Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Ask The Gunwriters Ruger discontinues Red Label & conference call

I have a 20 gauge Red Label that I purchased new in the spring of 1997 and it seems to work fine for a few rounds of trap and skeet each year as well as for pheasants, partridge, woodcock and doves.

I hunt with a few high volume shotgunners that don't want my plebian Ruger too close to the Merkel's, Perrazzi's and Cesar Gurrini's as if they might catch something from it.

At the end of the day our game bags weigh about the same.

I guess it's whatever floats your boat.

StarchedCover

I like nice shotguns, and I'd never feel slighted if I had to use a 20ga Red Label, especially the straight grip models. They swing well and look graceful. The market for such a gun is just not strong, and the Europeans had an enormous head start.

I have an old Red Label 20, a gift from a friend, and while I don't shoot it a vast amount (have too many shotguns as well as too many rifles) it's a decent gun that fits me well.

The over-unders that feel like 2x4's to me are 12-gauge Browning Citoris, but that just proves that different shotguns fit different people differently.

Have had some mechanical problems with Euro-shotguns that are part of Beretta and wasn't impressed with customer service.

Then again, I'm kinda weird because in general I actually like German shotguns more than about any other country's, though I also have Italian, Spanish, Turkish and (of course) a number of American guns.

The LGS I frequent sold two new Red Labels and they were both returned to Ruger. Both had ejection issues, like the originals. Word travels fast...

I had one years ago and shot it well, but I always felt it was a little to the hefty side for a 20 hunting gun. For a target gun, it would have been ok.

I had one of the original blue framed 20 ga Red Labels in the '80s. It kicked so hard with AA skeet loads I got rid of it. To put that in perspective, at the time, I was shooting trap competitively, averaging 5 to 7 thousand 12 gauge shells per year. The Red Labels have too much drop in the comb, they are stocked like iron sighted rifles, and that is why they kick. Winchester 101s are no better, by the way, and for the same reason. I have a 1970s 101 trap model that has been shot less than 200 times, it kicks like a mule. I still have it because you can't get anything for them.