No More Factory Letters?

[kbm6893]

Just dropped a check and a form for a factory letter and just heard they don’t do them anymore. Is this true?

 

[JAYDAWG]

Thread 'Linda @ Ruger records/letters.........'

Dec 10, 2025

Talked to Linda the letter lady in Ruger records today, she told me the was asked to leave the company and at the end of this month she is done. I expressed my thanks and gratitude to her for all the help she has been to me and other collectors. She said she enjoyed her job, helping people and was not happy it was ending.
When I asked if the letter service would continue, she said "I don't know"
:confused::confused:

• JAYDAWG
• Replies: 89
• Forum: The Lounge

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[jimbo1096]

You are correct. I believe you will be receiving your check back shortly.

 

[kbm6893]

Oh well. I already know it's an NYPD gun. It has the star stamped in the frame. And it's very close to the serial number of my other NYPD Six, that shipped in July of 1987. That was the first class to get the stainless DAO guns. They were so pissed. Guys who came on in January 1987 got a blued gun with the hammer. They called guys with 6 months less time on the job rookies" for a long time.

 

[jack black]

Ruger is losing $$$$$ sad. Sales are down again.

 

[hittman]

I doubt Ruger losing any money over the letter discontinuation.

 

[stonebuster]

Sorry to hear no more factory letters but happy I got several before it ended. It was a very good service they provided, especially for ten bucks.

 

[Killer Bee]

I doubt Ruger losing any money over the letter discontinuation.

exactly.

I haven't bought a new Ruger since 2005. the factory doesn't make anything from us trading 50yo guns around.

$10 letter service for a Ruger may not be steady enough to sustain full time paid position(s).

Colt, Smith, Browning, etc. offer theirs at a higher price and have a larger 'collector' base.. and probably sell more letters.

 

[Mobuck]

Well, that's going to whiz on a lot of parades.

 

[contender]

I always felt that the Factory Letters,, at a cost of $10 was a bargain. No,, they didn't have the detail that other companies provided,, but at least they did clarify what configuration a gun was originally shipped as. Fewer details than Colt or S&W,, but still very good to have. It'd help us "buy the gun,, not the story" !!!

I miss having that option,, and hopefully they will bring it back in some form.

 

[KWend54]

At $10 a letter this service was never about turning a profit. It was more in support of the collecting community. I think at one time they viewed the collecting community more favorably and appreciated how groups like ROCS and the RCA created an interest and promoted the name brand. Obviously, they don.’t look at us that way anymore. That’s sad!

 

[hittman]

Been rumored for years that Bill didn’t give two :poop:s about collectors. He made money selling new guns. The secondary market did’t move his bottom line.

I never met him, never saw that in print. Just what’s been repeated here.

 

[BULL'S-EYE]

Those who still want the letter should contact Ruger and state that you're willing to pay a higher price for that service.
$10 won't buy lunch at McDonald's anymore.
If enough do so, it just may persuade them to reconsider?

 

[Yaworski]

Collectors and enthusiasts are brand ambassadors. They may buy used guns for their collections but their enthusiasm for the brand encourages others to go out and buy new guns. Working with the enthusiast community is good for business in the long run.

 

[PRichardson87]

Personally I'd pay up to $25 for a letter. After that it's just not worth it to me as vague as they are information wise. I don't have letters for any of my Smiths or Colts.

 

[Yaworski]

I can't say that I have anything that is significant enough for me to want to document its history. Maybe, just maybe, my Colt Series 70 because it went to England and I reimported it in the 90s.

 

[kbm6893]

Only reason I want it is to document its NYPD lineage. It has the armorer star like my other one that is confirmed NYPD, and the serial numbers are close together so likely same shipment.

 

[bstrongTO]

How much are others like Winchester? Sad to see Ruger doesn’t care about the people that made them into the business they are today. $10 letters was crazy, but so is losing business. Charge what is important to the customer.
To me it’s 100% worth the money that describes the product, not from rumors or speculation.

 

[gnappi]

Personally I could care less about minute details on my firearms but I feel for collectors who lost this service, and I think Ruger failed to see the benefit this provided to Ruger.

I do think that they deserve to recover the costs involved in the service and I doubt $10 came close to that. Jeez some of the illegals who pressure wash roof tops or cut grass locally ask for $50 to come to your place to provide an estimate which takes them 5 minutes :)

Anyway, hopefully they will at some point bring it back.

 

[eveled]

I don’t understand why they didn’t try raising the price. It seems it’s about more than money.

 

[Busterswoodshop]

How much are others like Winchester? Sad to see Ruger doesn’t care about the people that made them into the business they are today. $10 letters was crazy, but so is losing business. Charge what is important to the customer.
To me it’s 100% worth the money that describes the product, not from rumors or speculation.

Don't know about Colt , but S&W charges $100 for a letter.

 

[gnappi]

I don’t understand why they didn’t try raising the price. It seems it’s about more than money.

Dunno, considering a wage of an average unskilled employee, vacation / sick time, unemployment and health insurance costs plus the other issues lumped into an employee's calculated burden rate it may be more about money issues that we're not privy to.

I think raising the cost of the service would likely have met with much squealing and gnashing of teeth from some causing even more bad feelings in forums and other information providers.

With the choices of raise the cost of the service or lose it, maybe Ruger perceived took the lesser of two evils here?

 

[Yaworski]

Don't know about Colt , but S&W charges $100 for a letter.

Maybe even at $100 a letter it can be a losing proposition depending on how much you're paying the researcher and how long it takes to find the information.

 

[Baxter6551]

Colt charges vary. See link.

https://coltarchives.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/02/2024-Archive-Letter-Price-List2.pdf

I only have 2 S&W letters. Too expensive IMO.

I have 4 Ruger letters. Well worth the $10. Wish they still did it.

 

[fallsinhole]

Seems to me that flooding letters of concern to Ruger might give notice that letters are important to the customer!!
Several years ago Sirius radio deleted the Classical station, the received soooo much sh$t about it the put it back up!! Just a thought!!

 

[Hondo44]

Even if we collectors all sent 1000 or more letters of concern EACH, our voices would still represent only a very small percentage of Ruger's customer base. And it's a service for we customers that only serves a very small segment of their product lines, products that were sold years and years ago (even though we do buy new guns)!

 

[bstrongTO]

I would be happy to spend money on information of a small collection of Rugers that was passed down. I wonder how many times a few of these were traded between collectors back in the day?
As others like Winchester, Sw,Colt they are $100+, it’s worth the letters when the originals are generational heirlooms. It seems that it’s not important to Ruger to make a profit off secondary market. I’m not going to buy a few new Rugers at $700 but you’re missing out on other marketing.

 

[Doc4429]

Letters on S&W and Colt firearms are provided by independent enterprises that are not part of the company and do not impact their bottom line. However, access to their records is required. If a function like "Ruger Archives" was formed to provide letters on Ruger firearms, access to company records would need to be negotiated. Also, the cost of a letter would most likely increase significantly. S&W transferred the issuance of letters of authenticity to the Smith & Wesson Historical Foundation in 2016 and the Foundation has been issuing letters since then. All of my letters on Colt firearms have been issued by Colt Archives, LLC if I remember correctly.

Bill
Chairman, Smith & Wesson Collectors Association
Chairman, Smith & Wesson Historical Foundation

 

[JackBull]

The bean counters ruin more businesses that I can count. Worked for an electric utility where the accountants forced us to hire unapproved construction companies because they had a lower bid or schmoozed them some how. Had to spend weeks reviewing everything they did reject foundations etc etc etc. One engineering firm that we were forced to use, refused to follow our requirements for drawings and designs. When I retired they still hadn't provided the required design information, which is a FERC requirement. The bean counters got big raises and we worked harder because of their ineptitude.

 

[kbm6893]

Well, no returned check yet. I used to get the letter within a week. I’m sure I’ll get it back eventually, but there’s clearly no rush on Rugers part to return it.