RUGER AND HIS GUNS: A History of the Man, the Company and Their Firearms [Hardcover]

R.l. Wilson (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: November 4, 1996

Lavishly illustrated with nearly 300 photographs, this is a complete, authoritative history of the world-famous Ruger firearms by the author of The Colt Heritage, Steel Canvas and Winchester: The Golden Age. This beautifully presented work joins R.L. Wilson's other firearms classics as a tribute to the art and craftsmanship, history, and romance of fine guns. 185 full color and 100 b&w photos.

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

Fans of firearms won't find a more handsome gun book this season than Ruger & His Guns: A History of the Man, the Company and the Firearms. Here, R.L. Wilson (Steel Canvas) offers the definitive history of William B. Ruger (b. 1916) and of the company, Sturm, Ruger & Co., that he fashioned into the world's premier firearms manufacturer. Even non-gun lovers may admire the craftsmanship of Ruger's revolvers and other guns, which gleam and glisten in the nearly 300 illustrations, 185 in color, that complement the text.
Copyright 1996 Reed Business Information, Inc.

From Library Journal

As this volume amply illustrates, Ruger is undoubtedly the most innovative American firearms designer and manufacturer of the latter 20th century and could honestly be described as a living legend in that field. As the subtitle states, this heavily illustrated volume offers a multifaceted portrait of the man and his creations. Ruger built his firearms empire by marrying the old-fashioned with the modern and improved on standard designs by pioneers Colt and Browning to produce high-quality shooting irons at reasonable prices. But along with ingenuity in design, it also took a certain bravery to release single-action handguns and single-shot rifles in a market dominated by double-action and semiautomatic weapons. His gamble, however, paid off. Wilson (Steel Canvas, LJ 1/96) offers much biographical information on Ruger plus the background, history, and statistics for each firearm made by Sturm, Ruger & Co., with numerous superb color photographs. Though this book is pricey, libraries supporting communities where shooting/hunting is popular will want it.?Michael Rogers, "Library Journal"
Copyright 1996 Reed Business Information, Inc.

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Hardcover: 368 pages
• Publisher: Simon & Schuster; 1St Edition edition (November 4, 1996)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0684803674
• ISBN-13: 978-0684803678
• Product Dimensions: 11.4 x 8.5 x 1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 4 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 4.7 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (15 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,244,459 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

18 of 19 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars An Excellent Addition to any Gun Collectors Library, April 5, 2007

By 

John Matlock "Gunny" (Winnemucca, NV) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Ruger & His Guns: A History of the Man, the Company & Their Firearms (Hardcover)

In 1949, just after World War II, all of the gun manufacturing companies faced a problem of selling guns in the commercial market. The Government had extensive stocks of guns like Endfields, Springfields, Colt .45's and of course any number of foreign guns and were beginning to sell these guns on the commercial market. It was obviously a stupid time to go into the gun manufacturing business.

In 1949 Bill Ruger entered the gun business with one gun being manufactured by a very small company. The gun was the Ruger.22 Standard Pistol which was an instant hit and is still in production as the Mark III. Every few years since then there has been a new gun from the folk at Ruger, each of which has pioneered new design principles that has made nearly all of the guns a success.

In this book, R.L. Wilson has produced a masterpiece of a book that describes all of the guns produced by the company as well as a history of the company and the man. It's an excellent addition to any gun lovers library.

18 of 19 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars The ultimate Ruger Collectors reference, November 10, 1998

By A Customer

This review is from: RUGER AND HIS GUNS: A History of the Man, the Company and Their Firearms (Hardcover)

This book is perfect for anyone interested in the history of Sturm, Ruger and Co. The information is presented in a very organized fashion. I highly recommend this book at twice the price.

12 of 12 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars FIVE STARS, May 13, 2007

By 

JMO (IDAHO, USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Ruger & His Guns: A History of the Man, the Company & Their Firearms (Hardcover)

BOOK IS ALL I THOUGHT IT WOULD BE! WELL-WRITTEN, COMPLETE HISTORY OF THE MAN AND HIS COMPANY, HIS DREAMS AND IDEAS AND ACCOMPLISHMENTS. IT'S INTRIGUING TO READ THE BACKGROUND OF A PERSON WHO HAS CREATED SO MUCH AND BEEN A PIONEER IN THE AMERICAN FIREARMS INDUSTRY AND, JUST AS INTERESTING, TO UNDERSTAND THE MINDSET AND DETERMINATION AND SACRIFICE IT TOOK TO REACH HIS PLACE IN HISTORY. AND, THE DESCRIPTIONS OF THE TECHNOLOGY AND ART OF STURM RUGER FIREARMS IS FASCINATING. REALLY GLAD I BOUGHT THE BOOK.