Made from 1977 to 2011 and again from 2013 to 2016, Ruger’s Red Label was an affordable American-made over-under shotgun. It was first offered in 20 gauge with 3-inch chambers and fixed chokes.
June 23, 2022
By Joseph von Benedikt
Conceived as an affordable over-under for American sportsmen, the Ruger Red Label cost about the same as two blue-collar home mortgage payments in 1977 when it was first introduced. Built under the directive of Bill Ruger, it was a sleek, classic gun well suited for hunting upland game and busting clay birds.
Introduced in 20 gauge, early iterations were blued, with very nice walnut, fixed chokes, and 26-inch barrels. Two years later, in 1979, Ruger added 12-gauge guns, and eventually, barrels of 28 and 30 inches became available. Much later, in 1994, 28-gauge models were created.
Fixed chokes gave way to more modern, adaptable screw-in chokes in the mid-1980s. Eventually...
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