Standard, Finally!

greener · Post by **greener** » Sat Jul 25, 2009 6:21 pm

I bought a 1973 Ruger Standard a while back. It needed a little rust removal and tightening the receiver grip-frame. It shot ok, but not as well as my other Rugers. I figured it was just the shorter barrel, fixed sights and a lot of wear. Today, I finally made a partial repair to the inaccurate part, my right finger.

The pistol is a bit ammo-sensitive. More scatter with Fed Value pack. It shot well with Win Xpert HV, but the ammo didn't want to feed properly. Federal Champion (510) and Fed Automatch functioned very well and allowed me to stay in the 10-ring of a 6" Shoot'n'See target at 15 yards pretty consistently.

I've been convinced that you'd have to work hard to wear a Ruger out. The Standard looked like it had seen a lot of use and might be on the edge of wearing out. Find the right ammo, gain a bit of confidence in the gun and it confirms that you have to work to wear one of these out.

Yleefox · Post by **Yleefox** » Sun Jul 26, 2009 9:20 pm

Greener

I agree with you, in that I think it would take more shooting to wear one out than most people are ever likely do. I know as much ammo as I've put through my MK II, all that it appears to have done is polish a few surfaces.

Hope u enjoy that pistol

Y

Post by **Bullseye** » Mon Jul 27, 2009 9:38 am

I haven't worn any of mine out yet. My Mark I has a couple of hundred thousand rounds through it and still going strong.

R,
Bullseye

greener · Post by **greener** » Mon Jul 27, 2009 5:56 pm

I'd expect some of the internal parts to wear out (firing pin, springs, etc) like the brakes on a car. From the looks of this thing, the may well be original. Who knows! The finish looks like the worst wear. So far my big time repair bill has been a magazine.

Too bad I can't blame a worn out old Ruger for my shooting. Maybe I can blame my choices of ammo.

Fun and, finally, accurate shooter. I"m sure it will get a few thousand rounds.

bearandoldman · Post by **bearandoldman** » Mon Jul 27, 2009 6:26 pm

greener wrote:I'd expect some of the internal parts to wear out (firing pin, springs, etc) like the brakes on a car. From the looks of this thing, the may well be original. Who knows! The finish looks like the worst wear. So far my big time repair bill has been a magazine.

Too bad I can't blame a worn out old Ruger for my shooting. Maybe I can blame my choices of ammo.

Fun and, finally, accurate shooter. I"m sure it will get a few thousand rounds.

To improve accuracy you may have to replace the defective shooter?

greener · Post by **greener** » Tue Jul 28, 2009 6:27 am

bearandoldman wrote:
greener wrote:I'd expect some of the internal parts to wear out (firing pin, springs, etc) like the brakes on a car. From the looks of this thing, the may well be original. Who knows! The finish looks like the worst wear. So far my big time repair bill has been a magazine.

Too bad I can't blame a worn out old Ruger for my shooting. Maybe I can blame my choices of ammo.

Fun and, finally, accurate shooter. I"m sure it will get a few thousand rounds.
To improve accuracy you may have to replace the defective shooter?

Bigger and closer targets?

bearandoldman · Post by **bearandoldman** » Tue Jul 28, 2009 8:43 am

greener wrote:
bearandoldman wrote:
greener wrote:I'd expect some of the internal parts to wear out (firing pin, springs, etc) like the brakes on a car. From the looks of this thing, the may well be original. Who knows! The finish looks like the worst wear. So far my big time repair bill has been a magazine.

Too bad I can't blame a worn out old Ruger for my shooting. Maybe I can blame my choices of ammo.

Fun and, finally, accurate shooter. I"m sure it will get a few thousand rounds.
To improve accuracy you may have to replace the defective shooter?
Bigger and closer targets?

That should work but ,ake sure the powder burns don't show when you show them to other shooters.

Post by **Bullseye** » Tue Jul 28, 2009 2:27 pm

Ruger had a reasonable refinishing price if you decided to get that Standard re-done.

R,
Bullseye

greener · Post by **greener** » Tue Jul 28, 2009 6:57 pm

Think I'll look into that. It now has patina and character as they say in the antiques world.

bearandoldman · Post by **bearandoldman** » Tue Jul 28, 2009 7:45 pm

greener wrote:Think I'll look into that. It now has patina and character as they say in the antiques world.

While you are at it see what the cost to restore an oldman is? I used to be bright and shiny once too. I'm not really old; I'm Vintage.

greener · Post by **greener** » Tue Jul 28, 2009 8:50 pm

bearandoldman wrote:
greener wrote:Think I'll look into that. It now has patina and character as they say in the antiques world.
While you are at it see what the cost to restore an oldman is? I used to be bright and shiny once too. I'm not really old; I'm Vintage.

The difficult we do immediately, the impossible takes a little longer.

bearandoldman · Post by **bearandoldman** » Tue Jul 28, 2009 9:22 pm

greener wrote:
bearandoldman wrote:
greener wrote:Think I'll look into that. It now has patina and character as they say in the antiques world.
While you are at it see what the cost to restore an oldman is? I used to be bright and shiny once too. I'm not really old; I'm Vintage.
The difficult we do immediately, the impossible takes a little longer.

That's all right, Ma likes me with that patina anyway, says it gives me character or was that I am a character??

greener · Post by **greener** » Tue Jul 28, 2009 9:28 pm

Bullseye wrote:Ruger had a reasonable refinishing price if you decided to get that Standard re-done.

R,
Bullseye

The web site lists labor costs for rebluing, $80; recondition without reblue, $35, plus parts plus $30 shipping. They also have a contact us note for the MKI, MKII and Standard because they are out of production. I wonder if reconditioning includes the factory fix for the loose receiver-grip frame fit. That might be a bargain.

The pistol needed a new magazine and I shimmed the grip frame. Other than finish, every thing else seems to be in good shape.

I've thought about a detail strip and thorough cleaning combined with replacing the recoil spring, firing pin and adding a VQ Exact Edge, VQ sear and VQ trigger. Everything works so I'd be fixing something that isn't broken. I've also been toying with the idea of trying a Duracote finish on it.