Pulsed laser operation has been produced by complete internal reflection in a ruby ring at room temperature. The linearized equations of Statz and de Mars give a good description of the steady state laser operation. The lifetime of the excited Cr3+ions is found to be ∼1 &mgr;sec under operating conditions. We have observed short‐lived transient oscillations rather than spikes in the laser output. This result can be tentatively explained by assuming a cavityQof 108–109.