Ruger Awards Include '2005 Manufacturer of the Year'

At the annual meeting of the National Rifle Association in Houston, Texas held on April 15-17, 2005, Sturm Ruger received two prestigious awards.

The Ruger Gold Label side-by-side shotgun received The American Rifleman magazine's "Golden Bullseye Award" as "The 2005 American Rifleman Shotgun of the Year." This award is an acknowledgement of the finest products available in the shooting sports, and is voted by a committee consisting of editors, art staff, and veteran publications staff. Among the mandatory criteria for consideration for a Golden Bullseye Award, a product must have been "reliable in the field, meeting or exceeding the evaluator's expectations", "innovative in design and function", "readily perceived as a value to the purchaser", and "styled in a manner befitting the firearm industry and, perhaps more importantly, its enthusiasts."

Accepting the award on behalf of the Company, Sturm, Ruger President Stephen L. Sanetti said, "Our employees in Newport, New Hampshire have worked very hard to make the Ruger Gold Label shotgun the best example of an American-made double gun in the finest tradition of the type. We are delighted that it has met your demanding criteria for Shotgun of the Year, and we hope that generations of responsible American shooters will be able to enjoy what we truly hope will become a 'gun for the ages'. On behalf of all of us, we sincerely thank you."

The following evening, Sturm, Ruger was to win yet another high honor at the Shooting Industry's "Academy of Excellence" awards ceremony. These awards are presented annually to honor extraordinary product design and service to the industry. The 2005 nominees were selected by industry leaders as "the best of the best for the year" by over 400 retail dealers, wholesale distributors, edito"rs, writers, and other industry leaders in a two-step secret balloting process. Sturm, Ruger was ultimately selected by the Academy as the "2005 Manufacturer of the Year", "For continued dedication to providing quality American-made products that meet varying needs of responsible gun owners, as reflected in the unprecedented introduction of over 40 new models and product variations in the last year."

Sturm, Ruger President Stephen L. Sanetti accepted this latest award, stating, "This award is for Sturm, Ruger and Company. So many of our employees tried their very hardest to bring these many new products to the shooters of America, and this award really goes to them. I will make sure that all of them, in New Hampshire, Arizona, and Connecticut, all get a chance to see and appreciate it. We set our goals high this year, and we wanted to be sure that if we announced a new product, it would actually be shipped. Well, through all their hard work, I am proud to say that out of the 42 new products we announced, 41 have been shipped; and number 42 is on track to begin shipments on May 1st. Not bad! I would like to thank each and every one of our employees for their efforts. I will make sure they all get to see this. Thank you most sincerely for this high honor and recognition."

The Ruger P345 pistol was also one of the three finalists for "Handgun of the Year". With a long gun, a handgun, and the Company as a whole receiving such recognition by its customers, peers, and the shooting media, this past weekend was a most successful and gratifying one for Sturm, Ruger.