Would you guys build on a m77 tang saftey? I have one in 25-06 that I have no use for. A rebarrel to a 220swift would certainly get some use around here. I'm not a Ruger guy so if there are any downsides to building on this action let me know. Plans are a new heavy varmint contour barrel (probably a shilen), timney trigger, and a new Micky stock. Thanks

I like the older tang safety M77's.

Find a 'smith who's comfortable with it, and it should make a fine project.

M700's are the Chevy small blocks of actions (everybody knows how to work on them, and everybody makes parts for them), but your Ruger should make into a fine rifle with the right guy working on it.

I've done a Tang Safety M77 semi-custom with a Lilja barrel in 7mmRM and a Mcmillan stock. It's a nice rifle. I see them pop up on the uses market sometimes at really good prices and the ergos suit me pretty well. I'm still tinkering with the idea of picking one up and rebarreling to 6.5-284 or standard 284, as that 3.35 mag box should be nice for those rounds.

For the OP, I'd look for a short action rifle if you want a Swift. It likely can be done on a long action like your 25-06, but it would be the "long way around the barn".

I have done a 358 win on a Tang safety.

Only real issues are that there is a limited selection of aftermarket stocks for it, but as you want to go with a Mickey.. you all set.

Seems a little odd to do a swift on the long action but it could work, it would just we a little longer than most swifts.

I have never done a swift, so I have no idea about feeding. Have you tried to see if a swift will feed in your rifle?

Ya the swift would be short. This rifle is so dinged up though its only future is as a donor action. I'm pretty set on BG calibers so finding a use for this action is becoming a challenge...... maybe I'll do a 6mm-06? Kind of overbore, but what the hell. The 6mm is still a little large for the ground squirells I plan on killin, but it may be the best fit for this action.

Its funny, but I was going to suggest the 6mm-06 in my first reply, but I always hate it when someone asks about a build in one caliber and everyone suggests there own pet cartridge. Not that I am a particular fan of 6mm-06, but as a cartridge its maybe a better fit for your action.

Just send that barreled action off to Pac-Nor Barreling www.pac-nor.com and have them barrel it to .220 Swift. Ask that they duplicate the contour EXACTLY and it'll fit right back into your stock. I use their Super-Match grade stainless steel barrels (no messing with bluing). I like the polygonal rifling (more like 5R). My .223 Remington Poly in a 1:9 twist really shoots the 50 grain Varmint Grenades with very little fouling, cleans with a few patches. For around $500 or less you'll have a Swift the varmints will die for.

The Ruger 77 is just fine for such use, especially the tang safety model. One of the early Round Tops was among the best rifles I owned.

Not to spam this photo in another thread, but I think that the Ruger M77 is a fine action for a custom/semi custom rifle.

.308Norma Mag


9.3x62

I used to have a tang safety M77V Ruger which shot very well, and would just vaporize critters with serious loads.

jim

My concern as well.

I'm doing a Swift on a long action..

I wouldn't worry about it if I were you...

short actions are great, but for a cartridge like the Swift, I picked the long action.. same as I did on the 6mm Rem..

on a long action, vs short action.. if bullets are seated to magazine length, the long action 6mm Rem is a total different animal.. rivals or equals 240 Weatherby performance velocity, with less powder and less barrel wear..

same with the Swift..

Little update on this project. After going over it with my smith, we have decided the 6x284 cartridge would be a better fit. He had some dummy rounds....feed lips are'nt an issue and the ejector should work fine although it may need some tuning after the build. I may just have him modify it to a single shot only and see if I can do a blind mag set up with a rem700 adl trigger guard. Ordered a 1-12 twist Pac-nor NBRSA contour which is a strait taper (1.23 x .930) and will finish @ 26". Thanks for the help.

I have a custom .280 on an old tang safety Ruger. If it has any drawbacks, I haven't discovered them. E

Glad to know that the action will function with that .284 case.

Downside of a tang safety 77 Ruger. I had one in 300 win mag and the magazine length did limit which bullets I could use with that cartridge. I actually had to limit it to 3.33 OAL in order for the cartridge to reliably load into the magazine. It had a super long throat to boot. I guess it wasn't a real big deal as I was able to find a fast accurate 180 gr load using hdy flat base interlock psp. I think the long streamlined high BC hunting bullets wouldn't have worked however. You having yours in 25-06, which I have one of also in a tang 77 should not present these types of issues. It should be good to work with any 06 based rounds and shorter such as you are considering the 220 swift. I have no idea if there will be feeding issues with the swift though.

The 224 TTH aka 22/6mm Improved and the 6mm AI are others I would look at. Both would be set up for the heaviest VLD bullets with a 1-8" twist or faster. The long bullets would take advantage of the long action if the barrel was throated for them.

Don't know how this would work for the lighter bullets the free bore being more of an issue than the fast twist. The lightest bullets would have to be loaded down slightly to hold up to the faster barrel twist.