Return of the Red Label

by
posted on October 30, 2013
** When you buy products through the links on our site, we may earn a commission that supports NRA's mission to protect, preserve and defend the Second Amendment. **
ruger_red_label_wilson.jpg

Ruger's Red Label shotgun is back in style. Taken off the market in 2011, the Red Label is back with some modern internal design features and a lower suggested retail price.

On the original shotgun the receiver was cast in two pieces that were then carefully fitted together. The new Red Label features a one-piece receiver, a new balance point and a very nice recoil pad. The good news is that it shoots just as well as ever and the new MSRP is only $1,399. Ruger found a way to save on the cost and is passing it along to the consumer.

Last week, I joined Ken Jorgensen (Ruger's Director of Media Relations) and a number of other folks for a North Dakota pheasant hunt to put the Red Label through its paces. We hunted with the Cannonball Company outfitters out of Regent, N.D. Due to some bad weather conditions, many thought that the pheasant season would not be nearly as successful as in years past. Well, it may have been a little off, but there were still lots of birds. You just had to know where to find them.

Fortunately for us, Randy Hansen, our Cannonball guide, knew just where to find the roosters. You see, due to the previous bad weather, farmers had not been able to get into the fields and harvest the corn. And those huge cornfields were where the birds were. With eight hunters, Hansen marshaled his troops, established perimeters and put the wild pheasants in a bind. We had plenty of shooting opportunities and collected quite a few birds.

Currently, the Red Label is being shipped in the various 12-gauge offerings. However, I hunted with a 30-inch barreled 20-gauge. Hunters can expect the 20-gauge to be out soon. While I hunted, it absolutely did not seem like I had 30-inch tubes on my gun-which, to me, confirms the new balance point. It was comfortable, handled nicely, and took down pheasants...when I did my part, that is.

Sometimes, “new technology” simply means that a company has cheapened its product. I am pleased to report that this is not the case with the new Ruger Red Label. It is still the great shotgun that we have all enjoyed in the past, and with great wood, too. You get a lot of gun for the money when you hunt with the Ruger Red Label.

Latest

Making Keltec Pr57 1
Making Keltec Pr57 1

Making The KelTec PR57 In Wyoming

To make its PR57 handgun, KelTec invested in an entirely new manufacturing facility located in Rock Springs, Wyo. "American Rifleman Television" headed out for an inside look at the company's efficient production process.

Taurus 66 Combat: A New "Fighting Revolver"

First introduced in the 1970s, the Taurus 66 Combat is a medium-frame revolver that has seen several evolutions in its lifetime, and the latest update creates what the company considers "the final word in fighting revolvers."

Review: Taurus GX2

From cars to cellphones, as a product gets more sophisticated, it usually also gets more expensive. And, as modern handguns get more modular and optic-ready, their prices tend to go up.

Rifleman Q&A: A Garand Puzzlement

"We are a father-and-son NRA member tandem in search of an answer regarding the branding of an M1 Garand rifle. We own an M1 rifle that has markings indicating it was a “lend lease to England,” and it also has a .308 barrel/sleeve."

$160K Raised For HAVA At SIG Sauer Event

SIG Sauer hosted its 9th Annual Honored American Veterans Afield (HAVA) Charity Golf event early last month and raised more than $160,000 to support disabled veterans.

Scout The Trail To A General Purpose Rifle

The search for a universal longarm—one suitable for both hunting and defensive scenarios—is a trek that involves a bit of doubling back.

Interests



Get the best of American Rifleman delivered to your inbox.