The Gold Label when it was the Woodside

Red Labels, Woodside, Gold Labels and Trap Guns
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twriggen
Posts: 184
Joined: Sat Jun 05, 2021 4:42 pm
Location: Idaho Falls, ID

The Gold Label when it was the Woodside

Post by twriggen »

I thought I had seen a discussion about the Woodside originally being called the Gold Label, but I cannot find where the discussion was taking place. Stumbled across this in a pile of paperwork today and figured I'd share.
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1980 May Newsletter.pdf
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Troy

Possessions have a way of possessing their possessors. - Daniel L. Dustin
SPAS 15
Posts: 159
Joined: Thu Apr 06, 2017 12:31 pm
Location: U.K., yes we can have guns

Re: The Gold Label when it was the Woodside

Post by SPAS 15 »

Very interesting. Thanks for sharing.
chet15
Posts: 885
Joined: Sat Aug 16, 2014 11:28 am

Re: The Gold Label when it was the Woodside

Post by chet15 »

There are also a couple pics of the original Gold Label/Woodside on the covers or inside covers of a 1980-1982 Gun digest.
When the actual Woodside was first announced by Ruger we were at an NRA show that year. On display was a superbly engraved Woodside shotgun serial number 410-00016. Except, if anybody recognized the prefix on that serial number you realize that wasn't a recent production Woodside at all, but a prototype of the original named "Gold Label" from about 1982.
Also, a former employee by the name of Howard Avery recently put a photograph of his original 1982 Woodside era receiver casting on one of the forums. I asked him if it had the "D" receiver and lo and behold it does!! Approximately the first 500 or so Woodside shotguns also had that "D" receiver accent mark on top of the receiver between both chambers. The "D" accent mark mates up with the rear end of the barrel rib on those early Woodsides, but I'm thinking those first 500 Woodside receivers were leftovers from the original Gold Label project.
Chet15
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