ruger "warning"

varian

when did ruger first start applying the "warning" to their guns. specifically the model 77

Winston Bode

I believe it was in 1973, on the guns that were made at the time.

Bode

reindeer

As I recall, Ruger was the victim of a series of adverse court decisions regarding their manufacture of old west style guns which, when dropped with six in the chambers, fired. These were tough cases factually as I recall where innocent third-parties were killed/injured. Again as I recall the decision in one of those cases rejected the contention that the firearm in question was an accurate recreation of the old west design and that loading all six chambers was the unsafe act. I believe that the judicial response was that what was the state of the art in 1873 isn't the benchmark of what will be considered an acceptable design in 1973. After that, and again as I recall, the joke at the range became "Have you read any good Rugers lately?" reindeer

2xbyu

Ruger started putting the warning statement on all Rugers in very late 1977 early 1978

The M77 accepted "warning statement" start time is serial number 73-11978. Early 1978. BUT there are earlier numbers with the statement, and later numbers without the statement. There was a transition period when older stock and newer stock was being used.

1973 was the end of the Old Model 3 screw era (handguns). Single Six, Blackhawk, Super Blackhawk. The New Models had the updated safety lock-work, Transfer bar and two step hammer, but no safety warning until '77-'78.

mongrel1776

My understanding was always that one of the plaintiffs against Ruger argued that he or she couldn't have been expected to read the instruction manual that came with the gun, as there had been no direction to do so either from Ruger or from the store where the gun was sold. Allegedly the court bought this argument of complete lack of personal accountability, and found against Ruger. Hence Ruger's defacing their guns with the warning to READ THE MANUAL.

Maybe not actually a true story, but, given the social and judicial climate in this country for as long as I can remember (I'm 45), it certainly could be.

SAM-USMC

I feel that any Firearm Maker that puts "WARNINGS" on their guns are defacing them! I hate the way it looks, and I refuse to buy a gun that has this "WARNING" etched on it! Now I already have taken a lot of heat for saying this before, but it's the way i feel about it, and I really don't care what others may think.

machine gun moran

I agree with SAM-USMC. It is difficult to mistake buying a gun for buying a bagel toaster, except for a Liberal, and if this excuse doesn't quite work, they still claim that they didn't know that guns are designed to make holes in things if they load them, point them at their kids, and pull the trigger.

It's as if they also don't understand that thrusting a knife into someone will cause a stab would.

Unfortunately, juries are full of these Liberal 'intellectuals', too.

blacarrow

I know this is getting away from the original topic, but I'd like to tell of an experience I had with a Ruger S/A.

I was hunting at night in a remote area in Northern Utah in January. I came to a place called Locomotive Springs. It's a beautiful place with clear water containing some very large Trout, There is a jetty- like pier that extends out into the spring and I wanted to sneak out on it and see the trout. I had a rifle slung over my shoulder and a Ruger .22 mag. in one of my pockets. I knew that the wood of the pier was likely to be slippery and wanting to be safe, bent over to unsling the rifle. In doing so, the pistol slipped out of my pocket, did a half-turn landing of the hammer, and discharged.

The bullet struck my left hand, taking out the second joint of my little finger. Hurt like the dickens!! I felt, and still do, that it was entirely my fault.

I would never dream of initiating a lawsuit, and despise people who do. How can you blame the manufacturer for something that happened due to your own stupidity?

reindeer

As I recall those lawsuits the injured parties were not the gun owners. In one instance as I recall, a car wash worker pulled out the front mat on one side of the car and a loaded hangun that was under the seat came out with it and discharged when it hit the ground. The worker was severely injured when the bullet smashed his ankle. The other instance was a father who carried a revolver in a shoulder holster fell out as he bent over. He was loading the car to go on a family camping trip. The bullet struck and killed his son, as I recall. Of course I believe in personal responsibility but these cases involved who were not careless. reindeer