I Have a Great Plan!

[ChrisG]

Those words are often proceeded by not-such-a-great plan but... I just contacted Ruger and asked them if they have any plans to ever bring back the Ruger Safari Magnum in classic big game calibers. Their answer was that they make the Hawkeye in large magnum calibers. Thats like asking if a car dealer has a Mercedes and he offers you a Ford Focus with leather interior and calls it pretty much the same thing.

So the plan... If we can get enough people to hamper them about bringing it back... They may potentially do it. I assume it was discontinued because they weren't making enough sales on it and therefore it wasn't economically logical to continue making it. But I doubt CZ sells tons of 550's in big calibers, yet they continue to make them. So......

If there are any Ruger RSM lovers out there who want to see it come back, I would urge you to just email their customer services and inquire to them if they would consider bringing it back. Even if it were $2,200 I would bet people would buy them. Quarter rib? Circassian (English) Walnut? Ebony Forend Cap? Beautiful Lines and calibers that end with Rigby and Holland & Holland... It's a custom rifle without the custom rifle price on a solid built CRF action!!!

Comment and let me know what you think of the idea...

 

[ChrisG]

Just for some incentive:

 

[ChrisG]

Those words are often proceeded by not-such-a-great plan but... I just contacted Ruger and asked them if they have any plans to ever bring back the Ruger Safari Magnum in classic big game calibers. Their answer was that they make the Hawkeye in large magnum calibers. Thats like asking if a car dealer has a Mercedes and he offers you a Ford Focus with leather interior and calls it pretty much the same thing.

So the plan... If we can get enough people to hamper them about bringing it back... They may potentially do it. I assume it was discontinued because they weren't making enough sales on it and therefore it wasn't economically logical to continue making it. But I doubt CZ sells tons of 550's in big calibers, yet they continue to make them. So......

If there are any Ruger RSM lovers out there who want to see it come back, I would urge you to just email their customer services and inquire to them if they would consider bringing it back. Even if it were $2,200 I would bet people would buy them. Quarter rib? Circassian (English) Walnut? Ebony Forend Cap? Beautiful Lines and calibers that end with Rigby and Holland & Holland... It's a custom rifle without the custom rifle price on a solid built CRF action!!!

Comment and let me know what you think of the idea...

I meant to say "pester"... To pester them about bringing it back.

 

[Clayton]

Did wonder about that. Thought maybe you weren't really serious about bring back the RMS.

 

[ChrisG]

Did wonder about that. Thought maybe you weren't really serious about bring back the RMS.

Yeah I haven't had enough coffee yet. I am TOTALLY serious about bringing back the RSM

 

[CAustin]

They are great looking rifles!

 

[Philip Glass]

I love Ruger guns! All of them.
Philip

 

[sestoppelman]

I doubt Ruger could be persuaded to bring it back as it was, perhaps in a slightly different, less expensive to make version. The integral steel express rib probably boosted the cost and the nice wood too. The current version with brake is probably a very serviceable rifle, but the brake leaves me cold. I have a Ruger Express model in .338 Win mag and its fantastic.

 

[enysse]

They made a fantastic safari rifle when they made the RSM's....I doubt they bring them back

 

[375 Ruger Fan]

I wrote to CZ-America a few years ago and asked them if they'd consider chambering the CZ-550 in 375 Ruger. The short barreled CZ-550 FS would be ideal for the 375 or 416 Ruger. CZ wrote me back and said that wasn't in their current plans. I'm guessing they don't want to do it because it might take away sales from their more expensive CZ-550 Safari Magnum.

 

[ChrisG]

I doubt Ruger could be persuaded to bring it back as it was, perhaps in a slightly different, less expensive to make version. The integral steel express rib probably boosted the cost and the nice wood too. The current version with brake is probably a very serviceable rifle, but the brake leaves me cold. I have a Ruger Express model in .338 Win mag and its fantastic.

Maybe... But I watched a documentary on... I think it was Sabatti. They have a state-of-the-art CNC hammer forging machine that makes their barrels for them. The machine not only contours the barrels while it presses the rifling it but it also short chambers them. It spits out a new barrel every two minutes. We know Ruger has Hammer forging machines because it is all they use for barrels. I am betting that a machine like that could contour the barrel with an integral rib mostly formed that would only require moderate machining. The other option is to make a two-point contact rib like the No.1 has on it. Much easier to fit to the barrel and still technically a quarter rib but not as classy...

 

[Spooksar]

I have 2 RSM rifles one in 416 Rigby the other a 458 Lott, love them both but after the last 2 Ruger rifles I bought, unless thier QC comes up a long ways I'm not interested.

 

[The_Wanderer]

Count me in! My 416 rigby is one and its brilliant!!

 

[edward]

would love to get on the band wagon but my wife and i are lowly hand gunners,sorry.

 

[wislnwings]

As much as I would love to see these come back, I don't think they ever will. Seems like everything Ruger introduces lately is all about economy. It seems like, with the exception of their No1's, its all about hitting a certain price point. Just look at their American rifle or their newest polymer pistol. I think the only shot of this ever coming about would be to get Lipseys (the distributor) to get on the band wagon. They're the ones responsible for bringing out most of the limited edition Ruger products. Since these rifles would represent such a small segment of their sales, this is probably the only way we'll ever see them produced again.

 

[ChrisG]

As much as I would love to see these come back, I don't think they ever will. Seems like everything Ruger introduces lately is all about economy. It seems like, with the exception of their No1's, its all about hitting a certain price point. Just look at their American rifle or their newest polymer pistol. I think the only shot of this ever coming about would be to get Lipseys (the distributor) to get on the band wagon. They're the ones responsible for bringing out most of the limited edition Ruger products. Since these rifles would represent such a small segment of their sales, this is probably the only way we'll ever see them produced again.

I unfortunately have to agree with this. It's infuriating to see a renowned company stoop to making cheap stuff, or catering solely to a particular crowd because they see it as a way to make a quick buck. Ruger seem to be leaning more and more toward the "tacticool" as well which really makes me mad. I mean, at 10 round detachable box magazine bolt action rifle with a hideous flash hider? I couldn't think of a more adulterous thing to do to the M77. If you wanted a scout rifle, the original frontier rifle was great! But it isn't too late to let them know that not everyone wants the cheapest bottom-rung equipment. The hawkeye and No. 1 are their last vestige of blued steel and walnut. I think it isn't too late for them to turn around and start making great rifles again. It just seems like lately they have taken to the "can't see it from my house" school of craftsmanship.

 

[ChrisG]

As much as I would love to see these come back, I don't think they ever will. Seems like everything Ruger introduces lately is all about economy. It seems like, with the exception of their No1's, its all about hitting a certain price point. Just look at their American rifle or their newest polymer pistol. I think the only shot of this ever coming about would be to get Lipseys (the distributor) to get on the band wagon. They're the ones responsible for bringing out most of the limited edition Ruger products. Since these rifles would represent such a small segment of their sales, this is probably the only way we'll ever see them produced again.

I unfortunately have to agree with this. It's infuriating to see a renowned company stoop to making cheap stuff, or catering solely to a particular crowd because they see it as a way to make a quick buck. Ruger seem to be leaning more and more toward the "tacticool" as well which really makes me mad. I mean, at 10 round detachable box magazine bolt action rifle with a hideous flash hider? I couldn't think of a more adulterous thing to do to the M77. If you wanted a scout rifle, the original frontier rifle was great! But it isn't too late to let them know that not everyone wants the cheapest bottom-rung equipment. The hawkeye and No. 1 are their last vestige of blued steel and walnut. I think it isn't too late for them to turn around and start making great rifles again. It just seems like lately they have taken to the "can't see it from my house" school of craftsmanship.

 

[Hank2211]

I unfortunately have to agree with this. It's infuriating to see a renowned company stoop to making cheap stuff, or catering solely to a particular crowd because they see it as a way to make a quick buck. Ruger seem to be leaning more and more toward the "tacticool" as well which really makes me mad. I mean, at 10 round detachable box magazine bolt action rifle with a hideous flash hider? I couldn't think of a more adulterous thing to do to the M77. If you wanted a scout rifle, the original frontier rifle was great! But it isn't too late to let them know that not everyone wants the cheapest bottom-rung equipment. The hawkeye and No. 1 are their last vestige of blued steel and walnut. I think it isn't too late for them to turn around and start making great rifles again. It just seems like lately they have taken to the "can't see it from my house" school of craftsmanship.

Let me take the other side of this for a moment.

While I agree it's disheartening to see quality decline, I'd suggest that the "market" (by market I mean mass market) just simply isn't really interested in paying for quality.

Custom rifle makers charge many, many, thousands for a custom made rifle, even if they buy in the main components. And even with that, I think few, if any, make more than a decent living at it, if that.

Take a manufacturer like Ruger. They need to sell not hundreds, but thousands, of rifles for a particular rifle to be profitable. If prices for quality work go up, people start moving to cheaper guns. The only way to compete - when you need volume - is to compete on price. You are making a commodity at that point.

The solution would be to create something like the Remington Custom Shop, or Dakota Arms, and try and carry a smaller volume at a necessarily higher price. Might work, might not.

Don't forget, most hunters are not die-hard gun guys. A gun is a tool, etc. They want something that works, at a reasonable (read low) price. Hard to blame Ruger for producing what the market wants.

 

[ActionBob]

Hank I liked your post, but I don't really like it

However you speak the truth.

 

[Hank2211]

Hank I liked your post, but I don't really like it

However you speak the truth.

I know how you feel ActionBob. I don't really like it either!

I am a "gun guy", and I've been fortunate enough that by now, all of my hunting rifles are custom made. I got tired of the commodity game a long time ago.