A Ruger 1911 at last....

[MikeBjerum]

In watching the video this evening I noticed one major departure from the days of Mr. William Ruger.  Mike Scoggins states it at the 5:35 mark, and MB states it at the 11:40 mark:  They spent time with customers and polled customers.  The first time I saw William Ruger on video he stated that they didn't need focus groups or surveys.  He said that Ruger is a gun company run by gun people, and if they don't know what shooters are looking for they shouldn't be making guns.

Outside of that item catching my eye I really liked the video.

[seeker_two]

*YAWN* Another overpriced 5″ .45ACP just like all the others….only one left to make one now is Glock….

Ruger really missed a chance to stand out from the pack….they could have introduced a Lightweight Commander-style 1911 using the aluminum frame material like the P-series or even a polymer one that allows you to add 1911 grips like the new 22/45 does. Maybe even a reduced size one to undercut Springfield’s EMP……

Sorry….the gun world needs another 5″ steel-frame .45ACP 1911 like Texas needs another country-music radio station….

[MikeBjerum]

Seeker,

There may be a lot of 1911's in the world.  But for guys like MB and myself that shower with them on, you can never have too many 

[MikeBjerum]

The gunblast.com video stated that it was a matched bushing and barrel that stayed together during the whole process from beginning to end.

Sorry, haven't watched that one yet.

Read the release on here and on this thread, and I watched MB's video and a couple others.  There is still a lot out there to watch!

[philw]

perfect  thanks Michael

Good point about the NDA, PhilW...gun companies got smart about such things...

getting lessons from Apple  seem to work

You've got a real Down Under dilemma there on 1911s...to borrow a political phrase,

yep,   we can get them however what they class as Hi Cal ( Category 4 - handguns over .38 calibre )  there are only a few comps we can have them for, Single Action ( Cowboy ) Handgun Metallic Silhouette & Black Powder.
every chance we get we are trying to get them back as I would love to shoot a 1911 .45 for Combined services,  ( well it is a service pistol.  why not GRRR ) however we do what we can  and fight hard for what we can.

the biggest issue and one of the things bugged us was old mates that just would shoot say there own thing saying well it dose not affect me why should i care  or the well I only shoot .22  there is no need for anyone to shoot a .338lap.
I don't shoot ducks ( yet  ) however I made sure I was at a Public Anti protest meeting  pushing the pro hunting message,
seems apathy is alive in the shooting world over here,   people stuck in there old ways.  ( not everyone just i see it a lot)  there is a lot of switched on and motivated people fighting it though  ( sorry for the rant )

I think AT THIS POINT IN TIME both the Remington and the Ruger are worth the bump over the GI Expert or the Kimber. I found the GI Expert to be one of the most accurate out-of-the-box lower end 1911s I'd ever shot (I ran it alongside a C&S Custom as the control), but I had to send it back to have the sear replaced...easy for me, less so if you live on the Far Side of the World! Since I got it back, I've shot the hell out if it, and it has been perfect.

I bought my Remington because I think it is an excellent value. Again, it has been run a lot with zero problems. When I first shot it I ran 270 rounds through it as quickly as we could load magazines, and it just kept shooting one ragged hole at 7 yards on an indoor range. I really like the retro look of the R1, but for an apples-to-apples comparison the Ruger is more akin to the Remington R1 Enhanced announced at SHOT ($940 MSRP).  I like fiber optic front sights on a competition gun, but NOT on a carry or self-defense gun...I've busted out a lot of fiber optic tubes over the years. Your mileage may vary.

In terms of the Ruger, I like how it's built (regardless of what our resident contrarians say!!!), and I've seen a lot of 1911s being built.

thanks heaps for that.   I like the R1 for that reason the retro look,   then again my 2  Taurus's ( 9mm & .357) are nice and shiny hehe

Here's a thought about 1911s..3 weeks ago I attended the GUNSITE special 1911 commemorative class with some of the top gun writers and firearms experts in the country (this country, anyway). You could NOT get a quorum on one particular brand...there were Colts (I was shooting at Wilson/Colt), Paras, S&Ws, Springfields, Kimbers, a Remington and some old Remington Rands from WW2. The shorter slide guns failed more than the 5-inchers. Our guns ran just fine, but you'd expect that.

One question I always ask of instructors is what they're seeing in their classes -- what's holding up to the battering a class puts on the gun? Right now, in terms of OUT-OF-THE-BOX guns, I hear good things about Colts, Remingtons and S&Ws. That would be consistent with my experience...

Dies that help or is it TOO bullshitty?

Michael B

perfect thanks 
I am going to see if we can get them and how much they will end up being  ( as I will need time to save up anyway  and get it past the minister or war and finance,   as she put a new policy of NO MORE GUNS you have enough)

[Sponsor]

[Discworld717]

In watching the video this evening I noticed one major departure from the days of Mr. William Ruger.  Mike Scoggins states it at the 5:35 mark, and MB states it at the 11:40 mark:  They spent time with customers and polled customers.  The first time I saw William Ruger on video he stated that they didn't need focus groups or surveys.  He said that Ruger is a gun company run by gun people, and if they don't know what shooters are looking for they shouldn't be making guns.

This is the difference between an owner/operator and his corporate descendents. I don't think that Ronnie Barret would run a focus group. I also don't think that his son would. But a generation or two down the road..yeah that's what happens.

[gunman42782]

In watching the video this evening I noticed one major departure from the days of Mr. William Ruger.  Mike Scoggins states it at the 5:35 mark, and MB states it at the 11:40 mark:  They spent time with customers and polled customers.  The first time I saw William Ruger on video he stated that they didn't need focus groups or surveys.  He said that Ruger is a gun company run by gun people, and if they don't know what shooters are looking for they shouldn't be making guns.

Outside of that item catching my eye I really liked the video.

You know,Bill Ruger obviously did not need a focus group, and he obviously did know what customers wanted.  Otherwise, he would have went out of business.  The Standard Auto, MK 1, Single six, and Blackhawks where complete successes.  Not to mention the 10/22, Model 77, #1 etc.  Bill Ruger brought out some of these guns that all the experts said would not sell, and he sold a ton of them.  He was, indeed, a gun person. 

[billt]

As far as the, "Why Ruger and why now?" on the marketing of this 1911. I think they are in a position where they almost have to in order to remain in the competitive posture the company has taken since the passing of Bill Ruger. It seems most any and all of the major firearms companies today produce both a AR-15 model, (or many models), and a 1911 in some flavor. Remington and S&W both come to mind.

These 2 models of weapons are immensely popular, and both of them have a huge market. Ruger is in a position to capitalize on it, so in this regard they would almost be foolish not to. Also, with their Investment Casting technology, (Pine Tree Castings), they can produce it at a profit easier than most companies. If you think about it a 1911 pistol is not that easy to build, and it's one of the reasons some companies have to charge what they do to make a buck on them. Or else make them overseas with much cheaper labor. A lot of parts and machining are involved. And if it isn't done correctly you can have a real mess on your hands.

Ruger has come out of the gate with this gun priced competitively. I'm guessing a street price at or slightly below the Remington Standard R-1 Model. They've also elected to go with Stainless Steel which is also becoming more popular by the day. We as gun people really benefit from all of this. Competition drives quality. The more companies that produce the same thing, the harder they have to work at getting your business. This is good for everyone, even if you happen to choose a 1911 other than this new Ruger. The Ruger AR-15 has a large following, and has been a success for them. I suspect this gun will do the same. In an economy that currently stinks on ice, this is a very good thing to see.  Bill T.

[ratcatcher55]

Bill,

You make ssome great points but I see it in a slightly different way.

As price becomes important, the only way to be competative is to lower quality to keep the same margins. Maybe Ruger has lower margins than Reminington, but I doubt they do over smaller business.

Me too marketing in business may make sense if a portion of your loyal customer basis is looking to purchase something you do not make. It also takes less engineering to reproduce someone elses work than to be inovative.

However, Me Too marketers are always late to the dance. Somebody else has pioneered the idea and in the case of both 1911 and AR15 reduced it to a standard. How many more people will buy 1911? How many are not happy with who the bought a pistol from the last time? Why would Ruger build a better 1911 than Kimber, STI, Colt, Springfield after all these years?

I will give Ruger management credit for offering new products. It does show they want to be a big player in the industry.
Just not a leader for my $0.02.

[Ichiban]

It is my contention that most 1911 owners own more than one.  Many own several and are willing to bring another into the fold if it piques their interest.  I think people that look at the market and assume that it is a "one gun per buyer" market are way off base, especially where 1911s are concerned.  If they make a decent gun at a decent price they will do well.  A lot of people wont drop the big bucks on a custom gun like Wilson, Baer, Nighthawk, etc., but will eventually spend several times that on multiple guns over the years.  1911 are very addictive.

"Hi.  My name is Ichiban and I'm a 1911-aholic."