Why no Ruger 1911?

[nachosgrande]

It seems they would sell a boatload of these if they went in that direction.

 

[Fumbler]

Because the market is already saturated.
Why tool up for a gun for which you may never get a piece of the market?
They're good at making the things they do, maybe the see no need to expand and take risks.

 

[mljdeckard]

The trigger would be too crisp.

 

[nwilliams]

I wouldn't be at all surprised to see a Ruger made 1911 in the near future.

It seems that over the past couple years every gun manufacturer is jumping on the 1911 and AR-15 bandwagon.

Personally I love the 1911 and the AR platform so it doesn't really bother me if more are added to the market.

 

[Clarence]

I suspect the guys at Ruger have looked at the cost of tooling up for the 1911 compared to how many units they would sell and what it would cost to produce them and decided it wouldn't be cost effective.

 

[mnhntr]

until the recall

 

[easyrider604]

Saw this link in the Ruger forum

http://www.ruger.com/casting/P-Overview.html

Check out the frames in the lower picture. Looks like Ruger is tooled for the 1911 frame, and probably for the slide as well. There is also what looks like a 1911 safety in the upper picture.

If Ruger can build a basic 1911 at the same price as a cast frame/slide 1911 such as the RIA, around 400-500, and a model to compete pricewise with the STI Spartan (this has cast frame and slide), they will sell a lot.

 

[Jed Carter]

A 4 pound 1911 would have little or no recoil...

 

[JDGray]

They wouldn't be able to overbuild it, and still look like a 1911

No really, I read on the Internet(So it must be true) that Ruger made frames for Caspian

 

[earlthegoat2]

Ruger would have to carefully plan the 1911 route they took. They generally only build items that sell like crazy. To do this you have to walk a fine line between price point and quality. One they have walked well.

I envision them wanting to put out a product with all the features of the Taurus 1911 at a similar or slightly higher price. This is not easy for an American company to do anymore.

 

[SharpsDressedMan]

If I remember correctly, Ruger was in business with the same investment casting firm that produces the Caspian frames. There might be some agreement to refrain from crossing over business ventures over the production of 1911's because of those business agreements.