ruger m77 actions/

[jackin brass]

i m looking for a m77 long action to build off of. what price range should i expect to pay? any help or thoughts would be helpful
thanks.

 

[diriel]

At one point years ago I tried to head down that path. I never could find a reputable smith who would say YES to my project. That is the reason that these days I mostly try to kinda avoid Rugers. I like the big beefy claw action and all that, but man try getting Any Thing done to them...phew.

I hope for your sake it has changed a bit since I tried.

Good Luck,
Gary

 

[coyotecrazy]

Why do smiths tend to stay away from a M77 action?

 

[SBruce]

I've heard they're not so easy to work on, and apparently they are very tempermental.

I shot one for over 20 years in it's factory configuration (all except bed and float and trigger job). Never had any trouble with it until I went to have it re-barreled. Got it re-barreled and a new stock with a dipped camo finish, and now I am having nothing but problems with it.

Perhaps bad choice in gunsmith, perhaps bad choice in action to build off of or perhaps both.??

This rifle was the most accurate factory barreled rifle I ever laid my hands on bar none!! It was made in 1973 and I bought it used from my dad's cousin. He already had the trigger worked on. My great uncle's benchrest buddy bedded it and floated the barrel. For 20 years following, all I did was shoot it and clean it..........no problems. Was even featured in Precision Shooting magazine back in 94 (I wrote an article and posted targets with lots of little teeny tiny groups).

Now that I've got it "worked on". The trigger is **** and wont adjust back down to where it originally was, I can't get it into the stock without having it in some sort of bind. The 2nd round fired through the new barrel and it pierced a primer and now it wont even cock when I work the bolt!! I've had other issues too, like needing to lap the crap out of the rear ring just to get the scope to set down in. Floor plate won't close without leaving out the middle screw. Safety takes alot of effort to work fore/aft......on and on.

Maybe just an omen that this gun is ready to retire permanently??

Some of my buddies have kinda suggested I sell it, but my own concious will not allow me to sell something that is acting so fickle.......especially with the trigger pull/sear issues I've seen since getting it back from the smith..........might work as a boat anchor though (if we remove the trigger first). Drop in in the water and it'll fire, 12 hours later it wont fire with 3 pounds of force on it!!

 

[Rev.]

I had a 22-250 in a m77 years ago & never could get to shoot good. I tryed everything & it always came back to the front angled bedding bolt. That down & foward pull just caused me problems so I just got rid of it

 

[diriel]

Things I was told in a few phone conversations:
-- "If a Ruger don't shoot, it will never shoot no matter what"....Do What?? Yeah *@&@!( whatever...
-- "The metal used in the SS actions is a pain to machine"... hmm....really?
-- "Even the way the Recoil lug is setup is a pain to bed a Ruger"...????

I just gave up. It seemed to me like a Ruger is kind of like a Mack Truck....A fine machine but just don't get caught driving one. My friend has one in 25-06 and one is 338wm, and after a LOT of screwing around with loads, bedding the stock ect...they finally print between 1/2 to 1 MOA depending on ammo type and all that. Do not take what I am saying as any kind of gospel...like I say after getting my nose slammed in the door by several smiths I just gave up. Hell even the scope base situation is a pain in the ***...you either use Ruger or else for the most part. That is fine for some folks some of the time...but I prefer a Picatinny rail...or even a Weaver Rail....

Gary

 

[roninflag]

i use remington 700 that way i have plenty of options. shop a little the rem 700 is the same price too.

 

[Firecat]

SBruce, Sounds like a bad smith to me. I've a few rugers with non factory barrels and they seem to work just fine. Some of the big barrel Manufactures will install their barrels on a ruger for their customers. Look at their services and see who will do it for you.

 

[SBruce]

SBruce, Sounds like a bad smith to me. I've a few rugers with non factory barrels and they seem to work just fine. Some of the big barrel Manufactures will install their barrels on a ruger for their customers. Look at their services and see who will do it for you.

Do you know if they do bedding too, or are they just screwing on the tube??

 

[Firecat]

Sorry about that SBruce, there is a typo in my post. My comment makes it sound as if the rifles are mine. I meant to say that I've seen seen a few. One belonged to a friend of mine's dad. I know that his was not bedded. He had an after market 22-250 Shilen put on after his factory '250 was shot out. That rifle will print 5 shots right around 1/2" at a hundred. I can't help but think your smith may have stressed your action or warped it trying to get the original barrel off. There would be no other explanation for the the scope rings being that far off or the trigger or the base metal. All of those things that you mention seem like the result of an out of shape action. I could be wrong and I am sad to hear of your experience. However, logically there should be no real difference in rebarreling a Ruger vs. Winchester model 70 or Mauser 98. They are all very similar in design and shape.

 

[SBruce]

Yes, I agree.

Something sure seems to be in a bind. The trigger doesn't even feel/act the same in the stock vs out of the stock. Unfortunately, it's gotta be out of the stock to adjust it.

Glad it was an old action and not a brand new one!