Any good new ruger revolvers?

[the fatman]

:shock: Seems to be quite a few mentions of bad ruger revolvers. I figure bad ones get more press. Any body buying newly made ones that are a-ok? Or is it like the range officer said at my gun range ruger used to make a good gun. He had an older Vaquero on his hip btw.

 

[flatgate]

I guess I have my favorites and don't bother with the "new" stuff much anymore. Sure, once in a while I'll buy a "hot off the press" example but as a "safe queen" and not as a shooter.

Shot a '60 vintage Super Blackhawk today, though. Man, does that thing shoot! 5 out of 5 on a 12" gong at 100 yards using a "one knee" on the ground shooting position. Loads were 275 gr. cast bullets at around 1000 fps.

flatgate

 

[41 mag fan]

Just got a concecutive pair of the clean up 32 birds heads and shoot great.

 

[TiteGroups]

The three new ones I've bought in the last 9 mos. all have been great. Couple of new flat tops, .44spl and .357 and a GP. The front sights are too short on the F.T.'s but thats nothing new, same as my other B.H.'s The parts fit on them is very good. All I have to do is look at the price of a new Colt SAA and I can find little room for complaining. A great value in an American made product!

 

[nn]

3 for 3 real good

 

[Hammerdown77]

I've bought a new .45 Blackhawk convertible, sight unseen, and other than having too short a front sight and undersized throats, it is great.

Before that, a 22/45 that had perfect bluing and shot like a laser beam.

Two weekends ago, bought a new .44 Special flat top with 5 1/2" barrel, and a new Super Blackhawk Bisley Hunter in .44 magnum. The fit and finish on the SBH Bisley is Lexus like. The .44 Special is pretty good, couple of spots in the bluing that are a little lighter than others, but other than that it was good.

I wouldn't hesitate to buy another, but inspecting them before purchase is never a bad thing.

 

[Slanteyedshootist]

Well, my plastivolver LCR has functioned superbly since I bought it. Minor issue with front sight misaligned but solved that with a couple of taps from a punch. Added a HiViz and Crimson Trace grips to compensate for old eyes. Hundreds of live rounds, lots of dry fire, no malfunctions. Yeah, she kicks, but it's tolerable. The weight is perfect for my busted up old body to tolerate all day carry.

Seems a lot of people complain about new guns, no matter the manufacturer. Some start complaining even before the guns are shipped. Must be psychic or something like it. I see a lot of comments that guns from the old days were built better, company cared more about quality, etc. I'm very happy with my LCR and the great response I've had from Ruger and the other gun folks I have dealt with.

 

[roaddog28]

Hi,

The GP100 to me seems better now than the earlier ones. The trigger seems better. I bought a new one less than a year ago and I am real happy with the revolver.

Regards,
roaddog28

 

[JimMarch1]

The new cylinder making process that started with the NewVaqs seems to have migrated across all the revolvers, DA and SA. And that's a really good thing. Chambers are done one at a time in sequence with the same bit and reamer for close uniformity bore to bore. Average out-of-the-box accuracy has gone up.

When I was shopping for an SA in 2005 I grabbed a NewVaq over anything else to get that improved cylinder. No regrets on that score.

I'm also seeing fewer complaints than we were at the middle to late stages of the Great Obama Gun Rush[tm]. I suspect Ruger had some QC issues going on due to the production boom and the various new models, but somebody at the top passed the word to get that under control.

I think new Rugers are a hell of a value, but I still recommend a detailed checkout pre-purchase in case of a "birth defect".

If Ruger QC did suffer of late, it NEVER dropped down to Taurus' level - ever.

 

[NorEaster]

My pair of consecutive 5 1/2" ROA's that I bought from their cleanup run last year are flawless. They are as smooth as butter and have really light hammer and trigger pulls. They have worked perfectly at every CAS match I have used them.
They are box stock; but work like custom race guns.

 

[Lloyd Smale]

Ive got quite a few newer rugers that are good guns. As a matter of fact most of the newer rugers have been good guns. Even the couple 45 colts ive boughten in the last couple years have been accurate right out of the box and most of the older ones ive owned were dismal. What ruger needs to do is make an entry level gun for guys that dont really care and an upgraded gun or a custom shop gun for the guys who do. Just a few upgrades in fit and finish, sights, action jobs and mechanical alignment and tightness. If they had to charge an extra couple hundred bucks id gladly pay it and i would think many ohters would too. Most of my rugers end up with these upgrades anyway and im sure ruger could do it cheaper then a custom gunsmith would.

 

[gak]

Love my '09 Montado--seems to be screwed together pretty well. Also have heard mostly good reports about the new mid-frame Flattops and am looking forward to the .44 Special New Vaqueros to hopefully be the same. I have an older (06/07) New Vaquero that has been fine.

 

[Sheriff]

Just recently recieved my FT .44sp Bisley, 5 1/2". No problem, it shoots great. The front site on this one IS tall enough. Only had to raise the rear site 5 'clicks' to zero it at 25yds.

 

[maxpress]

in order the most recent were a 4" 44 redhawk an sp101 3" a 5.5 single six with fixed sights. no complaints on any of them outside of trading off the redhawk cause i always grabbed an SA instead when i needed a 44.

 

[Kevin]

3 for 3...same here. Bought the new .327 in both SP101 and 8 shot Blackhawk. Last year bought a 10/22. I put a scope on it and man does it Shoot, with a capital S. They all do for that matter.

 

[Jeepnik]

Hmmm... I must just be a lucky so an so. I can't say I've ever had a faulty firearm from any maker. All seem to have their favorite handload, but none has been less accurate than me. I have seen a couple of Rugers and Smith double action wheel guns that weren't especially well timed from the factory, but they all shot well enough, none spit lead excessively.

But this deserves one important comment. When you purchase a new firearm, inspect it closely at the shop, and refuse any that are subpar. I've had to do that exactly twice. Pretty hard to blame somone else for a poorly fitted firearm you bought new, cuz you should of just looked a bit closer.

 

[the fatman]

Like I said at the beginning I kind of figured that mistakes got more press. And the guy at the range has lots of opinions. I think he might be an expert. :wink: And he isn't what I would call shy. But I got to thinking that it seems most of the folks here talk about older rugers that are new to them. And I kind of wondered how ruger was doing without Mr. Ruger. I have seen some smaller businesses crumple once the original man left. Sounds like good ones are still going out the door. Looking them over is good advice. Unfortunately I get a real good deal ordering a firearm through the club I belong to.

 

[Dale53]

In the past year I have purchased three new Ruger Single actions:
1 - 50th Anniversary Flattop .44 Magnum. The cylinder throat dimensions are a perfect .431" and all the same.

Polishing is not perfect in one area, but acceptable.

Needed a trigger job like all Rugers but is a superbly accurate revolver and I expect it to last for generations of use. I especially appreciate the new "auto alignment" pawl. It handles very well.

2 - .44 Lipsey Special 5½" with standard grips. All steel revolver with excellent polishing and bluing. Cylinder throats perfect at .431". It also shoots extremely well. All I did to it is had a trigger job done. The new Pawl is again much appreciated. This revolver is everything that I hoped it would be and more.

3 - SS Bisley .45 Colt/.45 ACP Convertible 5½". I have always been a .44 man (for over fifty years) but if I ever was to change, this revolver would be the reason. It had undersize throats in both cylinders. I used a Manson Reamer Kit (complete with a piloted reamer) to correct both cylinder throats. After correction, a free spin pawl modification and a trigger job, I have a superb revolver that compares quite favorably with custom revolvers that cost several times as much. This has become a "shooting machine". Right out of the box, it was finished perfectly and I REALLY like this one. I am not going to get rid of my .44's but this one sure makes a feller think...


Three of the best purchases I have ever made in the gun line (and there have been a BUNCH).

Rugers FOREVER

Dale53

 

[Bear Paw Jack]

This year I've picked up three Redhawks (one which I just sold) a Super blackhawk 4 5/8" 44 Mag and another SP101 3". Also a new S&W 629 3". All are very nice handguns and not a single bad one in the bunch. I think all the manufacturers let one get out from time to time but it's not limited to firearms, it includes TV's, Cars, toasters the whole ball of wax. I don't worry about it too much or fret when it happens.

 

[MMichaelAK]

month ago bought a brand spanking new SRH in .454 in the brushed stainless finish.

Im a happy camper. Trigger pull has a tiny little hitch to it but its a good shooter. Makes me look good.

 

[mraywi]

4 FOR 4 in last 5 months. 3 have really smooth triggers and I love the laminated grips.
I normally buy used Rugers,never had a problem with the 11 new Rugers. Out of the 20 or so used Rugers I have bought,only had one problems and that was from one of the somewhat frequent sellers here on the forum believe it or not. He would not take care of it but Ruger stood behind it 100%! That is why I would not sell or trade a gun with a problem,just messes with the next buyer.

 

[Bear Paw Jack]

I agree I really like the laminated stocks on the Stainless Single actions.

 

[TCGuy]

I just got a spanking-new Alaskan in .454, and it works well right out of the box - after being cleaned and lubricated, of course. Nice trigger, and very accurate.

 

[Allen207]

I was thinking about buying a used Vaquero. Now I have to wonder if it will be one with poorly aligned sights that somebody dumped back onto the market. :shock:

 

[maxpress]

esiest way to do a quick chech is to run a ruler from the back channel to the sight and looke down on the barrel at the shop. it will be very apparent if the sights are canted.

 

[Geezer]

When you buy a new one, you expect it to be a good one. Nothing to report. It's what's expected. If you get a bad one, now you have something to talk about.

 

[Driftwood Johnson]

Howdy

There is an old saying, "The bridge that falls makes more noise than the bridge that stands."

The bridge that stands just keeps right on doing its job, day after day, year after year, with no hoopla. Every once in a while, a bridge falls, and after that some people are afraid to go over any bridge.

I have owned a succession of Ruger Single Action revolvers, starting with my Blackhawk that I bought brand, spanky new in 1975. I have Vaqueros and New Vaqueros. I have bought them brand spanky new and I have bought them used. Actually, I bought the New Vaqueros new, the 'original model' Vaqueros I all bought used. Three of them. I ain't been burned by a Ruger yet. I also buy a lot of S&W DA revolvers used. Buying a used revolver is a lot simpler than buying a used car. There just ain't that much to check out. I would venture to say that somebody who is afraid to buy a used revolver doesn't know much about revolvers. You pretty much know in five minutes in the store if it is going to be a problem or not. Most problems will show up just checking it out and working the action.

Oh, yeah, my oldest Ruger is my three screw Single Six that I bought used about ten years ago. Another keeper.

 

[M'BOGO]

Like Mr. Driftwood said.

If someone gets burned, they tell ten people. If you are not a burn victim, no burn to talk about. In business terms, you tell three, maybe. The Rugers I have experience with, well I hope to be as good as them. As Dale said, other than undersize throats on the .45, all great. Even then, the New Vaquero, shot to point of aim, very tightly, with slightly undersize throats. Why brag? I didn't make them.

 

[the fatman]

While not gun related. This is why I like to also praise good jobs when I can. You can tell that they hear more bad things then good. Ask for the manager in a restaurant and they walk up with a look of dread on their face. Then watch the relief when you tell them what a great job the waiter or waitress did. I thought a long time ago that if I was going to take the time to complain I should also give praise where deserved.

 

[BK]

Wife bought me a 4" GP almost two months ago. Like it so much, I want a 3" GP now. When my 13 y/o daughter and I go to the range, almost have to pry the GP from her fingers.

The quality does not seem to be second-rate to the S&W revolvers I own, either.