Ruger RSM Uh-oh?

[275r7x57]

Bought New in 2003
Fired 20 Rounds through it @ Best & Hasn't Been Shot in 7yrs.

I just Noticed this? .. It's a raised area on the Finish. Did this crack? Almost as if a Wood Putty had been used before they finished & stained it! Any Help, sincerely appreciated .. Is it Safe?View attachment 549619

I had a worse experience about 2 years ago when a stock on a RSM was cracked during shipping. To get to the nut cutting. Here is what I found out and the route I took.

1. Called Ruger. They sold all of their RSM stuff to Numrich.

2. Called Numrich. They had 2 models of RSM stocks. I ordered both and neither one fit. Due to barrel contour and recoil lug placement. Sent both stocks back to Numrich. (FYI the stocks that they have left have been picked through and I would consider them seconds)

3. Called JJ in OK. He put me in touch with a stock maker in MO.

4. Called stock maker in MO. He was not real interested in doing the job, but said that he would. $3,000.00 - $5,000.00.

5. I sold rifle on GB with full description of cracked stock and pictures. It sold for 50% more than I paid a year earlier.

I did not think my rifle was worth all that trouble.

Please note my rifle was cracked clean through the wrist. Yours looks more superficial. I would clean up the splinter, maybe bed the stock and keep on shooting. I have seen other Rugers with chips out right behind the tang with no concern of splitting. Hope this helps.

Thanks,
275

 

[AZDAVE]

That looks like a surface chip. As others have said taking the action out and inspect the recoil lug area at the front of the action and area around the forward recoil lug system for cracks. If none bed the action and reglue that small chip down. Make sure you have 20-30 thousands relief behind the rear tang. On ruger the torque specs of the actions screws should be followed. Best of luck on the repair, the RMS's are fine rifles.

 

[ActionBob]

Bought New in 2003
Fired 20 Rounds through it @ Best & Hasn't Been Shot in 7yrs.

I just Noticed this? .. It's a raised area on the Finish. Did this crack? Almost as if a Wood Putty had been used before they finished & stained it! Any Help, sincerely appreciated .. Is it Safe?View attachment 549619

Throw away most of the advice you got.

You don't need to spend a bunch of money.

@AZDAVE got it right but I will try to explain in more detail. If you are just a little bit handy and capable you can fix this.

This problem with any Ruger 77 is always the same. They have a proprietary bedding system that works just fine if you READ THE BOOK that's in the box.

It has a large angle screw under the floor plate that has to be torqued to something like 95 inch pounds. That is a big ask if it is an older model with a standard slotted screw so you need a top quality screwdriver bit and the proper torque tool. I like the digital one.

Equally important is to not over tighten the other two screws holding the trigger gaurd in place. If you do, it can crush the wood and the floor plate will not close properly. I think they call for about 25 inch pounds but those you need to go by feel a bit, IMO.

These are not Winchester's or CZ's. The bedding system is different. It does not need custom bedding! It just needs that one screw torqued!

On your rifle and too many other model 77's in heavy recoiling calibers... You shot it with a screw loose The action being loose and that metal tang having a tight fit into the wood, the metal moved back and chipped the wood. Most likely it is superficial.

If it was mine I would take out those 3 screws and pull the barreled action out of hhe stock. Clean out any loose material. I've actually found leftover sawdust in some. Then carefully try to get some hot glue or some kind of clear glue to do your best to fix that chip. Perhaps take it a wood finish guy to do of you are not comfortable doing it. Then carefully relieve that area where the metal tang hits the wood. I just scraped it out a bit with a knife and very carefully sanded it a little on one I bought with a similar crack. It was all surface area and did not effect strength or function.

Reassemble and properly torque the screws as described in the owners manual.

 

[CAustin]

Bought New in 2003
Fired 20 Rounds through it @ Best & Hasn't Been Shot in 7yrs.

I just Noticed this? .. It's a raised area on the Finish. Did this crack? Almost as if a Wood Putty had been used before they finished & stained it! Any Help, sincerely appreciated .. Is it Safe?View attachment 549619

Yep it cracked from the tang. Did you by chance fire it using a weighted Leadsled? I have a 416 Guide Gun which did the same and it was repaired by a Gunsmith in Tulsa OK.
Preparing for a second hunt I used a sled to sight the rifle In. I noticed an identical crack when I packed it up for the day after maybe 20 rounds

 

[Berettaco]

Yep it cracked from the tang. Did you by chance fire it using a weighted Leadsled? I have a 416 Guide Gun which did the same and it was repaired by a Gunsmith in Tulsa OK.
Preparing for a second hunt I used a sled to sight the rifle In. I noticed an identical crack when I packed it up for the day after maybe 20 rounds

I always cringe when I see guys shooting larger caliber rifles from a lead sled - especially with walnut stocks.

 

[krish]

Good grief. .. Does this mean, it essentially needs a new stock?
any ideas, gunsmiths & suggestions well appreciated.

That can be fixed made new. But for future the rifle needs to be checked out. The action screw need to be maintained at factory Torque. Tang need to be relieved. If you are too concerned then do piller block bedding.
It will be fine.
Krish

 

[Woodcarver]

View attachment 549649

This is a superficial crack that won't impact serviceability of the rifle and is fairly simple to repair and make disappear.

I think the grain of the wood made the area vulnerable. The Lott has a very high recoil impulse and if everything is just a little loosey goosey the tang will hammer back. Fortunately caught early.

Exactly. And then ActionBob has most of the answer....

Throw away most of the advice you got.

You don't need to spend a bunch of money.

@AZDAVE got it right but I will try to explain in more detail. If you are just a little bit handy and capable you can fix this.

This problem with any Ruger 77 is always the same. They have a proprietary bedding system that works just fine if you READ THE BOOK that's in the box.

It has a large angle screw under the floor plate that has to be torqued to something like 95 inch pounds. That is a big ask if it is an older model with a standard slotted screw so you need a top quality screwdriver bit and the proper torque tool. I like the digital one.

Equally important is to not over tighten the other two screws holding the trigger gaurd in place. If you do, it can crush the wood and the floor plate will not close properly. I think they call for about 25 inch pounds but those you need to go by feel a bit, IMO.

These are not Winchester's or CZ's. The bedding system is different. It does not need custom bedding! It just needs that one screw torqued!

On your rifle and too many other model 77's in heavy recoiling calibers... You shot it with a screw loose The action being loose and that metal tang having a tight fit into the wood, the metal moved back and chipped the wood. Most likely it is superficial.

If it was mine I would take out those 3 screws and pull the barreled action out of hhe stock. Clean out any loose material. I've actually found leftover sawdust in some. Then carefully try to get some hot glue or some kind of clear glue to do your best to fix that chip. Perhaps take it a wood finish guy to do of you are not comfortable doing it. Then carefully relieve that area where the metal tang hits the wood. I just scraped it out a bit with a knife and very carefully sanded it a little on one I bought with a similar crack. It was all surface area and did not effect strength or function.

Reassemble and properly torque the screws as described in the owners manual.

View attachment 549756

I've fixed a couple stocks that had this chip flake crack behind the tang. Wood being wood, it often has unseen weak grain. The combination of an inadequately torqued bolt, coupled with an overly torqued trigger guard bolt, add a slight high spot under the tang, and you get the flake chip from recoil.
After pulling the action, lightly sand just a touch under the tang. Just enough to make it look a little smoother than it was. Don't be aggressive; a fine grit, lightly applied, is sufficient. The fine grit side of your wife's nail file usually works great for this (don't ask, beg forgiveness later ).
Use thin CA glue along every side of the chip, including in the tang area, and immediately clamp the chip; my preference in odd shaped areas like this is electricians tape pulled as tight as I can without breaking. I have found CA doesn't seem to like vinyl tape and I seldom have issues with it sticking. That being said, I wipe any excess CA off the exposed surfaces before taping or clamping.
Allow the CA to cure overnight. While it will stick your fingers together instantly, you need to give it full cure time when using it to grab wood. Without enough cure time, you will pull the chip off when the tape is removed.
Once the tape is removed, it should only take very light sanding to clean up the edge. Done carefully, you might not even need to do anything more than an oil coat to make it truly disappear. Once dry, reassemble following what ActionBob outlined above. Go shoot! Hope this helps....

 

[greyfox]

Good grief. .. Does this mean, it essentially needs a new stock?
any ideas, gunsmiths & suggestions well appreciated.

read what others have posted, take it out of the stock, relieve a little around the rear of the tang.
glass bed it. Looks like a shallow crack but without having it in my hands I can't be sure.

Bed UNDER the crack (just some extra bedding material, tape (painter's tpe) and clamp. Really doesn't look like that big of a deal.

Understand the purpose of bedding is to ensure the action does not move under recoil. Looks like that action slams rearward and contacts the stock, so the equivalent of hitting a 2X4 with a sledge - over time.

Bed the front recoil lg and the rear action screw.

Do it yourself, because if you screw it up, you just screwed up your own gun (LOL!!! ) Seriously my first was my personal firearm.

Read the instructions and don't touch the rifle (after bedding) for 24 hours.

 

[ActionBob]

read what others have posted, take it out of the stock, relieve a little around the rear of the tang.
glass bed it. Looks like a shallow crack but without having it in my hands I can't be sure.

Bed UNDER the crack (just some extra bedding material, tape (painter's tpe) and clamp. Really doesn't look like that big of a deal.

Understand the purpose of bedding is to ensure the action does not move under recoil. Looks like that action slams rearward and contacts the stock, so the equivalent of hitting a 2X4 with a sledge - over time.

Bed the front recoil lg and the rear action screw.

Do it yourself, because if you screw it up, you just screwed up your own gun (LOL!!! ) Seriously my first was my personal firearm.

Read the instructions and don't touch the rifle (after bedding) for 24 hours.

Is this from experience with a Ruger RSM?

I ask because when I had a couple of them apart. The rear action screw seems really secondary (or less) to handling any real recoil.

That big front angle screw solidly pulls the barreled action into the bedding system in the stock. Then if I remember correctly, (probably been 8 or 9 years) there is a secondary recoil lug in the fore arm.

But doesn't the rear (and middle) action screw hold the trigger gaurd and magazine box and are they really even equipped to handle any recoil?

I do know I purchased a very nice Ruger rifle from a guy who was accused to Winchester designs and he had cranked down that rear action screw to the point he messed up the function of the magazine floor plate.

Bob

 

[Daniel Cary]

Strange things Happen .. However, the rifle has been taken out of the case from time to time since it was last shot, 7 yrs ago .. you'd think I'd notice? (I was last looking to compare the Barrel Band Placement) as some are different.

Nothing is Forever. Enjoy what you can, never know what's coming next ..
Thank you, to everyone, foremost.

Does this Have a Proverbial Resale Price, in the state it's in?

 

[ActionBob]

Strange things Happen .. However, the rifle has been taken out of the case from time to time since it was last shot, 7 yrs ago .. you'd think I'd notice? (I was last looking to compare the Barrel Band Placement) as some are different.

Nothing is Forever. Enjoy what you can, never know what's coming next ..
Thank you, to everyone, foremost.

Does this Have a Proverbial Resale Price, in the state it's in?

What caliber is it? How does it feed?

 

[krish]

Strange things Happen .. However, the rifle has been taken out of the case from time to time since it was last shot, 7 yrs ago .. you'd think I'd notice? (I was last looking to compare the Barrel Band Placement) as some are different.

Nothing is Forever. Enjoy what you can, never know what's coming next ..
Thank you, to everyone, foremost.

Does this Have a Proverbial Resale Price, in the state it's in?

They have to be taken out of storage cleaned and oiled. Leaving Ruger for a long time unattended may devolop mild rust.
Krish

 

[krish]

It is still good n ends a little attention. Or you can get a new stock from Numerich for about 300+. Problem solved and you have spare stock.
Krish

 

[krish]

If you are getting a new stock at that time contact me I will let you know 3 other small parts need to go with it. I will give you the list.
Good luck.
Krish

 

[Daniel Cary]

If you are getting a new stock at that time contact me I will let you know 3 other small parts need to go with it. I will give you the list.
Good luck.
Krish

Thank you @krish, always appreciated your Help along the way also .. I did Find another Local Gunsmith who took it apart, tightened, determined it wasn't a threat, etc. Thank lord. He ironically had a Client "Looking for a more appealing Stock" for his 416 RSM to no avail.

This is a 750- serial #, however, I was shocked between the difference in Barrels Diameters. Does anyone know when they changed? & or if there's one preferred over the other?
Thank you, All.

 

[Daniel Cary]

Even the Stock, Profile between the 2 seem signifcant ..

 

[Daniel Cary]

I attempted to add a photo .. it was a whole page of script, Disregard.

New Computer cost, $1500 + 5 hour round trip. Addl: Cost of Living, out of control.

 

[PCC600]

Totally agree. The bedding is complicated as the action is in contact with a plate that is set in the wood. No direct receiver to wood bedding contact. The Ruger is nose heavy but mine is a tack driver in 416 Rigby. Only limitation is two in the mag.

I had a Ruger Safari Magnum 458 Lott . It was a great rifle . Purchased in 2003 . Never had a problem . But it was definitely nose heavy . I fitted a wide base kickeez pad and put some extra weight in the stock. Really liked it .

 

[krish]

God bless ya Guy's .. Thank you, sincerely!
Good group, great people

The screws holding the actions to the stock got to be tight. Every now and then they may get little loose. That causess the action to slide during the shot. That causes Crack at the tang. Especially the FRONT SCREW DRAWING THE ACTION TO THE STOCK, WHICH IS LOCATED IN FRONT OF MAGAZINE COVER ( BOTTOM PLATE). RUGER don't recomend bedding the stock but people do. Check the entire stock as other members suggested.
Krish

 

[Daniel Cary]

I took a bunch of pics. I thought his shop was long gone, however, changed locations. Took it apart, assessed, reasembled to spec .. was really gracious to say the least.