Ruger's elegant game gun - Shotgunner

Guns Magazine, July, 2002 by Holt Bodinson

With its flair for blending nostalgic designs with modern production methods, Sturm, Ruger & Co. has produced another classic firearm -- the Gold Label, 12 gauge, side-by-side, upland game gun.

The new Gold Label is a remarkable achievement. First, because the Gold Label features the aesthetic, handling and dynamic qualities of a handmade English game gun. And second, because Ruger brings this quality side-by-side to the marketplace at a suggested retail price of only $1,950.

Scheduled to be shipped to dealers in the second half of 2002, we expect to have a test Gold Label gun in our hands soon in order to write a more complete review. But here are my impressions from handling the Gold Label at the 2002 SHOT Show, where it made its debut.

In the traditional sense, an upland game gun as made by the best of the English gun makers, is a 12 gange side-by-side weighing between 5.5 and 6.25 pounds. It has a straight grip and shallow splinter forearm, is lively and very dynamic in the hands -- in short, a blend of functional elegance and economy of form that has evolved from the flintlock doubles of the 18th century up till the present day. The game gun is normally fitted to the specific shooter during the building process, which can still take two or more years to complete. Cost, at a minimum, is $35,000.

What struck me about the Ruger Gold Label is its weight of 6.25 pounds or less and its weight distribution. How did they do it? Although chambered for the 3 inch shell, the 28 inch hammer forged barrels are exceedingly thin and pleasantly contoured. Fitted with thin-walled interchangeable choke tubes that are steel shot compatible, the barrels maintain slim profiles without the bulbous look at the muzzle that is so prevalent in choke-tubed barrels today. The rounded stainless steel action is so shallow and small, it almost looks like it belongs on a 20 gauge rather than a 12. With its splinter forearm and straight-gripped stock, the Gold label balances 3/8 inch ahead of the hinge pin, which places the weight evenly distributed between the hands. This gun is a natural pointer!

We'll have a lot more to say about this exciting new Ruger as soon as we have an opportunity to test it in the field and on the range.

The Six Foot Barrel

When I first saw this barrel in the Hastings' booth at the Shot Show, I thought it was an advertising stunt for the firm's popular replacement shotgun barrel and choke tube lines. Hastings representative, Aaron Bloom, soon set me straight.

The barrel is actually two 12 gauge barrels -- a 32 inch Remington Model 870 barrel and a 36 inch Hastings barrel -- that screws into the choke tube threads of the Remington. The Hastings extension barrel is fitted for choke tubes and ported with a number of small round holes running around and along its length.

What's the purpose of this strange looking combination?

The quiet elimination of problem fowl and beasts in urban settings.

By using a load like Winchester's 26 gram Low Recoil/Low Noise round, the report from the Hastings' 6 foot barrel is exceedingly quiet and not one to raise the rancor of nearby residents.

It's a simple, ingenious, low-tech solution to a growing problem -- as any goose-hassled golfer will tell you.

FOR MORE INFORMATION:

Sturm, Ruger & Company, Inc.

www.ruger.com

Hastings

[785] 632-3169

www.hastingsbarrels.com