(GunReports.com) — Sturm, Ruger & Company, Inc. (NYSE: RGR), is displaying the very first Ruger firearm and the recently produced 25 millionth Ruger firearm at the 2011 SHOT Show in Las Vegas, Nevada.
The original Ruger Standard Pistol that founded Sturm, Ruger & Co. will sit next to the 25 millionth Ruger firearm – an SR9c compact pistol that has been embellished and engraved to commemorate this remarkable achievement. The dramatic differences between these two firearms serve as an illustration of the growth and development of Sturm, Ruger & Co. over the course of its 62-year history.
William B. Ruger and Alexander Sturm founded Sturm, Ruger & Co., Inc. in 1949 with a mere $50,000 investment and one unique firearm design. Bill Ruger had invented the Ruger .22 Standard Pistol, a rimfire autoloading pistol with a cylindrical bolt that moved inside a tubular receiver, creating a strong yet simple action. With a profile resembling the popular German Luger pistols, the .22 Standard Ruger (later to be known as the Mark I pistol) proved to be reliable, affordable and incredibly popular. Mark I pistols were produced until 1981, when they were replaced by the next generation Mark II pistols. This classic firearm is still produced today in the form of Ruger Mark III pistols and the similar, 1911-style inspired 22/45 pistols.
The 25 millionth firearm is a highly polished stainless steel version of the popular, award winning SR9c compact pistol. The pistol is engraved with the words “25 Millionth” and an enlarged Ruger Eagle on the left side of the slide, while the right side has the words “Ruger SR9c” engraved into the slide serrations.
