Ruger Customer Service

[Styx]

If the competition is S&W I would say that Ruger puts out a better product these days.

I agree, but then again I've owned a lot more S&W pistols than Ruger. One of my Shields had shorts in the frame from the ejection molding process. That is, enough polymer didn't fill up the mold while the frame was being made. It's basically cosmetic, but I worked as an ejection molding technician for years for a large international company, and we NEVER let add like that pass by. It gets scrapped. When I contacted S&W about that and the recoil spring that busted only after a few mags out of a new pistol, they completely ignored the pictures and my complaints. They just offered to replace the recoil spring.

At least regarding revolvers. My last 3 new S&Ws have had issues. One went back 4 times in all.

Believe me I know. I've seen countless other people who say they had the same experience. I tried to point that out to @triplebike and others in here: Probable new gun owners, a tale of two firearm manufacturers... Seems Sig, S&W, and some get a pass and people dismiss their terrible QC and warranty service while holding others (usually budget prices pistols) to a higher standard.

 

[Pat Riot]

Seems Sig, S&W, and some get a pass and people dismiss their terrible QC and warranty service while holding others (usually budget prices pistols) to a higher standard.

I definitely agree. I think, as a customer base, that we need to raise a little hell with these manufacturers that seem to continue to take it for granted that customers will Beta Test their products for them on an endless basis.

 

[Trey Veston]

The only pistols I've had to send in for service were both S&W; an M&P40 and a PC Shield 9mm. Ten years apart. The M&P40 was returned quickly and flawlessly in 2007. The Shield took arguing with a female CS rep that a bulge in the barrel and 12" groups was not acceptable. That took two months turn around and it came back with a barrel with a nick in the crown.

 

[Hiredgun48]

Had to return my new LCR for some work on the cylinder release button -great customer service and quick turn-around time thoroughly satisfied

 

[jar]

I decided to try a scope on my Ruger 10/22 to see if that made it any more fun or accurate but when I pulled the rail pack out of it's compartment I found there were no screws. I dropped an email to Ruger Customer Support but never heard anything back. Then a mail from "Casandra" showed up in USPS informed delivery. It contained 4 screws and an invoice for $0.00.

Casandra, if you are reading this, thanks.

But now I find that I needed to mount an old scope really far back to get proper eye relief so I'm going to try a newer scope that has a longer eye relief.

 

[triplebike]

What

Sure seems like every time there is a thread on Ruger's CS on various firearms forums, people come out of the woodwork to say how great they were in repairing defective guns.

It would be interesting to see just how many defective guns Ruger is cranking out compared to other manufacturers since the preferred scenario is a manufacturer not producing a defective firearm in the first place.

I have no idea how good Glock's CS is since I have never had to send back a defective firearm. To me, that is the BEST customer service; not making crap in the first place.

Yes, I realize a lot of examples are like the OP's in which they lost a part, or the user messed up something and Ruger happily fixed it. But it sure seems like a lot of folks are getting defective guns in the first place.

Quick turn times from Ruger. They have increased their Customer Service team by doing away with their QC department and moving them into the Customer Service team.

What data do either of you have to support your statements? Can you please tell us how many guns were produced in a given year and the return rate of said guns? How many employees were shifted away from the QC department and moved to the customer service team? Without said data your talking out your butt. Since none of us have said data we rely on owners experience on how well one is taken care of when a problem occurs. Letting gun owners, new and old, know what gun manufactures take care or don't take care of their customers is the only barometer that we have. Providing info GOOD and BAD is a service to fellow gun owners. If I have a bad experience with a manufacture I will make that known every chance I get. If I have a good experience I will also make that known every chance I get.

 

[Trey Veston]

What data do either of you have to support your statements? Can you please tell us how many guns were produced in a given year and the return rate of said guns? How many employees were shifted away from the QC department and moved to the customer service team? Without said data your talking out your butt. Since none of us have said data we rely on owners experience on how well one is taken care of when a problem occurs. Letting gun owners, new and old, know what gun manufactures take care or don't take care of their customers is the only barometer that we have. Providing info GOOD and BAD is a service to fellow gun owners. If I have a bad experience with a manufacture I will make that known every chance I get. If I have a good experience I will also make that known every chance I get.

No idea why you are looking for a fight with me on this. I essentially said the exact same thing you did; that without actual verified numbers, we have to go off of what the trends are in the forums.

I would love to see firearms manufacturers have to report the rate of warranty returns on their products, or numbers of defective products produced/recalled.

This is not in any way tied to gun control or anti-gun. It is basic consumer protection. All those numbers already exist internally, but they are a closely guarded secret for obvious reasons.

And I've actually worked for Ruger producing firearms and worked with their QC department. Have you? I discovered that a worn out jig was causing thousands of sights to be produced with misaligned dots. I reported it to QC, and they ignored it, saying the cost of replacing the jig for an older model that was about to be discontinued was not economically viable.

 

[buba68]

Reading some of the issues on the Ruger Forum that people have on a variety of guns leads me to believe that Ruger QC is non existent, everyone transferred to other departments or the QC department has their heads up their butt. Sure they always fix the problem sometimes after several trips back to Ruger but I would rather have a gun that worked properly right out of the box and not have to be sent back to Ruger to be made right.

 

[triplebike]

No idea why you are looking for a fight with me on this. I essentially said the exact same thing you did; that without actual verified numbers, we have to go off of what the trends are in the forums.

I would love to see firearms manufacturers have to report the rate of warranty returns on their products, or numbers of defective products produced/recalled.

This is not in any way tied to gun control or anti-gun. It is basic consumer protection. All those numbers already exist internally, but they are a closely guarded secret for obvious reasons.

And I've actually worked for Ruger producing firearms and worked with their QC department. Have you? I discovered that a worn out jig was causing thousands of sights to be produced with misaligned dots. I reported it to QC, and they ignored it, saying the cost of replacing the jig for an older model that was about to be discontinued was not economically viable.

Having worked for Ruger definitely adds a ton of weight to your post and I thank you for the info. I also agree that reporting warranty returns and numbers of defective products would help us as consumers greatly. Thank you for the reply.

 

[triplebike]

Reading some of the issues on the Ruger Forum that people have on a variety of guns leads me to believe that Ruger QC is non existent, everyone transferred to other departments or the QC department has their heads up their butt. Sure they always fix the problem sometimes after several trips back to Ruger but I would rather have a gun that worked properly right out of the box and not have to be sent back to Ruger to be made right.

I would love to be able to buy firearms from a company that makes a flawless firearm each and every time, but there is no such company never has been and probably never will be at least in my lifetime. The technology is not there yet. If it was I can't believe that every company would love to be in that position. Just think of the reduced costs for said company if that was the case. But you have no data to back up your claim.
Without data on how many guns made vs returns and defects IT'S ALL SPECULATION.

 

[Rock185]

I never worked for S&W or Ruger, and have no data to report other than my own experience. I've purchased I don't know how many S&W and Ruger firearms over the last 50+ years, most purchased new. I have occasionally had an issue and decided to send a gun in for repair. Years ago, it was not unusual to receive a S&W back from repair in a week or so, believe it or not. Apparently that is no longer the case. I did need to send in one of those 686 SSR .357s several years ago. S&W promptly corrected the issue and returned the gun. I can't recall exactly how long it took to return it, but recall it didn't seem excessive at all.

Ruger has also been very good about properly repairing and returning a firearm, at least in the very few times I've needed that service. Years ago, when the stainless Security Six revolvers were brand new, Ruger replaced mine due to issues. So Ruger Customer Service has always been top notch in my book

 

[hdbiker]

I bought a new Ruger Single Six convertible back in 1972, and over the years of heavy use it became out of time. Unless the hammer was cocked smartly the cylinder wouldn't
always lock up, but would fire spiting lead out of the cylinder gap. I called Ruger and they wanted the gun back for a safety check. They sent me a shipping label & box. I also complained the gun printed about 3 inches high at 25 yards with the rear sight turned all the way down sense it was new. After about 3 weeks after sending it back, it came home, in perfect time, a new taller front sight, a recut forcing cone, they even touched up the bluing !!! NO CHARGE hdbiker

 

[gonoles_1980]

I've had good service from Ruger.

 

[Oldschool shooter]

Years ago I had a Ruger 77 bolt action rifle. Don't remember the issue, but it was an issue with the trigger group. They turned the rifle around in 10 days from the day I shipped it to them, repaired, with a voucher for $50 off the purchase of a new Ruger firearm, plus a voucher for a free box of ammunition. This was back in the early 80s. Ruger earned a customer for life.

 

[tuckerdog1]

My only experience with their service was through the story of someone else. There is an online site in Texas called Texas Gun Trader, where private parties can buy and sell. There was a MKII slab side ( love those guns ) for sale DIRT CHEAP. The reason it was so cheap, it looked like it had been drug behind a truck on a gravel road for 10 miles. What a shame such a nice pistol had been so abused. So I passed on it. Maybe a couple months or so later, I'm connecting with a guy on Texas Gun Trader to buy a box for a MKII. I buy the box, and we're talking guns, and it turns out this guy bought that beat to death slab side. He shows it to me, and it looks BRAND NEW. He says he sent it back to Ruger, and for $80 they made it like new. Next time I see a beat up Ruger cheap, I will probably get it.