Everybody is entitled to their opinion but c'mon, folks, this is a mass produced Ruger with a street price in the lower $900 range, not $1300. They aren't Miller/Biesen/Echols Custom Gunmaker Guild pieces. Sure it's a bit more than your average Model 70 or Model 700 standard but it's also a good bit less than an MRC 1999 ASR with a really plain jane Boyd's stock that retails for somewhere close to $1100 (MSRP $1364 for comparison) and which will weigh decidedly closer to 8 pounds w/o scope than 7. People are picking this thing apart because it's not guaranteed to have AAA walnut with the features of a hand made custom while at the same time costing close to a RAR. If we could still pay machinists 35 cents/hour we could still get hand made rifles for $200, but that's not realistic.
Rugers are what Rugers are - tough, working firearms (rifles and revolvers) that can be very attractive pieces. Heck, folks pay smiths $1000 or sometimes a lot more to turn Blackhawks into works of art. The M77's aren't as refined as some but they are a lot tougher and less prone to issues than some others made these days. If you know how to use a file or a stone their triggers can be easily rendered to a crisp 3 pound pull, and their out of the box accuracy is still sufficient for all but the most demanding super long range hunter. I had an unaltered straight out of the box M77 .308 out this morning for first load work up and the very first four shots out of this rifle went into .720" with three of those in .496" - that's with the issued 6 pound creepy trigger and speed bump. And while the wood isn't anything to write home about it's not plain at all, it's a decent piece of straight grained walnut with a damn sight more personality that my 1999 ASR with a stock and finish that looks like Walmart office furniture.
I think Lipsey's did real good with the classic design of this rifle at a price that most anyone can afford - those that want one. The folks that get these rifles are going to be really proud of them and you won't see too many on the used gun market any time soon.
I'd also be willing to bet these Lipsey exclusive's look A-OK.
Dave
