Ruger Service losing points with me

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Guy B. Meredith

Guy B. Meredith

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Sent in my Ruger MK512 January 28 as bore has tool mark around circumference. Called Ruger to make sure UPS had delivered and asked turnaround time. Lady said about a month.

Called after the month was up, asked current timeframe. Answer after checking was that the technician still had it and it would probably be "a week or two".

Problems with this are I would really appreciate a reliable turnaround estimate I can count on. I would really like to understand the reasons for the turnaround time (too many guns, too few technicians, union rules or whatever). I would like to hear some hint of customer service interest in the voice of the lady on the other end of the line.
 
Been there, done that! Seven weeks, two follow up calls (from me) for Ruger to repair my 22/45. Must have talked to the same lady you described. Had the 'don't bother me...could care less about your gun' tone in her voice. She told me only one repair tech was working. Since then, I swore I would never give Ruger another penny. And I haven't. For me, S&W has excellent customer service and a quick turn around on repairs.
 
I went through a similar situation with Ruger about 20 years ago. I had a model 77 International that had a big burr in the chamber making reloading the brass impossible. There was a large, 3/16" long gash in each ejected shell. I sent the rifle (along with four scarred empties) back to Ruger and after about four months and a couple of phone calls I got the rifle back with the explanation that it was merely ejection marks and there was nothing wrong with the rifle. I took it to a local gunsmith, paid him $20.00 to ream out the chamber (which fixed the problem) and promptly sold the gun. I have never given two cents of my money since.
 
Yeah. Fourth call today. Maybe this week or first of next--backed up. More explanation than I've received so far. Same lady that is probably more interested in getting back to office gossip.

I had tentatively considered trading the MK512 off for any one of seveal I'd like to pick up, but had just about decided that I'd like to hang on to it as I do like the gun and as a "just in case" for new shooters. Really debating the options now.
 
Well at least they took in your gun for repair - they refused me.

Bought a couple of Ruger Vaqueros in .45 LC for Cowboy Action Shooting.

Both of them leaded up like crazy with standard cowboy loads. ***!

I guage pinned the cylinder throats on both guns' cylinders and they ran .4505 to .4508. Slugged the barrels and groove diameter was .452 on both.

Well that was the leading problem. Put a .452 lead bullet thru a .4505 hole and it gets suaged down to that size. Put a now .4505 bullet into a barrel with a .452 groove diameter and you get leading - big time - and lousy accuracy.

Called ruger. Explained the problem and said they needed to open the cylinder throats up to .4525.

"But Sir" - they said - "the cylinders and barrels are both within our specifications". I know it was a dumb question because I was, after all, just talking to a phone rep but I asked if they understood the concept of tolerance stack. Long story short because the parts met ruger's engineering specs they didn't consider the guns defective and wouldn't open up the cylinder throats.

I eventually had them opened up by a gunsmith. Now no leading - even with ruger level hot loads and groups at 25 yards shrunk from about a foot down to 4" or so.

I know there are many, many Ruger fans out there who swear by them but I simply will not purchase a firearm (which is a precision instrument after all) from a company whose engineers don't even understand an engineering concept as fundamental as tolerance stack.
 
Oh great. I don't know that Ruger will do any warrantee work. Hope they're not just storing them for two months to tell me that they are within tolerance.
 
I've had fairly good service from Ruger. My SR454 has been in twice for lockiing up. Both times it took only a couple of weeks to get back. Second time they sent a note advising me to watch the ammo I've been using. I have switched from reloads and haven't had a problem since. Last summer my SBH was really spitting badly. It took them only three days to turn it around. Really impressive especially considering this revolver is over 20 years old and I'm not the original owner. On the down side it took them over two months to get my 10/22M back to me. Sent a letter of apology along with a Ruger cap, keychain, and patch.
 
I had great service from Ruger several years ago when the bolt ears broke off of my many-years-old Mark II pistol. They swapped my broken pieces for a new part and paid the shipping on both, with no questions.

But I have never sent a gun to them for work.
 
I've had splendid service for many years from Sturm, Ruger. While I disagree with their politics, their customer service is among the very best. The best example I can cite, while happening several years ago, is this: A customer came to me with a .30 Carbine Blackhawk he'd bought second hand. It was worn out, the timing terrible. I sent it to Ruger with a letter asking to advise my customer cost of repairing the gun. It was returned 30-45 days later, with completely new internals, nearly a new gun. It was repaired at NO CHARGE. I advised my customer to choose his favorite shooting magazine and write to their editors, describing his experiences with Ruger.
 
I received a letter making an offer to replace the pistol and asking for contact with an FFL. First time they've taken the initiative to communicate. Now we're getting somewhere.
 
The only dealing I had with Ruger was outstanding. I sent a Bearcat back because it was shooting 1' low and 1' to the left. It came back not only with the sights regulated correctly but with a nicely done trigger job. Of course the gun should have ben that way when I bought it, but Ruger made it right for me.
 
Werewolf wrote:
"Bought a couple of Ruger Vaqueros in .45 LC for Cowboy Action Shooting.

Both of them leaded up like crazy with standard cowboy loads. ***!

I guage pinned the cylinder throats on both guns' cylinders and they ran .4505 to .4508. Slugged the barrels and groove diameter was .452 on both.

Well that was the leading problem. Put a .452 lead bullet thru a .4505 hole and it gets suaged down to that size. Put a now .4505 bullet into a barrel with a .452 groove diameter and you get leading - big time - and lousy accuracy.

Called ruger. Explained the problem and said they needed to open the cylinder throats up to .4525.

"But Sir" - they said - "the cylinders and barrels are both within our specifications". I know it was a dumb question because I was, after all, just talking to a phone rep but I asked if they understood the concept of tolerance stack. Long story short because the parts met ruger's engineering specs they didn't consider the guns defective and wouldn't open up the cylinder throats."



I had the same response from Ruger Customer Service when I called them for the same problem. "It's within our specs." I sent off 4 Vaqueros to Cas at www.cylindersmith.com and had the cylinders reamed out to .4525.......that fixed the problem but cost me over a hundred bucks. I sent a letter off to the President of Ruger complaining about their service but he sent it to one of his subordinates to answer it.....same story...."it's within out specs." :(
 
most of the problems with customer noservice comes from the person on the phone not the company, try calling back to get to speak to another rep. if that does not help go up the ladder a bit till your problem is fixed
mike1966ga
 
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