Ruger’s Naming Methods Annoy Me…A Lot!

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Pat Riot

Pat Riot

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Years ago I discovered Ruger’s confusing ways to be slightly aggravating when looking for grip panels for my “new” New Vaqueros. It always baffled me why Ruger didn’t name the New Vaquero something else, like Vaquera, Cowboy, Hombre, Bull Fighter…anything but “New” Vaquero.
It was a changed model. Smaller frame, smaller cylinder, smaller grip. Why not rename it?

That was annoying enough, but now the brain trust at Ruger has dropped the “new” from the “New Vaquero” name so now the revolver is the “Vaquero”.
Do they not know how hard this makes it for finding parts, holsters, accessories, etc.?
And don’t get me started on their danged grip frame nomenclatures.

Sorry for the rant, but I can’t be the only person that finds Ruger and their silly naming processes to be annoying.
I did send a complaint via email and on their apparently worthless “Ask the CEO” feature on their website. I have actually used that a number of times and gotten no response. I didn’t get a response to my email either.
 
Pat Riot said:
Years ago I discovered Ruger’s confusing ways to be slightly aggravating when looking for grip panels for my “new” New Vaqueros. It always baffled me why Ruger didn’t name the New Vaquero something else, like Vaquera, Cowboy, Hombre, Bull Fighter…anything but “New” Vaquero.
It was a changed model. Smaller frame, smaller cylinder, smaller grip. Why not rename it?

That was annoying enough, but now the brain trust at Ruger has dropped the “new” from the “New Vaquero” name so now the revolver is the “Vaquero”.
Do they not know how hard this makes it for finding parts, holsters, accessories, etc.?
And don’t get me started on their danged grip frame nomenclatures.

Sorry for the rant, but I can’t be the only person that finds Ruger and their silly naming processes to be annoying.
I did send a complaint via email and on their apparently worthless “Ask the CEO” feature on their website. I have actually used that a number of times and gotten no response. I didn’t get a response to my email either.
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I like how Smith names their guns! Colt does a really good job without numbers. Ruger needs to add animals to there naming. Rugers Hamster!
 
I HATE naming things "new". New Vaquero, New Blackhawk. Is there a time limit where they'll automatically be renamed "old"? No!

I'm in IT and I hate it when I see a document named something like "New network diagram". The diagram maybe outdated a month after it's drawn up.
You can always say something is old. It'll only get older. But never name anything new.

New Vaquero just means it was made after 1993. You make good points.
 
It is dumb. They could've called it anything. I mean, they came up with "Montado" for something that is just a version of the New Vaquero.

IMHO, shooters made it worse when they couldn't stick to Vaquero/New Vaquero and started adding extraneous descriptors but Ruger didn't give folks much to work with.
 
My Glock 45 is a 9mm 😉
My S&W 327 is a .357
I think every gun company has odd ways of naming things, but Ruger does some things that defy logic.
Now I am wondering when they will rename the New Blackhawk to Blackhawk just to add to the mix of confusion.

The other “New” models are still called “New (whatever)
1734798366584.png

Ruger® Firearms

ruger.com ruger.com
As you can see Vaquero is the only one…so far
 
Ruger has always used "New Model" and "Old Model" to describe the pre and post-1973 single actions. Which is why many take issue with referring to the New Vaquero as the "new model Vaquero".

Why Ruger has chosen to double down on the confusion is beyond me. There's not logic to it. It's almost as if they hire a new person every week for that job and none of them know anything about it.
 
Glock is clear and understandable even if their pistols are ugly. One model that only comes in one caliber. And it’s a number. Nice and boring and straightforward. None of these cute names so beloved by marketing departments. “They’ll totally buy more of our guns if we call them the Black Eagle Ops Tac Security Limited Edition instead of just ‘Model 53.’

Old Colt revolvers are the worst.
 
A rose by any other name…..

I like Glock naming, the only two I have any issue with is the “X” models (19X, 43X). The rest work for me.

Of course, I’ve been known to not give a crap about stuff beyond my control, so maybe that’s an inherent personality disorder…
 
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As long as the latest "Gee golly whiz bang .45/9mm,12ga30/07, BB pump, leveraging, semi auto double barrel single shot revolver is within what I'm willing to pay and does what I want they can call it Gertrude or Bubba. I'll call it a gun or fishing pole or tomato stake. Depending on what it's being used for. I gave up on trying to figure out why different industries do the things they do years ago. Learned "New and improved usually means the old product has been FUBARed by bean counters" and " we can build this cheaper" engineers. I'm thankful we can find quality products when we take time to look. I'm not going to waste time being POed about things I have no control over. The list of those things is endless.
 
I absolutely hate lazy and imprecise language. The use of relative terms "new" and "old" is a slippery slope. Especially when it's unofficial terms that their intended meaning can get skewed. Like the use of "FTF" for Failure To Feed. Some folks that didn't know any better thought that mean "failure to fire", which is in reality a misfire. So that now, someone says they have an FTF in their revolver, you can assume they meant a misfire but if it's a 1911, you have to ask. Then what's the point??? If Ruger had given the New Vaquero a completely different name, like Montado, we wouldn't have people using all sorts of vague and goofy terms to differentiate them. Like "old Vaquero" or "old model Vaquero" or whatever else.

For example, some folks call some vintages of truck "OBS" for Old Body Style. Well, those are 1988-1998 GM trucks. "Old", really? What about the 47 generations of GM trucks before them??? It's dumb.
 
Pat Riot said:
Why does that matter? Changing the name from “New Vaquero” to “Vaquero” just adds confusion.
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*Laughs in Ruger Security Six low back versus high back.*

It really doesn't add to the confusion.

The New Model Vaqueros are pretty much the industry standard by this point. There have been more of them made, for a longer period. There are more of the smaller framed guns in circulation. It has pretty much become the standard at this point.

Colt and S&W have done the same. A current production S&W 686 has nothing in common with an original one introduced in 1980 nor does the current King Cobra have anything in common with the original.

But Both S&W and Colt still do it.
 
Miami_JBT said:
*Laughs in Ruger Security Six low back versus high back.*

It really doesn't add to the confusion.

The New Model Vaqueros are pretty much the industry standard by this point. There have been more of them made, for a longer period. There are more of the smaller framed guns in circulation. It has pretty much become the standard at this point.

Colt and S&W have done the same. A current production S&W 686 has nothing in common with an original one introduced in 1980 nor does the current King Cobra have anything in common with the original.

But Both S&W and Colt still do it.
Click to expand...

I disagree and I don’t accept the goofy naming of guns because someone else did it. I am not trying to argue with you. Just stating my opinion.
Gun companies need to pull their heads out of their ***es in more ways than one.

CraigC said:
It may be the standard but there's still a ton of folks wondering which one they can use "Ruger only" loads in.
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That is very true.
I actually stopped a couple of guys from doing that very thing with their “New Vaqueros” a few years ago.

One of the things that just ticks me off is buying or trying to buy grips and holsters for Vaqueros vs New Vaqueros. Ruger just made that process even worse.
 
CraigC said:
It may be the standard but there's still a ton of folks wondering which one they can use "Ruger only" loads in.
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That is an issue.

But then again, the same goes for .45-70 Government and the Marlin only loads. I've seen people try to load that into a Magnum BFR and a T/C Contender.

Heck, I've even seen people load commercial.308 Winchester into FR7 Mausers. And try to shoot off some heavy duty .44 Special from a Charter Arms.
 
Miami_JBT said:
That is an issue.

But then again, the same goes for .45-70 Government and the Marlin only loads. I've seen people try to load that into a Magnum BFR and a T/C Contender.

Heck, I've even seen people load commercial.308 Winchester into FR7 Mausers. And try to shoot off some heavy duty .44 Special from a Charter Arms.
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Yeah but there aren't modern Marlins those loads are good for and modern Marlins they are not.

That said, the BFR is stronger than the rifle.
 
Mark_Mark said:
I like how Smith names their guns!
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Yeah, it's awesome. I'd like the M&P please.

Um, okay, does that mean the M&P shield or the M&P EZ or the M&P 340 revolver or the M&P model 10 military and Police or the M&P 9mm or the M&P 2.0 or the M&P 5.7 or the M&P .22 Magnum or the M&P Shotgun or the M&P AR-15 rifle or the M&P knife or the M&P pen and pencil set or the M&P toilet valve?
 
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