9mm Ruger American Safety Bulletin

Ruger has issued a safety bulletin for their 9mm Ruger American pistols due to premature wear on locking surfaces. It only applies to the 9mm Ruger American model and not those in .45 ACP.

Ruger Firearms, 1 Lacey Place, Southport, CT 06890

No Changes To What Ruger Makes And Sells

A shareholder proposal put forth by Catholic Health Initiatives and the Northwest Coalition for Responsible Investment for a vote by Ruger shareholders passed. The proposal which was opposed by the board of directors requires the company to prepare a report on "on how it tracks violence associated with its firearms, what kind of research it is conducting related to so-called smart gun technology and its assessment of the risks that gun-related crimes pose to the company’s reputation and finances."

The measure was spearheaded by Colleen Scanlon who is the chief advocacy officer for Catholic Health Initiatives which is an organization of over 100 Catholic run hospitals.

From CNN Money:

The proposal was spearheaded by Colleen Scanlon, senior vice president and chief advocacy officer for Catholic Health Initiatives, a system of hospitals and academic institutions. Her organization was one of four shareholders who spoke at the meeting, and all of them asked the Ruger executives what they were going to do about gun violence and gun safety.

"We as shareholders are saying that gun violence is significant enough that you, as a gun company, need to address what your responsibility to gun safety is," said Scanlon to CNNMoney.

She said that hospitals within the Catholic health system have treated many patients with gunshot wounds, and she wants Ruger to focus on smart gun technology. She said that her institution was one of 11 religious shareholder organizations to draft the proposal

"Wouldn't it be wonderful to see them leading an effort about making a smarter gun, like fingerprint activated guns and tracking systems for finding lost or stolen guns, like with iPhones?" she said. "We know that gun owners are responsible and sensible people, but we know that guns can end up in the wrong hands."

You can read the shareholder proposal here along with the rationale given for its passage. I would note that any supporting documentation that relies on the Violence Policy Center is suspect. The firm Institutional Investor Services which advises on shareholder proposal urged passage which I assume is the reason some of the major institutional investors vote for it.

Ruger sent out an email this evening with their response to the passage of the shareholder proposal.

The same coalition that pushed this anti-gun nonsense on Ruger will be attempting to do the same thing to American Outdoor Brands Company aka Smith & Wesson. This is the danger that we should come to expect in the future for firearms companies and those that do business with them. I foresee a time in the not too distant future when you will see most of these public companies going private to avoid having to deal with this.

I think it is important that you know just which religious orders are behind these proposals. I'm Catholic but I'll be damned if I agree with any of these nuns. I certainly wouldn't be making any contributions to their orders.

Northwest Coalition for Responsible Investment

• Adrian Dominican Sisters
• Benedictine Sisters of Cottonwood, Idaho
• Benedictine Sisters of Mt Angel
• Congrégation des Soeurs des Saints Noms de Jésus et de Marie
• Congregation of the Sisters of St. Joseph of Peace
• Jesuits West
• PeaceHealth
• Providence Health & Services
• Northwest Women Religious Investment Trust
• Sisters of the Holy Names of Jesus and Mary, U.S. Ontario Province
• Sisters of Providence, Mother Joseph Province
• Sisters of St. Francis of Philadelphia
• Sisters of St. Mary of Oregon
• Tacoma Dominicans

Catholic Health Initiatives


Thirteen congregations of women religious either founded or later joined Catholic Health Initiatives. These congregations support and influence the mission of Catholic Health Initiatives and its public juridic person, Catholic Health Care Federation. Each Congregation appoints a person to represent them at semi-annual meetings with the Board of Stewardship Trustees.

Esther Anderson, OSF, PhD
Sisters of St. Francis of Philadelphia
Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

Alice Armata, OP
Congregation of the Dominican Sisters of St. Catherine of Siena
Taos, New Mexico

Nadine Heimann, OSF
Sisters of St. Francis of Colorado Springs
Colorado Springs, Colorado

Joanne Klinnert, OSF
Franciscan Sisters of Little Falls, Minnesota
Little Falls, Minnesota

Joan Elizabeth Cook, SC
Sisters of Charity of Cincinnati
Cincinnati, Ohio

Sharon Ford, RSM
Sisters of Mercy of the Americas, West Midwest Community
Omaha, Nebraska

Sally Marie Kiepura, CSFN
Sisters of the Holy Family of Nazareth
Des Plaines, Illinois

Mary Jo Lewis, MD
Associate Member
Sisters of the Presentation of the Blessed Virgin Mary
Fargo, North Dakota

Ann Marie Friederichs, OSF
Sisters of St. Francis of the Immaculate Heart of MaryHankinson, North Dakota
Hankinson, North Dakota

Susan Gatz, SCN
Sisters of Charity of Nazareth
Nazareth, Kentucky

Francis Schumacher, OSB
Benedictine Sisters of Mother of God Monastery
Watertown, South Dakota

Diane Traffas, OP
Dominican Sisters of Peace
Columbus, Ohio

Sr. Mary Jon Wagner, OSF
Sylvania Franciscans
Sylvania, Ohio

Representative of Partnering Congregations

Sr. Nancy Miller, OSB
Benedictine Sisters of Annunciation Monastery
Bismarck, ND

UPDATE: The full transcript of the Ruger annual meeting can be found here. You will note some of the nonsensical questions posed to Ruger CEO Chris Killoy by "religious leaders".

UPDATE II: For an excellent summary of the shareholder proposal accomplished, please read this editorial by Jim Shepherd of the Outdoor Wire. He compared it to a fly buzzing around a cow. It is pestering rather than the steering claimed by proponents.

Ruger Sponsors Shooting Team

Ruger has announced that they will be sponsoring a shooting team. The official announcement is below but their PR Manager, Paul Pluff, let the cat out of the bag on Sunday on Tom Gresham's Gun Talk radio show. One of the things he noted on the show was Ruger's interest in developing up and coming junior shooters. Given Pluff's service on the Board of Directors of the Scholastic Shooting Sports Foundation, he has seen many of these juniors in action.

Sturm, Ruger & Company, Inc. (NYSE-RGR) is proud to announce the launch of its professional shooting team. This move marks Ruger's formal debut in the competitive shooting sports arena. Leading this team is newly signed world champion shooter Doug Koenig and more shooters will be announced in the coming weeks.

"We are very excited to introduce Team Ruger, and particularly with a shooter of Doug Koenig's caliber at the helm," said Chris Killoy, Ruger's President and CEO. "Doug is an outstanding addition to the Ruger team, bringing both a winning attitude and a true passion for growing the shooting and outdoor sports to the team."

In addition to serving as Team Ruger's Captain, Doug will also represent the Company as an official Brand Ambassador. Highly regarded for his talents, Doug is an athlete, lifelong hunter and world champion professional shooter. Doug began shooting competitively at the age of 17, winning both regional and national competitions. Since turning Pro in 1990, he has shot a perfect score of 1920 an unprecedented 17 times at the NRA Bianchi Cup. As he approaches his 31st year competing, this 18-time Bianchi Cup Champion's wins include more than 70 National and 10 World titles.

"I am thrilled to join Team Ruger and partner with such an iconic brand in our industry," said Koenig. "Ruger's depth and breadth of products is a perfect fit for both my competitive shooting and hunting endeavors," he concluded.

Doug also hosts his own TV show, "Doug Koenig's Championship Season," where Ruger is now the Presenting Sponsor. Each week, the show features a gritty combination of fast-paced shooting competition and wild hunting adventure - all with rugged, reliable Ruger® firearms.

Media and team inquiries should be directed to Paul Pluff, Public Relations Manager and coordinator for the new shooting team.

Getting Doug Koenig from Smith & Wesson is a coup for Ruger. Not only is a coup but it indicates the seriousness with which they are embarking on this new endeavor. Someone with the stature of a Doug Koenig is not going to switch teams on a whim and he had to be assured Ruger was serious about it. I would not be surprised to see a "Doug Koenig Special" 1911 being released down the road.

From what I understand, the rest of the Ruger shooting team will be introduced at the SHOT Show. It will be interesting to see who all is on the team in addition to team captain Doug Koenig.

Ruger Reintroduces The SP-101 In 9mm

The Ruger SP-101 in 9mm Luger (or Parabellum) had become something of a cult favorite with prices to match. Possible reasons for this may have been it was discontinued in 1998 with limited numbers on the market or because 9x19 ammo tends to be cheaper than either .38 Special or .357 Magnum ammo. It was originally available in both the 2.25" and 3" barrels and used moon clips to hold the non-rimmed ammo.

This week Ruger answered the prayers of those that wanted a SP-101 in 9mm but didn't want to pay twice the price of a .38 or .357 Mag model. They have reintroduced the SP-101 in 9mm with a 2.25" barrel.  MSRP on the reintroduced model is $719 but I'm sure the street price will be significantly lower. Checking gunbroker.com, I see them being sold for as low as $519 plus shipping.

SP-101 in 9mm 

Here are the specs on the reintroduced model:

• GripsBlack Rubber, Black Synthetic
• Front SightBlack Ramp
• Barrel Length2.25"
• MaterialStainless Steel

 

• Capacity5
• Rear SightIntegral
• Twist1:16" RH
• FinishSatin Stainless

 

• Overall Length7.20"
• Weight25 oz.
• Grooves5
• CA ApprovedNo
• MA Approved & CertifiedNo
• Suggested Retail$719.00

I have a 3" SP101 in .357 Magnum that I bought used a few years ago. With .38 Special wadcutters, it is the ideal gun to introduce new shooters to a center-fire handgun. The weight of the revolver makes it a very soft shooting handgun.

The new or reintroduced SP101 will definitely go on my "have to check it out" list.

Rimfire Challenge To Transition From NSSF To RCSA

Despite what Asheville's Thomas Wolfe once wrote, you can go home again.

The Ruger Rimfire Challenge was originally developed by Ken Jorgenson of Ruger, Michael Bane, and the late Nelson Dymond. In 2014, the responsibility for running the Ruger Rimfire Challenge passed to the National Shooting Sports Foundation and it became known as the NSSF Rimfire Challenge. On January 1, 2018, the Rimfire Challenge will pass to a new non-profit organization run by Jorgenson and Bane called the Rimfire Challenge Shooting Association. Thus, it will have closed the circle and returned home to its founders.

Below is the NSSF's press release, in part, on the transition:

NEWTOWN, Conn. — The National Shooting Sports Foundation® (NSSF®), the trade association for the firearms industry, is proud to announce that the NSSF Rimfire Challenge will be transitioned to a new organization: the Rimfire Challenge Shooting Association. The transition takes place Jan. 1, 2018.

Originally developed by Sturm, Ruger & Co.’s Ken Jorgenson, along with author and TV personality Michael Bane and the late Nelson Dymond, a long-time and well-known shooting match director who held a strong passion for rimfire firearms, the program was first known as the Ruger Rimfire Challenge. NSSF took over the administration of the program in 2014, changing its name to the NSSF Rimfire Challenge. The new organization will be led once again by Ken Jorgensen and Michael Bane.

Designed to introduce new shooters to the shooting sports in an exciting, family-friendly format, Rimfire Challenge matches focus on competition with .22-caliber rifles and pistols. Matches are open to shooters of all ages and shooting experience levels, with events conducted at ranges nationwide and an annual World Championship taking place each October.

“It’s truly a great thing to see this program return home to the people who had this wonderful idea to begin with,” said Tisma Juett, NSSF Manager, Recruitment and Retention. “The NSSF is proud to have been a part of growing a shooting sport that has proven to be such a wonderful activity for mothers and fathers, sisters and brothers, neighbors and friends in which to participate. We wish Ken and Michael much success and look forward to many more firearms owners joining the shooting sports with them.”

“I am excited to once again be involved in the day to day operation of the Rimfire Challenge events,” said Jorgenson. “The concept originally created by Nelson and implemented as part of the Ruger Rimfire Challenge is as valid today as it was in the beginning. We will work to continue that vision and grow the rimfire competition opportunities for shooters of all skill levels.”

“I could not be happier to once again be a part of the Rimfire Challenge!” Bane added. “It is a wonderful sport, a way to bring whole families into the competition. Ken and I are committed to bringing the Rimfire Challenge to the next level. It’s going to be fun!”

Michael Bane makes the announcement of the change on the video portion of his weekly podcast. You can see it at this link. As he notes, the first year will be about stability and communication. He doesn't see any major rule changes coming immediately. The existing rulebook along with examples of courses of fire can be found here.

All shooting competitions go through life cycles and I think change like this is important. New management and new ideas along with a fairly low cost of entry should help the Rimfire Challenge continue growing and bringing in new shooters. The more that we can show that the shooting sports are fun, the less likely that the gun prohibitionists will be to convince the general public that guns are "icky".

Two New Ruger Handguns Released Pre-NRA Annual Meeting

Sturm, Ruger & Co. released two new handgun models on Friday. The first was an addition to the LCRx line in .22 LR and the second was their a laser-integrated version of their LCP II.

The LCRx is the exposed external hammer version of the LCR. Previously only available in .38 Special +P and .357 Magnum, the new LCRx in .22 LR features a 3" barrel, 8-shot capacity, adjustable rear sights, Hogue Tamer grips, and the other features that made the LCR famous. Given all of this, it has the makings of a updated and more modern kit gun at an MSRP about $200 less than the S&W Model 317 Kit Gun.

The specs on the LCRx in .22 LR are here.

The second new handgun model is the LCP II with a factory-installed Viridian E-Series red laser. What makes this really interesting is that the laser is from Viridian and not from Crimson Trace. Ruger had for years worked with Crimson Trace on grip-integrated lasers as well as frame-integrated laser. This is just speculation on my part but the purchase of Crimson Trace by competitor Smith & Wesson undoubtedly played a part in switching to Viridian lasers.

The specs on the LCP II with Viridian E-Series laser are here. The addition of the Viridian laser adds $90 to the MSRP of the LCP II bringing it up to $439. That's not too bad and having a laser in such a small gun would be a plus in my humble opinion.

All in all, Ruger has two new winners here. I'm anxious to see what is released at the end of the month in Atlanta at the NRA Annual Meeting.

SHOT SHOT Day One - Gunblast.Com

Jeff Quinn in this report on Day One of the SHOT Show starts off with a great interview of Ruger CEO Mike Fifer. The other highlights were a Colt representative talking about the reintroduced Colt Cobra and a discussion by Linda Powell of Mossberg's new 590 Shockwave shotgun. This latter product is quite interesting in that it is a pistol-gripped 14" shotgun that does not require a NFA tax stamp.




To read more about the Mossberg 590 Shockwave, go here.  Ammoland.com does report that the shotgun is sold with this disclaimer:

Disclaimer: Although the Mossberg 590 Shockwave is classified as a “firearm” under the Gun Control Act of 1968 (GCA), and is not subject to the provisions of the National Firearms Act (NFA), state and local laws may be more restrictive. Even though, it is legal federally, the 590 Shockwave may be considered a “short-barreled” shotgun or “assault weapon” by certain state and local laws; and therefore illegal to possess. Please check with your local authorities concerning the legality of possessing a firearm of this configuration.

Checking North Carolina law, 14 NCGS § 14-288.8.(c)(3) classifies a shotgun as a "weapon of mass death and destruction" if it has "a barrel or barrels of less than 18 inches in length or an overall length of less than 26 inches." If you have a Federal tax stamp then possession of such a shotgun is permitted. As I read this - and I'm not a lawyer - the shotgun must be both greater than 26 inches overall in length and must have a barrel of 18 inches in length or greater. By using "or" instead of "and" in the description of such a prohibited shotgun the legislative intent is that both conditions must be met. This leads me to say that this is a law that needs changing as I'd like one of those shotguns!

UPDATE: Regarding North Carolina law and the legality of possessing the Mossberg Shockwave, I received this message on Facebook from fellow blogger Chris Maynard.

It is not a shotgun because it never had a stock, rather a pistol grip from the factory... If it was under 26" in length, it would be an AOW... But over 26" makes it a "firearm"... Per federal law...

So that should mean that it is not restricted by NC law supposing they follow the federal definition of "shotgun"

But the same statute also restricts " Any type of weapon (other than a shotgun or a shotgun shell of a type particularly suitable for sporting purposes) which will, or which may be readily converted to, expel a projectile by the action of an explosive or other propellant, and which has any barrel with a bore of more than one-half inch in diameter" so this gun should qualify under that.

Ruger GP-100 In .44 Special

One of the firearms that I had hoped to shoot at Industry Day at the Range was the new Ruger GP-100 in .44 Special. As events conspired to keep me from the SHOT Show, I am relying on my friend Rob Reed's post about it at AllOutdoor.com.

His impression:

I was able to put a few rounds through the gun and my initial impressions were favorable. The trigger was good in double-action and very good in single-action and the rubber grips absorbed the recoil of the standard pressure .44 Special rounds very well. Since it is based on the tank-like GP 100 I’m sure it will handle the hotter .44 Special loads that approach Magnum territory as well.

He also included this video of the Ruger representative going over the specs of the revolver.




You can read more about the specifications of this new revolver at Ruger's website here.

If you subscribe to Guns Magazine, Massad Ayoob has a very complimentary review of this new revolver in this month's issue (March 2017).

Ruger Redhawk In .45 ACP And .45 Colt

Now this is interesting. Ruger is getting into the .45 ACP revolver game. They have just announced a new version of the Ruger Redhawk that will handle both the .45 ACP with moon clips and the .45 Colt.

The specs are below:

Model Number: 5032 | Caliber: 45 Auto / 45 Colt

Material:	Stainless Steel	Finish:	Satin Stainless
Front Sight:	Ramp	Rear Sight:	Adjustable
Barrel Length:	4.2"	Overall Length:	9.50"
Weight:	44.00 oz.	Grips:	Lasered Hardwood
Twist:	1:16" RH	Grooves:	6
MA Approved & Certified:	No	CA Approved:	No
Capacity:	6	Suggested Retail:	$1029.00

It's a bit pricey but they are still making double action revolvers unlike the bankrupt Colt. I have a couple Ruger revolvers and they are solid, well-made handguns.

UPDATE: Ed Head has part one of his review of the Ruger Redhawk in .45 ACP/.45 Colt up. Ed is one of the people that Ruger sends firearms to so that they can be wrung out before launch.

A Couple Of Tidbits From Ruger's Quarterly Report

After the close of the stock market yesteday, Sturm, Ruger & Co. released their quarterly earnings report. Below are a couple of tidbits that I gleaned from it which I thought were interesting.

• In the first quarter of 2015, net sales and the estimated sell-through of the Company’s products from the independent distributors to retailers increased 12% and 15%, respectively, from the fourth quarter of 2014. The National Instant Criminal Background Check System background checks (as adjusted by the National Shooting Sports Foundation) decreased 15% during the same period.

• New products, including the AR-556 modern sporting rifle and the LC9s pistol, represented $22.8 million or 17% of firearm sales in the first quarter of 2015. New product sales include only major new products that were introduced in the past two years.

It looks like Ruger has done well even if the market has contracted somewhat. It would be interesting to know how much of the new sales were attributable to the AR-556 and how much to the LC9s. With the market demands for ARs cooling somewhat if prices are any indication, I'm guessing the LC9s represented more than 50% of the $22.8 million in sales.

Ruger holds it annual shareholder's meeting this morning. It is being webcast and you can see it at this link.

Ruger Getting Into 10/22 After-Market Trigger Business

Ruger is getting into the 10/22 replacement trigger market. They just announced the BX-Trigger which is a drop-in trigger module for the 10/22. It reduces the trigger pull from approximately 6 pounds to 2.5 pounds. The BX-Trigger will go on the market starting this Friday. It will be available directly from Ruger and from many retailers. The MSRP on the BX-Trigger is $89.95.

If I had to guess, someone at Ruger realized that they could be making good money in the 10/22 after-market parts business that they were losing to companies like Volquartsen. I don't know without testing how the new BX-Trigger will compare to the Volquartsen components but the complete module sells for about what Volquartsen sells their match hammer and sear.

The release from Ruger is below:

Sturm, Ruger & Company, Inc. (NYSE: RGR) announces the launch of the BX-Trigger™: a light, crisp, “drop-in” replacement trigger assembly that is compatible with all Ruger® 10/22® rifles and 22 Charger™ pistols. The BX-Trigger is a Genuine Ruger Factory Accessory and is the perfect upgrade for all 10/22 rifles and 22 Charger pistol models because of the significantly reduced pull weight of approximately 2.75 pounds (versus 6 pounds on the standard 10/22 trigger).

“We have made continuous improvements to the 10/22 over the years, but the BX-Trigger is an exciting performance advancement,” said Ruger President and COO, Chris Killoy. “The BX-Trigger was designed for easy installation, superior performance, and legendary Ruger reliability. Like the popular BX-25® magazine for the 10/22, the BX-Trigger will deliver the excellence and value that shooters have come to expect from Ruger.”

The BX-Trigger is sold as a complete assembly that “drops in” to replace the existing trigger assembly, with no additional adjustment or “fitting” required. A video of the installation process can be found at Ruger.com/BX-Trigger

Beginning December 19, the Ruger BX-Trigger will be available for purchase directly from Ruger at ShopRuger.com or from local independent firearms retailers.

Ruger Recalls Some American Rimfire Rifles

Ruger has announced a safety recall of some of their American Rimfire rifles in .17 HMR and .22 WMRF (Magnum) manufactured between November 17, 2013 and January 8, 2014. The recall is due to the lack of a hole that vents gas in case of an obstruction or case rupture.

From Ruger:

WHY ARE YOU RECALLING THESE RIFLES We have determined that Ruger American Rimfire™ rifles chambered in .22 WMRF (Magnum) and .17 HMR manufactured between November 17, 2013 and January 8, 2014 were manufactured without a vent hole. This hole appears just below and behind the serial number on the left-hand side of the receiver. The hole does not serve any function during normal operation of the rifle, but is a safety feature and may help vent gas in the event of a problem such as a ruptured case head or bore obstruction, for example. We want to recall the rifles and add the vent hole.

How to determine if your rifle needs the retrofit First, only Ruger American Rimfire™ rifles chambered in .22 WMRF (Magnum) and .17 HMR within the serial number range 830-34831 to 830-43880 are subject to the recall. If your rifle is chambered in .22 LR or falls outside of this serial number range, it is not subject to the recall. If you do have an Ruger American Rimfire™ rifle chambered in .22 WMRF (Magnum) or .17 HMR, you need only examine the left side of the receiver, just below and behind the serial number. If there is a hole there (Figure 1), then you do not need to return the rifle. If there is no hole (Figure 2), then the rifle should be returned.

For instructions on how to return a rifle without the vent hole, go to this Ruger webpage.




H/T Old NFO at The Gun Blog Black List

Ruger Comes To North Carolina And Does Good

Ruger comes to North Carolina, builds rifles, and then does good for the community. Is this the picture of an evil company that builds "instruments of war" so that kids can kill one another on our city streets? Of course, it isn't and Ruger doesn't build instruments of war either. Instead it is the picture of a company that opens a new plant in a semi-rural location and then seeks to help out the community.

Though production wasn't originally expected to begin at Ruger's new Mayodan, North Carolina plant until the first quarter of 2014, it actually began ahead of schedule in 2013. Ruger is taking five of the Ruger American Rimfire Rifles that were produced in the first production run and auctioning them off for five local charities in the Rockingham County - northern Guilford County area. Ruger will also be making the rest of that first run of 1,000 rifles available for sale only in the Carolinas.

Ruger's announcement regarding the charities and the link to the auction is below:

Ruger To Auction First Production Run Ruger American Rimfire™ Rifles From Mayodan, NC

March 14, 2014

In September 2013, Ruger finalized the purchase of a 220,000 square foot facility in Mayodan, NC. This was the Company's first major expansion in over 25 years, and production was expected to begin during the first quarter of 2014. Production actually began late Fall of 2013! The boxes of the first 1,000 rifles were affixed with a special "First Production Run" sticker. Rifles with serial numbers 832-01001 through 832-02000 were the only ones to leave the factory with this special sticker. We are auctioning five of those rifles. The other 995 rifles were circulated through distribution in the Carolinas only.

The serial numbers of these auction rifles are: 832-01920; 832-01931; 832-01940; 832-01958 and 832-01960. The testfire date for all five is December 3, 2013. 100% of the proceeds from each of these auctions will be donated to the following five local organizations: Camp Carefree, Stokesdale, NC; the Salvation Army, Mayodan, NC; Reformers Unanimous, Stoneville, NC; the American Cancer Society, Rockingham Co., NC; and the Western Rockingham Firefighters Association, Mayodan, NC.

The Ruger American Rimfire™ rifle is made of alloy steel with a satin blued finish and features a 22-inch barrel, fiber optic front sight and adjustable rear sight. The stock is black composite and includes two interchangeable stock modules that provide comb height options for scope or sight use. It also features the detachable, flush-mounted 10/22® BX-1 10-round rotary magazine. Included in the auction is an original instruction manual, marketing materials and an extra "First Production Run" sticker. To learn more about this auction, visit www.ruger.com/auction.

Stepping Up To The Plate In California

As I reported earlier this month, both Ruger and Smith & Wesson have taken a stand against the California Department of Justice Handgun Roster by letting numerous popular models of their handguns drop off the list. In other words, they refuse to make a California-only model that includes a microstamped firing pin.

Now Mike Fifer and James Debney, the CEOs of Ruger and Smith & Wesson respectively, have filed Declarations in support of the plaintiffs challenging the Handgun Roster in the long-running case of Pena v. Lindley. This is a case being brought by the CalGuns Foundation and the Second Amendment Foundation in US District Court for the Eastern District of California.

The Declaration of Ruger CEO Mike Fifer can be found here. In it he says that the microstamping requirement is unworkable and that no firearms manufacturer has been able to implement it.

The Declaration of S&W CEO James Debney says that the technology is unworkable and that "the state law requires the technology to perform at a level it cannot." Debney goes on to point out that many of their handguns also do not have mag disconnects and loaded chamber indicators.

These Declarations join the amicus curie brief of Glock, Inc. in arguing against the Handgun Roster and in favor of the plaintiffs' position.

The Second Amendment Foundation welcomed the support from all three firearms manufacturers in a release put out yesterday shown below.

SAF THANKS GUN COMPANIES FOR SUPPORT IN CA MICROSTAMPING CASE

BELLEVUE, WA - The Second Amendment Foundation is expressing heartfelt gratitude today to three major firearms companies - Ruger, Smith & Wesson and Glock - for their supporting documents in the on-going case of Pena v. Lindley, a lawsuit challenging the California handgun roster requirements that include microstamping and magazine disconnects.

Earlier this week, Ruger CEO Michael O. Fifer and Smith & Wesson President and CEO James Debney submitted declarations to the court, explaining their respective companies' positions on the California microstamping requirement. Late last year, attorneys representing Glock, Inc. filed an amicus curiae brief supporting the SAF case.

"SAF will be eternally grateful for the timely support from all three companies, which we believe strongly reinforces our case," said SAF founder and Executive Vice President Alan M. Gottlieb. "The statements from Messrs. Debney and Fifer confirm what we have argued all along, that California's requirements place an undue burden on both consumers and manufacturers."

In his statement, Fifer bluntly observed, "There is no workable microstamping technology today, and Ruger believes that California's microstamping regulations make compliance impossible."

Debney concurs in his statement, noting, "Smith & Wesson does not believe it is possible currently to comply with California's microstamping regulations. Quite simply, the state law requires the technology to perform at a level that it cannot."

In its earlier brief, submitted by attorneys Erik S. Jaffe of Washington, D.C. and John C. Eastman of Orange, Calif., Glock maintained that neither its pistols nor any other handgun in common use can comply with California's microstamping mandate.

"You cannot regulate handguns out of existence or out of the marketplace by mandating technology that doesn't work," Gottlieb observed. "Now three major gun companies have weighed in and we're confident their opinions will carry a lot of weight."

The impact of the microstamping requirement on handguns available for sale in California can be seen in this infographic from the CalGuns Foundation.  It is not a pretty picture and not a Constitutional one in my opinion.

Ruger CEO Mike Fifer Clarifies Why They Are Leaving California Market

As I reported yesterday in the infographic on the California Handgun Roster, Ruger is reportedly going to let all their semi-automatic pistols drop off the approved Handgun Roster. Today, Ruger CEO Mike Fifer clarified this in an interview with Guns.com.

“We’re being forced out of the state by the California Department of Justice,” explained Fifer. “This insistence on microstamping, which doesn’t work, is denying you your rights to have access to these guns.”

“We’re not abandoning the [California] market at all, we are trying our hardest to stay in the market,” he continued. “We’re committed to California and we’re fighting this every inch of the way.”

In other words, they’re not abandoning their fans, enthusiasts and customers in California. They’re going to do whatever they can to see that this inane law gets struck down.

2014 SHOT Show - Ed Head On Ruger 10/22 50th Anniversary Edition

As part of their Day Two roundup, Ed Head and Tommy Sanders of the Outdoor Channel examined the 50th Anniversary Edition of the Ruger 10/22 that was designed by customers. Instead of calling it the 50th Anniversary Edition, they could just as well name it the Appleseed Edition because it seems like a stainless and polymer-stocked version of the RWVA's Liberty Training Rifle.

Ruger Finalizes Purchase Of NC Plant

Ruger announced yesterday that they had completed the purchase of the former Unifi plant in Mayodan, North Carolina.

September 03, 2013

Sturm, Ruger & Company, Inc. (NYSE-RGR) announced today that it has finalized the purchase of a 220,000 square foot facility in Mayodan, North Carolina. This is the Company's first major expansion in over 25 years, and production at the new facility is expected to begin during the first quarter of 2014.

In conjunction with Ruger's announcement, the Rockingham County Board of Commissioners approved their package of incentives for Ruger and the Mayodan Town Council is expected to do the same next Monday.

As part of their deal, the town of Mayodan and Rockingham County officials had to offer incentives to the company.

Rockingham County Commissioners approved incentives in the amount of $942,000, Tuesday night.

Mayodan has scheduled a public meeting for September 9 on their incentives offer to Ruger. Town officials are offering $823,000.

The company won't receive any incentives until 2015 and it will be over a 14 year period.

The manager of the new Ruger plant, Mickey Wilson, said at the commissioners' meeting that Ruger wanted to be in Rockingham County.

“We sought Rockingham County,” Wilson said. “It was all based on available real estate at the beginning and through our diligence process we found that the workforce was equally as good as the available real estate.”

“Plus we’re big on Second-Amendment rights,” said Vice Chariman Craig Travis.

 There is no word yet on exactly what firearms will be made at the Mayodan plant. However, some production will be shifted from the Newport, NH plant to Mayodan according to the plant manager.

Mickey Wilson, the plant manager, said the company will shift two production lines from Ruger's New Hampshire plant, with the other lines being dedicated to new products and designs. The initial hiring will include production workers, tool makers and engineers for manufacturing and product design.

“We are planning for a soft opening in the first quarter, but we would like to go full force as quickly after that as we can,” Wilson said.

Just last week, Ruger announced their new Ruger American Rimfire rifle. This was the first new firearm introduced by Ruger since January at the SHOT Show. I'm sure they have more designs ready to go and are only waiting for the production lines to be set up in Mayodan.

It's More Than Official Now

While Ruger made their official announcement that they intended to open their third plant in Mayodan, North Carolina back in early July, it became really official yesterday with an announcement ceremony involving Gov. Pat McCrory (R-NC), numerous state and local officials, and Ruger CEO Mike Fifer.

From the Rockingham County's local paper, the News-Advance:

The busy atmosphere outside Unifi’s former dye plant on Cardwell Road in Mayodan on Tuesday morning was only a small indication of things to come. More than 150 people gathered under a tent beside the 221,000-square-foot building to hear Gov. Pat McCrory make the official announcement that Sturm, Ruger & Co. would locate the company’s newest manufacturing facility in Rockingham County.

McCrory said the new plant would create more than 450 new jobs and invest more than $26 million in the Mayodan location by the end of 2017.

Video of the event from the Winston-Salem Journal can be seen here.

Included in the incentives to Ruger from the State of North Carolina is a Job Development Investment Grant that could be worth as much as $9.6 million according to the press release from the Governor's Office.

The project was made possible in part by an award to Ruger from the state Job Development Investment Grant (JDIG) program, as voted by the state Economic Investment Committee. Receipt of the award is based on proof of job creation and other performance requirements. JDIGs are awarded only to new and expanding businesses and industrial projects whose benefits exceed the costs to the state, and which would not be undertaken in North Carolina without the grant.

Under the terms of the company’s JDIG award, Ruger is eligible to receive up to twelve annual grants equal to 75 percent of the state personal income tax withholdings from the eligible new jobs created since the date of the initial award. Receipt of each annual grant is based on state-certified proof that the company has fulfilled incremental job creation requirements. Over twelve years, the JDIG award could yield aggregate benefits to Ruger of up to $9.46 million upon creation of 473 new jobs.

This report from WFMY-TV2 in Greensboro discusses more about the grants. Rockingham Community College will receive $700,000 for workforce training with another $372,000 going to Ruger for employee training. In addition, people and businesses in the Town of Mayodan are quite excited about the possibilities that the new Ruger plant will bring to that town.




Other anecdotal evidence that the people of Mayodan and Rockingham County are on board with the Ruger expansion comes from Perry Hughes who is the chairman of the career and technology education department at Rockingham Community College. Registration for fall classes began yesterday at 10am. He had a student who arrived before 7:30am to be first in line for a slot in their machining program.

“We’re starting to look at ways to expand our machining program capacity and Ruger hasn’t even arrived yet,” Hughes said.

The final day registration for courses at RCC opened, Hughes said he arrived at his office at 7:30 a.m. to prepare for the 10 a.m. registration. One young man was already sitting outside the door when Hughes arrived.

“He said he had already been there for a while, but wanted to make sure he was first in line,” Hughes said.

It was fortunate the young man made that decision. Hughes said he only had two slots left in the machining program.

“Education is a supply and demand industry and right now our demand is much greater than the supply,” Hughes said. “With industries like Ruger coming to the area, we’re going to have to find ways to work with these companies and expand our programs to meet the demand. We’ve even considered the possibility of having day and night classes to allow for more students.”

RCC has an associate's degree program in computer-integrated machining which I'm sure will be sending a number of graduates to Ruger over the coming years.

UPDATE: More on the official announcement as well on how the RCC computer-integrated machining program will tie into Ruger's plans from WGHP-Fox8 in High Point.

News On The Business Of Guns

There are a number of news items from the last few days regarding the firearms industry that are worthy of attention.

First, ArmaLite of Geneseo, Illinois was bought out by Strategic Armory Corps (SAC) of Phoenix, Arizona. SAC was formed in 2011 as an acquisition vehicle with which to buy out firearms and firearms related companies. In addition to ArmaLite, SAC owns high-end tactical bolt-rifle maker Surgeon Rifles, suppressor maker AWC Systems Technology, and AWC Ammo. The head of SAC had this to say on the acquisition.

"ArmaLite is a tremendous addition to our group of outstanding companies and broadens our product line so we can better meet the needs of our customers", said Mark Johnson, SAC President and CEO. "The history of Mark Westrom over his 19 years of leading ArmaLite will provide a wealth of industry knowledge to our leadership team and allow us to further expand our ability to meet the ever increasing demands for the highest quality products by our customers and the marketplace."

News comes that longtime tactical and military equipment retailer US Cavalry which declared bankruptcy in March has been purchased by ERMC Corporation of Chattanooga, TN.

US Cavalry Retail Ownership Announcement

Chattanooga based ERMC Corporation, the parent company of Modern Firearms and ASR Uniforms announced today the acquisition of U. S. Cavalry Stores. ERMC purchased all U. S. Cavalry assets to include personnel, inventory and retail stores. I will be working with others in the company to integrate Modern Firearms, ASR Uniforms and U.S. Cavalry into a top notch provider of Military, Police, Fire and EMS uniforms, equipment and firearms.

Public companies are starting to report their sales and profits for the second quarter. Both ATK and Ruger reported their sales and earnings in the last couple of days.

ATK's business is composed of three segments: aerospace group, defense group, and the sporting group. For me, it is the sporting group of companies that is of the most interest. While the overall sales for ATK were flat for the second quarter of 2013, the sporting group saw a 28.4% increase or $79,346,000. In terms of profit, the sporting group led ATK with a 112.2% increase compared to a single digit increase for the aerospace group and a loss for their defense group. This increase from the sporting group allowed them to beat stock analysts' expectations of profits.

With the purchase of Savage Arms, the sporting group is now more than just ammo, reloading components and equipment, and other firearms related accessories. It appears that the company leadership also recognizes the importance of Savage to their bottom line. ATK's President and CEO Mark DeYoung had this to say about Savage.

"The Company's completion of the Savage acquisition builds upon strong Sporting Group performance and market leadership with a well-respected and recognized brand in the long guns market. We are well underway with the integration of Savage and I am confident our wholesalers, retailers, distributors and consumers will find value in our robust portfolio of product offerings."

 Ruger had another stellar quarter. Their earnings increased 79% for the second quarter when compared to the same quarter a year earlier. The earnings increase was driven by a 50% increase in sales for the quarter compared to a year earlier. Sales for the quarter were $179.5 million and the earnings per share were $1.63 per share. Both of these numbers blew away analysts' expectations. Ruger was forecast to have earned $1.18 per share in profits on sales of $154.7 million.

New product sales accounted for 31% of sales in the quarter. New introductions include both the LC380 and SR45 pistols.

Ruger expects to spend upwards of $35 million on capital expenditures during 2013. Much of that will be related to new products and production capacity expansion. I'm sure part of that money will go to getting the Mayodan plant up and running after the expansion plans are finalized. The company is waiting on the tax incentives and grants package from North Carolina to be completed.

CEO Mike Fifer held a conference call today to discuss the company's second quarter results. Fifer said he expected the third quarter to slow down as things start to return to more normal growth. As reported by CNN Money:

While the trend continued in the second quarter, Ruger CEO Mike Fifer said gun demand appears to be returning to "more normalized growth rates."

"We haven't seen any slowing in demand for Ruger products," Fifer told analysts during a conference call. "But we have heard anecdotally that the normal seasonal slowdown is starting."

He said sales in the current quarter could represent a "reset from the huge surge" that began late last year.

He was also asked about the damage to the Prescott plant. He said he thinks the total cost to Ruger will be less than $5 million in terms of damage to the roof, equipment, and lost production. They resumed production on Monday. The machinery that got soaked was not being used in current production and was intended for future projects.

Fifer was asked about the new Mayodan plant and what was needed to get it ready. He said that with the exception of adding a section for bluing and for heat treating they only needed to move in the new machinery. He was very complimentary towards the workforce in the Rockingham County area. He said the caliber of the potential employees was "really impressive." He said the firearms to be produced in Mayodan would be new introductions so he couldn't discuss what they were yet.

If the overall market demand is starting to slow, I'm going to go out on a limb and say we should expect to see a number of new product introductions from not only Ruger but the rest of the industry. SHOT 2014 should be interesting in that regard.

UPDATE: Steve at The Firearm Blog listened in on the ATK conference call for analysts. He has a review of it here. A couple of points from his review. First, Savage Arms is expected to make ATK around $25-28 million in profits. Second, Steve believes that ATK is in the market to pick up other firearms companies.

Ruger Plant Damaged By The Rain

It isn't only the East getting torrential rains. Prescott, Arizona received about 1.5 inches of rain from late Thursday afternoon through Friday morning of this past week. For an area that averages less than 18 inches in a year, that's a heck of a lot of rain. So much rain in fact that it caused part of the roof of the Ruger factory to collapse.

Sturm Ruger issued a news release via Business Wire Friday stating heavy rainfall caused a portion of the roof to collapse Thursday at its plant near the Prescott Airport. No one was injured.

"The company is in the process of undertaking repairs and expects to be back in production soon," the news release stated.

Mark Lang, group vice president for Sturm Ruger, was unavailable for comment. However, a person at the scene who wished to remain anonymous left a voicemail message: "It was terrifying. They evacuated the whole building. The ceiling opened up. A flood of water came in. ... It went everywhere, all over the machine, all over everybody. The roof caved in."

 The collapse of the roof was significant enough that they had to make an 8-K filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission as it was "material" which included their press release. The release said:

SOUTHPORT, CONNECTICUT, July 26, 2013 - Sturm, Ruger & Company, Inc. (NYSE-RGR) announced today that during a severe thunderstorm on July 25, 2013, heavy precipitation caused a portion of the roof to collapse at our Prescott, Arizona manufacturing facility. No one was injured. The Company is in the process of undertaking repairs and expects to be back in production soon.

This temporary disruption may have a material impact on the Company’s results of operations for the third quarter of 2013, but is not expected to have a material impact on the financial position of the Company.

I guess the new manufacturing plant in Mayodan, North Carolina can't come soon enough.


H/T Defensive Use of Firearms list