Home Forums Birds & Dogs Shotguns Ruger red label or no?

Im thinking about buying the red label all weather for my waterfowl hunting does anybody have any info.on this model?

I have had two red lables and still have one. They are good guns but seem to kick harder than almost any other O/U I have had.
That may be just me but that is what I have seen.
The other thing I have seen is that they seem to "shoot loose" faster than most O/U's.
That is not to say they are worn out, just that they will fall open when you flip the lever. My Brownings stay tight for years, but the Red Lables will drop open in a short time. This may not be a bad thing for a quick reload.

if you have never shot hot steel loads out of a fixed action gun....you might want to. there is a reason autos rule the water fowl arena

Years ago when I got really into sporting clays, and was looking at an O/U, word was to avoid Rugers. Everyone said they loosen up after a large volume of shooting. I at first dismissed it as nonsense, but got the same advice from lots and lots of folks. Short of Argentina, I cant imagine anyone shooting one that much hunting and occasional clay shooting.

I can tell you first hand mine (both of them) loosened up after about 4 cases of shells.

Never owned one or shot one for that matter but I have read numerous times that they are designed to be loose on the hinge and that has nothing to do with "shooting loose", but it sure does freak people out. Might find more specific info on shotgunworld or rugerforum.

I have two and like them a lot. As for shooting loose, they do loosen up but not to the point that you would consider them "off face". They just open up easier but still lock up tighter than a tick.

I have had several and had no problem with them shooting loose by my definition. For me a gun is loose when it is off face and or moves when when bolted. I concur with RufusG.

i agree with ROMAC they do loosen up over time, ive had mine for 12 yrs now and prefer it that way, quicker for reloading no struggle.. and i would say for the last couple of years its been the same not like every year its getting worse....

I have one of the older 20ga Red Labels with the blued receiver.
Been shot quite a bunch at doves and sporting clays. Yes the action opens easily but lockup is extremely tight.

I don't think I can wear it out with the time or money I have left on this world.

I like the Red Labels because of the shallow receiver.

I really liked mine. it did as everyone elses did, loosen a bit as i shot it. always locked up tight though. ruger has very nice chokes, very nice wood and bluing too. it was about the heaviest double gun I have ever shot. I would not own one for waterfowl specificly though just because they kick like a pissed off mule with big steel loads.

The Red Label is about my least favorite of the medium price O/Us. I have a bunch of different ones and have had several Red Labels. There is absolutely no desire to get another.

And they are slow and "clunky" to me.

I had one for a while. it was a beautiful gun with some rare wood. Used it twice duck hunting then sold it to buy a browning gold hunter 3.5. The guns themselves i believe are great but the recoil sux terribly bad when running black cloud steel through it. And i fired some magnum 2oz lead turkey loads that knocked me further than my 416 rigby. Besides, where i waterfowl hunt the one i had was way too nice to be lugging around.