Ruger Wrangler ($176.00) vs. Ruger 5435 LCRx ($470.00)

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Solomonson

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With the release of their low-priced Wrangler, Ruger gave some interesting insight into their production and sales costs, and what must be absurdly high margins on some of their products with comparable raw material/processing/labor costs.

That's OK, it'll take a bit more time and a bit more market pressure, but one day firearms' sales prices will truly reflect their cost to produce and sell at least to some degree, and not what the market once bore during politically darker periods. All it's going to take is increased competition and/or reduced demand.

Ruger claims the cylinder frame of their Wrangler is "aluminum alloy" finished with Cerakote. I suspect they are MIM parts, but they could be IC parts, but they're not diecast zinc/pot metal. It's the grip frame is diecast Zamak/zinc/potmetal.

The barrel, cylinder, and small parts are made of steel. Grips are synthetic.

https://www.ruger.com/products/wrangler/specSheets/2004.html

The Ruger LCRx's frame is also two piece -- the cylinder frame is made from aluminum and the grip frame from injection molded plastic, with a steel barrel insert and steel cylinder. Grips are rubber.

https://www.ruger.com/products/lcrx/models.html

Wouldn't it be something if Heritage Arms or Chiappa came up with a $175.00 version of the LCRx? That would be poetic...
 
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Buy the LCRx when you see one used. I don't think the .22 LCRx is worth $470, $350 would be more like it, but that's never gonna happen.

I do think Charter makes a good .22 LR for the money and while Charter's quality may not be the best, any .22 will last a long time.
 
I think the LCR22 is well worth the present cost. Love mine and know it will out last my lifetime. Forget going Budget Ruger. For gosh sake, enough is enough. You do not have to go budget on everything now. The LCR 22 is NOT a cheap plinker.
 
Well, that Ruger LCRx has a lot more machine work in the cylinder. Not just the fluting, that cylinder has a built in ejector and swing out mechanism. Much more intricate machine work there compared to a SA cylinder with no internal parts.

Also, 8 holes in that cylinder versus 6. A nice advantage for those that want it.
 
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Wouldn't it be something if Heritage Arms or Chiappa came up with a $175.00 version of the LCRx? That would be poetic...

I don't think that Heritage would be capable of producing anything as complex as the LCRx and especially in .38 Special +P or .357 magnum, unless they farmed it out to a foreign maker. Even then, I don't think that they could compete well at that price.

Chiappa is capable of producing a copy, but again, there is no way that their price would be anywhere near as low as $175.00, and probably would not be be much lower than the Ruger price either.

What might be practical is for these companies to revive an older .22 LR double-action revolver design like the High Standard Sentinel, and offer them as snubbies as well as with 4" and 6" barrels. But neither company would be able to sell them for as low as $175.00.
There is more to a swing-out cylinder revolver to machine, even if you do produce it with zinc alloy and aluminum.
 
I think the LCR22 is well worth the present cost. Love mine and know it will out last my lifetime. Forget going Budget Ruger. For gosh sake, enough is enough. You do not have to go budget on everything now. The LCR 22 is NOT a cheap plinker.

It's the sales price I find to be ridiculously bloated -- at least in terms of what it cost to design/build/sell.
 
I don't think that Heritage would be capable of producing anything as complex as the LCRx and especially in .38 Special +P or .357 magnum, unless they farmed it out to a foreign maker. Even then, I don't think that they could compete well at that price.

That might be, although the LCRx is by no means a complex firearm.

Chiappa is capable of producing a copy, but again, there is no way that their price would be anywhere near as low as $175.00, and probably would not be be much lower than the Ruger price either.

The cost to produce/sell a Ruger Wrangler vs. a LCRx is comparable. The big difference is the grip frame on the Wrangler is zinc, versus plastic grip frame on the LCRx.

What might be practical is for these companies to revive an older .22 LR double-action revolver design like the High Standard Sentinel, and offer them as snubbies as well as with 4" and 6" barrels. But neither company would be able to sell them for as low as $175.00.
There is more to a swing-out cylinder revolver to machine, even if you do produce it with zinc alloy and aluminum.

Given their design, I'm certain the old HS double actions would actually be MORE expensive to produce than an LCRx knock-off.
 
I don't think the .22 LCRx is worth $470, $350 would be more like it, but that's never gonna happen.
I very much agree the .22 LCRx isn't worth $470.00. I do however think that its price could well dip below $350/unit depending on future politics.
 
That might be, although the LCRx is by no means a complex firearm.

Compared to a Rough Rider it definitely is.

The cost to produce/sell a Ruger Wrangler vs. a LCRx is comparable. The big difference is the grip frame on the Wrangler is zinc, versus plastic grip frame on the LCRx.

You're dreaming.

Given their design, I'm certain the old HS double actions would actually be MORE expensive to produce than an LCRx knock-off.

Hard to say. Are you intimately familiar with the design of the Sentinel or how much it did cost to produce?
 
That might be, although the LCRx is by no means a complex firearm.

The cost to produce/sell a Ruger Wrangler vs. a LCRx is comparable. The big difference is the grip frame on the Wrangler is zinc, versus plastic grip frame on the LCRx.

Given their design, I'm certain the old HS double actions would actually be MORE expensive to produce than an LCRx knock-off.

I disagree with you on all points. You haven't provided any real arguments to support your position. Ruger could shave off some dollars by using the cheaper Wrangler finishing methods, MIM parts, and a Cerrakote finish, but then it would be a different revolver. Much like the comparison of the Single Six to the Wrangler, except for the aluminum cylinder frame. And, since the LCRx is intended for a serious purpose, who would buy it for self defense with the MIM parts?

And, I'm pretty sure that you know little about the Sentinel. The blued Sentinel sold for $37.50 in 1955, while an original fixed sight flat gate Ruger Single Six sold for $63.25 in 1955 in the Stoeger catalog. So the Sentinel sold for about 59% of the price of a fixed sight Single Six. In today's dollars, even if you are looking at a Single Six with adjustable sights and the spare cylinder you could pick one up for maybe $525.00 new. So a Sentinel might come in around $300.00 if it were blued and anodized, and made in a similar way that it was in 1955. That is considerably cheaper than an LCRx. And, with modern CNC machining methods, Wrangler / Heritage finishing methods, MIM parts, and a Cerrakote or painted finish, even less.
 
Given their design, I'm certain the old HS double actions would actually be MORE expensive to produce than an LCRx knock-off.
I'm not all that familiar with the High Standard, but the H&R and Iver Johnson .22's, especially the ones that to reload you have to pull the cylinder pin out and remove the cylinder, sort of like the original NAA mini revolvers, I could see being low in price. That way there's no crane that has to be made, no cutouts on the frame that have to be cut or finished, a simple detent to retain the cylinder pin.

Could also just give the Rough Rider a DA/SA trigger and keep the loading gate and ejector rod like some H&R's were made. Heritage could do this or remove the ejector rod and loading gate and do the pull pin like the H&R's and keep the price around $250. That would blow the LCRx away in price, but the point of the LCR's is light weight. The Heritage isn't light, they'd have to use polymer and aluminum to achieve that.

Point is to add a double action trigger and to do that it doesn't mean it needs to have a swing out cylinder.
 
I very much agree the .22 LCRx isn't worth $470.00. I do however think that its price could well dip below $350/unit depending on future politics.

Come on, half plastic guns are expensive. Just look at prices of: Glock, Sig, FNH, H&K,...... That is why they're referred to as POLYMER-framed guns. One does not have to settle for LCRx. I picked up like new S&W 337 for $486. It even has nice fitted storage case (not pos plastic) with tiny key lock plus what appears to be Master trigger lock. Real sweet package. This is premium revolver that if produced today would some out of Performance Center of S&W.
 
I disagree with you on all points.
So?
You haven't provided any real arguments to support your position.
Wrong. See my first posting. You on the other hand have provided absolutely zero.
Ruger could shave off some dollars by using the cheaper Wrangler finishing methods, MIM parts, and a Cerrakote finish, but then it would be a different revolver.
Cerakote isn't cheap... Just what do you think Ruger uses to finish the cylinder frame of the LCRx?
Much like the comparison of the Single Six to the Wrangler, except for the aluminum cylinder frame. And, since the LCRx is intended for a serious purpose, who would buy it for self defense with the MIM parts?
Absolutely not. Don't try to add variables to this discussion that have no place here... Nothing wrong/unreliable with MIM parts. Odd you didn't mention the LCRx's injection molded plastic frame if MIM parts cause you so much concern. BTW, do you even know if there are any MIM parts in either the Wrangler or the LCRx?
And, I'm pretty sure that you know little about the Sentinel...

Logical fallacy: Using the Single Six for cost comparison when it's more expensive to produce than the LCRx. If you want to start a thread on another firearm, do it. Just please don't derail my discussion with extraneous variables.
 
With the release of their low-priced Wrangler, Ruger gave some interesting insight into their production and sales costs, and what must be absurdly high margins on some of their products with comparable raw material/processing/labor costs.


Wouldn't it be something if Heritage Arms or Chiappa came up with a $175.00 version of the LCRx? That would be poetic...

you have no clue on running a business do you?liability insurances.marketing,overhead etc... and profit is not the dirty word some of you make it out to be. Either you find value init or you don't. I wonder what guys like you do for a living and if some of us would notnthink you make too much doing it or do not s=deserve such pay or benefits?

Wouldn't it be poetic justice if some one offered services or goods that you or your company provide at a cheaper price with higher value ? :p
 
you have no clue on running a business do you?liability insurances.marketing,overhead etc... and profit is not the dirty word some of you make it out to be. Either you find value init or you don't. I wonder what guys like you do for a living and if some of us would notnthink you make too much doing it or do not s=deserve such pay or benefits?

Yes, I do own and operate a consulting engineering firm. What exactly do you do for a living? If it was business-based, you'd know that "liability insurances.marketing,overhead etc." are largely the same for both the Wrangler and the LCRx -- although a wholesaler or retailer would obviously have a higher carrying cost inventory/unit with the LCRx.

With its pricing of the Wrangler, Ruger is show just how much it's gouging with firearms like the LCRx, given their similar costs to produce and sell.

Wouldn't it be poetic justice if some one offered services or goods that you or your company provide at a cheaper price with higher value ?
They're more than welcome to try.
 
Yes, I do own and operate a consulting engineering firm......With its pricing of the Wrangler, Ruger is show just how much it's gouging with firearms like the LCRx, given their similar costs to produce and sell.
I find those two statements to be contradictory. What kind of engineering?

Again, how do you presume to know what Ruger's associated costs are?
 
With its pricing of the Wrangler, Ruger is show just how much it's gouging with firearms like the LCRx, given their similar costs to produce and sell.

Not a big Ruger fan so I have no pony in this race. Having said that Ruger is not gouging other lines to pay for the Wrangler. Why not say that Ruger is gouging Redhawk buyers to supplement LCRx? None of these guns are premium firearms.
 
The cost to produce/sell a Ruger Wrangler vs. a LCRx is comparable. The big difference is the grip frame on the Wrangler is zinc, versus plastic grip frame on the LCRx.

I think you're assuming that the incremental raw materials cost is the primary driver of cost in these firearms. That's unlikely at best. It's a bad assumption.
 
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