What is the difference...

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micevmi

Bearcat
Joined
Sep 21, 2009
Messages
17
Location
Sofia; Bulgaria
Hello,
What is the difference between manufactured revolvers in ''Southport Conn.'' and ''Newport NH.''?
Because my is produced in ''Southport Conn.'' and I saw each other in a brand new in the shop produced in ''Newport NH.''
Ruger factory was moved from there ''Southport Conn.'' in ''Newport NH.''?
 
Joined
Dec 11, 2002
Messages
8,966
Location
Ohio , U.S.A.
to make it short and simple ( sweet) Ruger started out in a red barn in Southport,Conn, they moved production up the road in Southport, outgrew that and opened up New Hampshire to "add" production, then bought Chino Vally ( Prescott ) operations, closed the Southport to 'production', think they still may have offices and storage there, last time we talked with anyboby, they also had added another plant for casting up in New Hampshire ,someplace on Sunappe Street, and then bought another plant for 'titanium casting' elsewhere, but the end of the year in 2007 ,they got out of the 'titanium casting' business, sold that , ,sold the ranch out in Arizona ( or it was for sale) and now the New Hampshire plant makes some of the guns, and Prescott, makes the rest...on their website, it will tell you just what is made and serviced, where,, its got me even confused...... :roll:
but the revolvers that changed production sites, should be marked as such, in fact some even have different prefix numbers, to really confuse us all.
the 'RENE" ( Red eagle News Exchange) tends to keep us straight on all the changes....)
 

chet15

Hawkeye
Joined
Jan 22, 2001
Messages
5,993
Location
Dawson, Iowa
Dan's right. Ruger is working on changing their barrel rollmark to the Newport address on all of their Newport produced guns. But Newport has been in operation since 1963 and started out building rifles only. All of those guns had a Southport address because the Corporate headquarters were in Southport.
In July 1991 the Southport facility closed its manufacturing, although the corporate offices remained there.
In 1992, revolver production had finished the transfer to Newport.
But Newport addresses didn't start appearing on anything until last year, and in fact the Mini-14's are still coming with Southport marked receivers.
Here's more confusion...their .22 pistols built in Prescott, AZ are still coming with Southport markings.
By the way, at the last DSM gun show I attended I noticed two different Newport addresses on their handguns. The earliest guns have a Newport address with "NEWPORT" in much larger font than the top line of the rollmark. The newest made SA's are coming with an address where "NEWPORT" is the same size font.
Chet15
 

Coop

Blackhawk
Joined
Jan 24, 2001
Messages
607
Location
Mt. Lebanon, PA USA
rugerguy":3dh8a1yy said:
to make it short and simple ( sweet) Ruger started out in a red barn in Southport,Conn, they moved production up the road in Southport, outgrew that and opened up New Hampshire to "add" production, then bought Chino Vally ( Prescott ) operations, closed the Southport to 'production', think they still may have offices and storage there, last time we talked with anyboby, they also had added another plant for casting up in New Hampshire ,someplace on Sunappe Street, and then bought another plant for 'titanium casting' elsewhere, but the end of the year in 2007 ,they got out of the 'titanium casting' business, sold that , ,sold the ranch out in Arizona ( or it was for sale) and now the New Hampshire plant makes some of the guns, and Prescott, makes the rest...on their website, it will tell you just what is made and serviced, where,, its got me even confused...... :roll:
but the revolvers that changed production sites, should be marked as such, in fact some even have different prefix numbers, to really confuse us all.
the 'RENE" ( Red eagle News Exchange) tends to keep us straight on all the changes....)

Hi Dan,

I believe Ruger has only leased/rented the Prescott factory from US Motors/Emerson Electric, St. Louis, MO (or their current owner). I inspected the Prescott US Motors site back in the '70s for a very critical high horsepower electrical motor as part as part of my employers chemical engineering work back then. Indeed Ruger has shut down their titanium investment casting business, which was part of the Prescott factory work.

Prescott is still one of my favorite towns, and I visit it several times a year since I have family there.

Best, Coop
 
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