When did Rugers get so dang expensive?

[Skribs]

I've been out of the loop for a while. I own two Ruger revolvers, and I've bought one or two more that I no longer have. I remember back then, S&W revolvers were on average 2-3x as expensive as a ruger.

Now, it seems to have flipped. S&W has a few models that are cheaper than the Rugers, but Rugers start quite a bit more expensive than they used to. When did Rugers spike up so high?

 

[TTv2]

How many times have you heard "Ruger's are built like a tank!"? People going into gun stores and buying them on gunbroker clearly believe they should cost as much as one too.

It doesn't help that the supply for Ruger revolvers isn't quite up to demand, but I think that Ruger lost a lot of employees at the New Hampshire facility during Covid and haven't been able to replace them, yet to hire less skilled people have to pay more. So, Ruger is in a position where their workers in the revolver production line aren't as good or efficient and are costing more per hour, thus the costs go up.

And Ruger fanboys can't tell me that the QC is good right now from Ruger with their revolvers because it's not.

There's also the reality that because people are still paying hundreds over normal price in stores and on auction sites that the LGS are slapping higher price tags on all of their Rugers with no incentive to lower them.

 

[NIGHTLORD40K]

Aside from Wranglers, I haven't seen a new Ruger revolver in over 2 years.....

 

[Frulk]

^^^^ Same here.

 

[Skribs]

Yeah I was just going off of MSRP listed on websites.

 

[mcb]

Got to pay for that Marlin logo/trademark somehow...

 

[buck460XVR]

Yeah I was just going off of MSRP listed on websites.

For many years, Rugers have sold for substantially less than their MSRP. This was where one thought they were getting such a good deal. Lately, not so much......so not so much a good deal. But you are correct, their MSRP. has jumped too.

 

[someguy2800]

2021

 

[CraigC]

When everything else did. That said, I don't remember any point in time when S&W's were 2-3 times as much as a Ruger. The difference, when S&W actually made a nicer gun, was usually 20-30%.

Rugers are usually 75-80% of MSRP.

 

[stonebuster]

Like everything else Ruger prices vary quite a bit and have increased. A quick search on Guns International showed new blued 4" GP100 357 priced $750-1000. I bought a new one for $620 in 2016 and a new 5" stainless GP00 for $720 in 2017. Some used GPs in good condition seem to be priced at nearly new prices. I'd rather buy an older Ruger revolver in excellent condition than new these days due to QC issues I keep reading about. I bought several 30-40 year old Ruger revolvers in the past few years both online & LGSs that have been trouble free.

 

[UncleEd]

For those citing price alone, do you perceive the
Ruger revolver ("built like a tank") to be that much
less a firearm than a comparable S&W or Colt?

But you want a Ruger revolver just the same!

Reality is that in most instances the Ruger price
increases represent nothing more in cost than
the price of a steak dinner or two at a restaurant
or even at home.

And you want the steak as well!

 

[drobs]

Used to be (circa 2012) you could pick up a Ruger Security Six for under $400 on Gunbroker. I bought 2 back then.

Those days are long gone.
https://www.gunbroker.com/Revolvers...ity six&PageSize=48&Sort=9&View=1&Timeframe=1

 

[TTv2]

For those citing price alone, do you perceive the
Ruger revolver ("built like a tank") to be that much
less a firearm than a comparable S&W or Colt?

But you want a Ruger revolver just the same!

Reality is that in most instances the Ruger price
increases represent nothing more in cost than
the price of a steak dinner or two at a restaurant
or even at home.

And you want the steak as well!

Problem is that as Ruger price goes up the quality seems to also go down. Ruger's today aren't better made than they were 5 or 10 years ago, but they cost a lot more than the rate of inflation.

 

[JDeere]

Have you been to the grocery store lately or bought anything else? Times are a changing.

 

[Skribs]

When everything else did. That said, I don't remember any point in time when S&W's were 2-3 times as much as a Ruger. The difference, when S&W actually made a nicer gun, was usually 20-30%.

Rugers are usually 75-80% of MSRP.

The price of S&W revolvers appears to have actually gone down compared to when I was looking at them in the past.

For those citing price alone, do you perceive the
Ruger revolver ("built like a tank") to be that much
less a firearm than a comparable S&W or Colt?

But you want a Ruger revolver just the same!

Reality is that in most instances the Ruger price
increases represent nothing more in cost than
the price of a steak dinner or two at a restaurant
or even at home.

And you want the steak as well!

At the time I had considered S&W and Colt to be overpriced compared to the Ruger. Now I consider them good options.

Have you been to the grocery store lately or bought anything else? Times are a changing.

I was looking at the relationship between Ruger and S&W more than anything else.

 

[ontarget]

Ask JB why everything, including Ruger revolvers costs alot more.
Don't worry though, it's just transient. LOL.

 

[P89DCSS]

At least when I buy a Ruger it can handle 357 and 38 P+. The thread on 38 revolvers is almost 100% S&W. Hmmmm, I wonder why....

 

[ontarget]

At least when I buy a Ruger it can handle 357 and 38 P+. The thread on 38 revolvers is almost 100% S&W. Hmmmm, I wonder why....

Probably because Ruger doesn't make many J frame sized 38 Spl chambered revolvers.

 

[mcb]

At least when I buy a Ruger it can handle 357 and 38 P+. The thread on 38 revolvers is almost 100% S&W. Hmmmm, I wonder why....

Yeah S&W makes 357 magnum on four frame sizes and only the K-frame has had a know and repeated issues with 357 mag and only with light hot 357 Mag ammunition. They have address that issues in the newest version of the K-frame 357 mags.

I personally have two N-frames with well over 20,000 rounds I have personally put through them (and I was not the first owner of either) and my 357 mag N-frame is approaching 10,000 rounds. I will take a S&W over a Ruger any day of the week and twice on match day.

 

[ericuda]

Yeah lgs has a few lcr's, a sp101 and gp100 but you are right the price is around 8 bills for the layer.

I'm happy with my rugers but decided i won't buy another one until they change the hammer profile so they won't be as been sharp and small but they have been that way for many moons.

 

[Pat Riot]

Aside from Wranglers, I haven't seen a new Ruger revolver in over 2 years.....

There is hope.
At my LGS, ATR Precision in Fairmont, WV they have been getting a trickle of new Ruger Super Redhawks, they have 2 Alaskans and had a few more. Two weeks ago they had a brand new Blackhawk .357 with the 6.5” barrel. Prices were $100 less than MSRP.

 

[CraigC]

Off the top, I don't judge anything by what has happened since COVID and politically induced shortages. There was a huge rush on guns in the last few years, especially during the 2020 riots. Not to mention that COVID made everything more difficult from a manufacturing and distribution standpoint. Ruger shifted their manufacturing to the biggest markets, which was away from revolvers that are not Wranglers.Those are all temporary factors.

Problem is that as Ruger price goes up the quality seems to also go down. Ruger's today aren't better made than they were 5 or 10 years ago, but they cost a lot more than the rate of inflation.

That is your opinion and it doesn't seem to be founded in reality.

The price of S&W revolvers appears to have actually gone down compared to when I was looking at them in the past.

I don't know what you're basing this on specifically but the quality of new S&W revolvers has gone down. Used to be that Rugers intentionally were priced lower because they did not do the fit & finish work that S&W and Colt did. Where is that finish work today? In the case of S&W it's gone.

 

[P89DCSS]

There are new GP100 and SP101 revolvers available. Ruger just released SP101s in 9mm with 2" barrel. My LGS has new SP101s in 357/3" for $700. As soon as there's a 3" 9mm SP101 I'm buying. A little trigger work and lighter springs makes a really nice revolver. I wish Ruger would make a 7 shot 9mm GP100.....

 

[Skribs]

Off the top, I don't judge anything by what has happened since COVID and politically induced shortages. There was a huge rush on guns in the last few years, especially during the 2020 riots. Not to mention that COVID made everything more difficult from a manufacturing and distribution standpoint. Ruger shifted their manufacturing to the biggest markets, which was away from revolvers that are not Wranglers.Those are all temporary factors.



That is your opinion and it doesn't seem to be founded in reality.



I don't know what you're basing this on specifically but the quality of new S&W revolvers has gone down. Used to be that Rugers intentionally were priced lower because they did not do the fit & finish work that S&W and Colt did. Where is that finish work today? In the case of S&W it's gone.

I clicked "like" on your post, and I want to be clear: I like your assessment, I don't like that quality has gone down.

 

[P89DCSS]

Probably because Ruger doesn't make many J frame sized 38 Spl chambered revolvers.

LCR comes in 357 as does the SP101. The LCR 38 P+ doesn't have issues with P+. No issues with Buffalo Bore "Ruger Only" loads.