ChevyGuy91
NES Member
- Joined
- Mar 25, 2008
- Messages
- 23,722
- Likes
- 25,746
Well, that is disappointing.
-
If you enjoy the forum please consider supporting it by signing up for a NES Membership The benefits pay for the membership many times over.
-
Be sure to enter the NES/Pioneer Valley Arms February Giveaway ***Smith & Wesson SD9VE 9MM***
Anyone have a Ruger Gunsite Scout rifle?
- Thread starter BE4TNUT
- Start date
Well, that is disappointing.
Yup.
This is my first Ruger product. I saw on their webpage that it was the 2011 rifle of the year. It's pretty bad when the first thing you want to do it pull the stock and barrel and go to town on it with a file. Although I'm sure the receiver is harder than wookpecker lips. I kinda believed all the reviews on the interwebs. Just goes to show that there is a little too much fellatio going on the gun media.
I'm thinking it's going to be a parts kit for me. I'm sure if I put a bunch of hours of polishing/dehorning/fixing it, I should have a nice little gun. I'll borescope it at some point. I'm sure if the barrel is like the rest of the rifle I'll have to fire lap it.
It's like the super cute, crazy sexy girl you took out to dinner, only to realize she was vicious before the appetizers were even finished.![[laugh]](/xen/styles/default/xenforo/smilies.vb/012.gif "Laugh [laugh]")
B
I'm thinking it's going to be a parts kit for me. I'm sure if I put a bunch of hours of polishing/dehorning/fixing it, I should have a nice little gun. I'll borescope it at some point. I'm sure if the barrel is like the rest of the rifle I'll have to fire lap it.
It's like the super cute, crazy sexy girl you took out to dinner, only to realize she was vicious before the appetizers were even finished.
B
ChevyGuy91
NES Member
- Joined
- Mar 25, 2008
- Messages
- 23,722
- Likes
- 25,746
This is my first Ruger product. I saw on their webpage that it was the 2011 rifle of the year. It's pretty bad when the first thing you want to do it pull the stock and barrel and go to town on it with a file. Although I'm sure the receiver is harder than wookpecker lips. I kinda believed all the reviews on the interwebs. Just goes to show that there is a little too much fellatio going on the gun media.
I'm thinking it's going to be a parts kit for me. I'm sure if I put a bunch of hours of polishing/dehorning/fixing it, I should have a nice little gun. I'll borescope it at some point. I'm sure if the barrel is like the rest of the rifle I'll have to fire lap it.
It's like the super cute, crazy sexy girl you took out to dinner, only to realize she was vicious before the appetizers were even finished.
B
Well I'm interested in your progress, if you wouldn't mind updating this thread with your work and opinions.
Sent from my phone.
Doesn't Ruger have good customer service? Is it worth contacting them about your complaints? Also regarding magazine fit, did you get any of the polymer mags that are now available? I've read that in addition to being lighter and shorter that they fit a little better. And apparently you can top load them while still in the rifle.
Last edited:
I'm not feeling all that hot today. I am sick at home and under the weather other wise I would post some pictures/video.
I'm not sure there is enough customer service to make up for the lack of adherence to fundamental design principles.
It's a shame really. It's one of the sexiest rifles I own:
Reality:
[sad2]
B
I'm not sure there is enough customer service to make up for the lack of adherence to fundamental design principles.
It's a shame really. It's one of the sexiest rifles I own:
Reality:
[sad2]
B
I have been to the range with mine a few times now and so far I am happy with it. I plan to get the XS rail and mount a scope in a more tradition position. I would prefer the front sight have a brass bead or something similar, but what it there now works. If you are looking for a .308 and want something in a handy length this is one of the few choices. There are some nice bolt actions with 20" barrels, but most have heavy barrel profiles. The trigger seemed fine to me, but I do not have any truely light match grade triggers on any of my rifles, so maybe I am not comparing it to the same thing as others are. The bolt does seem a little sloppy, but after getting used to it, I can run it fairly fast with out any binding issues.
Ed, if you want to try mine some time, I can meet you out at Harvard.
Ed, if you want to try mine some time, I can meet you out at Harvard.
Last edited:
Knob Creek
NES Member
I handled one of these at Kittery. I kind of liked it but more money than I wanted to invest right now.
Brass bead front sights generally only work well at short or fixed distances. To quote Jeff Cooper:
Scout forum here with lots on the Ruger GSR, mags etc.
http://www.scoutrifle.org/index.php?board=8.0
Brass bead front sights generally only work well at short or fixed distances. To quote Jeff Cooper:
Scout forum here with lots on the Ruger GSR, mags etc.
http://www.scoutrifle.org/index.php?board=8.0
Last edited:
So do you think this might grow on you, or can we expect to see it in the classifieds soon?![[wink]](/xen/styles/default/xenforo/smilies.vb/002.gif "Wink [wink]")
We looked at one of these at a dealer show this weekend and were not impressed at all with the quality. And for what Ruger says is the MSRP, you won't see a new one at Acme.
We were impressed with Ruger's American Rifle. A very well made bolt action with a reasonable price.
How can the quality vary so much between product lines from the same company? Are Ruger's other M77 rifles also questionable?
Are there any other rifles out there in this kind of configuration that are better quality? I haven't seen any bolt actions with detachable magazines in this price range.
Are there any other rifles out there in this kind of configuration that are better quality? I haven't seen any bolt actions with detachable magazines in this price range.
Last edited:
Well, I drank the cool-aid and bought one of these. Hopefully I can get it out to the range real soon and see if I have any hiccups that need addressing by Ruger.
I can see the seams in the trigger guard that were mentioned, but they don't look or feel too bad on mine. I haven't noticed any sharp edges like what was mentioned earlier in the thread. The action definitely is not as slick as say a Remington 700. I think that will work itself out with use though, if other reviews are any indication.
I'll post a range report when I have one, and y'all can point and laugh at my targets if I remember to take pictures![[rofl]](/xen/styles/default/xenforo/smilies.vb/013.gif "ROFL [rofl]")
I can see the seams in the trigger guard that were mentioned, but they don't look or feel too bad on mine. I haven't noticed any sharp edges like what was mentioned earlier in the thread. The action definitely is not as slick as say a Remington 700. I think that will work itself out with use though, if other reviews are any indication.
I'll post a range report when I have one, and y'all can point and laugh at my targets if I remember to take pictures
Ok so here are some pictures. This is my RGS rifle purchased on Sunday. Sexy rifle huh? I like it. The stock is very nice. I've heard complaints about it being a little heavy, but it's a compact package and that makes the weight fine with me.
Here is the plastic trigger guard. Lots of sharp mold lines. Not a big deal to clean up, but one of the things I noticed right away. The magazine has about a half inch of front to back wobble. It should lock in tight to aid in feeding the cartridges. Also as a single column magazine, the feed lips add a lot of drag on the cartridge as the bolt is trying to strip it from the wobbly magazine.
This is the bolt catch. It is the sharpest ****ing thing I've ever seen on a gun. It's sharper than some Pakistani pocket knives I've owned. It's like a ginsu knife. The ass end of it is square with 90 degree angles. It's designed for pain if you grab it wrong.
This is the integral Ruger mounts for scope rings. Also painful to grab around the receiver ring which is one of the qualities of a Scout Rifle that make it easy to carry. Also the right side of the receiver near the stock line, forms a less than 90° angle and has a very sharp edge.
Cast front sight that is poorly finished with wings that do not protect the front sight blade. The frigging wings are supposed to be larger than the blade to protect the post. If not bigger, then why are they there? They look cool? Probably that is the reason. LoL. The front sight itself if rounded and looks like it just came out of a mold. The blade should be sharp.
Ok here we are getting down to some of the functional nitty-gritty. The bolt hangs up when cycling in two places. At the rear most position, the spring loaded ejector slides down into that slot in the front end of the bolt. Because of the shape of the ejector (it's sort of shaped like a hook), it hangs up in the slot. I looked at my Winchester, and the ejector is shaped so it will not hang up and bind. Not this one though. It's not huge, but when combined with the single stack magazine, and the other spot that it binds on, it adds up to the crappy functioning.
This is the position that it actually hangs up a little.
The ejector also hangs up on the extractor collar. The reason is that the relief for the collar is too deep and/or the collar is too small. The ejector rides along the bottom of the bolt under spring pressure, where it takes a dive when it hits the collar, and then the face which is almost square, hangs up on the forward lip that is formed by relief in the bolt body.
Everything on this rifle is cast. I knew that going into the purchase, but was a little surprised at the poor finish. I have two modern Winchester M70s that have plenty of MiM parts, and they are fine. They are nicely finished, or maybe I should say they are functionally finished. These parts, are unfinished. Just like they came out of the mold.
Some of the things I like? I bore scoped the barrel. It looks good. Some chatter marks, well maybe they are not chatter since this is a hammer forged barrel, but overall it looks nice for a factory barrel. I also like the contour. Short and stout. The inletting job in the wood was great! Very well done. The rifle is sexy and compact. Sort of like a Russian gymnast that can put her ankles behind her ears.
B
Here is the plastic trigger guard. Lots of sharp mold lines. Not a big deal to clean up, but one of the things I noticed right away. The magazine has about a half inch of front to back wobble. It should lock in tight to aid in feeding the cartridges. Also as a single column magazine, the feed lips add a lot of drag on the cartridge as the bolt is trying to strip it from the wobbly magazine.
This is the bolt catch. It is the sharpest ****ing thing I've ever seen on a gun. It's sharper than some Pakistani pocket knives I've owned. It's like a ginsu knife. The ass end of it is square with 90 degree angles. It's designed for pain if you grab it wrong.
This is the integral Ruger mounts for scope rings. Also painful to grab around the receiver ring which is one of the qualities of a Scout Rifle that make it easy to carry. Also the right side of the receiver near the stock line, forms a less than 90° angle and has a very sharp edge.
Cast front sight that is poorly finished with wings that do not protect the front sight blade. The frigging wings are supposed to be larger than the blade to protect the post. If not bigger, then why are they there? They look cool? Probably that is the reason. LoL. The front sight itself if rounded and looks like it just came out of a mold. The blade should be sharp.
Ok here we are getting down to some of the functional nitty-gritty. The bolt hangs up when cycling in two places. At the rear most position, the spring loaded ejector slides down into that slot in the front end of the bolt. Because of the shape of the ejector (it's sort of shaped like a hook), it hangs up in the slot. I looked at my Winchester, and the ejector is shaped so it will not hang up and bind. Not this one though. It's not huge, but when combined with the single stack magazine, and the other spot that it binds on, it adds up to the crappy functioning.
This is the position that it actually hangs up a little.
The ejector also hangs up on the extractor collar. The reason is that the relief for the collar is too deep and/or the collar is too small. The ejector rides along the bottom of the bolt under spring pressure, where it takes a dive when it hits the collar, and then the face which is almost square, hangs up on the forward lip that is formed by relief in the bolt body.
Everything on this rifle is cast. I knew that going into the purchase, but was a little surprised at the poor finish. I have two modern Winchester M70s that have plenty of MiM parts, and they are fine. They are nicely finished, or maybe I should say they are functionally finished. These parts, are unfinished. Just like they came out of the mold.
Some of the things I like? I bore scoped the barrel. It looks good. Some chatter marks, well maybe they are not chatter since this is a hammer forged barrel, but overall it looks nice for a factory barrel. I also like the contour. Short and stout. The inletting job in the wood was great! Very well done. The rifle is sexy and compact. Sort of like a Russian gymnast that can put her ankles behind her ears.
B
Last edited:
Taking a look at mine compared to your pictures, I'm seeing the same things. Not sure if this is typical for Ruger or not. I think it should probably be priced lower if they're not going to finish things terribly well. Just playing around with mine now, you can get the bolt to stop moving if you put too much lateral pressure on it (to the left or right) when trying to cycle it. Not sure how possible such a thing is on other bolt actions.
Why'd I buy mine, even hearing about some of these issues? I'm just drawn by the whole concept, and I have neither the time nor skill (nor funds to have somebody else) to try and build one on another base rifle. There's also not a whole lot out there in terms of rifles like this that have large (10 rounds! in a bolt action!), detachable magazines, not at this price point and size/weight anyway. There is the Savage scout rifle but that apparently has its own set of foibles, too.
When you put yours back together, the diagonal front screw should be torqued to 90 in-lbs, but the rear screw by the trigger guard should only be torqued to 10 in-lbs, not 20 as the manual currently states. Do with that what you will, I read that on another forum as someone was told by Ruger. Apparently on the M77 rifles with metal in that area 20 in-lbs is correct, but not so with the polymer ones.
Edit: Also, something else I've read.. check the screws for the rails and rear sight, some people apparently have rifles where they aren't tightened properly from the factory. Not sure on torque spec for those.
Why'd I buy mine, even hearing about some of these issues? I'm just drawn by the whole concept, and I have neither the time nor skill (nor funds to have somebody else) to try and build one on another base rifle. There's also not a whole lot out there in terms of rifles like this that have large (10 rounds! in a bolt action!), detachable magazines, not at this price point and size/weight anyway. There is the Savage scout rifle but that apparently has its own set of foibles, too.
When you put yours back together, the diagonal front screw should be torqued to 90 in-lbs, but the rear screw by the trigger guard should only be torqued to 10 in-lbs, not 20 as the manual currently states. Do with that what you will, I read that on another forum as someone was told by Ruger. Apparently on the M77 rifles with metal in that area 20 in-lbs is correct, but not so with the polymer ones.
Edit: Also, something else I've read.. check the screws for the rails and rear sight, some people apparently have rifles where they aren't tightened properly from the factory. Not sure on torque spec for those.
ChevyGuy91
NES Member
- Joined
- Mar 25, 2008
- Messages
- 23,722
- Likes
- 25,746
Maybe I will just wait around and see if one shows up cheap somewhere. I don't see myself buying one at new price with the issues you guys are describing. I do still want a scout rifle though.
What of building/having one built? What would be a good platform for that kind of a project? Although I can imagine the magazine option would be nonexistent.
What of building/having one built? What would be a good platform for that kind of a project? Although I can imagine the magazine option would be nonexistent.
I've heard of people building on the Lee-Enfield, especially the Ishapore, just to get the magazine option.
I like Winchester M70s. Either the push feed, or Mauser CRF actions. The Pre64s are nice but too expensive IMO. At one point CDNN had FN (Winchester) M70 actions for sale for $400 bucks.
You can get bottom metal that will take magazines, but I'm not sold on the detachable magazine. It gets in the way of where you would normally comfortably grip the rifle (around the receiver ring). The whole idea in my mind is that it should he a super handy rifle. The detachable mag gets in the way of that. If you are interested in quickly loading the rifle, the M70 action can be machined for using stripper clips. All target rifle M70s had them done. They work very well.
B
ChevyGuy91
NES Member
- Joined
- Mar 25, 2008
- Messages
- 23,722
- Likes
- 25,746
So if I found a M70 in 308 for like 400 bucks, (like this? http://www.gunbroker.com/Auction/ViewItem.aspx?Item=269087681) it would be a good starting point? I would imagine an old school gun plumber could do the forward scope mount and machine the action for stripper clips, right?
I really have no idea why I want one of these type rifles, but I do.
NRA Match Rifles were typically built with donor rifles. I built my Palma rifle with a M70 that started out as a hunting rifle. The only M70s to avoid IMO are ones made between 1964 - 1968. Other than that they are GTG.
A gunsmith that is decent should be able to do barrel work and make a front end rail and do a clip slot. Although a smith that does NRA HP rifles might be more familiar with doing the clip slotting. That is something you don't want to F-up.
B
A gunsmith that is decent should be able to do barrel work and make a front end rail and do a clip slot. Although a smith that does NRA HP rifles might be more familiar with doing the clip slotting. That is something you don't want to F-up.
B
KMM696
NES Member
ChevyGuy91
NES Member
- Joined
- Mar 25, 2008
- Messages
- 23,722
- Likes
- 25,746
I found a DIY thread on scoutrifle.org (http://www.scoutrifle.org/index.php?PHPSESSID=kce9rs8m5t8u8h283fjip9jqt6&topic=832.0) that uses one of those. I think it might be a fun project to start with and see if it is a rifle I want to pursue more seriously and get a smith involved.
KMM696
NES Member
That's an interesting DIY scout build - I've got a beat up VZ-24 that needs it's barrel replaced anyway (it's got a divot in the chamber of the original) that would be a good candidate for that. Wouldn't be terrible to run lefty either, with the straight bolt and no scope in the way.
I also have more projects than I have time -
I also have more projects than I have time -
ChevyGuy91
NES Member
- Joined
- Mar 25, 2008
- Messages
- 23,722
- Likes
- 25,746
I also have more projects than I have time -
I hear that.
