Sturm, Ruger & Co.

{{short description|American firearm manufacturing company}} {{Redirect|Ruger}} {{Technical reasons|Ruger #1|the rifle|Ruger No. 1}} {{Technical reasons|Ruger #3|the rifle|Ruger No. 3}} {{Use mdy dates|date=February 2021}}

{{Infobox company |name = Sturm, Ruger & Company, Inc. |logo = Sturm, Ruger.svg |logo_size = 100px |logo_alt = |logo_caption = |logo_padding = |type = [[Public company|Public]] |traded_as = {{nyse|RGR}} |industry = [[Firearms]] |fate = |successor = |founded = {{start date and age|1949}} |founders = [[William B. Ruger]],<br />[[Alexander McCormick Sturm]] |defunct = |hq_location_city = [[Mayodan, North Carolina]]<ref>https://www.ctinsider.com/business/article/sturm-ruger-guns-fairfield-ct-mayodan-nc-22252921.php</ref> |hq_location_country = U.S. |area_served = Worldwide |key_people = Ronald C. Whitaker ([[Chairman]])<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.ruger.com/corporate/board-of-directors.html|title=Board of Directors - Ruger|author=Ruger|access-date=June 20, 2019}}</ref><br />Christopher J. Killoy ([[President (corporate title)|President]] and [[CEO]])<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.ruger.com/corporate/corporate-officers.html|title=Corporate Officers - Ruger|author=Ruger|access-date=June 20, 2019}}</ref> |products = [[Revolver]]s, [[pistol]]s, [[rifle]]s, [[shotgun]]s |revenue = $664 million<ref name="10k">{{cite web|url=https://www.annualreports.com/HostedData/AnnualReports/PDF/NYSE_RGR_2016.pdf|title=Corporate Report|date=February 22, 2017}}{{dead link|date=July 2018}}</ref> |revenue_year = 2016 |operating_income = $596 million (2022) |net_income = $88 million<ref name="10k"/> |net_income_year = 2016 |owner = [[Beretta Holding]] (9.95%)<ref>https://finance.yahoo.com/markets/stocks/articles/beretta-holding-sends-letter-ruger-120000309.html?guccounter=1&guce_referrer=aHR0cHM6Ly93d3cuZ29vZ2xlLmNvbS8&guce_referrer_sig=AQAAAKBayQ5mv4yjwBJ_g90VnvoECYJKP-HrMAnvX_Fttqelfu0cEJVV1R_rd6d76SFRVh59GZXN2FbVGxL3sHye2iAeIpsRjZue1Hrs1c9-LGj_ZyMSk-ix1xNppVlNvnhHP01UvKFh-2DVW6LOIOug_i654iqtGH3MjAhP-xDUE6LR</ref> |num_employees = 2,120<ref name="10k"/> |num_employees_year = 2016 | subsid = [[Marlin Firearms]] | website = {{Official URL}} }}

'''Sturm, Ruger & Company, Inc.''', better known by the shortened name '''Ruger''', is an American [[firearm manufacturing]] company based in [[Mayodan, North Carolina]], with production facilities also in [[Newport, New Hampshire]]; [[Mayodan, North Carolina]]; [[Hebron, Kentucky]] and [[Prescott, Arizona]]. The company was founded in 1949 by [[Alexander McCormick Sturm]] and [[William B. Ruger]] and has been publicly traded since 1969.

Ruger produces [[bolt-action]], [[Semi-automatic rifle|semi-automatic]], and [[single-shot rifle]]s, [[semi-automatic pistol]]s, and single- and double-action [[revolver]]s.<ref>{{ cite web|url=http://www.gunreports.com/news/handguns/BATFE_ANNUAL_FIREARMS_MANUFACTURING_EXPORT_REPORT_2006_224-1.html?ET=gunreports:e139:146653a:&st=email |title=BATFE Annual Firearms Manufacturing And Export Report|year=2006}}</ref> According to the [[Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives|ATF]] statistics for 2022,<ref>[https://www.atf.gov/explosives/2022-annual-firearms-manufacturers-and-export-report-afmer BATFE Annual Firearms Manufacturing And Export Report] 2022</ref> Ruger is the largest firearm manufacturer<ref>{{cite web |url=https://orchidadvisors.com/top-30-largest-firearm-manufacturers-of-2022/ |title=Top 30 Largest Firearm Manufacturers |access-date=2024-03-22}} </ref> in the United States, surpassing [[Smith & Wesson]]. {{TOC limit}}

==History== [[File:Ruger-22-45.jpg|thumb|upright|Ruger's [[Ruger MK II|MK II]] 22/45 target pistol.]]

Sturm, Ruger & Company was founded by [[William B. Ruger]] and [[Alexander McCormick Sturm]] in 1949 in a small rented machine shop in [[Southport, Connecticut|Southport]], [[Connecticut]].{{sfn|Wilson|1996|p=47}}

Just before their partnership, Bill Ruger had successfully duplicated two Japanese [[Nambu pistol#Type B|"baby" Nambu pistol]]s in his garage, from a captured Nambu that he acquired from a returning [[United States Marine Corps|Marine]], at the close of [[World War II]]. When it came to designing the Company's first product, Bill Ruger designed a semi-auto [[pistol]] that incorporated the looks of the German [[9mm]] [[Luger P08 pistol|Luger P08]] and the American [[Colt Woodsman]] into their first commercially produced [[.22 caliber]] pistol (see [[Ruger Standard]]), which became so successful that it launched the entire company.{{sfn|Wilson|1996|p=47}}

[[File:1970 Ruger Sports Tourer in yellow, front left (Lime Rock).jpg|thumb|The 1970 Ruger Sports Tourer was a brief attempt by Ruger at building a high-end, retro car. In the end, only two prototypes were made.]]

Ruger is a dominant manufacturer in the [[.22 LR]] [[rimfire ammunition|rimfire]] [[rifle]] market in the U.S., due primarily to the sales of its [[Ruger 10/22]] semiautomatic rifle.<ref name="House2006">{{cite book|last=House|first=James E.|title=Customize the Ruger 10/22|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=79JgJUi-U2MC|date=July 6, 2006|publisher=F+W Media|location=Iola, Wisconsin|isbn=978-1-4402-2413-3|pages=6–12}}</ref> The 10/22 is very popular due to its reputation for being relatively inexpensive and of high quality.<ref name="Garrison2014">{{cite book|last=Garrison|first=Kerry|title=Getting to know the Ruger 10/22: Everything you need to know to shoot, clean, maintain, and modify your Ruger 10/22|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=lbsWAwAAQBAJ&pg=PA2|date=March 14, 2014|publisher=Kerry Garrison|isbn=978-0-9831639-3-0|pages=2–5}}</ref> As a result, a wealth of after-market accessories and parts were made available for it, which has further increased its popularity.<ref name="House2006"/>

Ruger similarly dominates the .22 rimfire [[semi-automatic pistol]] market with the [[Ruger Standard#MK IV|Ruger Mark IV]], a descendant of the [[Ruger Standard]] pistol. Like the 10/22, the Mark Series is supported with a wide variety of aftermarket accessories. The 22/45 is similar to the Ruger Standard family of pistols but features a different grip angle, that of the Colt 1911 (as opposed to that of a Luger utilized in the Ruger Standard).<ref name="Sweeney2007">{{cite book|last=Sweeney|first=Patrick|author-link=Patrick Sweeney (gunsmith)|title=The Gun Digest Book of Ruger Pistols and Revolvers|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=lBynVCWJ230C|date=December 24, 2007|publisher=Gun Digest Books|location=Iola, Wisconsin|isbn=978-0-89689-472-3|page=18}}</ref>

Ruger is also renowned for the production of high-quality revolvers, such as the [[Ruger GP100|GP100]] and [[Ruger Redhawk|Redhawk]] lines. They also have some presence in the semi-auto pistol market, with the [[SR1911]] and [[Ruger SR series|SR22]] lines of handguns.

From 1949 through 2004, Ruger manufactured over 20 million firearms. The company is headquartered in Southport, Connecticut, and maintains manufacturing facilities in [[Newport, New Hampshire]], [[Prescott, Arizona]], and [[Mayodan, North Carolina]]. Ruger's subsidiaries are Ruger Precision Metals LLC in [[Earth City, Missouri]], Pine Tree Castings in Newport, New Hampshire, and Ruger Sportswear & Accessories in Mayodan, North Carolina.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.ruger.com/corporate/directory.html|title=Directory|website=Ruger.com|access-date=July 12, 2018}}</ref> Ruger's Pine Tree Castings division makes ferrous, [[ductile]] iron, and commercial [[titanium]] castings. Ruger had a division known as Ruger Golf, making steel and titanium castings for [[golf club (equipment)|golf club]]s made by several different brands in the 1990s.<ref name="Ph.D.2012">{{cite book|last=Ph.D.|first=Gregg Lee Carter|title=Guns in American Society: An Encyclopedia of History, Politics, Culture, and the Law [3 volumes]|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=QeGJH48PT0kC&pg=PT930|date=May 4, 2012|publisher=ABC-CLIO|isbn=978-0-313-38671-8|page=930}}</ref>

Sturm, Ruger stock has been publicly traded since 1969 and became a [[New York Stock Exchange]] company in 1990 (NYSE:RGR). After Alex Sturm died in 1951, William B. Ruger continued to direct the company until he died in 2002.

In September 2020, the company bought the [[Marlin Firearms]] company from bankrupt [[Remington Outdoor Company]].<ref>{{Cite news|url=https://finance.yahoo.com/news/remington-auctioned-off-seven-bidders-015154516.html|title=Remington Auctioned Off to Seven Bidders in Bankruptcy Court|date=September 28, 2020|access-date=September 28, 2020}}</ref> Just one year after the acquisition of Marlin, Ruger introduced the first Ruger-made Marlin lever-action rifle, the Model 1895 SBL.

In 2024, Ruger celebrated their 75th anniversary.

==Statistics== Ruger was ranked the number one U.S. [[firearms manufacturer]] from 2008 to 2011. In 2011, Ruger manufactured 1,114,687 firearms, as their promotion, the "Million Gun Challenge to Benefit the NRA", played a significant role in the company maintaining its top U.S. manufacturer status.<ref>{{cite news|url=http://www.shootingindustry.com/u-s-firearms-industry-today-2013|newspaper=Shooting Industry|title=US Firearms Industry Today|year=2013}}</ref> The company has set a new goal of 2 million firearms produced per year.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://ruger.com/micros/2million/index.html|title=The Ruger 2 Million Gun Challenge|website=Ruger.com|access-date=July 12, 2018}}</ref> From 2009 to 2012, Ruger was the top-seller of [[handgun]]s.<ref>{{cite news|url=http://www.shootingindustry.com/u-s-firearms-industry-today-2012|newspaper=Shooting Industry|title=US Firearms Industry Today|year=2012}}</ref>

==Products== Ruger breaks down its products into nine categories:<ref name = "10k"/> {{col-begin}} {{col-break}} * [[bolt-action rifle]]s {{col-break}} * [[Semi-automatic firearm|autoloading rifle]]s {{col-break}} * [[lever-action rifle]]s {{col-break}} * [[single-shot rifle]]s {{col-break}} * [[shotgun]]s {{col-break}} * [[Centerfire ammunition|centerfire pistol]]s {{col-break}} * [[Rimfire ammunition|rimfire pistol]]s {{col-break}} * [[Revolver#Double-action|double-action revolver]]s {{col-break}} * [[single-action revolver]]s {{col-end}}

===Rifles=== ====Bolt-action rifles====

[[File:Ruger 77MII 204 Action.jpg|thumb|upright|Ruger M77 Mark II Stainless Bolt Action in .204]]

*[[Ruger M77|Hawkeye]] *[[Ruger Gunsite Scout Rifle|Ruger Scout Rifle]] (discontinued)<ref>https://www.ruger.com/</ref><ref>https://www.scoutrifle.org/index.php?</ref><ref>topic=10125.0</ref><ref>https://www.reddit.com/r/ruger/comments/1ql2y1x/gunsite_scout_still_available/</ref><ref>https://www.reddit.com/r/guns/comments/tzspnx/silly_question_did_ruger_discontinue_the_scout/</ref><ref>https://www.reddit.com/r/ruger/comments/1q3fziu/scout_and_1022_possible_discontinuation/</ref><ref>https://www.ar15.com/forums/armory/M77-Scout-Rifle-Discontinued-/52-560832/&page=1&anc=bottom#bottom</ref><ref>https://www.rugerforum.net/threads/the-new-ruger-scout-rifle.425215/</ref><ref>https://www.facebook.com/shootingillustrated/posts/fans-of-the-scout-rifle-have-another-option-ruger-released-its-generation-ii-ame/1389385893228177/</ref><ref>https://www.longislandgunclub.com/forum/bolt-action/1057060-ruger-gunsite-scout-rifle-discontinued</ref><ref>https://www.rugerforum.com/threads/no-more-gsr.327664/</ref> replaced by the American Rifle Generation II Scout rifle. *[[Ruger Model 77 rotary magazine|77-Series]] *[[Ruger American Rifle]] (discontinued) replaced by the American Rifle Generation II. *[[Ruger American Rimfire]] *[[Ruger Precision Rifle]] *[[Ruger Precision Rifle#Precision Rimfire|Ruger Precision Rimfire]] *[[Ruger American Rifle#Generation II|Ruger American Rifle Generation II]]

====Autoloading rifles==== [[File:Ruger 10-22 (2).JPG|thumb|upright|Ruger 10/22 "Stainless" With an aftermarket Butler Creek Folding Stock and a TRUGLO Red Dot Sight]]

*[[Ruger 10/22|10/22]] *[[Ruger Mini-14|Mini-14]] *[[Ruger Mini-14#Mini Thirty|Mini Thirty]] *[[Ruger SR-762#SFAR|SFAR]] (discontinued) *[[Ruger police carbine|PC carbine]] *[[Ruger LC carbine|LC carbine]] *[[Ruger Harrier|Harrier]] *[[Ruger AR-556|AR-556]] (discontinued) *[[Ruger SR-556|SR-556]] (discontinued) *[[Ruger SR-762|SR-762]] (discontinued) *[[Ruger Deerfield carbine|Deerfield carbine]] (discontinued)<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.galleryofguns.com/shootingtimes/articles/DisplayArticles.asp?ID=38|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070927212327/http://www.galleryofguns.com/shootingtimes/articles/DisplayArticles.asp?ID=38|url-status=dead|title=Gallery of Guns - Shooting Times - Gun Reviews|archive-date=September 27, 2007}}</ref> *[[Ruger XGI|XGI]] (not produced: development halted) *[[Ruger police carbine|Police carbine]] (discontinued) *[[Ruger Model 44|Model 44]] (discontinued) *[[Ruger 10/17|10/17]] (discontinued)

====Lever-action rifles==== *[[Ruger Model 96|Model 96]] (96/44, 96/22 and 96/17 discontinued)

====Single-shot rifles==== *[[Ruger No. 1|No. 1]] *[[Ruger No. 3|No. 3]] (discontinued)

===Submachine guns (discontinued)=== *[[Ruger MP9|MP9]] (discontinued)

===Handguns=== {{anchor|Pistols}}

{{anchor|Revolvers}}

== See also == * [[List of modern armament manufacturers]]

==References== {{Reflist}}

==Bibliography== *{{cite book|last=Wilson|first= R. L. |title=Ruger & His Guns: A History of the Man, the Company and Their Firearms|year=1996| isbn =0-7858-2103-1}}

==External links== {{Commons category}} * {{Official website}}

[[Category:Sturm, Ruger & Co.| ]] [[Category:Companies listed on the New York Stock Exchange]] [[Category:Companies based in Fairfield County, Connecticut]] [[Category:Military in Connecticut]] [[Category:Manufacturing companies established in 1949]] [[Category:Firearm manufacturers of the United States]]