. 66) "the company that began in a little red barn became a worldwide powerhouse."
October, 2009 marks the sixtieth anniversary of the Ruger brand, but the company is not planning a big celebration. "While we are doing an Anniversary firearm as a commemorative," explains Ruger Sales/Marketing Manager Ken Jorgensen (personal communication), "a 60th is not the milestone of a 50th or 75th anniversary."
Sturm Ruger & Co. Firearms – the Early Years
Young William B. Ruger had always been interested in guns, and during World War II he worked as a production engineer at the Springfield Armory and Auto Ordnance Corporation.
- 1945 – Working in his garage, Bill Ruger duplicated a Japanese pistol, infamous for its poor quality. He noted some design features he liked
- 1946 – Ruger designed a .22 caliber target pistol incorporating improvements over similar guns.
- 1949 – Ruger set up shop in a rented barn in Southport, CT, with the financial help of Alexander Sturm, an artist who not only provided funding but also designed the eagle logo for Sturm, Ruger & Co.
- 1949 –Ruger Standard .22 pistol
- 1951 – Ruger MK I Target pistol
- 1959 – Super Blackhawk single-action pistol**
- 1964 – Ruger 10/22 Rifle (auto loading with a 10-shot rotary magazine)
- 1967 – Number 1 Rifle single-shot, now considered a classic
- 1977 – Red Label shotgun series
- 1982 – Ruger MK II Pistol
- 2004 – Ruger MK III Pistol, with an internal lock to help keep the gun safe
This brief and admittedly incomplete history highlights some important product milestones in the line of Ruger guns.
Ruger Firearms, a Benchmark of Financial Success
What factors contributed to the success and growth of Sturm, Ruger & Co.? Reasons cited by various sources include:
- A focus on aesthetics – Ruger firearms are aesthetically pleasing, with good lines, balance, and handling
- Mechanical quality – use of investment (lost-wax) casting rather than forging and machining to produce precision parts
- Reinvestment of profits into the business during the startup years
- Good marketing: the company aims at "offering shooters the kind of guns they want and never getting out of touch with the fact that a good gun is fun to shoot and a pleasure to own."
- Corporate vision: "Arms Makers for Responsible Citizens"®
During six decades, according to the corporate site, Sturm, Ruger & Co. has never failed to show a profit and has never required outside financing. In 1969, the company went public; in 1990, it was listed on the New York Stock Exchange.
The company has factories in Prescott, AZ and Newport NH. The corporate headquarters are located in Southport, Connecticut where, it seems, the little red barn still stands.
**Coincident with the 60th anniversary of Sturm, Ruger & Co. is the release of the 50th Anniversary New Model Super Blackhawk single-action revolver.
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