The plucky hosts made Gers work for their victory as they twice pulled back goals to make the 54-times Scottish champions sweat.
But in the end the Ibrox side’s full-time status shone through as they pulled clear in the latter stages to record a comfortable three points.
Ally McCoist’s side is certainly starting to settle down now after an awkward start to the campaign.
And there were many reasons to take heart from the manner of this win, with Kevin Kyle and Kal Naismith both netting to make sure the away side would come out on top.
In Kyle’s case, on his first start, it was his first goal for the club. For Naismith, finding the net meant he broke his league duck for the Light Blues.
Lee McCulloch opened and closed the scoring with a pair of penalties, Andy Little found the net for the first time since August and Lee Wallace also struck again too.
Rangers, wearing black armbands in respect to Captain Walter Barrie after he was killed in Afghanistan last weekend, were looking to start brightly and began on the front foot.
They created the first opportunity too as good link-up play between Wallace and Ian Black resulted in Dean Shiels shooting just wide.
While that one was off range, the Light Blues did hit the target soon enough – and when they did it was from the spot as skipper McCulloch put the visitors ahead.
Shiels did his best to get into the box and when he was upended at first it seemed referee George Salmond was going to wave away claims for a penalty.
But with a look to his linesman he gave the award after all and the 34-year-old made no mistake from 12 yards with a well-executed effort.
Shiels was involved in a lot of Gers’ forward play in the opening exchanges and he nearly played in Barrie McKay for a second.
Although the youngster lifted over home keeper Grant Hay and goalwards, however, the hosts were able to clear.
Back came Shire and they had a go through Scott Maxwell but his curled attempt from a wide area was always going to be gathered easily by Neil Alexander.
In response, Kyle had his first attempt at goal of the day with a smart header after Little won a corner but it sailed over.
A lull followed as Rangers enjoyed plenty of possession without really make a lot of it count against the side lying third-bottom of the table.
But the away team’s cause was helped just after the half-hour mark as Shire were reduced to 10 men with a straight red card issued to Philipp Zufle.
Black, as he has been so many times this season, been on the end of some crunching tackles in the opening stages.
But it was German Zufle’s rash challenge on Kyle that saw him removed early as he paid the price for leading with a high boot.
With that, the Ibrox team probed a little more and Black went close while Little was unlucky to be flagged offside at the end of a good move.
He had more fortune seven minutes before the break though as he found a way past Hay with a looping shot which was aided by a big deflection and that made it 2-0.
To their credit, East Stirlingshire bounced back immediately and a cross from Nathan Shepherd on the left found Nathan Turner and he bundled in to reduce the deficit.
That gave manager McCoist something to consider at half-time as his men only led by a narrow margin despite dictating much of the contest.
Whatever he said at the interval to his players worked as they restored their two-goal advantage within four minutes of the restart.
Wallace was the scorer as he hit the net for the second week in a row, collecting on the halfway line from Black then working his way into the box and netting with his right foot.
But just when it seemed there was time to appreciate the breathing space, Shire had a chance to pull one back again from the penalty spot.
McCulloch was guilty of fouling Shepherd on the edge of the area and after the correct decision was made, Paul Quinn made it 3-2.
What was rapidly turning into an entertaining game nearly took another twist as Black smacked the post from long range when Rangers went looking for a fourth.
Although he didn’t get it, Kyle did as he marked his first start for the club following 10 substitute appearances with his first goal in almost two years.
It might only have been a tap in after Little slid on a Shiels cutback but it will have been a real milestone moment for a player who has had such a torrid time with injuries.
Indeed, the counter was Kyle’s first competitive goal since New Year’s Day 2011 when he scored the only goal in an Edinburgh derby win for Hearts against Hibs.
At last, with only a quarter of the game to play, it seemed Gers had done enough to rack up their second away win of the Third Division campaign.
And they made sure of the three points when substitute Kal Naismith converted McKay’s clip back within two minutes of replacing Shiels.
There was even time too for McCulloch to lash home another penalty – his 19th goal of 2012/13 – after Steven Jackson handled in the box – and that wrapped up a good day’s work.
EAST STIRLINGSHIRE: Hay, Jackson, Shepherd, Miller, Kelly, McKernon, Greenhill (Hunter 66), Zufle, Turner, Quinn (Begg 73), Maxwell (Herd 64)SUBS: Hume, Gordon.GOALS: Turner 40, Quinn 58 (pen).BOOKED: None.SENT OFF: Zufle.
RANGERS: Alexander; Argyriou, Hegarty, McCulloch, Wallace; Little (Aird 78), Black, Macleod (Crawford 84), McKay; Shiels (Naismith 69); Kyle.SUBS: Gallacher, Hutton.
GOALS: McCulloch 11, 82 (both pens), Little 38, Wallace 50, Kyle 63, Naismith 71.BOOKED: Hegarty, Little.
REFEREE: George Salmond.ATTENDANCE: 2,834.