Ruger American Rifle

[bearkilr]

The new Ruger seems to stack right up there with the T-3, of which I'm not a fan, and its the European manufactures who seem to be enthralled with plastic bolt shrouds and triple bolt lugs. That said, my assessment is bang on.

So you picked the sole European manufacturer which uses quite a few plastic parts,nice.
Let's have a look at Sauer, Merkel,Heym,Sako,Mauser, Stey-Mannlicher and a host of budget priced ones which use all steel. The only high end one with plastic I can think of is the new Blaser R8 and it's abortion of a trigger housing and magazine in one piece. I do believe it's the North American market where synthetic stocks and stainless rule. Europeans still prefer wood and blued and it shows in their lineup.

 

[tjhaile]

Quite a few of those European makers besides Tikka make bolt actions with similar characteristics, albeit with better build quality:

-Multi-lug bolt
-Closed top receiver with narrow ejection port
-Detachable magazine

 

[bearkilr]

Quite a few of those European makers besides Tikka make bolt actions with similar characteristics, albeit with better build quality:

-Multi-lug bolt
-Closed top receiver with narrow ejection port
-Detachable magazine

And your point being? The cheapest guns in quality and price come from North American manufacturers, there's no denying that. Most Europeans don't have the amount of firearms in one home we do. They generally buy a very few expensive ones. Same goes for optics.
Here we have Marlin, Mossberg, Savage, TC, Remington, H&R, and now Ruger. Nothing wrong with that, but saying the cheap North American rifles are like most European maker's rifles is just plain BS. That's all I meant.

 

[senior]

I'm about to purchase my first centerfire rifle, and I'm wondering what all the 'budget rifle' attacks are about. I'm very interested in the Tikka T3 Lite @599$. That seems like a great value and nothing to sneeze at. Are you guys saying Ruger is attacking the 250$ (savage axis type) rifles instead of the 599$ Tikka/Thompson Center/Remington type rifles? I have a hard time believing that just because a rifle is priced at 500-600$ means it must suck.

Sorry to burst your bubble but there's no such thing as a $599 Tikka, I saw those adds & chased all over Canada & none was to be found.

I hear the haters & so be it.
It has the features I require, a safety that allows you to open the bolt in the "on" position, a "plastic" stock that resists scuffs & bangs from guys that actually use them, & a detachable clip/mag, all that's left is accuracy which it appears it has!
If the "cheapy" Ruger does the same job as a rifle costing twice or three times as much who's the fool

 

[Until the Angels Fall]

I think you are missing the point.

No...I am really not. Your all missing the point. The higher end/pretty rifles are still being made as they always have been and always will be. Just like pretty much everything out there that you can buy there are different levels of quality and craftsmanship. Some cannot afford the higher end ones so they buy what they can afford, some do not see a big enough difference in performance (and do not care a whole lot about looks) from the higher end models to justify paying much more for them. Even so others still buy the higher end rifles and they still sell well so the world would they just stop making them?

tinfoil...

This rifle is free floated, light weight, probably tough...like pretty much everything Ruger makes, has a detachable magazine which a lot of people like myself enjoy, comes with scope bases, has a 70 degree bolt throw compared to the 90 degree bolt throw most other rifles have in this price range, a stock adjustable trigger and its does not cost an arm and a leg!!!
WTF is there to complain about? If they sold this exact rifle with a wooden stock for x2 as much would that please you? I was gonna buy another Savage Axis in .243Win but I am now going to be waiting for the Ruger.

 

[1899]

No...I am really not. Your all missing the point. The higher end/pretty rifles are still being made as they always have been and always will be. Just like pretty much everything out there that you can buy there are different levels of quality and craftsmanship. Some cannot afford the higher end ones so they buy what they can afford, some do not see a big enough difference in performance (and do not care a whole lot about looks) from the higher end models to justify paying much more for them. Even so others still buy the higher end rifles and they still sell well so the world would they just stop making them?

tinfoil...

This rifle is free floated, light weight, probably tough...like pretty much everything Ruger makes, has a detachable magazine which a lot of people like myself enjoy, comes with scope bases, has a 70 degree bolt throw compared to the 90 degree bolt throw most other rifles have in this price range, a stock adjustable trigger and its does not cost an arm and a leg!!!
WTF is there to complain about? If they sold this exact rifle with a wooden stock for x2 as much would that please you? I was gonna buy another Savage Axis in .243Win but I am now going to be waiting for the Ruger.

You just proved that you are missing the point. I suspect that you would be happy if Remington/Winchester/Ruger would shut down their US factories and had Norinco build all of their rifles just so you could save $100.

There are lots of used quality rifles out there for a good price. I bet you could go onto the EE and find +100 of them for $500 or less. The amount you save on tax puts another ~$50 in your jeans. The "I can't afford a new $1000 rifle so I need them to build me a cheap $400 rifle" doesn't hold water imo.

There are LOTS of options out there, but the North American consumer has been programmed to value quantity over quality.

The MSRP of a Remington Model 700 BDL Custom Deluxe in 1966 was $149.95, which is $1,030 when adjusted for inflation. I ask anyone here - would you pay $1,030 (full MSRP) for a new 1966 vintage/quality Remington 700 BDL, or would you rather buy today's Remington 700 BDL for a similar price? In my opinion it is a no-brainer; and it has nothing to do with pretty wood stocks.

Like 'Boo said - I don't really like the direction the manufacturers are headed in with this race to the bottom of the barrel. First they cut corners, then designed cheaper to manufacture rifles. What's next?

 

[tjhaile]

And your point being? The cheapest guns in quality and price come from North American manufacturers, there's no denying that. Most Europeans don't have the amount of firearms in one home we do. They generally buy a very few expensive ones. Same goes for optics.
Here we have Marlin, Mossberg, Savage, TC, Remington, H&R, and now Ruger. Nothing wrong with that, but saying the cheap North American rifles are like most European maker's rifles is just plain BS. That's all I meant.

My point is that although European makers generally have more interest in quality of manufacture, their products often suffer from many of the design flaws that plague modern bolt actions designed from the ground up for the commercial market, as opposed to those derived from military actions. They're well-made rifles, but they just don't appeal to me. If we want to talk Euro rifles, let's talk Mausers and derivatives.

 

[skit]

well thats it! i'm getting one or two of these now.

 

[surfclod]

Whats with the hate for affordable rifles???

More budget rifles means more options for new shooters. Anytime there are more reasonably priced firearms on the market, the less the "high cost" of the shooting sports will dissuade new shooters.

I think its more important to get more affordable options out there to grow the sport.

If we don't grow our sport we will not be able to continue to roll back the tide like we have in recent time.

 

[blargon]

Like 'Boo said - I don't really like the direction the manufacturers are headed in with this race to the bottom of the barrel. First they cut corners, then designed cheaper to manufacture rifles. What's next?

I'm not sure its a race really. I think that manufacturers have no choice if they want to continue selling firearms in this economy.

And for those that think this is a temporary financial crisis, we are now entering our 4th consecutive year of financial turmoil, and this year is looking to be the worst yet. Ruger is just trying to regain some lost profits, likely required to fund production of the higher end models that aren't selling. Those companies that don't roll with the times, will be gone and forgotten.

 

[archie_james_c]

This rifle is free floated, light weight, probably tough...

Like 'Boo said - I don't really like the direction the manufacturers are headed in with this race to the bottom of the barrel. First they cut corners, then designed cheaper to manufacture rifles. What's next?

+ A million....

 

[savagefan]

It sure seems that the market is getting pretty crowded with rifles in the $300 - $400 range. Stevens, Axis, Marlin and so on. Now Ruger is jumping in. I'm not saying that it is not important to make safe reliable and accurate rifles in this price range but I sure would like to see some effort in putting together accurate rifles with no plastic parts that load, eject, and shoot straight, that last a long time. I know there are rifles in the 5-800 dollar range out there that try to do this but when you hear about things like loading and ejecting issues as well as poor quality in these rifles it gets pretty frustrating.

Therefore, if that is what we are getting from the major companies a fellow might as well buy the lower end rifles because the more expensive ones simply aren't worth the extra money.


What company out there makes an accurate rifle that has all metal parts, a good stock, wood or synthetic ( no tupperware ), Good finish and machining, and a trigger that is respectable for under $1000 ?

Savage.

 

[Until the Angels Fall]

You just proved that you are missing the point. I suspect that you would be happy if Remington/Winchester/Ruger would shut down their US factories and had Norinco build all of their rifles just so you could save $100.

There are lots of used quality rifles out there for a good price. I bet you could go onto the EE and find +100 of them for $500 or less. The amount you save on tax puts another ~$50 in your jeans. The "I can't afford a new $1000 rifle so I need them to build me a cheap $400 rifle" doesn't hold water imo.

There are LOTS of options out there, but the North American consumer has been programmed to value quantity over quality.

The MSRP of a Remington Model 700 BDL Custom Deluxe in 1966 was $149.95, which is $1,030 when adjusted for inflation. I ask anyone here - would you pay $1,030 (full MSRP) for a new 1966 vintage/quality Remington 700 BDL, or would you rather buy today's Remington 700 BDL for a similar price? In my opinion it is a no-brainer; and it has nothing to do with pretty wood stocks.

Like 'Boo said - I don't really like the direction the manufacturers are headed in with this race to the bottom of the barrel. First they cut corners, then designed cheaper to manufacture rifles. What's next?

There are many reasons not to buy used...no warranty, no idea how many shots were taken (honesty!) how well it was maintained and cleaned and so on. Not to mention people and gun stores alike can barley properly price a used gun...if you added a $30 sling, shot it enough to "break it in" then you should be able to sell it for 99% of the new price...right? And some people just want to buy new for their own sake of of getting enjoyment out of it being new.

I never said I dislike expensive guns...I own some. But sometimes people want something a bit cheaper if its not gonna be used a lot and/or if they are worried about it getting damaged in harsh environments. I personally spend a lot more on my handguns then I do for hunting rifles as I shoot them more often.

A deer rifle in .243Win like this Ruger American would not come with me on every range trip (as I go 2-4 times/week), nor would it be one that has 300rounds shot out of it per month like I shoot with my target .223Rem. It would have the job of being used a few weeks each year for hunting and be used two or three times a month to keep my shooting skills with that rifle sharp.

 

[Until the Angels Fall]

Whats with the hate for affordable rifles???

More budget rifles means more options for new shooters. Anytime there are more reasonably priced firearms on the market, the less the "high cost" of the shooting sports will dissuade new shooters.

I think its more important to get more affordable options out there to grow the sport.

If we don't grow our sport we will not be able to continue to roll back the tide like we have in recent time.

Exactly...look how hard and expensive it is to hunt in MANY European countries...lots of paperwork, interviews, permit and license expenses, having to PROVE why you need a rifle in ____ caliber in some countries, the almost total lack of public lands to hunt on and so on. This is why there are not many hunters over there when compared to North America. Add stupid expensive guns and ammo and you see its not helping out anyone either.

 

[senior]

There are lots of used quality rifles out there for a good price. I bet you could go onto the EE and find +100 of them for $500 or less. The amount you save on tax puts another ~$50 in your jeans. The "I can't afford a new $1000 rifle so I need them to build me a cheap $400 rifle" doesn't hold water imo.

I haven't seen to many of those "find +100 of them for $500 or less".
You are talking a run of the mill used M-70Win, M-700Rem or M-77Rug.
Where are they all?
& none have a detach mag, usually don't come with mounts or even decent bedding!

 

[Boomer]

So you picked the sole European manufacturer which uses quite a few plastic parts,nice.
Let's have a look at Sauer, Merkel,Heym,Sako,Mauser, Stey-Mannlicher and a host of budget priced ones which use all steel. The only high end one with plastic I can think of is the new Blaser R8 and it's abortion of a trigger housing and magazine in one piece. I do believe it's the North American market where synthetic stocks and stainless rule. Europeans still prefer wood and blued and it shows in their lineup.

Sure, you can buy a high end Euro rifle from $10-100K and perhaps more, but it won't be any better a rifle than a custom build or a Dakota that you can buy across the counter for a fraction as much. Pretty don't haul freight and while exquisite wood makes a pretty rifle, it doesn't necessarily make a better rifle. The newer style Euro rifles like the T-3, or the Styer Pro series with their modernistic stocks and small ejection ports are to me unattractive. That appears to be the "look" Ruger is going for with this new rifle, so I find it strange that some have objected to me referring to the Ruger as a Euro style rifle rather than an American style rifle. Clearly the look is more in keeping with a Euro rifle than an American rifle. But hey, the US government liked the 98 Mauser so much they made a copy of it as their primary military arm. By the way, actually I do appreciate some Euro rifles and I own an old straight pull Styer, a Unique "T" Dioptra, a few Brnos, and a couple of Mausers and Husqvarna bolt guns. The older Brnos, Mausers, and the L series SAKOs are all excellent rifles.

 

[1899]

I haven't seen to many of those "find +100 of them for $500 or less".
You are talking a run of the mill used M-70Win, M-700Rem or M-77Rug.
Where are they all?
& none have a detach mag, usually don't come with mounts or even decent bedding!

Trade-ex alone probabaly has that many Husqvarna 1600s for under $500. I've seen a couple of vintage Model 700 BDLs asking $550 lately; you can usually find a BLR or two in that price range...etc. Any of those could serve a man/woman very well for a lifetime. It's not like you have NO choice.

 

[savagefan]

Here's a quick word on it from NRA Mark Keefe.
http://www.americanrifleman.org/blogs/the-ruger-american-rifle/

 

[senior]

Trade-ex alone probabaly has that many Husqvarna 1600s for under $500. I've seen a couple of vintage Model 700 BDLs asking $550 lately; you can usually find a BLR or two in that price range...etc. Any of those could serve a man/woman very well for a lifetime. It's not like you have NO choice.

Husqys have no detach mag, no scope mounts, no synthetic stock.
For an economical hunting rifle I'd take the new Ruger any day! IMHO
So there actually are no 700Rems, R M-77 or Win M-70 flying around for under $500.

 

[Denisb]

It sure seems that the market is getting pretty crowded with rifles in the $300 - $400 range. Stevens, Axis, Marlin and so on. Now Ruger is jumping in. I'm not saying that it is not important to make safe reliable and accurate rifles in this price range but I sure would like to see some effort in putting together accurate rifles with no plastic parts that load, eject, and shoot straight, that last a long time. I know there are rifles in the 5-800 dollar range out there that try to do this but when you hear about things like loading and ejecting issues as well as poor quality in these rifles it gets pretty frustrating.

Therefore, if that is what we are getting from the major companies a fellow might as well buy the lower end rifles because the more expensive ones simply aren't worth the extra money.


What company out there makes an accurate rifle that has all metal parts, a good stock, wood or synthetic ( no tupperware ), Good finish and machining, and a trigger that is respectable for under $1000 ?

Any Savage with the Accutrigger.