Ruger M77 vs American

Ruger M77 vs American
Owned an M77 Frontier (like a compact with 16.5" barrel) until this year. Now I have an American. A few observations:

Safety. The M77 has the 3 position, which takes a little getting used to. It's odd. The American has a tang like bolt rifles are meant to have. God's custom rifle has a tang.

Balance. The M77 was short but heavy. It wasn't balanced very well although it was a terrific shooter. The American is trim and svelte.

Accuracy. The Frontier had a heavier contour barrel. It was probably just a tad more accurate than the American although not by much. Also haven't had time to truly wring out the American. It does show promise.

Finish. The Frontier had a green laminate stock and high luster bluing. The laminate was near indestructible. The bluing was almost too shiny and mirror like. The American has a matte finish and black synthetic stick. The bluing isn't very good. I've had it in the woods twice and bluing has already rubbed off in a place or 2.

Magazine. The M77 has a hinged floor plate. They're a PIA. The American has s detachable box magazine (a clip) which is very handy. I bought a spare to keep loaded in my pack for the rare occasion when I might need extra ammo.

Scope mounts. The M77 comes with the famous Ruger rings that I found to be a solid lock up. Very nice to have rings in the nix with the gun. The American has bases that accept a weaver style ring you have to furnish yourself.

These are both great rifles. Wouldn't hesitate to use either. But the balance, safety and detachable box magazine tips the scales slightly for me in the American's favor.

The American is a good gun but it'll never be built to the quality of a m77

Agree 100% , but the M77 will never be as accurate, on average, as the American. Not to mention the trigger on the M77 is way too heavy and not adjustable. I'm a big M77 fan but only because I have a friend who is a good smith and can take care of the accuracy and trigger issues. They are as well built as any rifle on the market, I'm my opinion.

American is good for what it is, a cheap entry level rifle. 77 is good for what it is, a tough hunting rifle. On average, the Americans appear to be more accurate, lighter, crappy stock and a pretty good trigger. The 77s have better fit finish, decent stocks, and the newer LC6 trigger is actually pretty good compared to older Rugers especially when the spring is replaced. Overall, both are good at what they do. About 6 months ago I was looking for a beater, something I could abuse and not have to worry about it. I chose a 77 all weather and haven't regretted it yet.

So true

I just purchased a left hand American stainless in 308.

I hope it is as accurate as your old frontier

I bought my wife an American and it as accurate as any expensive rifle I own.

You can fix the trigger on a m77 in about 5 minutes with no tools. I'm not saying that the American is a bad gun because it isn't. But it is what is. A cheaper made gun that gets the job done.

I've had my m77 since my dad bought it for me 16 years ago and it is still in excellent shape and it has been hunted with hard it's whole life

It can be improved pretty easy. I did it to the trigger on the m77 in 7mm mag that I own and trust me I am far from a gunsmith. LOL!

I think that's a great caliber choice. Next rifle I buy will likely be a .308. My American is a .243. Love the low recoil. Hope it does a number on the deer. I also thought about getting a .270. I was a 30-06 man for years, then fooled off and on with a .300 Mag before owning the 7-08 Burbank referred to. There was a .270 for a couple deer. Had a penetration issue on a buck and gave it up. Thought about giving it another chance.

Did you seriously compare the new Ruger American to the M77's????What kinda crack rock you smoking?

Sorry, I was referring to the M77 MKII , which is what I had. It definitely couldn't be adjusted.

I have a MkII 308 all weather I wouldn't trade for any Kimber or Sako out there. Took a Timney to make it a shooter but it's a shonuff buck thumper now.
I don't think the American is as well made but not bad for a cheaper rifle.

That's what mine is. Stainless synthetic mkII

Not being smart but my gunsmith would like to know how you can do that to a MKII with the 3 position safety.

https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ruger_M77


M77 Mark II Edit
The M77 was retooled almost entirely and reintroduced in 1991 as the Mark II. The safety, bolt, and trigger were completely 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 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 adjustable trigger that came stock on the original M77.

Take a dowel rod or something else that won't scratch the gun. Push the rear of the bolt forward while pulling the trigger. It wears the surfaces together and smooths everything out. You can do it with most any gun that has an exposed hammer or is built the way the m77 mk2 is

What do the bolt and trigger have to do with one another? The bolt doesn't interact with the trigger in any way.
The trigger releases the cocking piece,which allows the firing pin to move forward. You are polishing the ccocking piece. Which has no affect on trigger pull.

Am I misunderstanding what you're saying?

Honestly I don't really know. It's something my gun smith buddy showed me. They've been In business something like 50 years. Whatever it does lightens and smooths the trigger. I don't know if it somehow polishes the sear or what. But it dropped my trigger weight considerably.

I wish I had checked it on my ruger before hand but on my 3030 it dropped the pull from 7 1/2 lbs to 4 3/4.

I merely polished the sear and trigger on mine and it improved things a lot. Very simple and easy to do. Don't get aggressive with electric tools or heavily abrasive materials. You could make the gun dangerous with stuff like that. You can find a simple easy set of instructions online to guide you through the process.

My smith actually filed and polished the seer/trigger spring, and informed me that someone that wasn't very experienced should not attempt to file the spring on the MKII, as it could cause the safety to fail. It broke at an ultra crisp 2 1/2 lbs and did more to improve my shooting than any thing else I've ever tried.

Exact same experience as me and dad bought it for me 20 years ago. I'll never stop using this rifle.

Sounds like you are doing the 1911 equivalent of boosting the hammer. Personally I re-cut and polish the sear trigger engagement surfaces to get a lighter, smoother, and creep free trigger. That takes about 10 minutes

I have a 223 compact that my boys killed they're first 10-15 deer with, and I love it, but the trigger sucks!!!