Ale-8(1)

Just wondering how many here use the reference books available to Rugerphiles. I have the following:

J.C. Munnell’s “Blacksmith Guide to Ruger Rimfire Revolvers 1953-1973”
H.W. Ross’s “Blacksmith Guide to Ruger Flattops & Super Blackhawks”
John Dougan’s “Know Your Ruger Single Action Revolvers 1953-63”
John Dougan’s “Know Your Ruger Single Actions: The Second Decade 1963-73”
John Dougan’s “Ruger Pistols & Revolvers, the Vintage Years 1949-1973”
Wm.E. Workman’s “The Ruger 10/22”
Chad Hiddleson’s “Encyclopedia of Ruger Semi-Automatic Rimfire Pistols 1949-1992”
R.L. Wilson’s “Ruger & His Guns, a History of the Man, the Company, and Their Firearms”

I also subscribe to the “Red Eagle News Exchange” published quarterly by Chad Hiddleson.

These get referred to weekly as I read about the guns here on the site. Quite informative.

Ale-8(1)

Does no one else peruse "the books"?

JAS

I am as addicted to gun books as I am to guns.

Aside from great reading, they can pay for themselves when researching a prospective purchase, specially something old or obscure; an old gun book that's contemporary to the old gun your're interested in often has more detail about the gun than the modern references.

I'm a little light on Ruger, but I have:

John Dougan’s “Know Your Ruger Single Action Revolvers 1953-63”

R.L. Wilson’s “Ruger & His Guns, a History of the Man, the Company, and Their Firearms”

Duncan Long's "The Mini-14"

Duncan Long's "The Ruger 'P' Models"

I have a good selection of other makers although they frequently don't include the info. I need - my usual luck.

Ruger GP100

Naw, I'm just into shooting the guns. I'm not into reading about them, or collecting them per-say. I have no shelf queens. A great gun demands to be shot. I can't see a great gun rusting on a shelf just to be looked at. Just seems wrong somehow.

single64JCC

I value my library as much as my collection. They have help me to raise the standards I look for when considering a new gun. Buying the best I can afford is the foundation of my collection. It splits my collection into a combination of collecting and investing. It is a lot more interesting than Wall Street. Finely figured walnut, good quality hand engraving are features with limited availibility.

Time will tell if I make any real money, but in the mean time I am having fun.
No lack of shooting Irons either...

single64JCC

Encyclopedia of Ruger, Chad Hiddleson, 1993
Ruger and His Guns, R.L. Wilson, 1996
Gun Digest Book of Ruger Pistols & Revolvers, Patrick Sweeney, 2007
Complements of Col. Ruger, John C Dougan, 1991


I am sure there are other good resources out there, I just haven't run across them yet. But when I do...

stantheman86

I am looking for a Ruger book similiar to the Standard Catalog of S&W, in other words a volume with every single Ruger model detailed with pics and each "update" or change.

JAS

Me too. I had hoped that Wilson's "Ruger And His Guns" was going to be like that. Instead it's sort of a rambling discussion on Bill Ruger, like the titles suggests.

Probably wouldn't work, but it would be interesting for members to pool their resources on-line in a research-type thread. Those interested could use their data to look-up info. for members with questions.

I know this happens a lot anyway, so there's probably no need for such a formal thread.

However, it seems like we all have acquired different sources of information over the years (at least from what I've seen in this posting) that combined could be helpful to the group. I love looking stuff up, but maybe that's just me.

Sure love books though ...

Ale-8(1)

Stantheman, it would be nice if there were a single book that showed "everything" but I don't believe it exists. The ones mentioned here are the "standards" of the hobby.

Chad Hiddleson is bringing out a two-volume work soon that will be a nice addition in his usual well-researched, profusely-illustrated manner. His “Encyclopedia of Ruger Semi-Automatic Rimfire Pistols 1949-1992” is likely the definitive work on those guns, with essentially every variation illustrated in full color and thoroughly described/documented.

Dougan's recent “Ruger Pistols & Revolvers, the Vintage Years 1949-1973” is simply amazing, and a must-read.


Can't have too many books . . .

single64JCC

I have several books written by R.L. Wilson. I was at the NRA show in Nashville, TN 1996 I met Mr. Wilson hawking his latest book "Ruger"

I mentioned to him that this book format seemed much different than his others. I didn't think he was pleased when I suggested that it looked more like a collage of Bill Ruger memories.

Putting that aside, I bought a signed copy of his book. I have found it to be an interesting read. Many insights can be gained about Mr. Ruger. The real reason I purchased the book was that he was the only living example of an American gun manufacturer. He passed on a few years later, his son has retired, and other who helped Bill to run the company.

Now 10-22 have plastic trigger assemblies and paint has replaced poslishing. I am sure that the old man would have rejected these "improvements"

stantheman86

It's too bad, I have read the SC of S&W cover to cover several times, I just like being able to find every single model of S&W ever made.

I would at least like a complete volume of all the Ruger DA revolvers and the different variants, I think it would be a pretty thick book just documenting those..........it would help answer all the questions people have like "I just found this 4" blue Service Six in .380 Rim what the hell is it?"

JAS

It's out there. Unfortunately, it's scattered among a lot of books, not just one. I think we all have a few pieces of it but few, if any, of us seem to have all of them.

I have an interest in guitars too. There are a lot of similarities between them and firearms, at least in the field of collecting/ acquiring them. Lots of great books out there for them too, but nothing that covers everything you'd like it to cover. Just have to keep building up the book collection.

I'd think a comprehensive Ruger book wouldn't be overly difficult since the company is fairly new - at least compared to Remington, Colt, or Winchester.