How many years ago did Ruger start making their own barrels? My experiences in the late 70's and 80's were not positive with their original barrels. I have a line on a 6 year old Ruger 77 international in .308 with a vxiii 1.75 x 6 on it for $850.00. This seems a little high to me as well. It is said to have some 100% blue but some scratches on the wood due to use.
It seems to be a fair price as a package.However,you already seem to have a closed mind to it,so it might be best for you to walk away.What do you expect from this rifle?I have one set up just like that,I understand it's limitations and enjoy it greatly...
I have an identical set up as well. Even bad Ruger barrels can be accurate enough for deer hunting. Ruger will also rebarrel your rifle with a current production barrel for under $200.
If you can't test fire it before you buy offer $750 and see what happens.
Mike Fletcher
Ruger was making their own barrels in believe starting in 1990.
Doc
Jimmy: I think Ruger started making their own barrels on hammer forging machinery when they went from the M77 to M77 Mark II IIRC. I read an article in Precision Shooting saying that the hammer forging machinery used by Remington, Ruger,and Winchester were all made by the same manufacturer in Europe,Germany I think. IIRC, there were at the time only 9-10 of these machines in the US.
BobinNH is correct. Ruger started making their own hammer forged M77 barrels in the 1990-1991 period. The M77MKII's were introduced in 1989 & the tang safety M77's were discontinued by 1992. So, the transition from Wilson barrels was over a couple of year period with very early MKII's having Wilson barrels & very late tang M77's having Ruger made barrels. There is no way of telling what maker of barrel is on the rifle either. Ruger made barrels are generally reguarded as being of fine accuracy, certainly good enough for hunting, which is what the M77 was designed. I might pay that price for a tang safety M77RSI.
3d: Thanks for the corroboration;my memory is feeble
I would like to add that the very early rugers were sometimes done with a douglas barrel and were good shooters. my understanding and i would have to go back and find the piece is that ruger moved to wilson in the late 70's to early 80's. what i don't know is before ruger started to make their own barrels in 90-91 did they ever make them on their own in any of the very early rifles? before outsorcing to douglas?
Ruger outsourced early M77 flatbolt/hollowbolt/roundbolt barrels to Douglas from 1968 to about 1973, then Wilson barrels to 1990-1991. I believe early No. 1's were also Douglas barrels. Other small caliber rifles in production I'm not sure about. Yes sir, the Douglas barrels had an excellent reputation for Q.C. & accuracy.
I really do not have a closed mind to the Ruger rifles, I just had 3 bad ones. I guess just two if you don't count a SS mini 14 that would not consitently hit a 55 gallon drum at 100 yards with Federal 55 grain FMJ loads. I have to laugh when I think of that thing...but I have grown up a lot since the 80's and don't expect a 1/2 ton truck to do the work of a diesel dooly...
How "adjustable" is the trigger on this rifle?
I've got two OM '77s- have no idea of their date of manufacture, since I've had them for a long time, and bought used. The '06 wears a 17 inch (originally factory) barrel, due to that unsightly bulge out at the end when I bought it.... I've killed to @356 long paces with it. Glass bedded, free floated, standard trigger "jobbed" by your's truely to about 3 lbs - only a little creep..
The .338 wears original barrel, but tweaked as above, except Mag-Na- Ported.
A good trigger job and neck-sized brass go far toward increasing accuracy.... - both are 500 yard guns, if I know the range.. My preference is about 30..... I usually get about 70-200....