can anybody give me the ser# range when ruger used douglas barrels

plab

If I remember correctly, it was pre-73. Right after that you might get a rifle with either barrel, until they ran out of the Douglas.

You can check serial numbers by year on the Ruger site.

Bruce

BCP's correct, 1972-1973 was the gradual transition period from Douglas to Wilson barrels. The early M77 flatbolts with non-prefix serial numbers and early prefix serial numbers up to #70-45000 or so, IIRC. There's no way to physically tell the different manufacturer's apart by visual inspection. Ruger's M77 barrel sourcing is as follows.
1. 1968-1973/Douglas barrels
2. 1973-1991/Wilson barrels
3. 1991-present/Ruger hammer forged barrels

so you could have a early issue Mark II with a Wilson barrel too correct?

My understanding that Douglas was used only on the Swifts and .22-250's??

Don't think so...think everything was until the switch to Wilsons.

Dennis

Yes Jim, early MKII's from 1989 had Wilson barrels. All early flatbolts, reguardless of caliber had Douglas barrels.

I stand corrected,Douglas until 1973,then Wilson,then Ruger.
Only the Swift used Shilen....

Did the No. 1's follow the above dates?

Yes, I believe the No. 1's also followed the same dates.

OK then, which are considered the most accurate bbls - Wilson or Douglas?

Neil

The word is consistency. Wilson made some very accurate barrels. I have some of them. They also made some bad ones. I have some of them, too.

The Douglas barrels were/are all good barrels. I've never had a bad one.

This info is JMHO, based on the 80 or so M77s and No.1s I've owned and shot.

I'm wondering where you got this info. Not saying you're wrong, but in the many years of my interest in Rugers, I've never seen any reference to Ruger using Shilen barrels.

The early No.1s got Douglas Premium barrels and the M77s got Douglas standard barrels.

I think all Douglas barrels are called Premium.Airgauged is their "better barrel".

Interesting info. Thanks

Huntz, according to their web-site, barrel grade(standard and Premium) and air-gauged are two different things. I believe they have always done this (circa 1968 in the case of Ruger barrels) but I can't reference that.

http://www.douglasbarrels.net/ourbarrels/