Ive had 2 Rugers. A 77mk II that felt like a post and a No 1 that was in the 50 percentile that wouldnt hit the broad side of a barn. Sold them both and replace the No1 with a CZ527 223 and a Browning xbolt in 30-06. Essentially the same price in both cases but such a big step up in fit, finish, and hell yeah, accuracy. I dont miss either. The CZ and the Brownings are so much better finished and function so well I would never consider another Ruger. I just found the 77 to be thick and heavy. The Browning and the CZ are a different story. And they are both easy on the eye. Sure the Rugers are reliable but they aint the only cow in the pasture. I have been buying guns since 1966 and have owned just a few.....Yeah its a sickness but unlike cocaine I can afford it.....
Ruger American....wow, what a piece of crap!
- Thread starter Hitzy
- Start date
- Location
- Somewhere on the Hudson Bay Coast
The condition of the outside of a rifle often reflects its condition inside. An abused rifle stands out, whereas a well maintained hunting rifle, likely has a low round count, will be free of any evidence of rust or pitting, on it's outside surfaces. If you choose to deal with Tradex, any guesswork is effectively removed; you can confidently accept their explanation of a rifle's condition, and deal with confidence. Big game rifles are only infrequently owned by off season shooters, when the entire field of used hunting rifles is considered. If you purchase a mechanically sound rifle that won't hold 2 MOA, it can usually be rebarreled and bedded for less than the cost of a new, good quality rifle.
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Perhaps the best observation posted in the entire thread.
Having said that, I certainly found the Marlin XL and XS rifles far above the rest of the "entry level" firearms. Bought one in every caliber they made, except 308 Winchester, and they all performed flawlessly.
Ted
Originally Posted by SHELL SHUCKER
This.^^^ Prices on Swedes have climbed a bit as well as L.E. sporters, but they are good, solid dependable rifles that won't let one down & have a good aftermarket parts base on which to build up a nice rifle with
"Well worn"? What nonsense...plenty of the Swedish Mausers are in near new condition and sporterized Lee-Enfields in VG+ condition with great bores are available everywhere (generally for way under $200.)...you just need to spend a bit of time educating yourself about how to determine condition...read a few relevant technical gun books, etc.
This.^^^ Prices on Swedes have climbed a bit as well as L.E. sporters, but they are good, solid dependable rifles that won't let one down & have a good aftermarket parts base on which to build up a nice rifle with
"Well worn"? What nonsense...plenty of the Swedish Mausers are in near new condition and sporterized Lee-Enfields in VG+ condition with great bores are available everywhere (generally for way under $200.)...you just need to spend a bit of time educating yourself about how to determine condition...read a few relevant technical gun books, etc.
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Cheap has a time and place, but I had to laugh out loud at the phone comparison. PHones are amazing things these days- I could not do business without mine as it covers scheduing, email, credit card processing, website browsing and of course telephone calls- but it's so true that some guys have a brand new phone every year or so and then gripe about a $1000 rifle that they can give to their grandchildren.
Same with bicycles, skis, or many other toys.
- Location
- Steel Town and The Peg
I've been saying this for years. Save your pennies for a few more months and buy something of hierloom quality, or spend less for a "used" rifle like Hitzy's and avoid disappointment.
Had that "used" 1975 M70 222 out today (thanks Tradex!) it's sub moa with factory ammo, needs nothing as the trigger/stock is great, it's lightweight and points like a nice gun should.
Ruger doesn't make anything this nice.
Very nice rifle Hitzy....
As for "Ruger doesn't make anything this nice".... I beg to differ...... I think you need some Ruger experience outside of the American.....
"One mans garbage another mans treasure" I find it interesting that you never bothered to shoot the rifle before declaring it a piece of crap. I agree that the rifle you obtained definitely left a lot to be desired in regards to its finishing, however as someone who has owned a couple of Ruger American Compact rifles and who currently owns a Ruger American Predator in 308 I can say that the rifle you obtained does not represent the Ruger American rifles I have seen. A couple of years ago there was posting about a Sako 85 with a S&B scope which the owner had an issue with an eye lash on the interior of the scope as a result of a manufacturing quality control problem. The owner returned the scope to the supplier who provided a replacement S&B scope which in turn failed. I guess he would have been justified in saying all S&B scopes are crap according to your definition.
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I have owned well over 100+ rifles from 100+ years old to present day manufacture, the American is made like crap with only the cheapest materials, as quickly and cheaply as possible. I take some pride in ownership...not a lot, but overpriced junk has always been a thorn in my side. The American and RPR are the biggest piles of #### on the market you can buy. You get nothing of value out of them. You can get better made rifles that shoot better for less money if you need the cheapest rifle money can buy.
My mistake when I bought one of these was reading reviews (like yours) where the person either lacked experience with well made firearms, or it was the only firearm they ever owned. Praising everything about the rifle and not noticing a single flaw (or ignoring them under the guise that it is sooo accurate for the money) is the sign of someone lacking experience and common sense.
If your sole criteria is "accuracy" then why bother spending more money on the American vs a Savage Axis? Accurate hunting rifles are not expensive these days, they haven't been for 70+ years. What does cost more money today in a new firearm is dependability. Mags not made out of margine container plastic, stocks not made out of recycled plastic water bottles, trigger design that is actually polished and not just a poorly cast pile of parts... basically everything a gun maker does when they make a gun with the exception of the Ruger American.
- Location
- Steel Town and The Peg
quote of the day:
"Mags not made out of margarine container plastic" lol
Perhaps they have a deal going with a local recycling plant?
(just as an aside, I am quite fond of the No. 1, particularly the "tropical" variants.)
"Mags not made out of margarine container plastic" lol
Perhaps they have a deal going with a local recycling plant?
(just as an aside, I am quite fond of the No. 1, particularly the "tropical" variants.)
The world is constantly changing...some people can adapt and change with it, others can't.
Plastics, composites, and stainless are the new walnut and blue.
Only accurate rifles are interesting...fancy wood and deep dark bluing don't do shyt to make a rifle interesting but thats just my humble opinion
Plastics, composites, and stainless are the new walnut and blue.
Only accurate rifles are interesting...fancy wood and deep dark bluing don't do shyt to make a rifle interesting but thats just my humble opinion
The world is constantly changing...some people can adapt and change with it, others can't.
Plastics, composites, and stainless are the new walnut and blue.
Only accurate rifles are interesting...fancy wood and deep dark bluing don't do shyt to make a rifle interesting but thats just my humble opinion
Longevity, pride of ownership and accuracy will always be the king....... Keep that in mind....... You don't have to have a cooper to feel you have a collection of nice guns...... The plastic fantastic crowd will make sure of that......
nomad 68
CGN Ultra frequent flyer
Holy crap has this thread gone awry? Lol, why are we even comparing this rifle to anything else? Is ruger marketing it to be anything other than it is? Of course there are better out there! so what? I have one ,along with many others. This was the least expensive rifle I have ever purchased. Big deal.it's light as a cork and shoots like a laser. Not the prettiest rifle but functional and will serve as a nice entry level rifle for the kids.
I guess you would say the same about the Steyr SSG69 which was introduced more than forty years ago with a cheap plastic rotary mag, just like the Ruger American. But then again you seem to have a very condescending attitude to anyone who has a different opinion than yours.
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Jeeze, are they the same design and materials? No, no they are not.
There are "good" polymer mags, and there are #### plastic mags. The Ruger American fall under the "####" category and probably cost Ruger 50 cents to make and they retail for $50, massive rip off. Just Google "Ruger American mags are junk" and be prepared to read a few pages of real reviews.
Browning also make a poly rotary mag for the Xbolt, very similar to the American design and it's not junk. Magpul make poly mags, also not junk. Just Ruger because they strive to make the cheapest #### possible for this rifle.
