William B. Ruger

Ruger was born on 21 June 1916 in Brooklyn, New York.

He learned to shoot at age 6, and he received his own Remington Model 12 from his father at the age of 12. He graduated from Alexander Hamilton High School in January 1936. Ruger attended the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, where he was a member of the Philanthropic Society, but did not graduate. As a student, 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 they hired Ruger as a gun designer at the Springfield Armory. 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.

Ruger supported and commissioned the design and construction of a classically styled sports touring car in 1970 that he called the Ruger Special. It was based on the design of the 1929 Bentley 4½ Litre. He also designed and commissioned a 92-foot (28 m) yacht, the Titania.

Ruger continued to lead his company to become the largest manufacturer of firearms in the United States.

Ruger was active in a wide variety of charities, especially 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 was widely criticized by gun owners for suggesting that rather than ban guns, Congress should outlaw magazines holding more than 15 rounds. On March 30, 1989, Ruger sent a letter to every member of the United States Congress, stating:

The best way to address the firepower concern is therefore not to try to outlaw or license many millions of older and perfectly legitimate firearms (which would be a licensing effort of staggering proportions) but to prohibit the possession of high capacity magazines. By a simple, complete and unequivocal ban on large capacity magazines, all the difficulty of defining 'assault rifle' and 'semi-automatic rifles' is eliminated. The large capacity magazine itself, separate or attached to the firearm, becomes the prohibited item. A single amendment to Federal firearms laws could effectively implement these objectives.

William B. Ruger