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William
B. Ruger verstorben
Am
6. Juli verstarb William Batterman Ruger,
der Gründer und langjährige Chef von Sturm, Ruger
& Company, dem größten Feuerwaffen-Hersteller der
USA, im Alter von 86 Jahren nach langer, schwerer Krankheit.
Mehr als 20 Millionen Schußwaffen für Jagd,
Sport und Verteidigung hat das Unternehmen seit 1949 hergestellt,
davon allein 1997 mehr als 600.000 Stück. Die Firma hat
ihren Sitz in Southport im US-Staat Connecticut und
Produktionsstätten in Newport (NH) and Prescott in Arizona.
William B. Ruger
wurde am 21. Juni 1916 in Brooklyn, New York geboren. Die erste
Waffe, die seines Vaters, reparierte er mit 12 Jahren, später
konstruierte er während des Studiums ein leichtes
Maschinengewehr für die US-Army und bekam das Angebot einer
Festanstellung.
Im Jahr 1949 gründete er das
Unternehmen Sturm, Ruger &
Company zusammen mit Alexander McCormick Sturm, der aber bereits
1951 verstarb und Ruger zum
Alleininhaber machte. Das erste Produkt war eine seltsam
gestaltete, aber äußerst praktisch konstruierte
Kleinkaliber-Pistole: Mit der Mark I, die in zahllosen Varianten
bis heute gefertigt wird, begann der Aufstieg der Firma. Heute
gibt es mehr als 50 verschiedene Waffenmodelle (Pistolen,
Revolver, Gewehre und Flinten) in mehr als 300 Variationen.
Ruger selbst war ein
Allround-Genie wie Samuel Colt, immer bereit, originelle Produkte
zum richtigen Zeitpunkt herauszubringen - etwa das Ruger
Mini 14 als Zivil-Ersatz für das M 14, den KK-Selbstlader
10/77, der die Grundlage für zahllose Tuning-Varianten
bildet und vor allem die "Wiedergeburt" der
Western-Sechsschüsser, allein voran der Blackhawk in Single
Action, der just auf den US-Markt kam, als Colt die SAA-Fertigung
einstellte. Dazu führte Ruger
kostengünstige Stahlguß-Herstellungsmethoden ein, die
auch eine flexible Produktion von Modellvarianten ermöglichte.
Wenn er sich nicht mit Feuerwaffen beschäftigte,
widmete sich Ruger seinen
Hobbies: dem Sammeln alter Waffen, Western-Gemälde des 19.
Jahrhunderts, und seiner landesweit bekannten Oldtimer-Sammlung
von mehr als 30 Fahrzeugen, darunter Bentleys, Rolls-Royces,
Bugattis, Stutzes, und einen 1913 Mercer Raceabouts. Er
konstruierte sogar eine Sportlimousine, den Ruger
Special, auf der Basis eines 1929er Bentleys mit
Viereinhalb-Liter-Maschine sowie eine Yacht, die Titania.
Die
Firmenleitung hatte der Senior schon lange an seinen Sohn William
B. Ruger junior übergeben,
sein zweiter Sohn James Thompson ("Tom") Ruger
ist ebenso wie Rugers Gattin Mary Thompson Ruger
bereits verstorben.
FIREARMS LEGEND, WILLIAM B.
RUGER, DIES
Founder of
Largest U.S. Firearms Manufacturer
Sturm, Ruger
& Company, Inc.
Prescott, Arizona, July 8, 2002 - -,
William Batterman Ruger,
founder and Chairman Emeritus of Sturm, Ruger
& Company, the largest firearms manufacturer in the United
States, and widely recognized as one of "America's greatest
gun designers," died peacefully at home on Saturday, July 6,
2002, at age 86, after a period of failing health.
A
legend in American industry, Ruger
had a hand in the original design and time-honored styling of
every firearm his company has produced, and continued to work on
new creations up until his death. Ruger
steered his business from "it can't be done" remarks to
a New York Stock Exchange corporation (NYSE: RGR) which has
produced more than 20,000,000 firearms for hunting, target
shooting, collecting, self-defense, law enforcement and
government agencies.
Ruger
teamed with Alexander McCormick Sturm and established Sturm,
Ruger & Company in 1949.
Subsequent to Sturm's death in 1951, under Ruger's leadership,
the Company produced more types of sporting firearms than any
other firearms firm in the world. His first firearm introduction
in 1949, a stylish .22 caliber target pistol, was considered "the
first gun" of many Americans, and is still one of the most
popular target pistols in widespread use.
With plants
located in Newport, New Hampshire, and Prescott, Arizona, and
corporate headquarters in Southport, Connecticut, Sturm, Ruger
manufactures high-quality rifles, shotguns, pistols, and
revolvers for a variety of sporting and law-enforcement purposes.
Its precision investment castings are made for a wide variety of
industries, including aero-space, automotive, general
manufacturing and the golf market.
"Ruger
was a true firearms genius who mastered the disciplines of
inventing, designing, engineering, manufacturing and marketing
better than anyone since Samuel Colt," said R.L. Wilson,
firearms historian and Ruger's biographer. "No one in the
20th century so clearly dominated the field, or was so skilled at
articulating the unique appeal of quality firearms for legitimate
uses."
Born June 21, 1916 in Brooklyn, New York,
Ruger first developed his
passion for guns when he received his own rifle from his father
at age 12. As a student at the University of North Carolina,
Chapel Hill, he converted an empty room into a machine shop and,
in 1938, came up with initial designs for what eventually became
a light machine gun for the Army - executing the drawings on his
in-laws' dining room table. Ordnance officials liked the gun, and
launched Ruger into becoming
a full-time gun designer. He helped invent and patent dozens of
models of sporting firearms during the last 53 years, which were
instant and enduring successes. His advertising stressed
mechanical innovation and safety.
When not involved with
his firearms operations, Ruger
indulged his life-long passions, including antique firearms, 19th
Century Western American art, and his nationally noted antique
car collection of more than 30 vehicles, including Bentleys,
Rolls-Royces, Bugattis, Stutzes, and a 1913 Mercer Raceabout,
among others.
Ruger
also commissioned the design and construction of a classically
styled sports tourer automobile in 1970 called the Ruger
Special, based on the design of the 1929 Bentley 4½ liter.
He also designed and commissioned a 92-foot yacht, the Titania.
His philanthropy was especially evident through charities
in communities where his factories were located, as well as the
Buffalo Bill Historical Center in Cody, Wyoming, where he served
as a member of the Board of Trustees for over 15 years.
Ruger
is survived by his son William B. Ruger,
Jr., who is the current Chairman of the Company; daughter Carolyn
R. Vogel; six grandchildren; and ten great-grandchildren. He was
predeceased by his wife, the late Mary Thompson Ruger; and a son,
the late James Thompson ("Tom") Ruger.
His inspirational leadership and guidance will be sincerely
missed by all who were privileged to work for him.
Visiting
hours will be from 2 p.m. to 4 p.m. and from 7 p.m. to 9 p.m.,
Friday, July 12th at the Newton-Bartlett Funeral Home, 42 Main
Street, Newport, New Hampshire. Funeral services will be held at
11 a.m., Saturday, July 13th, on the grounds of the Central
Station of Blue Mountain Forest Association, Central Station
Road, Croydon, New Hampshire. There will be a reception at the
same location, immediately following the service.
In lieu
of flowers, contributions should be sent to the Dartmouth Medical
School, 1 Rope Ferry Road, Hanover, New Hampshire 03755; or the
Yavapai Regional Medical Center, 1003 Willow Creek Road,
Prescott, Arizona 86301.
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