"Arms Makers for Responsible Citizens" has been the motto of Ruger & Co. since its inception in 1949. Sturm, Ruger & Co., Inc. – as it's officially called – is one of the country's leading manufacturers of rugged, reliable firearms for the commercial sporting market.
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One of the interesting facts about Ruger is that as the only full-line producer of American-made firearms, it offers more than 400 variations of over 30 product lines.
According to Ruger, the Company opened its doors with a scant $50,000 investment. Founded by William B. Ruger and Alexander McCormick Sturm in a small rented machine shop in Southport, Connecticut, the company was confronted with skepticism from industry insiders. Such comments mirrored the popular view that the manufacturing of guns had most likely topped off and was experiencing a period of decline. Fresh ideas were at a minimum and the trend seemed to indicate that the large, well-known gunmakers would continue to control the market.
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Thanks to Ruger, each firearm is built "to a standard so I would want one even if it was made by our competitors." This basic theory, this deceptively straightforward benchmark of the underlying principles of innovation, quality and value, has shown to be so gripping that nearly 66 years later there is no doubt which company is preeminent in the firearms industry. Ruger's climb to the top has made it a respected company on the New York Stock Exchange since 1990. Today, it produces millions of firearms annually for hunting, target shooting, collecting, self-defense, law enforcement, and government agencies.
Ruger was the number one U.S. firearms manufacturer in 2011, according to
ShootingIndustry.com. The online magazine also reports that in 2011, Ruger manufactured 1,114,687 firearms as part of their promotion, the “Million Gun Challenge to Benefit the NRA.” Their campaign played an important role in the company maintaining its top U.S. manufacturer status.
GunBroker.com reports that over the years, Ruger has received a variety of awards from the Shooting Industry Academy of Excellence, including back-to-back Manufacturer of the Year (1992 and 1993). Ruger also produced several “Handguns of the Year,” including the Ruger Super Redhawk (2001) and the Ruger LCR (2009). In addition, the Ruger 22 Magnum 10-22 rifle (1999) and the Ruger 17 HMR rifle (2002) were named “Rifle of the Year.”
Sturm, Ruger & Co., Inc. is a multifaceted manufacturing and consumer product corporation with divisions in Southport, Connecticut; Newport, New Hampshire; Prescott, Arizona; Mayodan, North Carolina; and Earth City, Missouri.
This article does not constitute legal advice. Check the current gun laws before purchasing or traveling with a firearm.
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