Ruger American Rimfire® in .22 WMRF & .17 HMR Product Safety Warning and Recall Notice

Ruger American Rimfire 22 WMRF and 17 HMR Recall

WHY ARE YOU RECALLING THESE RIFLES
We have determined that Ruger American Rimfire® rifles chambered in .22 WMRF (Magnum) and .17 HMR manufactured between November 17, 2013 and January 8, 2014 were manufactured without a vent hole. This hole appears just below and behind the serial number on the left-hand side of the receiver. The hole does not serve any function during normal operation of the rifle, but is a safety feature and may help vent gas in the event of a problem such as a ruptured case head or bore obstruction, for example. Although we have not had any reported incidents involving the rifle and it is perfectly safe during normal operation, we have recalled the rifles to add the vent hole for added safety.

How to determine if your rifle needs the retrofit
Only Ruger American Rimfire® rifles chambered in .22 WMRF (Magnum) and .17 HMR within the serial number range 830-34831 to 830-43880 are subject to the recall. If your rifle is chambered in .22 LR or falls outside of this serial number range, it is not subject to the recall. If you have a Ruger American Rimfire® rifle chambered in .22 WMRF (Magnum) or .17 HMR, you need only examine the left side of the receiver, just below and behind the serial number. If there is a hole there (Figure 1), then you do not need to return the rifle. If there is no hole (Figure 2), then the rifle should be returned.

FAQs

We have determined that .22 WMRF (Magnum) and .17 HMR Ruger American Rimfire™ rifles manufactured between November 17, 2013 and January 8, 2014 were manufactured without a vent hole. This hole appears just below and behind the serial number on the left-hand side of the receiver. The hole does not serve any function during normal operation of the rifle, but is a safety feature and may help vent gas in the event of a problem such as a ruptured case head or bore obstruction, for example. We want to recall the rifles and add the vent hole.

Not at all. We discovered the issue as part of our routine inspection process and are simply being proactive; we take safety very seriously.

Ruger American Rimfire™ rifles chambered in .22 WMRF (Magnum) and .17 HMR are being recalled. Also, only rifles manufactured between November 17, 2013 and January 8, 2014 are affected.

No. We are simply going to disassemble the rifle, drill the hole, re-blue the receiver, reassemble the rifle, and return it to you.

No, as we are simply bringing the rifle up to factory design specifications. The only slight change in appearance will be the addition of the hole, which is how the rifle was designed to look.

We are fully prepared to bring your rifle up to design specifications at no cost to you, so we are not offering refunds. However, we do understand this is an inconvenience, so when we return the rifle to you, we will give you an extra magazine, free of charge. That's a $24.95 value.
Connecticut residents (only), we will send you a ShopRuger.com gift certificate in lieu of the magazine.

No. We are not offering trades. We are fully prepared to bring your rifle up to design specifications at no cost to you, so we are not offering refunds. However, we do understand this is an inconvenience, so when we return the rifle to you, we will give you an extra magazine, free of charge. That's a $24.95 value.
Connecticut residents (only), we will send you a ShopRuger.com gift certificate in lieu of the magazine.

No. We will send you a packing container, detailed instructions and shipping label so the rifle can be returned to us at our expense. We also will perform the recall work and return the rifle to you at our expense, so there is no cost to you.

We plan to have the rifle back to you within one week of the day we receive it. We have set up a process so that the actual recall work can be performed in two days or less. The rest of the time is just shipping time.

No. Only Ruger American Rimfire™ rifles chambered in .22 WMRF (Magnum) or .17 HMR are subject to the recall.

No. Our testing verified that the vent hole is unnecessary in Ruger American Rimfire™ rifles chambered .22 LR due to the low operating pressures.

Yes, provided the location is manned and you hand it to a live person. We do not recommend leaving the rifle at an unmanned location.

We plan to turn rifles around in a week, so we did not set up a process for checking on the status.

We only want the gun itself. Please make sure it is completely unloaded and keep the magazine, lock, instruction manual and any aftermarket accessories. When we send you the packing container, we will also send detailed instructions describing what we want you to send.

No. We will arrange to have your rifle returned directly to us via FedEx.

Yes; however, that will require additional time and a one-week turnaround time may not apply. Also, customary charges for parts and labor will apply, but we will not charge you any shipping or handling charges.

NEXT STEPS
Step 1 - Contact us via email at recall@ruger.com or phone at 603-865-3100 and provide your name, address, the serial number of your rifle, your telephone number and the best time to call.

Step 2 - We will verify that your rifle is subject to the recall and will send you a packing container, detailed instructions and shipping label so you can send your rifle to us FREE of charge.

Step 3 - We will retrofit your rifle and will return it to you FREE of charge.

Thank you,
Sturm, Ruger & Co., Inc.

We recognize that this is an inconvenience so, as a thank you, we will include an extra magazine at no charge to you when we return the rifle.
For Connecticut residents (only), we will send you a ShopRuger.com gift certificate in lieu of the magazine.