Bill Ruger

[mnblaster]

I own two Ruger firearms, they are both terrific, but I doubt they will be getting anymore of my money. I'm not telling anyone to boycott anyone, just know who you are dealing with. Bill was not a supporter of the average civilian's gun rights. Do some searching on your own, here is a start.     http://www.scfirearms.org/2ndamend/ruger.txt

Subject: That 'wacky' Bill Ruger
You've asked for references about Ruger's anti-gun agenda.  I
didn't save the original statements made by Ruger but I do have a
copy of Neal Knox's response to the Ruger actions.

The following is from an article which appeared in the December
1, 1989 issue of Gun Week.

Stephen Sanetti is Ruger's general counsel and frequent spokesperson.

-------------------------------------------------

[The following is from Neal Knox]

"Steve Sanetti says 'I know better' than to ascribe Bill Ruger's
magazine ban proposal to business considerations.  Maybe so; I
don't think Bill is by any means 'anti-gun,' nor do I think he
really _wants_ a ban on either guns or magazines (after all, he
got his start as a machine gun designer). But I do think Bill
Ruger is pushing a plan that would protect his business while
affecting only his competitors, and I think he's damaging the
efforts of those of us attempting to stop all proposed bans.
Further, I don't think his actions on this issue, and other
issues in the past, allows him to be described as 'the strongest
supporter of our Constitutional right to keep and bear arms.'

"What I _know_ is that about 9 p.m. the night before Bill sent a
letter to certain members of Congress calling for a ban on
high-capacity magazines he called me, wanting me to push such a
ban.  His opening words, after citing the many federal, state and
local bills to ban detachable magazine semi-autos, were 'I want
to save our little gun' -- which he later defined as the Mini-14
and the Mini-30.  I'm not ascribing Bill's motives as 'expedient
from a business standpoint;' Bill did.

"While I agree that a ban on over-15 magazines would be
'indefinitely preferable' to a ban on the guns that use them,
that's not the question. Neither I, nor the other gun groups have
ever believed that we were faced with such an either/or choice.
Early last year the NRA legislative Policy committee discussed
various alternatives to the proposed 'assault weapons' ban, and
wisely decided that magazine restrictions wouldn't satisfy our
foes, but would make it more difficult to stop a gun ban.

"I was particularly shocked when I realized Bill was talking
about a ban on possession of over-15-round magazines, rather than
a ban on sales (which is bad enough).  I told him that such a law
would make me a felon, for not only did I have standard over-15
magazines for my Glock pistol (a high-capacity which has sharply
cut into Ruger's police business), I have many high-cap mags for
guns I don't even own, and don't even know where they all are.
As I told Bill, after a lifetime of accumulating miscellaneous
gun parts and accessories, there's no way I could clean out all
my old parts drawers and boxes, then swear -- subject to a five
or ten-year Federal prison term -- that I absolutely didn't have
an M3 grease gun mag or 30-round M-2 magazine lying in some
forgotten drawer.

""Bill said (and all these direct quotes are approximate). 'No,
there'd be amnesty for people like you.  We have to propose a ban
on possession before they could take us seriously.' He contended
that the public's problem was with 'firepower,' which could be
resolved by eliminating high capacity mags.

(continued)  
 
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From: Elmer Cooper #0 @1:231/30 via 1:376/178 FIDOnet
Re: Bill Ruger, 2/2
 
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(continued from previous message)

"I told him Metzenbaum and Co. would gladly use whatever he
offered, but they weren't about to willingly agree to eliminate
high-cap magazines as a substitute for banning guns; that their
intention isn't to eliminate 'firepower' but 'firearms.'

"Bill finally said, 'Neal, you're being very negative about it.'
He got angry, then said 'Well somebody's got to do it; by God I
will.' And the next day he sent his letter to the Hill; the
evidence indicates a few weeks later he talked SAAMI into
supporting undefined 'regulation' of magazines over-15-rounds --
a vote that might have gone a little differently if any produced
high-capacity magazines as standard for either rifles or pistols.

"I suspect that Ruger and SAAMI's actions are responsible,
directly or indirectly, for the Bush administration's proposal to
ban high-cap mags, but that proposal has been ignored -- except
as evidence that 'the Bush administration and the American
firearms industry recognize there's a problem -- that Americans
shouldn't be allowed to have such guns.'

"Of course, that isn't what Bill Ruger and SAAMI are saying, but
that's the message they're sending.  Perhaps it isn't business
expediency to propose banning only that which they don't make, in
an effort to protect what they do make; but it sure can't be
claimed to be in defense of the Second Amendment."

----------------------------------------------

Note that recent events suggest that the second-to-last paragraph
was wrong; the proposals weren't ignored, they were stored away
until they were deemed to be useful.

Mr. Ruger was later interviewed by the national TV media.  The
media excerpted and broadcast only those portions of Mr. Ruger's
interview which would be interpreted as a gun maker opposing
civilian ownership of firearms.

E-mail me if you'd like to know what I think of a person who is
so naive that he would provide material to the media for their
manipulative purposes.

Bob Hale hale@brooktree.com

(end)  
 
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[Greybeard]

While I agree with your comments regarding Bill Ruger as an individual and was certainly no fan of his he is dead and gone. He no longer represents the company. I've also been no big fan of the Ruger guns over the years and honestly still am not. Still we should judge the guns and the company based on what's happening TODAY not when Bill Ruger ran things.

[Omaha-BeenGlockin]

I've been hearing rumors that they might be actually offering 20-round Mini-14 magazines to the public.

Keep your fingers crossed----and hopefully this is more than some internet BS.

[Omaha-BeenGlockin]

Back to Bill---he needs to be respected for his inovation that he brought to the gun industry---turning Ruger into the largest commercial gun maker with solid -dependable products at an affordable price.

He needs to be reviled for his position on the common man--and what he thought was good for us/them---who by buying his products put the Ruger company in the position they're in---in the first place.

[mnblaster]

I would be very interested in some new factory 20 rd mags for my mini. I think I could change my opinion of Ruger co. if they did something to prove to the public not operating under the same policies now that Bill is gone, so far they haven't done anything. Someone from the gun club I belong to called Ruger customer service and asked some questions, they said policy isn't likely to change under current management.

A side note, Ruger follows behind S&W and Colt Mfg in firearms manufacturing.

[Omaha-BeenGlockin]

Not to be picky---but---Ruger is the largest US gun maker----period.

S&W is barely keeping a afloat---with their agreement with the Clintons----that still leaves a bad taste with many.

Colt is hard pressed to even keep the doors open------they basically only have 2 products anymore----the AR-15 and the 1911---and both of those are being outdone by the competition.

Ruger makes more models of rifles---pistols--and shotguns than either---S&W and Colt's combined production is a drop in the bucket compared the Ruger's total production.

Remington and Marlin might come close due to sales of cheap 870's---336's and .22's.

But S&W and Colt are a joke anymore.

[BlkHawk73]

:roll:  :roll:   oh, boy, here we go again. Another over done topic.

Great stop buying the Rugers, while you're at it check and see what other companies are not pro-gun or pro 2nd A.  Chances are you'll not shop at many places anymore.  Bill Ruger may have chosen the lesser of two potential evils.  He also cannot be denied as a great and inovative gun maker and designer.  

If you're employer or comapny policy was "anti" would you quit? Do you move from a state that's "anti"?

[Dusty Miller]

Oh fer crissake, GB, LOCK THIS TOPIC PLEASE!!!!