Ruger Sales Up, Production Maxed, Orders Frozen

[BarryinIN]

Business is good in Rugertown

http://www.ruger.com/corporate/news/2012-03-21.html

Sturm, Ruger & Company, Inc. Reports Strong First Quarter Bookings

March 21, 2012

Sturm, Ruger & Company, Inc. (NYSE: RGR), announced today that for the first quarter 2012, the Company has received orders for more than one million units. Therefore, the Company has temporarily suspended the acceptance of new orders.

Chief Executive Officer Michael O. Fifer made the following comments:

The Company's Retailer Programs that were offered from January 1, 2012 through February 29, 2012 were very successful and generated significant orders from retailers to independent wholesale distributors for Ruger firearms.

Year-to-date, the independent wholesale distributors placed orders with the Company for more than one million Ruger firearms.

Despite the Company's continuing successful efforts to increase production rates, the incoming order rate exceeds our capacity to rapidly fulfill these orders. Consequently, the Company has temporarily suspended the acceptance of new orders.

The Company expects to resume the normal acceptance of orders by the end of May 2012.

The Company will announce its results and file its Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q for the first quarter of 2012 on Tuesday, May 1, 2012, after the close of the stock market.

[wwillson]

I wonder if any of the other firearms manufacturers have similar circumstances?

Wayne

[G-MAN]

I'm hearing some talk from the gun shops around here. Sales are up. Way up. There is fear that we may not have a new president come November, and that Obama, unfettered by not having to worry about re-election, will mount an all-out assault on guns.

[BarryinIN]

I know someone with S&W stock and they said it was way up.

The big 3-day gun show was last weekend and my usual gun shop always goes. I haven't been in there since to hear how it went, but the day before the show they were better stocked than I have seen them in at least four years. For one example, they rarely get a Colt AR anymore but they had I think seven they had scrounged up for the show. They were getting ready for big things.

Reloading equipment is just now getting under control. There is casting gear that is just now becoming available after the 2008-09 shortages.

[simple_gifts]

I'm hearing some talk from the gun shops around here. Sales are up. Way up. There is fear that we may not have a new president come November, and that Obama, unfettered by not having to worry about re-election, will mount an all-out assault on guns.

I would give creadence to that position, however I heard all this "the first time around" Local business owner who also teaches handgun classes started grumbling and encouraged people to stockpile. As of yet, nothing has come to fruition except an increase in the bottom lines of those making the noise.

There may be cause for concern, but the cynic in me suggests alterior motives can also drive the message.