Brand New GP100 - a few issues, worth sending to Ruger?

"Just my opinion but I would not have accepted it or any other new gun with flaws like that. I don't care how it shoots. When I'm paying that much for something it needs to be without flaws. If that hole in the frame is off center it will never be right."

I have to politely say this.

If you want perfection, spend the $3000+ & wait 2 years for a Freedom Arms. Or,, buy a Ruger, send it to a custom gunsmith, and spend $2000-$5000 to get it perfect.

Ruger builds a production line gun, within looser tolerances, at a price a working man can afford. Perfect? Not often, but quite a few are excellent shooters. Plus, I find it interesting that most folks who seek a "different" gun, especially a big bore caliber,, start with a Ruger & build what they seek.

"If people keep accepting this it will never get better."

I can't recall if you've ever posted anything positive about a Ruger. You may very well have done so,, but mostly I see constant negative comments.
So, why do you not go & apply for a job at Ruger, and work to make things the way you desire?

I will say that I PERSONALLY have discussed many things with the upper management at Ruger, had a factory tour, and offered a job with them. So I can say that they do turn out a quality PRODUCTION product in quantities that most appreciate & can afford. But to meet production demands, stockholder demands, & so many other things NOT taken into consideration by many, is NOT an easy job.
Remember,, we could be stuck with other brands & even no guns at all. The anti-gunners LOVE to see us bicker & complain about things, and hope we'll stop buying guns.
 
Last edited:
That movement in reply #33 is not checked correctly. You have to hold the trigger fully back then check the movement.
 
A suggestion from someone with a serious case of OCD.

Insert a fired case in the cylinder, then try the rod. There's a bit of leeway at the back of the cylinder because the portion where the case is inserted is several thousandths larger than the bore diameter. So…if the barrel is truly square with the cylinder, the rod should slide into the fired case easily, at least until the point where it starts to taper inward near the case head. If you want to be really OCD, cut the first 3/8" off a fired case and insert that in the cylinder making sure it stays at the rear of the cylinder. Then see if the rod hangs on the case or smoothly reaches the firing pin.

Also- perform this test with the hammer cocked so the cylinder stop locks the cylinder in firing alignment.
 
contender said:
"If people keep accepting this it will never get better."

I can't recall if you've ever posted anything positive about a Ruger. You may very well have done so,, but mostly I see constant negative comments.
So, why do you not go & apply for a job at Ruger, and work to make things the way you desire?
Click to expand...
That's an interesting observation considering you know nothing about me or how many Rugers I own and enjoy. The OP's situation is inexcusable no matter who the manufacturer is. If he decides to keep the revolver and is content that's up to him. And Ruger can continue to sell bent barrels and unfinished grip frames. Have a good day 😊
 
"That's an interesting observation considering you know nothing about me or how many Rugers I own and enjoy."

You are 100% correct in that I know nothing about you or what you own. But I do know what you have posted here, to the best of my memory, it's been mostly negative stuff about Rugers. And as I said,, I can easily be wrong,, and if so,, my apologies.

But I can speak about my experiences in spending time with several top level Ruger executives, over several years, discussing both the good & bad. I have personally been to a Ruger plant & watched how they make guns. I can also say I've discussed the QC as well as the "return percentage" of various models.
During my tour, talking to employees and watching them work, I can say they do try hard to make a good product. But they are also trying to produce as many guns as they can to meet the demands by consumers.

And as I've mentioned before,, I've personally seen good & bad guns from Ruger. But if they were to try & actually take every gun to a range, test it for function, and test it for accuracy, would severely slow down the production. Yes,,, they test fire a gun, usually with (2) rounds, for the function test,, inside a special test machine. But as for having a direct QC dept, that studies each & every gun made for minor flaws, or whatever, they do not. Again, that too would slow down the production severely.

As I watched the LCP guns being made,, we discussed production. They normally turn out a completed gun every 4 minutes approximately. That's from start to finish.
Will they have issues?
Sure.
Are the percentages of bad ones that are returned high? No. In fact the overall return rate for most models has a low return rate. One model, that has the lowest,, is the American Rifle. A .04% return rate. I can't recall all the others we discussed.

But no,, I do not know you. But your postings, with the often negative attitude,, is why I responded the way I did.
 
contender said:
"Just my opinion but I would not have accepted it or any other new gun with flaws like that. I don't care how it shoots. When I'm paying that much for something it needs to be without flaws. If that hole in the frame is off center it will never be right."

I have to politely say this.

If you want perfection, spend the $3000+ & wait 2 years for a Freedom Arms. Or,, buy a Ruger, send it to a custom gunsmith, and spend $2000-$5000 to get it perfect.

Ruger builds a production line gun, within looser tolerances, at a price a working man can afford. Perfect? Not often, but quite a few are excellent shooters. Plus, I find it interesting that most folks who seek a "different" gun, especially a big bore caliber,, start with a Ruger & build what they seek.

"If people keep accepting this it will never get better."

I can't recall if you've ever posted anything positive about a Ruger. You may very well have done so,, but mostly I see constant negative comments.
So, why do you not go & apply for a job at Ruger, and work to make things the way you desire?

I will say that I PERSONALLY have discussed many things with the upper management at Ruger, had a factory tour, and offered a job with them. So I can say that they do turn out a quality PRODUCTION product in quantities that most appreciate & can afford. But to meet production demands, stockholder demands, & so many other things NOT taken into consideration by many, is NOT an easy job.
Remember,, we could be stuck with other brands & even no guns at all. The anti-gunners LOVE to see us bicker & complain about things, and hope we'll stop buying guns.
Click to expand...

Please do not take this wrong. These comments are not intended as a personal attack on you. I respect you, your knowledge, and your experience with Ruger.

I don't think anyone is expecting FA perfection at Ruger prices. I'm certainly not. Yet, if someone criticizes Ruger quality, you jump right to the "well buy an FA" response. There is a middle space in the market for quality at affordable prices. Not Hi Point, yet not Freedom Arms. Ruger has historically occupied that space.

A gun in this space shouldn't have the barrel over or under tightened so that the front sight is not vertical. The barrel or frame shouldn't be bent to the point the rear sight has to be adjusted to one extreme or the other. You shouldn't have to file one side of a vaquero rear to compensate for an over-tightened barrel. Ruger should be able to fit a set of grips without unsightly gaps or sharp overhangs. They should be able to apply an even finish to the firearm, no gouges or deep scratches. They should be able to securely mount a front sight to the barrel so it doesn't fly off. The cylinder throats should all be the same, at least in the ballpark of correct.

The above things aren't an unreasonable expectation. Every other manufacturer can do it, Ruger can too. Nobody is saying that Ruger prices should come with FA's quality, flawless finish, zero cylinder play, perfect throats and forcing cone, perfect machining, bank vault lockup, perfect timing, etc. Their guns are the pinnacle of production quality and are worth every penny they cost. I've owned 2.

How about a serviceable revolver that Ruger has itself proven in the past they are capable of making? Today, they are choosing quantity over quality. See how many units we can cram out the door, quality be damned. Hell, half the users, or more, buy a gun and stick it in the safe. They'll never even shoot it to know all the issues it has so why spend time, effort, and money making a correct gun? Well, because there are some of us who actually use the product and seek a serviceable example.

I had to send my 480 back twice. The 2nd time, I asked for and received a refund. My AcuSport 41 went back twice, for the same barrel cant issue discussed with the above GP. It never got fixed, sold the gun. My SR 1911 had the front sight fly off during the 2nd mag. Upon cleaning, I found a huge amount of rust under the grips which Ruger later attributed to the finish of the laminate they used. Sent it back, they replaced the gun. Sent 2 SBH Hunter models back. The 41 had the barrel so twisted, the scope almost looked like those on a side mount Winchester 94. They "fixed it", sent it back still crooked, they finally replaced it. It's successor had the same issue, sold it. The 44 Hunter had the base pin hole in the frame drilled oversize. Sent it back, they replaced it. A recent 10/22 would not function through a single mag w/o binding. Twice back to Ruger, never solved. Sold it. These are just the ones from memory offhand.

As you can see, Ruger resolved some, others they didn't. Every one of those handgun episodes required a new transfer fee from my FFL. Ruger CS ain't eating that, I did.

Make the guns right the first time! Is it that hard?

I love my Blackhawks and treasure the ones I have. My solution is to buy older ones. I always recommend others do the same. I will never buy a new one again. You can't just stick your head in the ground and ignore the issues. Things will never improve if they think we'll blindly accept junk.

"So, why do you not go & apply for a job at Ruger, and work to make things the way you desire?" Really?? Do you recommend that to people who have issues with other products? Your Ford has a crappy engine, get a job at Ford. Your Quarter Pounder was cold, get a job at McDonalds. What position at Ruger would you have to be hired into to have any say over quality? That's a cop out.

I love Ruger and their products. While I can't speak for others, my motivation for airing these issues is in the hope that Ruger can course-correct and return to building quality firearms at a price that an average worker can afford. I want them to succeed and for them to be around for generations to come.

Parents know this. Discipline is a part of helping your kids succeed. There needs to be some discipline metered out at Ruger. S&W seems to have found a guy to right the ship. Ruger needs to find theirs.
 
Guess I got lucky not having to send mine back multiple times …. Sent a EC9 to Ruger for the finger pinch/bite thingy. It came back the same way. Talking to a "tech" at Ruger and he not so politely suggested I learn how to shoot as nobody else has those problems.

Taking his professional opinion to heart, I gathered up the EC9 my LC9, an LCP and an LCP-II and traded them for Glocks. No problems for me since. Money well spent.
 
bisleyfan41 said:
Please do not take this wrong. These comments are not intended as a personal attack on you. I respect you, your knowledge, and your experience with Ruger.

I don't think anyone is expecting FA perfection at Ruger prices. I'm certainly not. Yet, if someone criticizes Ruger quality, you jump right to the "well buy an FA" response. There is a middle space in the market for quality at affordable prices. Not Hi Point, yet not Freedom Arms. Ruger has historically occupied that space.

A gun in this space shouldn't have the barrel over or under tightened so that the front sight is not vertical. The barrel or frame shouldn't be bent to the point the rear sight has to be adjusted to one extreme or the other. You shouldn't have to file one side of a vaquero rear to compensate for an over-tightened barrel. Ruger should be able to fit a set of grips without unsightly gaps or sharp overhangs. They should be able to apply an even finish to the firearm, no gouges or deep scratches. They should be able to securely mount a front sight to the barrel so it doesn't fly off. The cylinder throats should all be the same, at least in the ballpark of correct.

The above things aren't an unreasonable expectation. Every other manufacturer can do it, Ruger can too. Nobody is saying that Ruger prices should come with FA's quality, flawless finish, zero cylinder play, perfect throats and forcing cone, perfect machining, bank vault lockup, perfect timing, etc. Their guns are the pinnacle of production quality and are worth every penny they cost. I've owned 2.

How about a serviceable revolver that Ruger has itself proven in the past they are capable of making? Today, they are choosing quantity over quality. See how many units we can cram out the door, quality be damned. Hell, half the users, or more, buy a gun and stick it in the safe. They'll never even shoot it to know all the issues it has so why spend time, effort, and money making a correct gun? Well, because there are some of us who actually use the product and seek a serviceable example.

I had to send my 480 back twice. The 2nd time, I asked for and received a refund. My AcuSport 41 went back twice, for the same barrel cant issue discussed with the above GP. It never got fixed, sold the gun. My SR 1911 had the front sight fly off during the 2nd mag. Upon cleaning, I found a huge amount of rust under the grips which Ruger later attributed to the finish of the laminate they used. Sent it back, they replaced the gun. Sent 2 SBH Hunter models back. The 41 had the barrel so twisted, the scope almost looked like those on a side mount Winchester 94. They "fixed it", sent it back still crooked, they finally replaced it. It's successor had the same issue, sold it. The 44 Hunter had the base pin hole in the frame drilled oversize. Sent it back, they replaced it. A recent 10/22 would not function through a single mag w/o binding. Twice back to Ruger, never solved. Sold it. These are just the ones from memory offhand.

As you can see, Ruger resolved some, others they didn't. Every one of those handgun episodes required a new transfer fee from my FFL. Ruger CS ain't eating that, I did.

Make the guns right the first time! Is it that hard?

I love my Blackhawks and treasure the ones I have. My solution is to buy older ones. I always recommend others do the same. I will never buy a new one again. You can't just stick your head in the ground and ignore the issues. Things will never improve if they think we'll blindly accept junk.

"So, why do you not go & apply for a job at Ruger, and work to make things the way you desire?" Really?? Do you recommend that to people who have issues with other products? Your Ford has a crappy engine, get a job at Ford. Your Quarter Pounder was cold, get a job at McDonalds. What position at Ruger would you have to be hired into to have any say over quality? That's a cop out.

I love Ruger and their products. While I can't speak for others, my motivation for airing these issues is in the hope that Ruger can course-correct and return to building quality firearms at a price that an average worker can afford. I want them to succeed and for them to be around for generations to come.

Parents know this. Discipline is a part of helping your kids succeed. There needs to be some discipline metered out at Ruger. S&W seems to have found a guy to right the ship. Ruger needs to find theirs.
Click to expand...
Well written. I hope someone from Ruger reads this and takes it to heart
 
bisleyfan41,, I fully appreciate your kind thoughts & words towards me. And no,, I didn't take any offense in your reply.

Actually, I have seen several posts by people with minor imperfections complain. This is why I often bring up the comment about buying perfection, the FA handguns. In fact,, you are 100% correct in the fact that Ruger is "in the middle" where the expense of a firearm is concerned. But many comments by some reflect that they expect FA quality at Ruger prices. Yes,, Ruger has historically occupied that space.

The over tightening or under tightening of a barrel has been around as long as we've had revolvers. Even under Bill's leadership, it happened. The bigger difference now is the much higher quantity of guns built & shipped,, means we see "more" issues like that, a bit more often. Elmer, Skeeter, & many others often wrote about having to "straighten" a barrel.
The grips,, well ever since Lett quit being the supplier for Ruger grips,, we have seen a much less desirable fitment of the panels to frames. I discussed this very issue with a few of the top management folks at Ruger a few years back. It's a combination of things. The new suppliers are using specs from frames they were sent to use as templates,, and sadly,, they are often just not the same. Plus,, the actual employees who polish the grip frames,, just do not get it uniform. They keep trying to fix it,, but as employees quit, etc,, it's hard to train new people to work a line on such critical tolerances. Why? Because many of the Ruger employees are NOT gun people & figure "it's close enough!"

And it's not just the grip fitment. It's all the little assy parts. Sights, etc are not as understood by the assemblers. Cylinder throats have been an issue on some models from the beginning of their production. Heck, the OM .45 Colt is a glaring example. And Bill was still running things back then! They would claim; "We test our guns with factory ammo, and use jacketed bullets. They are within specs!" Users of cast knew of the issues.
My point,, even Bill had issues long ago. But with lower production numbers,, fewer complaints.

You've mentioned sending back (5) Ruger handguns. I find it a bit incredible that you have had so many "bad" ones. I've owned, handled, shot & used a lot of Ruger SA's over the last 43 years. My percentages or much lower than that. I still have a .480,, and it's fine. My .41 is an OM. It's fine. (Dern accurate too!) My SR 1911 is competition ready. My .44 Hunter is also quite nice!
I did have to return a SR9, an early one, that had developed a barrel peening. They offered to fix it or replace it. I had a Redhawk, that the barrel separated from the frame,, (a rarity and mine was the first one) that they replaced. My P-85 was recalled & had the safety upgrade.

My point is that while they do have issues occasionally, they will correct it. And in my state,, they can return a repaired gun to the person w/o a FFL involved.
Yes,, you'd think they should be able to make them right the first time, and often enough to where they get very few returns. But when you factor in the percentage of returns of the production, they still make a lot of them right.
HOWEVER,, by all means,, a problem gun should get returned. Ruger encourages it. It allows them to see where problems in assy exist. My comment about working at Ruger,,, well, having been to a plant,, and seeing the workers,, AND how production is handled,, the concept of "hand fitting & super careful inspection" of each & every gun slows production WAY down.
Guns are built on an assy line. At each station, an employee does just one thing, and puts the gun into the bin for the next assembler. If it looks good & passes the one station, it goes on down the line. Yes,, some employees will pass along a gun that is very close to the line of rejection to avoid them not meeting production numbers.
This is why I say go to work at Ruger & try to be an assembler,, AND meet production demands. Very hard to do for the casual employee to even consider. It's not a cop out to suggest a person look at it from an employee's viewpoint. You are hired to assemble a part on a line. You are told that you need to turn out 300 (an example only) of your assembled parts each day. You try & get them all correct,, and only turn out 100. (Again, just an example.) You will not last very long as an employee doing that job. In other words,, sometimes stuff gets passed along to prevent lower production.
As for what position you'd have to have to make a difference,, management level.

I know a lot of upper management people at Ruger. And yes,, they want to make a great product all the time. Most of them are also stockholders,, and as such, they want the profits of the dividends every quarter. When problems exist,, they ALL suffer. But they also accept a percentage of issues,, allowing a consumer to return a gun for repairs.

By all means,, instead of trying to post here,, on this Forum,, I have also suggested that people with real issues POLITELY contact Ruger & tell them directly about the issues. THAT'S the way to get their attention, and make things get better.

Ruger has a new CEO. Let's all hope he stresses some positive changes in things to where production AND quality can get closer together.
 
Again another well stated reply. Thank you, Ty.

Just as an aside- I have returned 3 guns to Ruger in the last 2 years. The first was my Super Blackhawk Bisley, it had severe chatter in the barrel from the rifling button. Ruger replaced the barrel and reblued it under warranty. It shot fine with the chatter but when they saw a picture of the barrel they wanted to replace it.

The second was my 4 5/8" .357 Blackhawk. The front sight was badly canted and the cylinder window was really rough in the corners. They clocked the barrel, smoothed the rough corners, and reblued it, under warranty.

The third was a New Vaquero that I bought used. The prior owner , I'm assuming, installed the trigger retainer screw on the wrong side, causing it to bind and break when I attempted to remove it. While this definitely wasn't a warranty issue, Ruger fixed it for free. They also installed a newer barrel without the billboard, at my request- and polished and reblued the cylinder and barrel. All at no charge. ( It had a case colored frame and I was very specific that I wanted to keep that finish.)

I also had a problem with a Super Hunter grip frame from Midway. They had me return the frame for a refund and sent out a second frame, at no charge, that exhibited the same issues. They finally put me in touch with a technician and he hand picked a frame for me, which he sent out with a couple sets of screws- all for free.

Needless to say, my satisfaction with Ruger's customer service is that it is the best in the industry. Not to mention the above and beyond efforts that Linda in records has made on my behalf researching my "D" SC5 and several others.

I can understand that with any mass production effort, there will be shortcomings and quality issues. As profit driven production goals increase, quality has to suffer, especially in the post Covid workplace. But- Ruger is more than willing to make it right. That gets them an A+ in my book.

Now, not being an industry insider, I can't verify if the following statement is accurate, but it came from a reliable source. At one point I worked in a Dodge dealership. When I asked the zone rep why we had so many quality issues with their new vehicles, he answered: " We make a larger profit with our current system- any warranty repairs don't count against profit and are written off as losses for tax benefits." Makes you wonder…
 
Captain America said:
I'm all in with Contender…my SP101 .22lr 8 shot has miserable finish, a slightly canted barrel, quite a bit of end shake, and my rear sight is almost all the way to the left. That gun is an absolute tack driver with absolutely any ammo I put in it, I'm almost afraid to disassemble and clean it sometimes as it shoots so well. Anytime anyone gets some 22s their gun doesn't like I'm happy to take it off their hands. My brother and I both have Match Campions that shoot great and neither of them are show pieces.
Click to expand...
I bought an SP101 8 shot 4.25" bbl 22lr when they first came out. After 1500 rounds of various brands and types of ammo I determined it was not going to be a shooter. I sold it. Finish was fine and I really like the feel of the sp101.
 
How do so many people only notice problems with guns once they get them home…… after the decision is made, the paperwork is done and money changed hands?

These all on line buys?
 
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