Hickok45 Shoots Two Rugers and Weighs In on the Production Pause

In the latest Sunday Shoot-a-Round, hickok45 spends most of his range time on a pair of Rugers, prompted by Ruger's recent announcement that it is suspending production of several longtime models. He brings out a stainless Redhawk and a Vaquero Bisley in .45 Colt to shoot while discussing what the news might mean.

Snapshot

Hickok45 shoots a stainless Redhawk and a Vaquero Bisley while reacting to Ruger's suspension of several longtime models, floating retooling and a possible Beretta stake as explanations and faulting how loudly Ruger announced the pause. He stresses that his theories are guesses, since only Ruger likely knows why production stopped, and jokes that shooting these models more might help bring them back.

Key points

• Suspended models: hickok45 notes Ruger's list includes the Redhawk, Super Redhawk, Bearcat, LCR, GP100, Model 77 and other long-running favorites, with some halted immediately and others continuing for now.
• Possible reasons: He points to a video from gun writer Brian Pearce, suggesting retooling for cheaper or improved manufacturing could explain the pause, as happened when Ruger relaunched Marlin production.
• Takeover speculation: hickok45 raises, without confirming, the idea that Beretta's reported stock buy-up could be a factor, while admitting nobody outside Ruger likely knows the real reason.
• Communication critique: He questions why Ruger publicized the suspensions so broadly rather than quietly retooling, arguing the announcement itself stirred unnecessary customer concern.
• Range demo: He fires both the Redhawk and the Vaquero Bisley, half-joking that shooting the suspended models more often might encourage Ruger to bring them back.

Quick take

The episode is mostly hickok45's informal reaction to the Ruger news. He is clear that his ideas about the cause are guesses and that only Ruger likely knows the real reason for the pause.

Watch the full video: hickok45