Ruger Gold Label
Encyclopedia
The Ruger Gold Label is a double-barreled shotgun
. It is marketed and distributed by Sturm, Ruger & Company, Incorporated
, a company based in Fairfield, Connecticut
. The Gold Label is made at the Sturm, Ruger manufacturing facility in Newport, New Hampshire
.
The Ruger Gold Label is a side-by-side shotgun, designed to be similar to traditional English shotguns used for upland bird hunting
and for clay target games such as trap
, skeet
, and sporting clays
.
and blued barrels
. The stock
and fore-end are made of AAA-grade American walnut. At 6½ pounds, the Gold Label is relatively lightweight for a double barreled shotgun.
The gun has a single trigger. A barrel selector mechanism is used to choose whether the left or right barrel fires first. The second shot can be fired even if the first shot was a misfire and the gun has not recoil
ed. The barrel selector is combined with the manual safety
and is located at the top rear of the receiver, behind the top lever. Opening the action automatically engages the safety mechanism.
The Gold Label has been produced in 12 gauge
only. The chambers are three inches long, to accommodate either 2¾ inch or 3 inch shells
. The gun uses screw-in choke tubes that are steel shot compatible.
The Gold Label was produced from 2004 to 2006 and has not been produced since. While the shotgun was still pictured in Ruger's 2008 Catalog, it was listed as "current production sold out, anticipate availability in 2009." According to most reports, including emails from Ruger customer service to customers who have asked, the Gold Label will not be produced again due to the high cost of manufacturing it.
, a magazine published by the National Rifle Association
.
Double-barreled shotgun
A double-barreled shotgun is a shotgun or combination gun with two parallel barrels, allowing two shots to be fired in quick succession.-Construction:...
. It is marketed and distributed by Sturm, Ruger & Company, Incorporated
Sturm, Ruger
Sturm, Ruger & Company, Incorporated is a Southport, Connecticut-based firearm manufacturing company, better known by the shortened name Ruger. Sturm, Ruger produces bolt-action, semi-automatic, full-automatic, and single-shot rifles, shotguns, semi-automatic pistols, and single- and double-action...
, a company based in Fairfield, Connecticut
Fairfield, Connecticut
Fairfield is a town located in Fairfield County, Connecticut, United States. It is bordered by the towns of Bridgeport, Trumbull, Easton, Redding and Westport along the Gold Coast of Connecticut. As of the 2010 census, the town had a population of 59,404...
. The Gold Label is made at the Sturm, Ruger manufacturing facility in Newport, New Hampshire
Newport, New Hampshire
Newport is a town in and the county seat of Sullivan County, New Hampshire, United States. It is west-northwest of Concord. The population was 6,507 at the 2010 census. A covered bridge is in the northwest...
.
The Ruger Gold Label is a side-by-side shotgun, designed to be similar to traditional English shotguns used for upland bird hunting
Upland hunting
Upland Hunting is an American term for a form of bird hunting in which the hunter pursues upland birds including quail, pheasant, grouse, prairie chicken, chukar, grey partridge, and others...
and for clay target games such as trap
Trap shooting
Trap shooting is one of the three major forms of competitive clay pigeon shooting . The others are skeet shooting and sporting clays. There are many versions including Olympic trap, Double trap , Down-The-Line, and Nordic trap. American trap is most popular in the United States and Canada...
, skeet
Skeet shooting
Skeet shooting is one of the three major types of competitive shotgun target shooting sports . There are several types of skeet, including one with Olympic status , and many with only national recognition.- General principles :Skeet is a recreational and competitive activity where...
, and sporting clays
Sporting Clays
Sporting clays is a form of clay pigeon shooting, often described as "golf with a shotgun" because a typical course includes from 10 to 15 different shooting stations laid out over natural terrain...
.
Features
The Gold Label has a stainless steel receiverReceiver (firearms)
In firearms terminology, the receiver is the part of a firearm that houses the operating parts. The receiver usually contains the bolt carrier group, trigger group, and magazine port. In most handguns, the receiver, or frame, holds the magazine well or rotary magazine as well as the trigger mechanism...
and blued barrels
Gun barrel
A gun barrel is the tube, usually metal, through which a controlled explosion or rapid expansion of gases are released in order to propel a projectile out of the end at a high velocity....
. The stock
Stock (firearm)
A stock, also known as a buttstock or shoulder stock, is a part of a rifle or other firearm, to which the barrel and firing mechanism are attached, that is held against one's shoulder when firing the gun. Stocks are also found on crossbows though a crossbow stock is more properly referred to as a...
and fore-end are made of AAA-grade American walnut. At 6½ pounds, the Gold Label is relatively lightweight for a double barreled shotgun.
The gun has a single trigger. A barrel selector mechanism is used to choose whether the left or right barrel fires first. The second shot can be fired even if the first shot was a misfire and the gun has not recoil
Recoil
Recoil is the backward momentum of a gun when it is discharged. In technical terms, the recoil caused by the gun exactly balances the forward momentum of the projectile and exhaust gasses, according to Newton's third law...
ed. The barrel selector is combined with the manual safety
Safety (firearms)
In firearms, a safety or safety catch is a mechanism used to help prevent the accidental discharge of a firearm, helping to ensure safer handling....
and is located at the top rear of the receiver, behind the top lever. Opening the action automatically engages the safety mechanism.
The Gold Label has been produced in 12 gauge
Gauge (bore diameter)
The gauge of a firearm is a unit of measurement used to express the diameter of the barrel. Gauge is determined from the weight of a solid sphere of lead that will fit the bore of the firearm, and is expressed as the multiplicative inverse of the sphere's weight as a fraction of a pound . Thus...
only. The chambers are three inches long, to accommodate either 2¾ inch or 3 inch shells
Shotgun shell
A shotgun shell is a self-contained cartridge loaded with lead shot or shotgun slug designed to be fired from a shotgun....
. The gun uses screw-in choke tubes that are steel shot compatible.
Models
There are two models of Gold Label. One has an American style pistol grip stock. The other has an English style straight grip stock. Both models have a splinter style fore-end.The Gold Label was produced from 2004 to 2006 and has not been produced since. While the shotgun was still pictured in Ruger's 2008 Catalog, it was listed as "current production sold out, anticipate availability in 2009." According to most reports, including emails from Ruger customer service to customers who have asked, the Gold Label will not be produced again due to the high cost of manufacturing it.
Awards
In 2002, the Gold Label was named Shotgun of the Year by Shooting Industry News. In 2005, it won the "Golden Bullseye" Shotgun of the Year award from American RiflemanAmerican Rifleman
American Rifleman is a United States-based monthly shooting and firearms interest publication, owned by the National Rifle Association...
, a magazine published by the National Rifle Association
National Rifle Association
The National Rifle Association of America is an American non-profit 501 civil rights organization which advocates for the protection of the Second Amendment of the United States Bill of Rights and the promotion of firearm ownership rights as well as marksmanship, firearm safety, and the protection...
.