Why does Ruger not clean some guns after testing..rhetorical?

[golferboy426]

I've seen it almost always with U , * S guns etc. However I recently got into unpacking some 20 year service gift guns. No doubt these are truly new as they never left Rody's. Burn powder & lead residue inside. Most of our subscription guns also were never cleaned before leaving the factory. I find that odd,

 

[Uncle Howie]

I bought a "new" SP101 .22 in half-lug barrel, years ago.

It was filthy, and I suspected that the dealer was trying to sell a used gun as "new." It looked like it had spent a long afternoon at the range!

I diplomatically questioned him about it, and he concurred that it was dirty, but insisted that it was new.

For my benefit, he went back into the vault, and came back with a stack of them, NIB. Every one of them was filthy!

I figured that that factory must've been test firing with Federal "Lightning" ammo from the early 1990s.I shot ONE brick of them, and it was like they had sand in them, or something! Leaded up my S&W 617 barrel, too.

Ironically, I've also read more recent accounts claiming that it appeared Ruger had only test fired a couple of chambers on a new revolver.

Go figure!

 

[Johnnu2]

I would (purely) speculate that no manufacturer would spend any time/money to clean a firearm after being test fired at the factory.
To me it would be an extravagant waste of money where profit / loss is a daily calculation.
IMHO,
J.

 

[contender]

When Ruger test fires a gun,, it's placed inside a safety chamber test fixture. They usually fire (2) rounds,, remove the gun & box it up. No cleaning after test firing. All they test is that it functions.

 

[Sam Summey]

When Ruger test fires a gun,, it's placed inside a safety chamber test fixture. They usually fire (2) rounds,, remove the gun & box it up. No cleaning after test firing. All they test is that it functions.

None of the other manufacturers do either.
When you receive a new or old firearm the new owner should clean and lube the firearm before use.

I fondly remember an incident that occurred 30 or so years ago. I was shooting skeet with a group of folks, one was a young guy with all the answers. The youngster was proud of having just received his barrel back from Polychoke after having a vent rib installed. He steps up to station #1, drops a round into the action, calls for the bird, the trap flings the bird, he tracks the target and fires. The gun kicks the crap out of him, there is a shower of paper emanated from the barrel, the youngster says "what the f---!". Someone picks up the remnants of paper, seems the work order was rolled up and inserted into the barrel. Oddly, the barrel was only partially obstructed, even though there was excessive pressure it was not severe enough to burst the barrel, it wasn't even swelled.

 

[Bullthrower338]

I get them not cleaning a gun after test firing but don’t put gun was cleaned on the repair invoice and send it back filthy!

I guess they figure that the customer is already disappointed that they had to send a new gun back in the first place that sending a dirty gun back to them wouldn’t bother them.
I do have to say that it was pretty clean when I originally received it, looked like hell when I got it back. But they did fix the grips to my satisfaction.

 

[Uncle Howie]

I fondly remember an incident that occurred 30 or so years ago. I was shooting skeet with a group of folks, one was a young guy with all the answers. The youngster was proud of having just received his barrel back from Polychoke after having a vent rib installed. He steps up to station #1, drops a round into the action, calls for the bird, the trap flings the bird, he tracks the target and fires. The gun kicks the crap out of him, there is a shower of paper emanated from the barrel, the youngster says "what the f---!". Someone picks up the remnants of paper, seems the work order was rolled up and inserted into the barrel. Oddly, the barrel was only partially obstructed, even though there was excessive pressure it was not severe enough to burst the barrel, it wasn't even swelled.

That’s about the best story I’ve ever read, on a firearms forum!

Glad to hear that the shooter and barrel were all right.

 

[G2]

Seasoning.

 

[Johnnu2]

Sam Sunney's story reminded me of a day not too many years ago when I was shooting pistol at our (private) range and two "rocket scientists" came storming in and began unpacking "black rifles" on the "handgun side" of the range. Seeing them, and their guns, I immediately packed up my gear and started to leave. One of them asked me if I knew anything about AR's. He said that they couldn't chamber a round in either gun and they were getting frustrated with these BRAND NEW "rifles". I told them that I knew NOTHING about black guns, but I would take a look and see if I could help them. I asked one to open the action so I could look inside. He did and I was able to see something brown sticking out of the chamber. I pulled on it an out came a barrel length spiral of brown paper that (obviously) had been factory packed with the gun. The other guy's gun had the same treatment. I asked them to please wait until I had left before they started to shoot....I didn't bother wasting my time counseling them on the necessity of thoroughly cleaning and inspecting a new firearm. My guess was they weren't going to last long enough to make the advice worthwhile.

J.

 

[Sam Summey]

Looks like they wiped down the outside of the firearm. The area you are illustrating in your photo is an area that is most ignored by most folks. Looking at the forcing cone a "bore snake" may have been passed through.

 

[pisgah]

Some folks whine if the new gun hasn't been cleaned after testing; some complain that their new gun is clean, therefore was not tested.

A manufacturer cannot please everyone...

 

[Lt92]

None of the other manufacturers do either.
When you receive a new or old firearm the new owner should clean and lube the firearm before use.

I fondly remember an incident that occurred 30 or so years ago. I was shooting skeet with a group of folks, one was a young guy with all the answers. The youngster was proud of having just received his barrel back from Polychoke after having a vent rib installed. He steps up to station #1, drops a round into the action, calls for the bird, the trap flings the bird, he tracks the target and fires. The gun kicks the crap out of him, there is a shower of paper emanated from the barrel, the youngster says "what the f---!". Someone picks up the remnants of paper, seems the work order was rolled up and inserted into the barrel. Oddly, the barrel was only partially obstructed, even though there was excessive pressure it was not severe enough to burst the barrel, it wasn't even swelled.

Great story and a lesson for all shooters!

 

[el caminero]

I once pawned a 3-digit s&w m&p, which i had not shot, and when i picked it up it was dirty inside. I was in the habit of checking for rust (in that shop) but had never seen dirt "grow in an inadequately cleaned gun" over time. The boss was furious (he was the one took it in, knew it was clean), the #2 guy told me you dont fully clean it it grows. In a later fit of unemployment i sold it back to them

 

[OMCHamlin]

I've seen it almost always with U , * S guns etc. However I recently got into unpacking some 20 year service gift guns. No doubt these are truly new as they never left Rody's. Burn powder & lead residue inside. Most of our subscription guns also were never cleaned before leaving the factory. I find that odd,

Wow! You're a huge leap forward, I was just hoping Ruger would actually TEST some of them, once in a while...

 

[RockyD83]

I get them not cleaning a gun after test firing but don't put gun was cleaned on the repair invoice and send it back filthy!
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I guess they figure that the customer is already disappointed that they had to send a new gun back in the first place that sending a dirty gun back to them wouldn't bother them.
I do have to say that it was pretty clean when I originally received it, looked like hell when I got it back. But they did fix the grips to my satisfaction.

I would speculate that they may have cleaned it, then test fired it afterwards to function test it.

 

[needsmostuff]

Clearly some here and I have vastly different concepts of what a "filthy" gun is.
What Ruger (and all other test fired guns from other companies) sends back is "smudged".
If that offends your OCD you better never shoot over about a cylinder full at a time.

 

[contender]

"I was just hoping Ruger would actually TEST some of them, once in a while..."

Ruger mass produces firearms. Production numbers are important. But each one does get test fired. So,, I have to ask, what is your expectation of "actually test some of them" means?

When they build a new design,, it gets a serious & extensive testing prior to production. And if your expecting them to fire hundreds of rounds to test one,, then it becomes a "used" gun because of how it was shot so much.

Having actually visited a Ruger plant,, and watched HOW they build AND test the guns,, (this includes the testing of parts as they assemble the guns,) I am amazed at what the produce. But when you have production demands,, combined with the building expense of each gun, all while trying to offer these guns at an affordable price to the masses,, it should amaze everyone.

We all clamor for "More QC." We all clamor for "perfect" guns.

But many forget how it used to be at Ruger. Guns were handled more, checked more, tweaked more, when Bill was running it. BUT,,,,,,, BUT,,,,,,,,, how soon people forget how a gun would be introduced,, immediately be in demand,, only to find "Model not available currently" at most gun shops or stores. Production could not keep up with demand. It would often be 2 years or more before a small gun shop could finally get ONE of a model introduced 2 years prior in stock.

Now,, the new management has reversed things a bit. They introduce a new variation, and they also have quite a few immediately available to sell, and the immediate market demands are met. Yes,, we have seen a reduction in some areas of QC. But all too often,, consumers are also very demanding. They want "Hand built perfect guns" at a price that would better be attached to a Saturday Night Special crappy POS.
If you want perfect,, or darn near it,, buy a Freedom Arms. Oh wait,, they have a 2 year or more backlog,, AND the cost of a gun is about $3000. If you want a working man's gun, with known strength & American Made,, at an affordable price,, buy a Ruger. If you are cheap, and only look at what a gun costs,, buy a Heritage.

 

[DGW1949]

It's all about the money...."continuous improvement" actually means "shortcut everything you can".... I've been around a long time and have lived through a lot of changes relative to how manufacturers do things, and it's not just Ruger.

DGW

 

[Cofaler]

Some folks whine if the new gun hasn't been cleaned after testing; some complain that their new gun is clean, therefore was not tested.

A manufacturer cannot please everyone...

THIS...

 

[el caminero]

"I was just hoping Ruger would actually TEST some of them, once in a while..."

Ruger mass produces firearms. Production numbers are important. But each one does get test fired. So,, I have to ask, what is your expectation of "actually test some of them" means?

When they build a new design,, it gets a serious & extensive testing prior to production. And if your expecting them to fire hundreds of rounds to test one,, then it becomes a "used" gun because of how it was shot so much.

Having actually visited a Ruger plant,, and watched HOW they build AND test the guns,, (this includes the testing of parts as they assemble the guns,) I am amazed at what the produce. But when you have production demands,, combined with the building expense of each gun, all while trying to offer these guns at an affordable price to the masses,, it should amaze everyone.

We all clamor for "More QC." We all clamor for "perfect" guns.

But many forget how it used to be at Ruger. Guns were handled more, checked more, tweaked more, when Bill was running it. BUT,,,,,,, BUT,,,,,,,,, how soon people forget how a gun would be introduced,, immediately be in demand,, only to find "Model not available currently" at most gun shops or stores. Production could not keep up with demand. It would often be 2 years or more before a small gun shop could finally get ONE of a model introduced 2 years prior in stock.

Now,, the new management has reversed things a bit. They introduce a new variation, and they also have quite a few immediately available to sell, and the immediate market demands are met. Yes,, we have seen a reduction in some areas of QC. But all too often,, consumers are also very demanding. They want "Hand built perfect guns" at a price that would better be attached to a Saturday Night Special crappy POS.
If you want perfect,, or darn near it,, buy a Freedom Arms. Oh wait,, they have a 2 year or more backlog,, AND the cost of a gun is about $3000. If you want a working man's gun, with known strength & American Made,, at an affordable price,, buy a Ruger. If you are cheap, and only look at what a gun costs,, buy a Heritage.

Heritage actually marketed some 45s, maybe 44s, but they were made by pietta. And one that was .410

 

[contender]

I was just using Heritage to make a point about pricing.

 

[el caminero]

I was just using Heritage to make a point about pricing.

The (used) ones i mentioned were priced accordingly, and went up when i told them they were actually pietteas!

 

[Sam Summey]

"I was just hoping Ruger would actually TEST some of them, once in a while..."

Ruger mass produces firearms. Production numbers are important. But each one does get test fired. So,, I have to ask, what is your expectation of "actually test some of them" means?

When they build a new design,, it gets a serious & extensive testing prior to production. And if your expecting them to fire hundreds of rounds to test one,, then it becomes a "used" gun because of how it was shot so much.

Having actually visited a Ruger plant,, and watched HOW they build AND test the guns,, (this includes the testing of parts as they assemble the guns,) I am amazed at what the produce. But when you have production demands,, combined with the building expense of each gun, all while trying to offer these guns at an affordable price to the masses,, it should amaze everyone.

We all clamor for "More QC." We all clamor for "perfect" guns.

But many forget how it used to be at Ruger. Guns were handled more, checked more, tweaked more, when Bill was running it. BUT,,,,,,, BUT,,,,,,,,, how soon people forget how a gun would be introduced,, immediately be in demand,, only to find "Model not available currently" at most gun shops or stores. Production could not keep up with demand. It would often be 2 years or more before a small gun shop could finally get ONE of a model introduced 2 years prior in stock.

Now,, the new management has reversed things a bit. They introduce a new variation, and they also have quite a few immediately available to sell, and the immediate market demands are met. Yes,, we have seen a reduction in some areas of QC. But all too often,, consumers are also very demanding. They want "Hand built perfect guns" at a price that would better be attached to a Saturday Night Special crappy POS.
If you want perfect,, or darn near it,, buy a Freedom Arms. Oh wait,, they have a 2 year or more backlog,, AND the cost of a gun is about $3000. If you want a working man's gun, with known strength & American Made,, at an affordable price,, buy a Ruger. If you are cheap, and only look at what a gun costs,, buy a Heritage.

Following up on Contender's comment, the new RXM were on the distributor's shelves almost at the same time the "gun rags" announced them with evaluations. I happened to have received 3 with barrel flaws, I and my first customer discovered the flaws. BTW the one I had sold him functioned flawlessly, accuracy at his backyard range ~10 yards was acceptable and repeatable. Ruger was notified, two pickup tags were emailed later that day, I boxed them up and posted them the next day. 10 days later I received the three guns back with 3 new test fired barrels (dirty, no problem). What culminated, was Ruger started sending out replacement barrels to those few with remaining flawed barrels. It was a 'boo boo" made in manufacture. Complain what you may about Ruger Customer Service/Quality, it still remains the best "no warranty" service in the business. I recently sold an LCP II 22LR to a customer, being a "Browning Man" he asked about the Ruger "warranty". My reply, Ruger has no "Implied Warranty" but if there's a problem, they'll fix it, most times without charge, you won't get that out of Browning/FN/Winchester. Ask me how I know this?

 

[Sam Summey]

I was just using Heritage to make a point about pricing.

I am embarassed to say it but I am expecting a Heritage Barkeep 1" tomorrow for a customer. The Shame of it all.

 

[contender]

Sam,, we can forgive you for having to deal with some people!

 

[vito]

My most recent gun purchase was a new Ruger LCPII for just over $300. I took it home, dissembled it and inspected it. It was perfectly clean. I sprayed it with LCP, wiped in clean and fired it without any issues. I was actually surprised with how clean it was right from the factory.

 

[eveled]

Every time I hear of a New Old Stock gun that has been a safe queen. I think, so it needs to be cleaned and we don’t know if it even works.

 

[peachhead]

Apparently people have different ideas of "clean."
I expect new guns to be somewhat dirty from function testing. I generally advise my customers to read the manual, field strip and clean new guns before use.

 

[Vaq0NN]

ALL Rugers are Shot at the Factory. They shoot a MINIMUM of 1 shot, but usually probably 3 shots.

 

[eveled]

Sounds like a terrible job.