Poor buttstock fit on a new No. 1, but good customer service

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Oct 16, 2013
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The problem with ordering a firearm sight unseen is you don't know what you're going to get until you open the box. This isn't much of an issue if you're buying a plastic/aluminum wonder with a matte black finish, but if you're ordering a rifle with a walnut stock it's a different situation. Unfortunately in my case this rifle did not meet my standards. The buttstock was very poorly fitted to the receiver. I could see daylight between the stock and the tang on one side. There were significant gaps between the wood and metal in other areas. I realize the days of getting "good wood" on a new Ruger No. 1 are probably just luck of the draw at best and may be completely gone. If this were sent to a local gun shop I'm sure the dealer would reject this gun, and certainly the buyer would at least be aware of it. Back in the day when you could compare guns at your local gun store naturally you'd ask to look at all the guns on hand and pick the best one. And often the dealer would have one "stashed away" to nudge a hesitant buyer over the edge. But that's the problem with No. 1s. They are a niche gun and I don't know of any gun store that routinely carries the new products.
Don't get me wrong, I like Ruger. I own more Rugers than any other three manufacturers combined. And this is the 6th No. 1 I've purchased. All but one of them was purchased new and three of them were ordered sight unseen. But when I got this one home and saw this mess I called customer service, wrote a short note, stuck a piece of paper between the stock and the tang, and shipped it back the next day.
Twenty nine days later the rifle was returned. I consider that pretty quick since this period included Christmas and New Years. The rifle was re-stocked, butt and forend, and the fit is acceptable. It could be better, but like good wood, I think the days of insisting on perfection are limited. So I'm pretty happy. It did cost me and additional $40 in FFL fees, but it was worth it. I couldn't have enjoyed looking at that ill-fitted wood for the rest of my days.
 

pisgah

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Why did it cost you more FFL fees? You can send a gun back to a manufacturer for repair and receive it back directly, no dealer needed because no transfer takes place.
 

langenc

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Big John said:
Because Ruger sent the return label to the FFL, it was the next day, and I was aggrevated.

Just refuse it and call em back to get it sent to you OR let Ruger pay the FFL if they thought he needed to get involved.
 

pisgah

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Sounds to me like it's the dealer you should be put-out with. Maybe he felt he had to do the paperwork again -- but charging you a second time was voluntary.
 

jjas

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Your story is why I'm hesitant to purchase firearms over the internet. I like to look over guns before I purchase them.
 

Rocdoc

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I have had some good luck on GB, some of the dealers as you know post actual pics with accurate descriptions, sometimes with a refund offer if not as described. At least then I have some idea
 

wunbe

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This kind of quality control is what to expect once a manufacturer shifts over to slapping together plastic guns in high volume. Both skills in assembly and final out the door checks go south even as the MSRP bloats.

wunbe
 
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wunbe said:
This kind of quality control is what to expect once a manufacturer shifts over to slapping together plastic guns in high volume. Both skills in assembly and final out the door checks go south even as the MSRP bloats.

wunbe

I have to agree with Wunbe...quality has gone down as MSRP has skyrocketed...Ruger's prices no longer meet the standard that WBR set for affordable firearms that the average American could afford to buy...the No.1 is the most egregious example of this fact. Even though No.1 production is limited, actual retail prices are not justifiable based on the quality one can expect and so, No.1's languish at the distributor and dealer level...

There is a reason that firearms that require any type of fitting are no longer viable for Ruger...they have lost the skilled workmen who could build the shotguns and rifles that WBR was so proud to sell...and become a job shop, selling "exclusive" versions that eliminate competition in the market place and allow for higher profits for the supply chain...black plastic wonders and then, upteen color options... :roll:

What happened to the second iteration of the Over/Under shotgun?
 

langenc

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I suspect that a small experienced crew make the #1's. Maybe they have a new gunmaker that aint quite up to speed-no excuse. Where is the final inspection??, probably cut by some bean counter.
 

Donnieweps

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Mar 20, 2018
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I had a No. 1 in .458 on order back in 1977. My dealer told me It arrived at the distributor's who kindly (not) sold it out from under me.

My dealer discussed this with the distributor and not long after, MY gun arrived with near presentation grade walnut on it. Think the distributor was shamed into hand selecting a nicer than average gun for me.

41 yrs later, it's still beautiful and accurate.

Related, having never been cleaned internally I was going on a hunt with my son and thought I'd clean it. Inexperienced with gunsmithing, I had problems with the large side to side bolt. Local gunsmith gave it back to me supposedly assembled but non functional.

Sent it to Ruger who of course fixed it. I sent it to them w/o the stock and explained in a note why. For some reason they sent it back with a pretty decent new stock and fore end. I called and asked if they wanted it back. They didn't. Don
 
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I had an identical experience about 3 years ago now. Even after the rifle came back from Ruger for repairs it was unexceptable. I sold it at a loss and have not ordered another wood stocked rifle from Ruger since and won't in the future. I think Mr. Ruger would have fired the bunch of them for ineptitude. Quality control died with Bill.

Dave
 

Donnieweps

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I sometimes wonder what standards people use when they complain about some product?

I've see some posts with photos where the owner is very unhappy with some cosmetic issue. Basically a rant. Not suggesting the OP is one of these as I have no basis to suggest that and no pictures were provided.

A day or two ago, I took out my No.1 and looked at the action/buttstock interface. On one side, in good light, there was a space that would allow light through. It isn't in the least offensive to me as overall, the gun is gorgeous.

If someone complained about what I saw, I'd have laughed.

The internet gives everyone a podium from which to complain and complainers outnumber happy individuals by 20-100X. Personally, I've never had a bad outcome in 60 yrs of shooting. Don
 
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Well, I'm the OP. This IS NOT meant to be a criticism, but a clarification. The space between the tang and stock was probably enough to be considered "free floated."

I can understand that the squeaky wheels make the most noise. I've been a Ruger fan for over 40 years. Only twice have I sent a product back to Ruger, this instance and when the barrel on an SP 101 .22 was canted about 2 degrees to the right. In both cases Ruger never contacted me. They just fixed the problem. I think that says a couple of things: they recognize when they have make a mistake and they are willing to admit it and fix it. That is a rare thing. The NFL could take lessons.

A couple of years ago I purchased a blackpowder Hawken rifle from a well established company that was noted for their "lifetime guarantee." Granted, I purchased this from an estate at a gun show, but it was obvious that the gun had never been fired. And I admit I only purchased it because it was about $500 under the current MSRP. I didn't need it, but it was just too good a deal. When I got it home I learned the primary trigger was waaaay above what I'd consider normal. My trigger gauge only goes to 8 lbs., but I'd be surprised if this trigger is below 15. It has a set trigger, so it is "shootable", but I don't consider that a good practice. I had no papers other than the instruction manual, but that and the numbers written on the stock in the barrel channel led me to believe it was manufactured in the mid-1980's. I contacted the Manufacturer and sent it back. They returned it and indicated it was within their specifications. I was disappointed since I built one of their kits manufactured during that same period and it has a very nice set of triggers. But like I said, I don't need this gun, so I can live with it. There are companies that make replacement triggers at a reasonable price. My guess is since the Manufacturer was ending the run of this rifle, which was hitting $800 MSRP a couple of years ago, was no longer willing to service them. Probably because the expertise was gone. It's a shame, but again, it's a sign of our times. Do you know how hard it is to find a good blacksmith these days?

I mentioned I got my first Ruger over 40 years ago, so that's why I didn't post pictures. First, I didn't take any that were "ideal" to illustrate the problems, second, I'm not into putting a lot of stuff on the internet, and third, posting pictures is a hassle for old folks like me.

Again, I consider it a confirmation that Ruger never contacted me. They just re-stocked a No. 1 RSI, butt and forend, and returned it. No questions asked. No "This is within our specifications." statement. I appreciated that and give them Big Kudos.
John
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Ruger receives a lot of defense from the fan people. That's good for Ruger, as they can cut corners and get away with it.

We used to pay a premium price for Number 1's, knowing they were well made and quite gorgeous. Maybe for the price now which hasn't increased much, they can no longer afford to give the attention to fit and selection of wood. If that's the case, raise the price. The market will sort out if customers will still buy them. In the meantime, if they let the quality decline to maintain a price point, they're losing buyers regardless of the price.

I'm with the OP... We have every right to expect a Number 1 to live up to the standards of a Number 1.
 
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