One of the most poorly-kept secrets in the gun world has been that Anderson Manufacturing — best known by consumers for their budget-priced AR platform rifles and parts — was on the sales block with a few interested parties in the mix. Cincinnati-based (technically Kentucky) Anderson has also been an important maker of parts and components for other gun manufacturers whose names you know and love. Today, the sale of Anderson is complete and Ruger is the winning bidder.
Here’s Ruger’s announcement of the acquisition . . .
Sturm, Ruger & Company, Inc. (NYSE: RGR) is pleased to announce the asset purchase of Anderson Manufacturing, a manufacturer of firearms and firearm accessories based in Hebron, Kentucky. This strategic purchase includes Anderson’s manufacturing facility and machinery and will provide Ruger the opportunity to work with a skilled and experienced workforce, strengthening its production capabilities and expanding its product offerings.
Located in a firearms-friendly region, the facility brings valuable expertise in the production of both firearms and aftermarket parts and accessories – areas that complement and enhance Ruger’s existing offerings.
“This acquisition is an incredible opportunity to advance our long-term strategy and expand Ruger’s capacity,” said Todd Seyfert, President and CEO of Ruger. “We’re excited to welcome members from the talented team at Anderson Manufacturing and leverage their knowledge and infrastructure to better serve our customers. This move reinforces Ruger’s position as a leader in the industry, and reiterates my focus on continued growth, even as others scale back.”
Ruger will not continue the Anderson Manufacturing brand or its firearms products. Instead, the Company will integrate the facility’s capabilities into its broader operations, with a focus on launching new products, expanding Ruger’s popular product lines and growing its established accessories business.
Customers, distributors, and partners can continue to expect the high standards of quality, reliability and service that define the Ruger brand. This acquisition underscores Ruger’s commitment to American manufacturing and its mission to deliver innovative, reliable products to the firearms community.
This is the message on the Anderson manufacturing home page:
For nearly 70 years, Anderson Manufacturing proudly operated as a family-owned, Kentucky-based company built on excellence, integrity, and a deep commitment to our values—especially the protection of Second Amendment rights.
Over time, we became a trusted manufacturer of 100% American-made firearms, parts, and accessories. We consistently upheld ISO 9001 standards and built a reputation for delivering quality products at a fair price.
After careful consideration, we made the difficult decision to sell the company and close this chapter of our story. With the sale now complete, the Anderson brand has been discontinued and Anderson products will no longer be offered. As a result, warranty services on Anderson firearms, parts, and accessories are no longer available. For any future support, we encourage you to contact your local Anderson dealer.
Your support and loyalty meant everything to us; it was truly an honor to serve you.
Thank you,
The Anderson Manufacturing Team
The market for offset buffer retention pins to resolve the issue of out-of-spec lower receivers wouldn’t exist but for Anderson Mfg and their Poverty Pony. Giddyup into the sunset, big fella.
“The market for offset buffer retention pins to resolve the issue of out-of-spec lower receivers wouldn’t exist but for Anderson Mfg and their Poverty Pony. ”
Huh? I have built close to 100 rifles using Anderson lowers, and I never needed an offset buffer retention pin. I’m not sure what all people are doing or what they are using with Anderson lowers, I’ve see this complaint about needing an offset buffer retention pin – and I also used some Anderson lowers I used that people gave me complaining about the need for an offset buffer retention pin and how of spec it was blah blah blah, but when I spec’d them out they met specs and I removed the buffer tube they had in there and put a mil-spec buffer tube in and used a regular retention pin and it worked fine and everything lined up like it was suppose to do in spec. SOTAR has a video in which they mention this ‘offset buffer retention pins’ issue (not specifically for Anderson), and said and demonstrated its mostly arises from an improperly spec’d buffer tube or an improper length of threads on the buffer tube.
Perhaps my experiences with Anderson were before your time. I have the memory of an elephant and the tolerance for incompetence like a honey badger. Anderson was synonymous with junk, but glad you like them.
Been building AR platform rifles for almost 30 years now, over that time maybe close to 1,800 or so (collectively) for myself or wife (or her friends) and family and as gifts and for friends and for donations to various functions (for example, a local range where I donated a bunch of AR’s, I think it was 50, for their training classes), and sometimes just cause I wanted to, and some I built just to give away to people who wanted to get into firearms. Some were exact duplicates of different companies AR’s using the same parts as the actual thing they sell. Never once did I sell any of them, never once did I make even $1.00 on them, some I traded for other firearms with no money involved, and never once did I provide one of them without first checking the person/people out through contacts in the sheriffs office to determine if they were a ‘prohibited person’, and never once did I do it as a ‘business’. Used a lot of different manufacturer lowers and uppers, including Anderson lowers, during that time. Never once did I ever need an offset buffer retention pin. Granted, not all were Anderson lowers. I use lowers and uppers and barrels and parts I can get for free from manufacturers/companies through my brother. Sometimes I would need to buy small parts like, for example, pins and springs or triggers, but overall I wasn’t out of pocket much on the rifles I built. I did put some money into proper tools and gauges.
Its relaxing for me to build them, I like doing it, its a hobby, which is the reason why I like building AR platform rifles. I have other hobbies too, but some people build craft things/art as a hobby, some build engines or restore cars as a hobby, some do carpentry as a hobby – one of my hobbies is building AR platform rifles.
“Ruger will not continue the Anderson Manufacturing brand or its firearms products. Instead, the Company will integrate the facility’s capabilities into its broader operations”
Pour one out for the lower market.
“Pour one out for the lower market.”
The market will still exist, but it won’t be for sub-50 dollar AR stripped lowers…
“As a result, warranty services on Anderson firearms, parts, and accessories are no longer available”
…well, that’s a kick in the tender bits. I suppose it’s a good thing that the products are being discontinued, because I’m not inclined to buy them ever again.
Homemade Anderson ARs filling up the gun shows will soon be a thing of the past.
I own 3 AR’s from Anderson and one Kiger 9c and not a single problem with them, sorry to see them go … who will fill the gap for good ARs parts?