Ruger American Rifle | |
---|---|
Type | Bolt-action rifle |
Place of origin | United States |
Production history | |
Designed | 2011 |
Manufacturer | Sturm, Ruger & Co. |
Unit cost | $449 MSRP[1] |
Produced | 2012–Present |
Specifications | |
Mass | 6.25 lb (2.83 kg)[1] |
Length | 42.5 in (108 cm)[1] |
Barrel length | 22 in (56 cm)[1] |
Cartridge | .204 Ruger (Predator model only) .223 Remington (5 rd. cap.) 5.56mm NATO (Ranch\Predator models only) .22-250 Remington .243 Winchester .270 Winchester 7mm-08 Remington .30-06 Springfield .308 Winchester[1] .300 Blackout (Ranch model only) 7.62 Soviet (Ranch model only) 6mm Creedmoor (Predator model only) 6.5mm Grendel (Predator model only) 6.5mm Creedmoor .450 Bushmaster (Ranch model only) 7mm Remington Magnum .300 Winchester Magnum .338 Winchester Magnum |
Feed system | Rotary magazine 4 round capacity (unless otherwise noted above) |
Sights | None – Drilled and tapped for scope. (Weaver style bases supplied) Redfield Revolution riflescope available for all centerfire models |
The Ruger American Rifle is a family of budget-level hunting/sporting bolt-action centerfire rifle made by Sturm, Ruger & Co., which also produces a line of rimfire rifles with similar designs called the Ruger American Rimfire.
The Ruger American Rifle has a receiver made from 4140 chrome-moly bar stock and a hammer-forged, free-floated barrel with a blued black oxide finish, mounted onto a polymer composite stock. Some models are also available in a stainless steel variant. The rifle feeds cartridges into the chamber from a detachable rotary magazine via a push feed mechanism employing dual cocking cams on the stainless steel bolt, which has three locking lugs allowing for a smaller 70° throw-angle of the bolt handle. Some models have stock variants that accept STANAG- or AICS-style box magazines.
Rather than using a traditional flat lug to transmit recoil, the rifle's barrelled action is secured into the stock via a proprietary bedding system known as "Power Bedding®". The design uses two steel action blocks each with a pair of V-shaped recoil lugs that fit onto reciprocal slots on the barrel base, which wedge the receiver firmly in place to prevent lateral shifts when screwed tight. Because the front and back action screws are fastened through the centers of the action blocks, the blocks also function as pillar beddings that negate potential compressive deformations that can happen to wooden and polymer stocks due to temperature change or moisture.
The Ruger American Rifle is the first to use the trademarked "Ruger Marksman Adjustable™" trigger, which is similar in design to the Savage "AccuTrigger" and allows the user to adjust the weight of pull between 3–5 lb (1.4–2.3 kg) by means of turning a set screw on the trigger housing.[2] The trigger mechanism itself is actually single-stage, but an integrated safety blade (similar to those on Glock pistols) has to be fully depressed first before the main trigger can be unlocked and pulled, thus preventing accidental discharges, and the spring tension of the safety blade functionally creates a "pre-travel" feel that mimic a two-stage trigger, allowing the shooter to exercise a much smoother and comfortable trigger pull. The rifle also comes with a separate tang-mounted safety.[3]
Introduced on Christmas Eve, 2023, Ruger's 2nd Generation Ruger American Rifles feature a 20 in (510 mm) fluted barrel with 5/8"-24 (Standard model) or 1/2"-28 (Ranch) barrel threading for muzzle devices, an ergonomic stock allowing the shooter to easily adjust the stock's height and length, and a replaceable bolt handle. While still maintaining the shotgun-style tang safety, this is now a three-position.[4] As of January 2024, Ruger has 2 variations of the Generation II: