Stamped mark3 frames

[foxtrapper]

Watching American rifleman tv where they are at the presscott. Ruger plant. They show that they get two halves of the mark3 pistols from a outside vendor. Then they are welded together . I did not know that....

 

[wwb]

Been that way since the first Ruger Standard Auto.... what was it.... 1949?

 

[chet15]

Yep...one of Bill Ruger's genius in building them that way to save costs. The idea came from his time during WWII working for Auto Ordnance and observing how other light machine gun makers built their wares...two stamped halves joined at the centerline. Ruger continued after the war by making a hand drill with grip exactly the same way, which eventually mutated into his Standard auto pistol grip frame. In fact there are a couple features with this grip frame on his late produced drills that directly tie to Ruger's auto grip frames, namely the round indention on both sides of the drill grip frame that served on one side as a stop in upward travel for the magazine button.
Chet15

 

[rugerguy]

I recall some of the stainless steel 22 auto frames came out of Canada, got a few of them years ago...........
also a company over near here in Willoughby,Ohio, made parts for Ruger AND Remington..........