Ruger Firearms- Sturm, Ruger & Co., Inc., commonly referred to as “Ruger,” is a Connecticut-based firearms manufacturer, well known for its rifles, shotguns, pistols, police guns, and revolvers. Read on for a Ruger company overview, with a focus on the Ruger Centerfire Pistols and Ruger Revolvers.
Ruger Company Overview
Sturm, Ruger & Co. was founded by William B. Ruger, a gun enthusiast and designer who had created a light machine gun for the United States Army, and Alexander McCormick Sturm, a writer and investor, in 1949. Today, they supply guns for sports (such as the USA Shooting Team for the Olympics), as well as for law enforcement and the military. They are now known worldwide and have won numerous awards; both the “Handgun of the Year” award in 2008 through 2010 for individual gun designs, as well as the “Manufacturer of the Year Award” in 2007 though 2010 from the National Association of Sporting Goods Wholesalers.
Sturm, Ruger & Co. places an emphasis on safety, with both internal and external locking devices, a replacement program for outdated gun lockbox locks, and the practice of providing a lockable box and padlock with all sales of new revolvers and pistols. Their motto is “Arms Makers for Responsible Citizens.”
Ruger Firearms
Ruger firearms can be divided into 4 main categories: autoloading, bolt-action, and single-shot rifles; shotguns, used by clay and skeet shooters, as well as hunters; single-action and double-action revolvers, used for competition, small game hunting, and plinking; and pistols, including models for the military and law enforcement.
Ruger Revolvers
Ruger makes five lines of single-action revolvers, most of which have several styles. The lines are Bearcat, Single-Six, Blackhawk, Super Blackhawk, and Vaquero. The five double-action revolver lines are LCR, SP101, GP100, Redhawk, and Super Redhawk. A number of revolvers have distributor exclusive models. The double-action revolvers have a capacity of 5, 6, or 7 bullets, while the single-action revolvers all take 6 .
Ruger Pistols
Ruger pistols serve as law enforcement officers’ backup service weapons, as well as being used for target shooting, plinking, and small game hunting. Ruger makes six lines of centerfire pistols, including the LCP and LC9; the SR9, SR9c, and SR40; and the P-Series, which includes P90, Ruger P95, P345, and P944. There are three lines of rimfire pistols, each with several styles and including distributor exclusives. They are the 22 Charger, the Mark III, and the 22/45.
The LCP, a 6+1 capacity pistol, has a variant, the LCP-CT, which comes with a Crimson Trace sight, while the LC9 is a 7+1. The SR9 is a luger with a 10+1 or 17+1 capacity, depending on model, and the SR9c is a compact version with the same capacities. The P-series features two 8+1 .45’s, a 9mm Luger with 10+1 or 15+1 capacity, and a .40 S&W with 10+1 capacity.
Because of the long history of making some of the best pistols, a lot of law enforcement officers carry Ruger pistols both as an on duty weapon and a concealed pistol.