Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Hunting Rifles Ruger M77

Moosemike, it will all be very clear in the end, but there is no way to be absolutely sure what happened when the gun was put together. Fact is, stainless on stainless can produce severe gauling, that alone can be the culprit for the threads stripping out. As I said earlier, Browning learned the same lesson in the late 80's on their stainless guns, Colt and others have learned the same lesson on Stainless 45's were the Rockwell Hardness was very close between the Slide and the Frame.

With all the piss'en matches going on, it is hard for most readers to follow what actually happened to this rifle. The lesson that I would have for all readers, is to simply not take their Rugers apart. When the barrel is worn out, send them back to Ruger where you might have some recourse if the threads strip out.

I have worked in Production, and management keeps close watch on Scrap, and there is a lot of internal politics in the Production Dept on keeping down scrap. It is not just an accepted thing that there is so much scrap and bonus money is awarded for keeping scrap $ down because it does take money off the bottom line. There is not a QC guy standing over the shoulders of every employee in the Production Dept of Ruger.

Moosemike, what doesn't add up about this entire thread is that Ruger has already tried on many attempts to weasel out of replacing the gun. When you finally get to read the work order that Ruger sent back with the gun, you are really going to be pissed of at Ruger. I will not post the work order until I have a final ruling from Ruger on this gun. If they replace the gun, then all will be considered fine and dandy, and I will not post the work order.

Ruger and other manufacturers are subject to the quality of the steel that they get from a manufacturer. Also, they also probably sub out the casting of the Ruger actions. As they mix the batches of Stainless steel, the Rockwell hardness can vary. Ruger and other manufactures have to live with these variances, and until something like this gun comes along, they don't even know that they have a problem. I do believe that this is the culprit in this rifle becoming scrap...gauling of stainless on stainless.

Some years ago, I had a custom barrel wear out very quickly. I had the steel Rockwell tested for hardness and it came out to 19, where 23-24 is normal. The maker replaced that "soft" barrel and thanked me for the information. They were subject to a soft lot of steel from the steel mill.

Sorry, I'm not buying the claim that Ruger screwed up the threads and tried to fix the problem with epoxy, or whatever the claim is.

In manufacturing there is a concept of 'wastage' which includes items that are damaged beyond repair and can't be made to meet specs. While attempts are made to keep the �wastage� low, it is generally accepted that not every part will be acceptable. Mangled screw threads would qualify the parts as such scrap. Ruger�s cost to manufacture the receivers and barrels is relatively low and half-ass attempts to salvage the parts in the manner described would be unattractively expensive in terms of time and resources � never mind that any Ruger (or other reputable arms manufacturer) employee caught doing so would likely face termination. The risk to the company reputation and potential liability would far outweigh and potential savings of such an effort.

Moosemike, you will really be shocked when I do post the work order. It is not the typical great service that we have been used to over the years, but just the opposite.

I am not going to post it until I get the final results from Ruger. Not to worry, the work order that that was returned with the gun parts is a great example how customer service in a company has completely gone to hell, when you read it, you will agree! I give Ruger the benefit of the doubt that somehow this is one that slipped through the cracks from a new employee, bad employee, and/or miscommunication.

Besides, I love to listen to Brick bitch and moan, he's better than watching cartoons!

Remember sports fans, don't take Ruger's apart, or you MAY be SORRY!

For the folks that have jumped in on this 10,000 post thread now, here is a quick run down on what happened:

1. my friend buys a laminated, STAINLESS, Ruger 77 Hawkeye in
6.5 Creedmore, it has the Varmint stock on it

2. He tries to remove the stock to hone and adjust the trigger,
but the front guard screw will not come out

3. He drills out the front guard screw and removes the front
guard screw with an eezy out, there is brown epoxy in the
screw hole.

4. He works up loads, and within 100 rounds determines that the
gun needs bedding and he also wants to have a muzzle break
installed, so off to the gunsmith we go.

5. Gunsmith goes to remove the barrel, and the threads strip on
the action and barrel. Whether there was epoxy on the
threads for this step, I think does not matter. Remington
puts epoxy on most of their threads, and I have been
removing Remington barrels from the actions since the mid
80's.

6. Gunsmith packs up the entire gun and mails it to Ruger.
Ruger sends the gun back, saying that the warranty is void
but they would sell him a BLUED gun(NOT STAINLESS), not of
6.5 CRED, for $500. Gunsmith informs my friend of the bad
news. My friend calls Ruger, gets the same story. This
is hard to imagine!!! WTF happened to Ruger?

7. I contact Bob Davis who is a big wheel in customer service,
and we are waiting till after the Holidays to see if
Bob can grease the wheels of customer service and get my
friend a new barrel'd action. Bob is a really nice guy to
deal with no matter what the outcome.

8. We are all enjoying the many pages of entertainment from
Brick who is going to raise Hell at ANY outcome. Let'r buck
Brick!

I really hope to see the proof. I'm a Ruger guy and while that isn't likely to change, it's also good to know what to watch for.

Moosemike, you will really be shocked when I do post the work order. It is not the typical great service that we have been used to over the years, but just the opposite.

I am not going to post it until I get the final results from Ruger. Not to worry, the work order that that was returned with the gun parts is a great example how customer service in a company has completely gone to hell, when you read it, you will agree! I give Ruger the benefit of the doubt that somehow this is one that slipped through the cracks from a new employee, bad employee, and/or miscommunication.

Besides, I love to listen to Brick bitch and moan, he's better than watching cartoons!

Remember sports fans, don't take Ruger's apart, or you MAY be SORRY!

For the folks that have jumped in on this 10,000 post thread now, here is a quick run down on what happened:

1. my friend buys a laminated, STAINLESS, Ruger 77 Hawkeye in
6.5 Creedmore, it has the Varmint stock on it

2. He tries to remove the stock to hone and adjust the trigger,
but the front guard screw will not come out

3. He drills out the front guard screw and removes the front
guard screw with an eezy out, there is brown epoxy in the
screw hole.

4. He works up loads, and within 100 rounds determines that the
gun needs bedding and he also wants to have a muzzle break
installed, so off to the gunsmith we go.

5. Gunsmith goes to remove the barrel, and the threads strip on
the action and barrel. Whether there was epoxy on the
threads for this step, I think does not matter. Remington
puts epoxy on most of their threads, and I have been
removing Remington barrels from the actions since the mid
80's.

6. Gunsmith packs up the entire gun and mails it to Ruger.
Ruger sends the gun back, saying that the warranty is void
but they would sell him a BLUED gun(NOT STAINLESS), not of
6.5 CRED, for $500. Gunsmith informs my friend of the bad
news. My friend calls Ruger, gets the same story. This
is hard to imagine!!! WTF happened to Ruger?

7. I contact Bob Davis who is a big wheel in customer service,
and we are waiting till after the Holidays to see if
Bob can grease the wheels of customer service and get my
friend a new barrel'd action. Bob is a really nice guy to
deal with no matter what the outcome.

8. We are all enjoying the many pages of entertainment from
Brick who is going to raise Hell at ANY outcome. Let'r buck
Brick!

I am going to get back with Ruger after I get the paperwork from the gunsmith where Ruger shipped the gun back to him.

Moose, your comment, " There are a bunch of us here that are skeptical that Ruger would pull off a stunt like this and you need to prove your allegations". I am first in line skeptical that Ruger would pull a stunt like this, that is why I am so upset. This is a piss poor way to treat long time customers. The world is changing.

Moose, like I said, when you see the work order, you are really going to be pissed. I want to give Ruger a last chance, I think that it is only fair.

I am going to get back with Ruger after I get the paperwork from the gunsmith where Ruger shipped the gun back to him.

Many, many pages ago, I sent Brick a PM asking him for his email address so I could forward him a copy of the Work Order, then he put me on his "Ignore" list so I could not respond. He needs to work through some things Rais'en Hell, that's ok with me.

Bricktop, here is my response to you in a PM:

If you send me your email address, I will send you some macro pics of the barrel and receiver that are screwed up on this new Ruger 77. I don't know if my neighbor has the work order or not.

I don't know if my neighbor has the work order or not.

I knew the work order was at the gunsmith,

No Double talk, and no lies.

I knew the work order was at the gunsmith, Mark. He had to take it home and send me a scan of it...took him a while.

No Double talk, and no lies.

Although I must admit, the piss poor customer service is not what anyone of is used to from Ruger and that is almost impossible for us to accept.

Dear General Motors,

I had a "specialist" remove the motor from the new car I purchased. Just because. Anyway, when he removed it some stuff broke. It kinda looked like there might, or might not, have been some "epoxy" on the threads. Those details are unimportant.

Here is the car, I'd like a new one.

Thanks,

Keith's Buddy