Just days before the 2015 SHOT Show, Ruger will announce yet another new handgun: the SR1911 Lightweight Commander. This new pistol will bring the total number of 1911-type handguns made by Ruger to three.
As the name suggests, this pistol is lighter than the existing Commander-sized gun from Ruger. The new Lightweight Commander uses an anodized aluminum frame instead of a stainless one. Using aluminum results in a reduction of more than 7 ounces in weight: 29.3 oz from the original 36.4 oz.
I’ve just pre-ordered a new history book for my gun bookshelf: Â The Gun Digest Book of Ruger Revolvers.
I saw a press release on this book earlier in the week, and just took a look at it on Amazon. Â Amazon has a great feature that allows you to review parts of the book prior to purchase to see what the writing and photography is like. Â After being disappointed with the Standard Catalog of Remington Firearms (read my review here), I was wary about investing in another “authoritative” text on guns. Â But, this new Ruger book looks to be very good.
Ruger announced a number of new gun models including a new DA/SA version of the LCR called the LCRx. Â One deviation from prior Ruger product announcements is that some of the guns are not ready to ship immediately. Â In the past, when Ruger announced a new firearm, the gun was already in production. Â Some of these new guns, however, come with an expected ship date.
Here is a quick run down of the guns…
Two short months before the 2014 SHOT Show, Ruger announced the release of the SR-762 rifle.
The new rifle was chambered for the 7.62×51 and .308 Win cartridges, and it used the same type of piston system the company perfected in the SR-556 rifle.
While initial reaction seemed both positive and strong, the gun ultimately fell out of the company’s catalog. While I have no official statement from Ruger, I believe I know why.
Ruger is expanding.
Sturm, Ruger & Co is in the process of opening a third production plant to expand manufacturing capacity, and company president and CEO Michael O. Fifer wants to do it quickly.
“We’re running out of space,†said Fifer in the company’s annual shareholder meeting on April 30.
According to Fifer, Ruger will use the new facility to build new lines of firearms, not to expand production of current firearms. Fifer stated he expects the new facility would build about ten completely new firearm lines.
To show how much growth Ruger has experienced, consider the number of employees employed at the Prescott, AZ manufacturing facility. On the weekly Gun Talk radio program, Ken Jorgensen, Director of Media Relations for Ruger, told host Tom Gresham that there were about 150 employees at the plant in 2008. Currently, there are about 750.
An existing, high-quality facility is what Ruger would like to find. “I don’t have any desire to build something,†said Fifer. He stated that there is more risk in building something, and he would prefer to get the new plant up and running “very quickly.â€
Ideally, the facility would be of newer construction, about 250,000 square feet in size, and have a “phenomenal electrical [system] in it.â€Â Fifer stated the company would prefer not to be in an industrial park.