The chokes were fixed and bored IC/IM, F/M or S/S. Locking bolts on each side of the standing breech engaged matching lugs placed at 3 and 9 o’clock positions at the lower barrel. The 26- or 28-inch barrels rode on high-mounted, bifurcated lumps rather than a hinge pin. The standing breech was nicely sculptured. The low-profile frame was thin-walled and shallow. In a country dominated by the 12-gauge, the initial field-grade Red Label was a 20-gauge. Picture the first public view of a new Ruger model on the cover of Gun Digest, but report, “We don’t have any further details,” thus whetting the shooting public’s appetite until it was roaring at a fever pitch when the actual product release occurred, which typically was a year or more later.īy 1978, a few Red Labels had begun to dribble out.

Amber, would play on the shooting public a number of times. It was a marketing ploy Ruger and his close, tweedy friend and editor, John T. Spread across the cover of the 1978 Gun Digest were three images of a slim, trim, Ruger Red Label, engraved with gold inlays by Alvin White with a serial number of 81. The report was a bit optimistic, and for the next four years, rumors flew around the shooting world as to what the new O/U would look like and what its price might be. reported work had begun on an O/U shotgun and a limited number would be available for sale in 1974. Ruger did me right.In a brief note in the 1973 Annual Report, Bill Ruger, Sr. I ordered a bag full of spares for mine - it's my favorite quail gun. I would do it quickly since Ruger is out of the shotgun business (at least for now). I can live with that on a gun that sells for upwards of $2k if you can even find one. Ruger replaced several internal parts and included a list, cleaned the gun up and polished it more than I can and charged me nothing.

Send via UPS, USPS, or FedEx.ġ9 days after I sent the gun, I got it back in a brand new box with a brand new owner's manual. Insure for the replacement value and pack well. Called customer service, discussed the problem, got an authorization to send the gun to them (at my expense). Started having failure to fire problems with the bottom barrel - likely a firing pin problem. I have a 13 year old 28 gauge Red Label that I bought used. Have the serial number handy when you talk to them. That said, contact Ruger customer service.

If it's one of the re-introduced Red Labels, it's iffy.

If it's an older Red Label, it's a good gun.

Ruger red label serial number