New Variation...it has arrived !

[chet15]

Well, its finally arrived...Sturmless grip medallions :?
Dad just got in a brand new KBN-34X from Williams and it only has an "R" in the center of both grip medallions. Serial number 38-06013.
I feel bad now because just attended the Des Moines 4H building show this past weekend. Lots of guns there but I didn't catch it.
So hopefully a lot of the fine folks here on RF will chime in with at least PM's to help us all know when this change was made on all their SA revolvers and pistols as well.
Chet15

 

[hdonlybob]

A sad situation....
HD

 

[Ale-8(1)]

Sad indeed.

I'll bet Mr. Ruger is spinning . . .

 

[BlackEagle]

pictures?

 

[Ale-8(1)]

And now we'll have an entire "generational" set of variations including all the XR3 and XR3RED and SBH and Bisley configurations . . . "with S or without S?"

Ain't it grand . . . in spite of the sacrilege.

 

[ian03]

pictures?

Look at just about any accessory on shopruger.com, they have been "R" only for a while now.

 

[Ale-8(1)]

Almost forgot . . . all the .22 pistols, as well.

It goes on and on . . .

 

[BlackEagle]

I guess I need another New Model. These are medallions found on Blackhawks so far:

1. Satin Black Eagles on an early 1956 .357
2. Thin Neck Black Eagles on a 1961 .44
3. Neck Feather Black Eagles on a 1967 .41
4. Thick Neck Black Eagles on a 1970 .357
5. Squashed Chicken Silver Eagles on a 1973 .44
6. Tarnished Silver Eagles on a Liberty .45 LC/.45 ACP
7. Current Silver Eagles on a new Model .357
8. Current Black Eagles on a 50th Anniversary .44
9. Gold Eagles on a 1 of 500 50th Anniversary .357
10. Alexander Sturm-less (Black or Silver?) Eagles

 

[BlkHawk73]

Oops, I saw some a short time back and didn't give it a second thought that they'd changed. I'll keep my eyes open.

 

[RugerBoi]

Fellow Collectors, I have to admit (reluctantly) that I own a few new models. And so far they all drag a turn line on the cylinder with the simple action of cocking and firing. No abuse, nothing I don't do to my "old" guns with no adverse effect. With the loss of the S and the takeover by stockholder's "best interests" has gone true quality and craftsmanship...Oh, by the way, for about $80 in parts and gunsmithing you can keep your Maximum, 44 spl flattop, etc. from early lockup...RB

 

[jussbad]

Sad indeed.

I'll bet Mr. Ruger is spinning . . .

If Mr. Ruger is spinning just think what Mr. Sturm (or his family) is doing? I have to admit I don't own any stock but wonder if by eliminating the "S" Sturm from the logo is really making the company any more money? I can tell you it definitely cost them something to do it. Sad indeed.

 

[BlackEagle]

Is there anything else different about the medallions? Maybe they were a mistake??

 

[T.A. WORKMAN]

Heres a picture of what Chad is describing.

http://www.gunbroker.com/Auction/ViewItem.aspx?Item=198950195

 

[mrbumps]

I just pciked up one of those models myself and never even noticed the medallion only had an "R"

 

[caryc]

The last time I purchased medallions maybe two months ago all the silver eagles had only the R. So you can't even buy the SR's anymore.

 

[Ale-8(1)]

Dang it. I knew I should have stocked up . . .

Price on the "with S" versions just went up.

 

[cubrock]

I must have missed the discussion - why, exactly, has Ruger dropped the Sturm name?

 

[Ale-8(1)]

A lot of us wonder about that.

:roll: :x :roll:

 

[BlackEagle]

I must have missed the discussion - why, exactly, has Ruger dropped the Sturm name?

That's the $64,000 question.

 

[chet15]

That is a big question. The only thing I could figure is that with the complete new hierarchy at Ruger (since the Ruger days), well...they did it because they could. :roll: :roll: :roll:
Heard one exec at a trade show say once that they did it because nobody really remembers who Sturm was anyway. Ummmm....that is the reason there are marketing issues I.M.O. with Ruger today...they are only interested in selling new product and could care less about selling their history. Don't get me wrong, I think the new management style that has been in place for several years now is much more efficient than it was, but to me the only end result of getting rid of the "S in the "SR" trademark was the cost that it took to make the change.
So really, Ruger is in just as much a predicament with the "R" as they were with the "SR". NOBODY REALLY KNOWS WHY! Nor do I think anybody cares, except for us Ruger guys that do know the company's history. So if they'd have left it alone, nobody would have cared anyway.
Chet15

 

[caryc]

Well, it cost them money to get rid of the "S". What is the return on their investment? Surely they didn't think getting rid of the "S" would sell more guns. I just don't see any logic in the move.

It wasn't broke and they went and fixed it.

 

[BlackEagle]

Is anyone here aware of (roughly) the percentage of Ruger's profits that come from Non Vaquero(or New Vaquero) single actions? Maybe they are trying to (as Chad has suggested) move in a new direction by symbolically leaving out the "S." Management or marketing strategies sometimes try to create the appearance of an old or obsolete idea in order to show that they are on the cutting edge of exciting new stuff(that we really don't need.) The "Hard 'R'" logos and some other recent products without the "S" are focused on the new "tacticool" stuff, and it might actualy be a good move from a profit/statistical standpoint. A few years down the road they might start marketing the old fashioned/ traditional look and feel of the single actions again. There is a lot more competition by the other quality single action companies now than there used to be, and it probably doesn't look good to have Ruger single actions being compared negatively to others, even if they are priced much higher. It would be interesting to see what Ruger could do if they decided to try to take back market share from BFR, Freedom Arms, etc. by tightening up the tolerances and producing much higher quality single actions. I still like the Old Models, and they suit my needs fine. :?:

 

[caryc]

Is anyone here aware of (roughly) the percentage of Ruger's profits that come from Non Vaquero(or New Vaquero) single actions? Maybe they are trying to (as Chad has suggested) move in a new direction by symbolically leaving out the "S." Management or marketing strategies sometimes try to create the appearance of an old or obsolete idea in order to show that they are on the cutting edge of exciting new stuff(that we really don't need.) The "Hard 'R'" logos and some other recent products without the "S" are focused on the new "tacticool" stuff, and it might actualy be a good move from a profit/statistical standpoint. A few years down the road they might start marketing the old fashioned/ traditional look and feel of the single actions again. There is a lot more competition by the other quality single action companies now than there used to be, and it probably doesn't look good to have Ruger single actions being compared negatively to others, even if they are priced much higher. It would be interesting to see what Ruger could do if they decided to try to take back market share from BFR, Freedom Arms, etc. by tightening up the tolerances and producing much higher quality single actions. I still like the Old Models, and they suit my needs fine. :?:

I don't know what kind of crowd you run with but there are certainly still plenty of people out there that can not afford a Freedom Arms gun. Ruger fills that notch with guns people can afford. I don't think we have to worry about them going under anytime soon. They have been in business quite a few years.

 

[cubrock]

Yeah, I doubt Ruger loses much, if any, market share to Magnum Research or Freedom Arms. That is comparing apples to oranges.

 

[BlackEagle]

I can't afford them either and I wasn't trying to say Ruger might be going out of business. I was just speculating there might indeed be some marketing or management gimmick going on. An aggressive move by Ruger toward the "tacticool" market or against the higher quality single action outfits MIGHT make sense strategically. I was wondering how many non Vaquero-type single actions Ruger sells to be able to justfy continuing to produce them.

 

[Ale-8(1)]

Enlighten me.

Are you speculating that Ruger sells more "non-Vaquero" single-actions . . . or fewer "non-Vaquero" single-actions?

I don't understand making that distinction in the overall product line. There are so many Blackhawk variations that I have to believe they outsell the Vaqueros by far.

:?:

 

[BlackEagle]

I have no clue really. That's why I asked. My reasoning(guessing) was that the market for CAS guns is distinct from the market for single actions in general. Since these are durable, well built guns there is a significant market for used single actions. So perhaps it makes sense to try to gain some revenue by either focusing more on another "hot market" (tacticool) or trying to gain a little market share in the single action arena. This is pure speculation on my part. Maybe an interesting discussion...maybe not.

 

[Beaver Creek]

and back to the original post.....I've started getting revolvers with the R logo also, so far only the "lock" guns. Look like it started a while back or either I have some late shipped guns. I see a NR-4FL with the spent envelope stamped Aug 3, 2010. I don't see any laminated gripped guns with only the R medallion. I'm sure that's coming soon.

 

[Ale-8(1)]

One of the last places I worked before retiring, they hired the "consultants du jour" to "fix" the company.

The "cdj" insisted, among other things, that every trace of the "old corporate culture" had to be eliminated. This included doing away with a seventy-year-old trademarked brand name and logo in favor of a "Colsolidated Almagamated Universal Integrated Incorporated LLC" nomenclature that no one in their long-time market recognized.

By the time they got done "fixing" the company it had almost completely lost its way. And then the layoffs started . . .

:roll:

 

[chet15]

Saw a Mark III .22 pistol yesterday with the "R" medallion, serial number 271-16056. There was also a Hunter model in the case with stainless grip frame sn 229-86650 that still has the SR medallion, but the change will be happening in the 229- autos also.
Scheel's was pretty much out of SA's but there were two NM Single-Sixes in there 265-22385 and 265-25597 that still had SR medallions.
Where's everybody else's reports?? I need to document the sn changes on these while the guns are fresh. Won't be as easy in a couple years.
Chet15