Started out with a used .22 autopistol in 1959, have owned stock in the company since 1980. (No, it doesn't always go up!).
Not sure how many I have owned or given to other members of the family--but it's got to be well up in the double digits. May start thinning the herd one of these days, so it will be interesting to see which ones remain after that.
No longer have that first .22 pistol, which is a shame. Picked up a very beat-up duplicate of it some years ago and rehabilitated it. With a trigger job, does it ever shoot...everybody in the family got one sooner or later.
Have used the Security/Service Six series for over 25 years. The only competition they have for durability and value are the GPs. Only have one of the latter but it has been worked over and is one primo pistol.
The SAs are good working guns. I do not shoot SAs all that well compared to DAs but I have a favorite NM .45 Convertible that likes me, and a NM New Vaquero that is shaping up nicely. We have a couple of old Flattops around, but the NMs serve as well and are expendable if it comes to that.
Only owned one Ruger rifle, an early Ranch Mini. We were not compatable, and I soon sold it. Have trifled with the P-series autoloaders, and have been completely underwhelmed by all of them. But then the furthest I have ever really strayed from 1911s has been to own a couple of BHPs because they are cool.
Most of my S&Ws are safe queens or eye candy, more for show than for go. The Rugers are the ones that go out the door with me 95% of the time. They're a year-in-year-out tool, sort of the American version of a Swiss knife.