1946 Purchase Order

[d findley]

The Ruger Corporation, Inc.
Left click on picture for a stable image.

[ElNumeroUno]

Do you think this was to make the Hand Drills? do we have any belief that 15,000 drills like this ever got made?

[d findley]

We will probably never know the answer to either question. I have another invoice, dated 1947, where the Ruger Corp. is returning a lot of these stampings to the same company.

[Watertender]

I see in the heading that "Ruger Automatic Pistols" are mentioned. That must have been a thought at that time. Just picked up a Ruger hand drill with the pistol grip & it is very interesting indeed.

[Brass Frame]

Don, Could it be that these housings were intended for not only hand drills, but the soon to be announced Standard Autos?
However, I remain confuse by the order for both left and right hand quantity. Great piece of historical paper and I also notice this is Purchase Order #29 ! Thanks for sharing Don, Lee E

[Watertender]

Brass Frame the frames for the drills & pistols are 2 stampings that are welded together making 1 unit. Considering that the closest competitors (Colt & High Standard) machined their frames from a solid block of steel using over 100 different operations there is no comparison. The slide on a Colt Woodsman or any High Standard of that period had to be hand fitted where the Ruger was a round bolt cycling in a piece of tubing with the ejector acting as a bolt guide. Lot less hand fitting needed lowering the cost. I think Don can attest to this.

[d findley]

Bill Ruger was a genius to perfect that cost cutting operation in his .22 pistol. As Bill Ruger produced the Ruger Corp tools, firearms manufacturing was on his eventual goal/dream. His unique manufacturing techniques is surely a key part of the Companies overwhelming success.

[Ronaldwayne29]

I have one of these rugers

[d findley]

Ronaldwayne, what is the serial number of your Ruger? Do you have any photos you'd like to share?

[gunman42782]

Awesome piece of history there! Thanks for posting it Don.