Ruger M77 Mk 2 action reliability vs mauser 98

[Rule 303]

Just a note about the Mauser styled extractors. The Ruger Extractor is almost a carbon copy of the M17 Enfield. It is shorter in length but can be used on an M17 where a Mauser extractor will not work properly.

 

[Clodo Ferreira]

Hi,

The BRNO ZKK /CZ 500 do have the same extractor cut as the Mauser 98! They are designed to feed cartridges from the magazine.
One thing I don´t like in the Ruger MKII, great design overall, is the position of the safety lever...To me, should be on the bolt, as in the Winchester 70! I have seen failures and bolt locked because that lever position...

 

[Rafiki]

Hi,

The BRNO ZKK /CZ 500 do have the same extractor cut as the Mauser 98! They are designed to feed cartridges from the magazine.
One thing I don´t like in the Ruger MKII, great design overall, is the position of the safety lever...To me, should be on the bolt, as in the Winchester 70! I have seen failures and bolt locked because that lever position...

Can you explain how this RSM safety will fail? I looked looked at quite closely. On safe it locks both the firing pin and the trigger, middle position locks trigger only, fire is fire of course. I do think it is to small for my clubby fingers but I don't see a chronic problem.

 

[93marlin]

The only thing I can see room for improvement on my Ruger Alaskan 375 is the safety is a bit smaller than would like it to be.

 

[WI-2021]

I have three Rugers, a Scout in .308, and an African and Alaskan in .375. The Scout had ejector issues out of the box, namely the ejector didn't pop into position quickly enough when running the bolt at a normal speed. Some polishing and a stiffer spring helped, but I can still outrun it when working the bolt fast. The other two have always worked fine.

 

[lockingblock]

Ruger makes good rifles but you have to test them. There can be issues. That’s not unique to Ruger.

At a minimum, they need bedding, trigger adjustment, and a thorough break in with copious live fire under realistic conditions.

 

[Clodo Ferreira]

Hi Rafiki,

I had a youtube video showing this. I will try to find where I save it. By the way, here it is a report of one potential issue...Seems to be individual failures to be fixed. Just things to test in each rifle before any serious uses...

"I have a ruger 77 MK II S.S. 270 Cal. Was deer hunting the other day, this rifle has the three postion saftey. When I went to unload it, I grabbed the bolt with the saftey all the way back, in the on position. The bolt lifted up half way up, but it wouldn't came back to eject the shell. So then I thought I need to move the saftey to the middle position, then I push the saftey to the middle postion and It went off !! damm near crapped my pants. I've tried it " yes with the ammo out" again and it will fire every time if you lift the bolt half way up with the saftey on and then move the saftey to the half way position with out touching the tigger. This is the first year I've used this rifle, been setting in the safe, only been fired to sight in the scope. My other 77 MKII you can't left the bolt at all with the saftey all the way on. Has any body else had this problem?"

As I said, I like the safety in the bolt shroud as in the Mauser or, better yet, Winchester 70 way. And, also in them, try if they work as should be! A friend had a Mauser with two position modified safety. When he put the safety on, bolt cocked, the safety did not retract the firing pin nut...!!!! If the trigger is pulled the rifle did not fired....because the safety catch the bolt nut, acting from that point as a secondary trigger...move it off and the gun fired!!!!!!!!

 

[Rafiki]

Hi Rafiki,

I had a youtube video showing this. I will try to find where I save it. By the way, here it is a report of one potential issue...Seems to be individual failures to be fixed. Just things to test in each rifle before any serious uses...

"I have a ruger 77 MK II S.S. 270 Cal. Was deer hunting the other day, this rifle has the three postion saftey. When I went to unload it, I grabbed the bolt with the saftey all the way back, in the on position. The bolt lifted up half way up, but it wouldn't came back to eject the shell. So then I thought I need to move the saftey to the middle position, then I push the saftey to the middle postion and It went off !! damm near crapped my pants. I've tried it " yes with the ammo out" again and it will fire every time if you lift the bolt half way up with the saftey on and then move the saftey to the half way position with out touching the tigger. This is the first year I've used this rifle, been setting in the safe, only been fired to sight in the scope. My other 77 MKII you can't left the bolt at all with the saftey all the way on. Has any body else had this problem?"

As I said, I like the safety in the bolt shroud as in the Mauser or, better yet, Winchester 70 way. And, also in them, try if they work as should be! A friend had a Mauser with two position modified safety. When he put the safety on, bolt cocked, the safety did not retract the firing pin nut...!!!! If the trigger is pulled the rifle did not fired....because the safety catch the bolt nut, acting from that point as a secondary trigger...move it off and the gun fired!!!!!!!!

Thanks very much for this. I'm heading to the gunsmith later today, where my rifle is; I'll check this out.

 

[Nevada Mike]

I have Win M70 (CRF), M98 and Ruger M77 Mrk. II rifles. They are all more than satisfactory. The 'guide lug' on the top of the M98 bolt is not used in eithe the Winchester M70 or Ruger M77 Mrk.II actions. I feel the M98 is a bit better, but I have never had a failure to feed or a failure to eject in any of these rifles. I would (and have) hunt Africa with any of these rifles with confidence.

 

[ChrisG]

I had a Mark II made in the 90s in 6.5x55 that I took a lot of animals with. It was smoother than any Mauser I have ever owned or handled. For its price point, it really was 10x the rifle as most others in its class. The new Hawkeye actions are a crude, cheap interpretation of a Mark II. They need a ton of work to smooth up their function and feeding. I don't buy too many new Rugers. They work but they are WAYY too expensive for what they are. I would much rather have a Winchester M70. Maybe Chevy could start selling the little Spark for the same price as an Audi S4.... thats how I think of Ruger today. Slightly better than Remington 770s, built with the quality control of Fiat....

 

[Rule 303]

I had a Mark II made in the 90s in 6.5x55 that I took a lot of animals with. It was smoother than any Mauser I have ever owned or handled. For its price point, it really was 10x the rifle as most others in its class. The new Hawkeye actions are a crude, cheap interpretation of a Mark II. They need a ton of work to smooth up their function and feeding. I don't buy too many new Rugers. They work but they are WAYY too expensive for what they are. I would much rather have a Winchester M70. Maybe Chevy could start selling the little Spark for the same price as an Audi S4.... thats how I think of Ruger today. Slightly better than Remington 770s, built with the quality control of Fiat....

Just goes to show. My findings were the reverse. Mind you I only had one of each so a very small and poor example size. However, of all the ones, both Mk11 and Hawkeye, I have handled I would not call any of them smooth without some work. Functional and reliable strong actions and fairly good shooters Yes.

 

[Hunter-Habib]

Don Heath also did write (in the same article) about Interarms Mark X rifles having extremely soft barrels which wear out within relatively few firings. Ever since I read this article when it was originally published in 2000, I’ve always tried to find a documented reference to this claim. But till this date, I’ve never been able to.

He was right about Interarms Mark X rifles having their magazine floor plates sometimes pop open due to the recoil from the first shot, however. I did see that happen first hand in Zimbabwe (to a .458 Winchester Magnum variant).