A new scout rifle from Ruger -- and it looks good

Check this out at Ruger Firearms News. Ruger has repented of its lapse in building scout rifles and come up with a new model that is interesting indeed. Until I get gun in hand I won't know all about it, but it is an M77 with--get this--a detachable box magazine holding 10 rounds, ear-protected front sight, rear 'ghost ring' peep sight and a rail for whatever long eye relief optic you like. The new rifle is called the Ruger Gunsite Scout because Gunsite Ranch and Ruger collaborated on the specs.


Photo © Sturm, Ruger & Co. Used by permission

Now, this is a brand new announcement, dated today, and we have all seen guns announced that never materialized. I have high hopes for this one, though. We will have to wait and see about the questions of price, availability, reliability and accuracy, with reliability being a key concern. A number of manufacturers have muffed the question of making detachable magazines work properly in bolt actions. Ruger, though, has a company history of making things that work, so I look forward eagerly to seeing what they've wrought.

The new gun has something of the look and panache of the Lee Enfield Jungle Carbine. It is in some respects better engineered (basing this on the M77 Ruger action as versus the Smelly) and I would think it will shoot straighter. The new Ruger appears to be a soundly thought out expression of the scout rifle concept, a 'general purpose' compact rifle that will serve for many uses. Spec sheet is here.

P.S. If you're wondering where the Ching Sling fits on, stop worrying. The Safari Ching Sling needs only two attachment points, not three, so it fits via normal sling attachments, like those on the new Ruger Scout.

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Update, 1-7-11: I found Ruger's instruction manual for this rifle on their site, posted as a PDF file. Perusing it will doubtless answer most questions about the gun and its workings. 

Comments

  1. Kendal BlackApril 21, 2011 at 7:33 PM

    Thanks for the amusing writeup, Colonel. Actually the short, full-powered bolt carbine has several examples from the past, the Swedish 1894 carbine, Mauser Police Carbine, Bushmaster conversion of the 1903 Springfield, carbine versions of the Mosin, etc.

    Cooper mentioned the Mannlicher-Schoenauer and the Winchester 94 as inspirations for the scout. I think the fellow on a tight budget should find himself a used .30-30 lever action.

    ReplyDelete

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