March 24th, 2012
Demand for Ruger Firearms Outstrips Production Capacity
Sturm, Ruger & Co. Inc. (Ruger) must be doing something right. Ruger’s manufacturing plants are running at full capacity, yet it still can’t keep up with demand for its pistols and rifles. Ruger recently announced that, for the first quarter 2012, the Company has received orders for more than one million units.. That will outstrip Ruger’s production capacity. Therefore, the Company has temporarily suspended the acceptance of new orders.
Chief Executive Officer Michael O. Fifer made the following comments:
• The Company’s Retailer Programs that were offered from January 1, 2012 through February 29, 2012 were very successful and generated significant orders from retailers to independent wholesale distributors for Ruger firearms.
• Year-to-date, the independent wholesale distributors placed orders with the Company for more than one million Ruger firearms.
• Despite the Company’s continuing successful efforts to increase production rates, the incoming order rate exceeds our capacity to rapidly fulfill these orders. Consequently, the Company has temporarily suspended the acceptance of new orders.
• The Company expects to resume the normal acceptance of orders by the end of May 2012.
New Guns Have Been Well-Received
Ruger has seen its fortunes rise in the past few years with the successful introduction of small, compact self-loading pistols. These are very popular with Americans looking for a “carry” pistol for self defense. In addition, demand for rifles has increased with Ruger’s recent introduction of its value-priced Ruger American Rifle (RAR), a bolt gun with many modern features such as a barrel nut (like Savage) and side bolt release (like Tikka). With a street price of just $379.60, the basic, synthetic-stocked RAR is a value-leader in the market, just like the Ruger 10/22, which continues to sell in great numbers.
