William B. Ruger
| William B. Ruger | |
|---|---|
Ruger in 1975 holding that year's Outstanding American Handgunner Award
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| Born |
William Batterman Ruger June 21, 1916 Brooklyn, New York, United States |
| Died | July 6, 2002 (aged 86) Prescott, Arizona, United States |
| Occupation | Inventor, industrialist, businessman |
| Children | William B. Ruger, Jr. James Thompson Ruger (deceased) Carolyn R. Vogel |
William Batterman Ruger (June 21, 1916 – July 6, 2002) was an American firearm designer and entrepreneur, who partnered with Alexander McCormick Sturm to establish Sturm, Ruger & Company in 1949. Their first product was the Ruger Standard, the most popular .22 caliber target pistol ever made in the United States. After Sturm’s death in 1951, and under Ruger’s continued leadership, the company produced one of the widest variety of firearms of any manufacturer in the world.
Ruger was born on 21 June 1916 in Brooklyn, New York. He first developed his passion for guns when he received his own rifle from his father at the age of 12. As a student at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, he converted an empty room into a machine shop and, in 1938 came up with initial designs for what eventually became the experimental T10/T23E1 light machine gun for the United States Army, executing the drawings on his in-laws’ dining room table. U.S. Army Ordnance officials liked the gun design so much that they launched Ruger into becoming a full-time gun designer. Over a 53-year career, Ruger helped invent and patent dozens of models of sporting firearms, which were instant and enduring successes. From the start, his company stressed mechanical innovation and safety.
Ruger shared and exchanged technical information on firearms and ammunition with many like-minded people worldwide, including English rifle maker and cartridge designer David Lloyd.
When not involved with firearms operations, Ruger was deeply involved in a variety of activities, 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.
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