A sign of things to come?

Wednesday, October 24, 2007 Filed in: General gun stuff, Shooting industry
Last week Ruger did something unprecedented, at least for them: they introduced a 9mm striker-fired autopistol.

Those who frequent my little corner of the internet know my general feelings regarding autoloading handguns (I wouldn't turn one down if given to me, but I'd sell it to buy another revolver!) Still, I've got to admit that the engineering and design of the new SR9 are quite good, for a bottom-feeder, and it even looks nice. I'm sure it will sell well for them.

But that's not the best part of the story.

What's more interesting to me is the path by which this gun came to market. Ruger has a new management team these days; with the death of Bill Ruger Sr. and the retirement of Bill Jr., the company has finally gotten some fresh blood into their stodgy executive suite. It shows in this, their first collective effort. They were willing to take some risks, do something that "wasn't Ruger", and the result is a very attractive, well designed, innovative, yet affordable firearm.

The other interesting part of the gun's birth has been the means by which it has become known to the public. Everyone is making a big deal about this being the first gun to be introduced primarily through electronic media, and while that is intriguing I think there is something far more important at work.

The fact that the SR9 project was kept quiet right up until launch is an important sign, an indication that this is a seriously new Sturm, Ruger & Co. No "sneak preview" with a ridiculous one- or two-year gestation period, like every other gun company does. Ruger developed the gun in secrecy, and announced it when it was actually ready to ship. Someone, it seems, has been watching Steve Jobs very closely - this is a stunning about-face from the way the firearms industry usually works, and is very much like the way Apple, Inc. operates. Ruger has decided that "vaporware" has no place in their business, and for this alone they should be loudly applauded.

(Attention, CZ-USA: you could learn something here - though I'm not holding my breath, since you didn't take my advice last time!)

From my perspective, I'm excited to see these changes at Ruger because I suspect it means that we'll finally see some new revolvers from them. Perhaps a lightweight version of the SP101? How about a compact 6-shot revolver to take the place of the much-missed Colt Detective Special and Magnum Carry models - a market segment positively crying for attention, yet completely ignored by all of the revolver companies? Maybe, just maybe, a .44 Special version of the GP100? Please???

Ruger is finally recovering from their infamous anal/cranial inversion. The SR9, despite being a gun I will probably never own, is exciting to me not because of what it is, but because of what it says about the future of the company - a company that just happens to make other products that DO interest me.

Go Ruger!

-=[ Grant ]=-

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