By Dave Workman
Editor-in-Chief
The announcement by Ruger that it was suspending production of certain popular models including the legendary Blackhawk and Redhawk revolvers, and the iconic No. 1 single-shot rifle has ignited a wave of speculation, some misinformation, lots of hand-wringing and no small amount of unjustified doom-and-gloom.
TGM reached out to Ruger and learned, “To clarify, we are suspending production of certain products and completing final production runs of others. This does not necessarily mean these product families are permanently discontinued.”
This is important, as Ruger notes in its message to distributors, “Throughout our history, we have temporarily paused production of established product families, including the 77-series rifles, the 22 Charger and the SR1911 pistol, as market conditions and manufacturing priorities changed.” (Emphasis added)
While the announcement has ignited the typical rumor and speculation mill, here are the facts as spelled out in the “Distributor Update.”
- Ruger is suspending production, effectively immediately, of the LCR, Ruger SP 101, GP100 and Bearcat revolvers.
- Final production through the end of this year “will continue through planned final production runs over the remainder of 2026. This applies to the following models: SR1911, LC Carbine, / PC Charger, PC Carbine / LC Charger, Redhawk, Super Redhawk, Blackhawk, Super Blackhawk. Single-Series revolvers, Vaquero, No. 1, 77-series rifles, Hawkeye and Ruger Precision Rifle.
- “Suspending production does not necessarily mean saying goodbye to these product families,” the Distribution Update says.
As noted in the Ruger message, “In many cases, we believe there are opportunities to bring important Ruger platforms forward through new designs, improved features, modern manufacturing methods and meaningful innovation.”
Most importantly the note to distributors says this: “We expect many of these names and product families to return in new forms in the months and years ahead.”
As author Samuel Clemens (aka Mark Twain) was once quoted, “The report of my death was an exaggeration.”
Founded by the late William B. Ruger and Alexander M. Sturm in 1949, Sturm, Ruger & Company has become a giant in the firearms industry, domestically and internationally. It has been publicly traded since 1969, which is significant because the company has shareholders.
The notice to distributors notes, “Product line rationalization does not simply mean reducing the number of products we manufacture. It means continuously evaluating our portfolio against current consumer demand, evolving market preferences, manufacturing complexity, opportunities for modernization and innovation, and he long-term profitability of each product family. This allows us to focus our resources on the products consumers want most today while creating the capacity to develop the products they will want tomorrow.”
