An American legend: William Batterman Ruger

American Handgunner, Nov-Dec, 2002 by Roy Huntington

JUNE 21, 1916 - JULY 6, 2002

Few people familiar with firearms would fail to recognize the Ruger name. From it's humble beginnings in 1949 in a small workshop in Southport, Conn., to its present place as the largest firearms maker in America, Ruger has been a consistent leader in design, innovation and value. Ruger's first offering -- his .22 target auto -- immediately pushed the company into the spotlight.

Accurate and affordable, the .22 led the way toward a legion of designs that proved, again and again, the design genius of the man behind the company. Following on the heels of the semiauto .22, the Single Six was a .22 caliber single action revolver with an entirely new lock-work design using coil springs. Capitalizing on the western rage sweeping the country, Ruger's offering brought the excitement and lure of the Old West into the hands of tens of thousands, and built the foundation for later large bore single action designs, like the Blackhawk and Super Blackhawk series.

Unlike many traditional corporate leaders, Bill Ruger kept his hands in machine oil and personally designed the overwhelming majority of his company's offerings. Regardless of the degree of his personal involvement, his touch and influence remained an integral part of every design up until his passing. It was not uncommon for Ruger to stop, while passing through the plant, take off his coat and plunge his arms into machine oil to help a machinist. The "Old Man," as he was affectionately known throughout the industry, demanded his guns perform in the real world, while remaining affordable to virtually anyone who wanted -- or needed -- one. And he saw to it personally.

According to R.L. Wilson, firearms historian and Ruger's biographer: "Ruger was a true firearms genius who mastered the disciplines of inventing, designing, engineering, manufacturing and marketing, better than anyone since Samuel Colt. No one in the 20th century so clearly dominated the field, or was so skilled at articulating the unique appeal of quality firearms for legitimate uses."

More than firearms

Ruger was a true Renaissance man, in the fullest meaning of the term, and his interests included a wide-range of arenas. Antique firearms captured his imagination and he was a common sight at auctions around the world. Nineteenth century Western American art, antique cars (he owned more than 30 fine vehicles, from Bentleys to a 1913 Mercer Race-about), and even the design and construction of his own classic auto, only touch on some of the man's passions. His 92-foot yacht, the Titania, was born from his own design pen.

Bill Ruger's philanthropy was evident through charities in the communities where his factories were located, as well as the Buffalo Bill Historical Center in Cody, Wyo., where he served as a member of the Board of Trustees for over 15 years.

Ruger is survived by his son, William B. Ruger, Jr., who is the current Chairman of the company, and daughter Carolyn R. Vogel, six grandchildren and 10 great-grandchildren. He was predeceased by his wife, the late Mary Thompson Ruger and a son, James Thompson "Tom" Ruger.

Ruger has been compared to John M. Browning and called a modern American firearms genius. The accolades are well-deserved and indeed, millions of people the world over were introduced to the joys of shooting due to the quality and affordability of a Ruger firearm. From law enforcement to target shooters, hunters, precision riflemen and shotgunnets, Ruger's legacy will continue in the form of future design innovations from his company, and in the fond memories so many have of time spent in the field with their Ruger firearms. Rest easy, Bill.