Rugers... why not more popular?

[scoobii]

The 10/22 is a fun gun.

[flintknapper]

I think there are a combination of reasons you do not see more people talking about Rugers. One reason is the first designs in the P series were big and blocky. They just did not look good compared to the S&W autos that were already on the market, and the others becoming more popular at the time. Ruger had great revolvers, and their Mark II .22 semi was arguably one of the best in the world, but the bigger semi's just did not look good compared to the rest of the market.

A second reason was the word getting around about Bill Ruger supporting magazine limits. Some thought he supported a 10 round limit though I think he wanted it at 15. A lot of people reacted as you would think when they thought he was cooperating with the anti's. IMHO, he was using the anti's for marketing reasons more thna cooperating. A 15 round limit would really have hurt Glock as his competition. But there are still people who resent his attitude and decline to purchase the guns.

The third reason was the growing market power of several other designs which just looked better. The marketplace just seemed to prefer other guns and pretty soon the Rugers were almost forgotten about. Gaston Glock had a much better marketing scheme, especially with his police pricing.

As for the guns themselves, I tend to agree with what has been said. They are big, blocky, and very reliable.

Ruger also has a annoying habit of stamping nearly an entire owners manual on the exterior of their pistols.

[fredtubbs]

I love my P95, for the same reasons others have mentioned. It was the first gun I bought and is my primary home defense gun. It actually feels good in my hand. I like the trigger quite a bit - but that's really just preference and probably will stir up a lot of debate. I also have an LCP. It's a great little conceal gun, but I don't enjoy shooting it because it is so small. But I could spend all day at the range with the P95.

[Greybeard]

I've seen lots of the Ruger 9s used for CHL quals, and as said above, rock solid reliable. But ... heavy, bulky - and a decocker that sounds like a sledgehammer.

Their revolvers probably have an even better reputation for being built like battleships.

But ... with "small, light and concealable" being the major ticket in the concealed carry niche, it appears their marketing people got it right with the LCP.

[Liberty]

I love my P95, for the same reasons others have mentioned. It was the first gun I bought and is my primary home defense gun. It actually feels good in my hand. I like the trigger quite a bit - but that's really just preference and probably will stir up a lot of debate. I also have an LCP. It's a great little conceal gun, but I don't enjoy shooting it because it is so small. But I could spend all day at the range with the P95.

People have described the Ruger trigger as Horrible, but I never noticed anything wrong.. I don't pay much attention.. long pull the first time light and short thereafter. I hit where I'm aiming with it. That's what counts. I might not know the thrill of a nice trigger. But I do understand the good feeling that when I pull the gun will go bang and I will hit where I am aiming at. Is the easiest gun I've ever cleaned, although its not at all fussy when gets a few hundred rounds through it.

I think that the point here though is that there are a lot of Rugers out there. We just don't talk much about them. I've even thought about getting a smaller easier to carry gun, but I wonder, Could I get one I could trust as much?

[jlangton]

I wondered the samething when I first joined this forum .. Turns out quit a few folks here own Rugers and even carry them but there just isn't much to discuss about a gun that simply works well.

Took the words right out of my mouth.
JL

[flintknapper]

I love my P95, for the same reasons others have mentioned. It was the first gun I bought and is my primary home defense gun. It actually feels good in my hand. I like the trigger quite a bit - but that's really just preference and probably will stir up a lot of debate. I also have an LCP. It's a great little conceal gun, but I don't enjoy shooting it because it is so small. But I could spend all day at the range with the P95.

People have described the Ruger trigger as Horrible, but I never noticed anything wrong.. I don't pay much attention.. long pull the first time light and short thereafter. I hit where I'm aiming with it. That's what counts. I might not know the thrill of a nice trigger. But I do understand the good feeling that when I pull the gun will go bang and I will hit where I am aiming at. Is the easiest gun I've ever cleaned, although its not at all fussy when gets a few hundred rounds through it.

I think that the point here though is that there are a lot of Rugers out there. We just don't talk much about them. I've even thought about getting a smaller easier to carry gun, but I wonder, Could I get one I could trust as much?

Kinda like folks don't talk about their ugly sister?

Just kidding, I like the Rugers fine, they just don't fit me (the P-Series). I wouldn't trade my SP-101 for anything though.

[tbranch]

I have an SW9VE and an LCP. The LCP is carried daily and the SW9VE is basically a home self-defense weapon. Both have been flawless out of the box. The fit and finish on both were very good and if my memory is correct they were under $300 each. The LCP is curently waiting to go back for a factory recall but I still carry it daily. Note to self--do not drop it on concrete with one in the chamber...

Tom

[KBCraig]

A second reason was the word getting around about Bill Ruger supporting magazine limits. Some thought he supported a 10 round limit though I think he wanted it at 15. A lot of people reacted as you would think when they thought he was cooperating with the anti's. IMHO, he was using the anti's for marketing reasons more thna cooperating. A 15 round limit would really have hurt Glock as his competition. But there are still people who resent his attitude and decline to purchase the guns.

Yet they seem to give S&W a pass, despite their "deal with the devil" and Clinton's HUD agreement.

They might have had a point at one time, and I was part of the "S&W must die!" crowd. But you know what? Bill Ruger is dead, and the British-owned S&W that made that deal also died, and was reborn as a new American company.

Neither company should be held to blame for impolitic decisions of those who are no involved. That would be like boycotting Cooper Arms because Dan Cooper was a lying Obama supporter; they kicked him out, case closed.

[G.C.Montgomery]

I don't dislike Rugers, but I'm not a fan either. They have only two things going for them in my book...They are cheap and generally reliable. If you need a gun, they work just fine. Personally, I'd take a Glock with 5-10K rounds on it over a new Ruger at the same cost. YMMV.

[SlowDave]

Thanks for all the terrific (positive and negative) feedback folks! If I summarize, sounds like no one's really had a problem with the reliability of the Ruger P-series, and they are inexpensive, but main complaints are a) looks/weight or b) Mr. Ruger (forget his first name), who is by the way no longer there. Also many quietly satisfied owners out there.

The trigger in SA mode is WAY better than my Sigma .40, and probably even a bit better in DA. Shoots accurately, and I like the chunky looks. In addition, the size is not really a factor for someone who's only gonna carry in the car or in the house, and it doesn't seem that much larger than the Sigma to me (not that the Sigma's a tiny gun or anything). Glad to hear that no one really has had problems with them, as that confirms that my current issues are most likely with the operator, and may also improve with more rounds fired.

Thanks again!!!

[Liberty]

Thanks for all the terrific (positive and negative) feedback folks! If I summarize, sounds like no one's really had a problem with the reliability of the Ruger P-series, and they are inexpensive, but main complaints are a) looks/weight or b) Mr. Ruger (forget his first name), who is by the way no longer there. Also many quietly satisfied owners out there.

The trigger in SA mode is WAY better than my Sigma .40, and probably even a bit better in DA. Shoots accurately, and I like the chunky looks. In addition, the size is not really a factor for someone who's only gonna carry in the car or in the house, and it doesn't seem that much larger than the Sigma to me (not that the Sigma's a tiny gun or anything). Glad to hear that no one really has had problems with them, as that confirms that my current issues are most likely with the operator, and may also improve with more rounds fired.

Thanks again!!!

My P95 while could be described as a little chunky, is not a heavyweight. I conceal carry mine, but I also am a bit chunky.

[Jungle Work]

Why not more popular?

You might ask the owners of the SR9s or LCPs that are having to send their weapons back to the factory because of inferior design and/or
manufactoring.

I several Ruger double action revolvers that are great, but I wouldn't trust Ruger to make a reliable center fire semi auto pistol.
I still waitn' on my boxes for my LCPs. I understand that there are 60,000 LCPs to repair.

Jungle Work

[flb_78]

You might ask the owners of the SR9s or LCPs that are having to send their weapons back to the factory because of inferior design and/or
manufactoring.

I wouldn't call it inferior design or manufacturing. Little LCP shoots fine for me.

[Mike1951]

Why not more popular?

You might ask the owners of the SR9s or LCPs that are having to send their weapons back to the factory because of inferior design and/or
manufactoring.

I several Ruger double action revolvers that are great, but I wouldn't trust Ruger to make a reliable center fire semi auto pistol.
I still waitn' on my boxes for my LCPs. I understand that there are 60,000 LCPs to repair.

Jungle Work

I don't remember any kind of recall ever with the P-series pistols. It was only when they broke new ground for them that any problems appeared.

Matter of fact, I can't remember anyone ever reporting a problem with a P-series. They may be the most reliable semi-auto on the market.