Red Label opinions

[ArmedBear]

Local shop has one NIB on sale for $909 (grey stainless version).

The Red Label is often disparaged, but I know a couple guys who have them and the guns have been good to them.

The investment cast receiver is what gets bashed.

Is this legitimate? Ruger's cast revolvers are famous for standing up to ridiculous handloads that destroy other guns.

What's different about the shotgun receiver?

Or is this just anti-hype from the Citori lovers?

Thanks to anyone who really knows!

 

[Dave McCracken]

Red Labels have lots of happy owners. They fall more into field guns than high volume competition guns, I've shot a couple in 28 gauge and liked htem.....

 

[ArmedBear]

Dave-

Does that mean they don't stand up well to high volume shooting?

I'd want this thing for frequent range use (5-stand, doubles trap, maybe SC), with a little hunting thrown in. It's an 8-lb. 12 Gauge, not the neat little 28.

The price is tempting, but it's not free.

 

[koja48]

I have a 12, a 20, & a 28 . . . love all 3 & have had no problems. The 28 is one sweet shotgun.

 

[Dave McCracken]

I haven't seen any failures on the line,AB, but I see few used by the high volume shooters. PGC is definitely B gun country, though the Kolar fans are catching up.

The action feels a little flimsy when opened, but everything seems to keep on working.

I've owned a messa Rugers over the decades, no shotguns but plenty of revolvers and a couple 10-22s. All were overbuilt and I doubt the O/U is different.

 

[byf43]

A hunting buddy bought a 12 ga Red Label a bunch of years ago.
The only complaint that he had was the weight of the thing.

He sold it.
He bought it back two weeks later. The 'buyer' didn't like it's weight.

My buddy wound up selling it again, to another friend, and he loves it!

He claims it's heavy too, but, he doesn't care.

He uses it for pheasant and dove.

 

[hank327]

I bought my Red Label way back in the 1980's. I loved the thing and it worked flawlessly. I ended up selling it to a friend of mine when I took up bowhunting and quit birdhunting. My friend still has it and he loves it too. Says he can hardly miss out in the dove fields with it. I know my Red Label has a good home, but I rather wish I had her back.

 

[koja48]

The only complaint that he had was the weight of the thing.

The 12 IS heavy, but the 20 is a dream to carry & the 28 . . . well, you don't even know it's there & it's built on a true 28-gauge receiver.

 

[Red Label]

Maybe you can tell by my nickname that I happen to love my Red Label. Dave knows by previous discussions that my favorite trap gun is my Remington TB trap but my sporting clays and skeet gun has definately got to be my Ruger! It is heavy I suppose for a hunting gun but I didn't buy it for that and for me that 8# makes for a smooth swing. Its the 12ga 30" sporting model and I couldn't be happier. I have never had problem 1 with it and I use it constantly. The action is definately different than the Brownings but I have never had the firing pin problems with it either like the Citori guys I shoot with. By the way the action opens smoothly because thats the way Ruger designed it. Buy one and enjoy it!!!

 

[ArmedBear]

The action is definately different than the Brownings

A good thing, as far as I'm concerned.

A Citori isn't any lighter, either. I'll take heavy over bulky and heavy. My trap gun weighs more.

I picked up a little 20 Gauge SKB for dove/quail anyhoo, though I've used my 1100 until now and it's been fine. It's no lighter than the Ruger, and a few inches longer, too, which is an issue in heavy brush. Either way, I don't need to use the Ruger for all day field carry.

Hmmm...

Seems like lots of people think there's something wrong with a Red Label, but no one has ever actually seen a problem. I do know I guy with a Woodside; he had some mechanical issue with it, but Ruger fixed it for free, as usual for the big R. Maybe I'll go see about it. It's hard to get a stainless production shotgun; I can put wood on it if I want wood, but the stainless is a real attraction and can't be retrofitted to a blue gun.

Thanks, all!

 

[evbutler462]

Check out the Shotgun World forum under "Most overrated shotguns" to get some reviews on the Ruger and other brands. Most interesting.

 

[PJR]

Any criticism I might have for the Ruger Red Label has nothing to do with the investment cast receiver.

In 12 gauge I find the guns muzzle heavy and not very dynamic in their handling qualities. The trigger pulls are often heavy and rough and are not easy to fix. The safety/trigger select system is awkward to manage in the field.

None of these makes the Red Label a gun not worth the price but are strictly personal observations. A 28" Red Label in 28 gauge with a straight grip is a delightful little field gun. All I need to do is find one with a nice piece of wood and learn to get over that dang safety.

 

[ArmedBear]

Yeah, PJR, it does seem kinda "dead". And the safety does seem to be a bit of a PITA. Hell, I even like the Citori as long as it's 20 or smaller, and I agree that the RRL in 28 with a straight grip is a great gun. It's just a TOTALLY different animal from the PG 12 gauge version.

I don't care for guns that go on-safe whenever you open them, and the overall control design is a bit of a pain.

Truthfully, I like my Remington repeaters' safeties on the trigger guard, and my SKB's barrel selector on the trigger. I prefer controls I can operate FAST, without moving any part of my hand out of firing position, and by feel, since my eyes are plenty busy, hunting quail in rough high chapparal country.

My wife's $.02: "If you stop buying so many guns, you can go on more trips, where there are more quail." Good advice, I think...

Thanks again, all.

evbutler-

Interesting thread and forum. Thanks.

 

[Tom Held]

Reliability

I've shot thousands and thousands of rounds through a Red Lable 28 and 20 gauge in Argentina. I would guess in 4 dove shooting trips there I've averaged maybe 1500 rounds a day in 6-7 hours of shooting using Argentina ammo which often is not very clean. Might be one mis-fire in a thousand.

Never had a problem with either gun. Tom