The Ruger M77 is a
bolt-action rifle
Bolt-action is a type of manual firearm action that is operated by ''directly'' manipulating the bolt (firearms), bolt via a cocking handle, bolt handle, which is most commonly placed on the right-hand side of the weapon (as most users are r ...
produced by
Sturm, Ruger & Company. It was designed by
Jim Sullivan during his three years with Ruger. The rifle features a traditional Mauser-style two-lugged bolt with a claw extractor.
Design and features
From the beginning, the Ruger M77 was intended as a modernized
Mauser 98
The Gewehr 98 (abbreviated G98, Gew 98, or M98) is a German bolt-action rifle made by Mauser, firing cartridges from a five-round internal Clip (ammunition), clip-loaded magazine. It was the German service rifle from 1898 to 1935, when it was r ...
, though numerous changes were made.
Bill Ruger wanted to use
investment casting
Investment casting is an industrial process based on lost-wax casting, one of the oldest known metal-forming techniques. The term "lost-wax casting" can also refer to modern investment casting processes.
Investment casting has been used in var ...
in place of a forged receiver. The Sullivan-designed bolt dispensed with the Mauser blade type ejector and instead used the simpler plunger style of ejector. A two-position tang safety and redesigned trigger system were also designed from scratch.
Perhaps the most novel feature of the M77 is the only one that has not been redesigned, the angled action screw. The front action screw of traditional bolt-action rifles draws the receiver directly down against the stock. The M77 uses an angled screw that draws the action down and to the rear, tightly bedding it against the stock.
Variants
The M77 has undergone one minor and two major redesigns. The first change involved incorporating a proprietary
scope mount
Scope mounts are used to attach telescopic sights or other types of sights to firearms. The scope sight itself is usually made for only one of two main types of mounts, which can be classified as ''scopes for ring mounts'' (for example a 30 ...
milled integral with the receiver. The first rifles had simple rounded-top receivers drilled and tapped for separate scope mounts.
M77 Mark II
The M77 was entirely retooled and reintroduced in 1991 as the Model 77 Mark II. The safety, bolt, trigger, and bottom metal were substantially redesigned. The claw extractor was retained, but the bolt face was opened up to allow controlled-round feeding. The plunger ejector was replaced with a Mauser style fixed blade ejector. Finally, a three-position safety allowed the bolt to be operated while the gun was still on safe, making unloading of the rifle less hazardous. Ruger also eliminated the factory-supplied adjustable trigger available on the original M77.
M77 RSM Mark II
This variant of the M77, often known as the Safari Magnum, features a larger action designed for classic safari cartridges such as the
.375 H&H,
.416 Rigby
The .416 Rigby is a rifle cartridge designed in 1911 by London based gunmaker John Rigby & Company, for hunting dangerous game. It is the first cartridge to use a bullet of .416 inch (10.57 mm) diameter. The rifles, as built by John Rigby & Co ...
, and the
.458 Lott
The .458 Lott is a .458 caliber rifle cartridge designed for the purpose of hunting large, thick-skinned dangerous game animals in Africa. It is based on the full length .375 H&H Magnum case blown out and shortened to .
The .458 Lott was des ...
.
Hawkeye
In 2006, Ruger introduced new features and a new name for their rifle, the Hawkeye. Major changes were made to the trigger system and the stock was recontoured, but otherwise the rifle remained unchanged. The LC6 trigger addressed complaints from consumers about the Mark II trigger to make it easier for gunsmith adjustment than the earlier design. The LC6 trigger is lighter and smoother.
.30-06 Cal SAR (Search and Rescue) rifle
The SAR Rifle, .30-06 caliber, RUGER, Model M77 is a rifle designed for use by Canada's search and rescue technicians (SAR Techs) and aircrews. The SAR Rifle is designed to be a compact survival rifle chambered in
.30-06 Springfield
The .30-06 Springfield cartridge (pronounced "thirty- aught-six" ), 7.62×63mm in metric notation, and called the .30 Gov't '06 by Winchester, was introduced to the United States Army in 1906 and later standardized; it remained in military use ...
. The rifle is based on the standard Ruger M77 Mk II rifle but the barrel has been shortened to 14.5". The orange coloured buttstock has been modified so that it can fold along the left hand side of the stock and it also can hold six additional rounds of ammunition. The rifle is issued with a special case that has been designed to attach to the search and rescue technicians' parachute harnesses.
Gunsite Scout rifle
![Ruger Gunsite Scout Rifle](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/a/a4/Ruger_Gunsite_Scout_Rifle.jpg)
To develop the
Gunsite Scout, Ruger worked closely with
Gunsite Training Center
Gunsite is a privately run firearms training facility based in Yavapai County, Arizona, just south-west of Paulden in the United States. It offers tuition-based instruction in handgun, carbine, rifle and shotgun shooting, as well as other spec ...
in the development of the rifle, in order to meet the criteria of the modern
scout rifle
The scout rifle is a conceptual class of general-purpose rifles defined and promoted by Jeff Cooper in the early 1980s that bears similarities in design and function to guide guns, mountain rifles, and other rifle archetypes that emphasize comfor ...
set forth by
Jeff Cooper
John Dean "Jeff" Cooper (May 10, 1920 – September 25, 2006) was a United States Marine, the creator of a "modern technique" of handgun shooting, and an expert on the use and history of small arms.
Early life and education
Cooper was ...
. The rifle is chambered in
.308 Winchester
The .308 Winchester is a smokeless powder rimless bottlenecked rifle cartridge widely used for hunting, target shooting, police, military, and personal protection applications globally. It is similar but not identical to the 7.62×51mm NATO ...
, weighs and sports a 16.5" barrel and black
laminate
Lamination is the technique/process of manufacturing a material in multiple layers, so that the composite material achieves improved strength, stability, sound insulation, appearance, or other properties from the use of the differing materials ...
stock. It features ghost-ring
iron sights
Iron sights are a system of physical alignment markers (usually made of metallic material) used as a sighting device to assist the accurate aiming of ranged weapons (such as a firearm, airgun, crossbow or even compound bow), or less commonly ...
,
flash hider
A flash suppressor, also known as a flash guard, flash eliminator, flash hider, or flash cone, is a muzzle device attached to the muzzle of a rifle that reduces its visible signature while firing by cooling or dispersing the burning gases that ...
and a
picatinny rail
The Picatinny rail ( or ), or Pic rail for short, also known as a MIL-STD-1913 rail, 1913 rail or STANAG 2324 rail (cancelled), is a military standard rail interface system that provides a mounting platform for firearm accessories. It was o ...
for optics mounting. It takes a 3-, 5-, or 10- round box magazine. The Canadian and Australian version of the Ruger Gunsite has a stainless steel barrel and action with an 18-inch barrel without the flash hider.
References
External links
www.ruger.comGuns & Ammo reviewAmerican Rifleman Exploded Diagram of the Ruger M77
{{Ruger
7.62×39mm bolt-action rifles
Bolt-action rifles of the United States
M77
5.56 mm firearms
.338 firearms