Rugers and string. *NOT AN INSTRUCTION*

[EHJ]

*THIS IS NOT AN INSTRUCTION OR DESCRIPTION. YOU EITHER KNOW WHAT I'M TALKING ABOUT OR YOU DON'T*

Looking for input from firearms industry historians, etc. This is about Bill Ruger.

When did the 'modification' first appear?
Who did it?
With his public positions on establishing a firm line in the sand between a duty weapon and a civilian weapon - (The mag thing, etc... I get that and all it entails...) Was this something that kept him up at night?
There are innumerable semi action rifles that although similar - they require a fairly substantive re-fit to operate like their battle-brethren. Not just drop-in stuff - but the entire re machining of parts to allow the operational parts to even work. (HK is renowned for reverse engineering their stuff to keep this from happening.) I know about paper clips and the sort - those just short circuit a sear and it's luck that keep one from over - running a bolt..

I'm talking about the string. (Well, trying not to...)

Could this one faux pa of design be a reason for his positions on magazines?

Mods - feel free to kill this if it's too much. Just trying to explore a mystery...

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[808hondacrguy]

following this one

 

[Robear]

Trolling, Mr. ATF man?

 

[EHJ]

Trolling, Mr. ATF man?

?

Lol. No.

But then again... coming from an 11 year member with only 16 posts... I can see how suspicions can arise about lurkers and such...

 

[Certaindeaf]

The string is mightier than the flapjack?
No idea what you're talking about.

 

[Ura-Ki]

Potato!

 

[CountryGent]

I don't know when the shoe-string modification started, by the ATF letter commonly referenced is dated September 30, 2004, which cites a test conducted by BATFE in 1996. I've read it was later rescinded, though have not seen documentation to that effect.

As to Bill Ruger's lamentable position on magazines greater than 5 or 10 rounds, that dates to at least the mid-1980s. After he died in 2002, Ruger started selling 20 and 30 round magazines for the Mini-14 around the 2005 time frame to civilian/non-LEO customers. They continued said business practice with other firearms they produce.

 

[Heywood]

I always just use a heavy rubber band.

 

[EHJ]

I don't know when the shoe-string modification started, by the ATF letter commonly cited is dated September 30, 2004. I've read it was later rescinded, though have not seen documentation to that effect.

As to Bill Ruger's lamentable position on magazines greater than 5 or 10 rounds, that dates to at least the mid-1980s. After he died in 2002, Ruger started selling 20 and 30 round magazines for the Mini-14 around the 2005 time frame to civilian/non-LEO customers. They continued said business practice with other firearms they produce.

I first saw the string trick in the early 80's. Back then it was *almost* a selling point... for, you know... bad boys.
I've seen the 2004 thing - they actually tried to list a shoestring as a machine gun - but later in 2007 corrected it to amend it to only be a device when attached to the rifle.
I'm thinking the internet and info access had a lot to do with it. But it has been around for quite awhile and always seemed to me to be a big consideration when a mini-14 was the current-day - evil assault rifle and he had to stick to the - "no big mags" thing during all that hoopla...

 

[CountryGent]

Thanks for the link to the reversal. These are letters in response to inquiry, so don't have the same weight as an official Ruling, but still interesting from an academic standpoint.

I too recall the era when the Mini-14 was one of those "scary" assault rifle thingies. My how things change. Or not.

 

[CLT65]

I've never even heard of it. I have to assume we're talking about the Mini-14?

I knew about the binary trigger thing with a bent piece of .22 brass, but feel like I've been in the dark about strings and such. Then again I never was a "bad boy".

I learned about the binary trigger trick in the '90s, and it works well if you do it right (or so they say), but I backed away from that kind of thing because I figured it was illegal. Then I find out many years later that binary triggers were legal all along! I would have had fun back in the day. I couldn't care less about "mag dumps" and such nowadays.