Ruger American....wow, what a piece of crap!

... just like I said, people are remembering the Remlin quality (or lack of thereof) now... not that it has been totally solved

I never really saw Marlin as a high quality gun maker, more of a budget grade manufacturer. They made decent lever guns but more utilitarian (ie some bigger bore stuff, easy to scope, no fancy wood or finishing) then the competition, at a cheaper price of course. Their rimfires were always geared toward the budget crowd, and the X7 which got a lot of praise was really the best center fire bolt gun they manufactured and is in the budget category as well.
I personally never saw the drop in quality people talk about when Freedom Group bought them out, or Remington, or Bushmaster for that matter. I'd even say the Illion Bushmaster is every bit as good as the Windham made ones at their peak, and better then they were the last year before they sold.
Successful products sell, sales keep a company in business, and there are very few companies out there that haven't made a few abortions that failed and were dropped. I think with Marlin there just weren't enough lever fans to keep them afloat, the rest of their line was low profit, high competition. Same with BM, everyone started making milspec ARF's for half the price, there was no perceived benefit there anymore like the ABCD days.
Now if Remington would bring back the Camp Carbine.....that would be something.
 
Hitzy is saying the Remington 783 is better *now* than the Ruger American is *now*, and costs less money.

I've got an american, and it is so lame, I almost dropped an RPR when I realized it was a $1600 american wearing lipstick and mascara. I put it down like it was greasy and took a big step back away from the counter.

the neon light was not flashing enough lol ....
 
I understand that it's all economics, but sometimes it seems like a race to the bottom.

People spend $1200 on a phone worth nothing in two years, but can't spend $1000-$2500 on a firearm that will last generations in style and won't lose value. I don't get it.

Save your shekels and buy something worthwhile: Something you could love for your adult life. Buy one or five or ten really nice ones and let them be your companions over 100s of km of countryside or many range trips.

There is probably a place for cheap rifles when trying a new caliber or action or somesuch, but they are like gear in every other recreational pastime: buy cheap and you wind up replacing at a loss later. Buy an American Fender or an Ernie Ball and love every note. Spend your time with stuff that is worth your time.
 
Last edited:
Why would "economically challenged" Canadians who just want a hunting rifle buy an over-priced USA made plastic "budget" gun, especially with the .70 cent Can. dollar, when they could just as easily buy a slightly chopped Swedish Mauser 6.5 or a Lee-Enfield .303 (only two examples among several) is beyond me. These "sporterized" bolt action ex-military rifles are still available nearly everywhere, certainly at every gun show. They usually have quality metal work, good walnut stocks, pretty decent bores and very acceptable hunting accuracy. They are also very solidy built to take serious abuse....and you can still buy one for well under $200 (Canadian!)

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.:)
 
I understand that it's all economics, but sometimes it seems like a race to the bottom.

People spend $1200 on a phone worth nothing in two years, but can't spend $1000-$2500 on a firearm that will last generations in style and won't lose value. I don't get it.

Save your shekels and buy something worthwhile: Something you could love for your adult life. Buy one or five or ten really nice ones and let them be your companions over 100s of km of countryside or many range trips.

There is probably a place for cheap rifles when trying a new caliber or action or somesuch, but they are like gear in every other recreational pastime: buy cheap and you wind up replacing at a loss later. Buy an American Fender or an Ernie Ball and love every note. Spend your time with stuff that is worth your time.



Well said.
 
There can be some good value in budget priced rifles ; but you have to personally inspect before purchase . I learned long ago that buying anything sight unseen is a risky venture......
 
Quality used is a better buy then low quality budget new.... I'm sticking with that philosophy going forward. And really if you have to pick through brand new rifles to find a "good one"....then isn't that a sign the model is a pile of ####?
 
13516201_535166023351289_1737905876285684303_n.jpg


Funny this was day one of me shooting my Ruger in the shorty version in .223 with a 50 $ bareska CT scope 6 rounds out of one magazine . Mine works quite well maybe the originator got a Friday afternoon one.. This is a 1 " sticky patch target. i kinda like mine and ive shot a few different rifles in my time.
 
Quality used is a better buy then low quality budget new.... I'm sticking with that philosophy going forward. And really if you have to pick through brand new rifles to find a "good one"....then isn't that a sign the model is a pile of ####?

Quality used means nothing. It's just feel good the liberal way!
A great looking used gun may be 500 rounds from needing a barrel replacement.
 
Quality used means nothing. It's just feel good the liberal way!
A great looking used gun may be 500 rounds from needing a barrel replacement.

Ridiculous statement lol.
I have 100 year old milsurps that have probably seen 50x more rounds down them then an average hunter shoots in a lifetime and the bores still look new.
I just grabbed this 1975 Winchester M70 in .222 for less then a new Axis, and much less then a new American. Couple dings in the stock and minor blue wear but the bore is great. Triggers on these are easy to adjust, and it's all wood/metal, high polish blue, jewelled bolt, smooth action, needs nothing but a scope which I have plenty of laying around. It's also neat that they made very few of these in .222 at the time, it's built on a long action which is a conversation on its own. Plus the super tactical 1980 Aimpoint G2 is a bonus lol.
 
Last edited:
Quality used means nothing. It's just feel good the liberal way!
A great looking used gun may be 500 rounds from needing a barrel replacement.

And a bad looking new one may need a barrel replacement, stock replacement, trigger replacement, scope/ring replacement.Just because it is new doesn't mean it is any good. And besides everyone knows when you wear out a barrel thats when the real gun nut comes out.

It would be like buying a new car and all that there was was a cobalt base model that is the only choice and no options. A rebarrel lets you change calibers, twist rate for what bullet you want to shoot, length, barrel weight/profile, finish...
 
Quality used means nothing. It's just feel good the liberal way!
A great looking used gun may be 500 rounds from needing a barrel replacement.

Sure there is some junk in the used market place, but its best to avoid the junk. A used rifle might have less than a box of ammo through it. Every once in awhile, when big bore rifle interest catches the imagination, you'll see adds like: .458 Lott, .460 Weatherby, .510 Wells for sale, 19 rounds included", that are often sold for a song. The best value rifles on the market are rarely the bargain basement models from the usual suspects, but older quality rifles built on modified factory Mauser actions, like the Husqvarna 1600 series or Brno 600 series rifles that have been carried in the field, but have seen little actual range time.
 
Back
Top Bottom