• ODT Gun Show & Swap Meet - May 4, 2024! - Click here for info

Ruger quality?

Racing engines use forged steel crankshafts. OEM crankshafts are often investment castings. The simple truth is 2000 HP engines would not use investment casting in no way way, shape or form. Forgings are stronger no matter how you slice it. Same goes for forged race wheels and so on. Investment casting is a superior method over sand mold casting by far. However, it will never equal the strength of forged steel. We can argue the subject all year but the simple truth is forging yields a stronger product. If Nascar engine crankshafts were made of investment castings they wouldn't make it two laps. They would snap like a twig. They will take high RPM's for very short spurts but won't hold up to sustained high RPM over a long period of time.

I'm not disagreeing with you on the additional strength forging adds to any steel. It takes a below average steel and makes it average, or an average steel and makes it superior. In your NASCAR example it's taking superior steel and making it more-superior.

But the real question is 'what are the requirements?'. Smith K frames are limited in the amount of 357 Magnum they can handle in their forged frames, while the cast GP-100 can run them all day long. In this case the cast gun is stronger than the equivalent forged gun, although to be fair the GP is slightly larger than a K frame.

And there's plenty of handload recipes that are only for Rugers cast guns, and will blow up a forged still frame.

I would certainly argue that Rugers investment cast steel frames are more than strong enough to stand up to constant use in a 1911. A major company like that wouldn't skip durability testing on a new design.

Using forged steel for a 1911 simply means you can use lower quality steel and still get the 'good enough' results you need. I'll guarantee that's what Taurus is doing, and if I remember Springfield gets their 1911s from an overseas company as well. Ruger can simply start with the strength steel they need and start the manufacturing process from there.

At the end of the day I'm guessing it's personal preference though. I doubt any of the major manufacturers have any questions about what strength steel to use in 1911 frames and slides. It's a 100+ year old design so there's nothing in it that's still a mystery. And they all will have to support them for years, so I doubt they would put themselves on the hook for future warranty claims using sub-par materials in a major component.
 
We can speculate all day about the supposed quality of steel. I like forged stainless 1911's for their solid feel when charged and fired. To me it's a feel to the gun not found in cast guns. This thread had strayed from the original subject matter. I simply stated I didn't like Ruger 1911's. I own. Ruger AR15 and ,I am quite happy with it's performance. I Also said Ruger made fine six guns ( Revolvers.). I am not going to begins to say beyond a shadow of a doubt the speculated quality of a companies steel. It's a matter of opinion and no one can even begin to change my mind.
 
My first two Rugers -

Standard/MK I .22 pistol, front sight was defective and would not stay on, the hole for the screw that holds the sight on was buggered up.

Security Six, .357 revolver - the entire trigger group would fall out on the first or second shot. I don't know why, sent it back to Ruger and they fixed, but really embarrassing because it was a present for my father.
 
My first Ruger was a 10/22 I bought at Sears for about $70 or $80 back in 1979. That gun still runs perfectly.

I think the only Ruger I ever had to send back for a real issue (not a recall) was an LCR in 357 that was slightly out of time. Every time you shot it you would get hot brass shavings peppering your face. There may be another one in there too but if so I forget.

And sorry, but I had to laugh at the thought of the whole trigger group falling out like that. Kind of like something you would see in a cartoon or something. Glad they fixed it, the Security Six is a great revolver.
 
UPDATE: :mad2:
I just picked up both guns (RPR and Single 6).
As a refresher, the rifle went back for accuracy (can't get it to shoot sub inch consistently at 50 yards). It comes back with no documentation of what was done, just a copy of a target showing an 8-10 shot group (too blurry to tell) of about an inch and a half at 50 yards with the words written on it "Target from 50 yards after repair". :confused: I called them up to find out what 'repair' was done and supposedly it was work on the crown (which appears they may have done) and they said an inch and a half is what is deemed acceptable for that rifle. Do what?!?! 3 MOA?!?! is acceptable? What a joke. Screw that noise. Rifle will be up for sale with full disclosure.
Then the revolver I sent it in for shooting left (and low) to point of aim despite adjusting the rear sight fully (only sight that is adjustable).
Get it back with a packing slip that state "Adjusted Rear Sight
Base pin must be fully seated for proper function; otherwise the transfer bar will fall forward and get caught under the firing pin, locking up hammer.
Repair, safety function check, range test and cleaning has been completed"
I'm not sure what all that has to do with anything as I never had a function issue with it but the target shows it shooting..... 3 guesses..... yep, low and left of POA. Call THEM up (because handguns and rifles are different groups) and "A supervisor will have to call you back tomorrow."
Adding insult to injury the box for the revolver came back broken (latch broken off) and I was charged a transfer fee I wasn't told about.
:frusty:
 
UPDATE: :mad2:
I just picked up both guns (RPR and Single 6).
As a refresher, the rifle went back for accuracy (can't get it to shoot sub inch consistently at 50 yards). It comes back with no documentation of what was done, just a copy of a target showing an 8-10 shot group (too blurry to tell) of about an inch and a half at 50 yards with the words written on it "Target from 50 yards after repair". :confused: I called them up to find out what 'repair' was done and supposedly it was work on the crown (which appears they may have done) and they said an inch and a half is what is deemed acceptable for that rifle. Do what?!?! 3 MOA?!?! is acceptable? What a joke. Screw that noise. Rifle will be up for sale with full disclosure.
Then the revolver I sent it in for shooting left (and low) to point of aim despite adjusting the rear sight fully (only sight that is adjustable).
Get it back with a packing slip that state "Adjusted Rear Sight
Base pin must be fully seated for proper function; otherwise the transfer bar will fall forward and get caught under the firing pin, locking up hammer.
Repair, safety function check, range test and cleaning has been completed"
I'm not sure what all that has to do with anything as I never had a function issue with it but the target shows it shooting..... 3 guesses..... yep, low and left of POA. Call THEM up (because handguns and rifles are different groups) and "A supervisor will have to call you back tomorrow."
Adding insult to injury the box for the revolver came back broken (latch broken off) and I was charged a transfer fee I wasn't told about.
:frusty:

You're having some bad luck with cars and firearms. You related to @Bypass ?
 
Back
Top Bottom