Ruger new Red Label

[xcavado]

Last month, I traveled to Texas to visit my son. I had the opportunity to visit an old classmate and former colleague from the Border Patrol, who now is the guns editor for a major outdoor publication. He invited me to shoot some skeet with him and his brother, both fine skeet shooters. He wanted to use the session to test a couple of guns he'd just gotten from Ruger, to write up in his magazine. He had 12 and 20 gauge versions of the new re-make of the Red Label.

We opened the nicely appointed cases for the guns and set them up for skeet with the supplied choke tubes. On our first round, he and I shared the 20 gauge Red Label. His brother opted to shoot his personal Krieghoff. The Ruger 20 shot okay for me for that round (not counting my misses), but on a couple of stations, locked up and would not fire the second shot for my friend. We shot another round, and this time I chose the 12 gauge Red Label. On at least 4 stations, the gun locked up on the second shot for me.

I own an older Red Label 20 gauge purchased off Gun Broker several years ago - it works great when I do my job. The only complaint I've ever had is the automatic safety, which I should have removed by now and will in the near future. I don't think the new guns compare to it. Ruger is, I believe, offering the new guns a bit cheaper than the older ones, but seem to have cheapened the quality also. I don't think I'll be interested in a new purchase, but I will keep my old gun.

 

[Bypass]

o.0

 

[camramrod87]

Did you try different ammo?

 

[xcavado]

Was using Remington STS in both gauges.

 

[PA4476]

The Red Lable is a nice looking gun. But every one I ever shot, punched me in the face. Several other guys that I shoot with had the same problem. I have owned Browning and Beretta o/u's and still own 2 Brownings, and I've shot just about every mfg made. the Ruger is the only one to make you feel like you been sucker punched after every shot. A fellow shooter at our old gun club bought the Ruger because it was cheaper than the Browning or Beretta. After a couple hundred shots, he had a padded adjustable comb added to help with the punching. Then he had it ported, then a gra-coil added. Still, the recoil was too much. And by this time he had 2k in it. He ended up buying a Beretta 687 and never looked back. I will always choose a used browning or Beretta over a new Ruger o/u.

And it sounds like they are worse now than they were.