Setting the record straight - Ruger never made a Deerslayer. There was never a lawsuit or patent dispute with Ithaca of any kind.
Here’s the skivvy – at least the short version……
Design engineer Harry Sefried, who had worked at Winchester and High Standard went to work for Bill Ruger in 1959. At the time Bill Ruger was playing with a design for a .44 mag carbine. Sefried immediately began working with Bill Ruger on the design. This continued through many trials and tribulations until perfected and shipment began in 1961. This was Ruger’s very first entry into long guns.
This rifle was initially called The Deerstalker not Deerslayer. The Deerstalker name was offered to Bill Ruger by Harry Sefried because of interest he had in stag hunting in Scotland.
When Bill Ruger named his new carbine The Deerstalker he was not aware Ithaca had a shotgun with the trade name Deerslayer. When Bill Ruger learned of this and because of the similarities he simply dropped the Deerstalker name to avoid any hard feelings. There was never any lawsuit, patent dispute or other conflict with Ithaca.
The rifle was then re-named the “Ruger .44 Carbine”.
Production continued until 1985 and some 250,000 were manufactured. Initially the Standard model sold for $108.00, the Sporter for $118.00 & the International for $128.00.
So that’s the short version. The complete story can be read over several pages in the book “Ruger & His Guns”
The Ruger Deerfield model 99/44 is a completely different animal designed roughly on the Mini 14. It was produced from 2000 to 2006 with approximately 17,500 manufactured with most of them sold in the U.S. and is the reason they are now fairly scarce here.
Here’s the skivvy – at least the short version……
Design engineer Harry Sefried, who had worked at Winchester and High Standard went to work for Bill Ruger in 1959. At the time Bill Ruger was playing with a design for a .44 mag carbine. Sefried immediately began working with Bill Ruger on the design. This continued through many trials and tribulations until perfected and shipment began in 1961. This was Ruger’s very first entry into long guns.
This rifle was initially called The Deerstalker not Deerslayer. The Deerstalker name was offered to Bill Ruger by Harry Sefried because of interest he had in stag hunting in Scotland.
When Bill Ruger named his new carbine The Deerstalker he was not aware Ithaca had a shotgun with the trade name Deerslayer. When Bill Ruger learned of this and because of the similarities he simply dropped the Deerstalker name to avoid any hard feelings. There was never any lawsuit, patent dispute or other conflict with Ithaca.
The rifle was then re-named the “Ruger .44 Carbine”.
Production continued until 1985 and some 250,000 were manufactured. Initially the Standard model sold for $108.00, the Sporter for $118.00 & the International for $128.00.
So that’s the short version. The complete story can be read over several pages in the book “Ruger & His Guns”
The Ruger Deerfield model 99/44 is a completely different animal designed roughly on the Mini 14. It was produced from 2000 to 2006 with approximately 17,500 manufactured with most of them sold in the U.S. and is the reason they are now fairly scarce here.
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