Blued 77/22

Guv · April 15, 2016, 03:04 PM

So I was cleaning my early production blued 77/22 and admiring what a nice looking rifle it is. Does Ruger still use steel for the trigger guard and magazine retention hardware? My old 77 6mm (early 80"s) uses an alloy for the trigger guard, seems like Ruger wanted these 77/22's to be kinda special.

AK103K · April 15, 2016, 03:37 PM

I had an early 77/22 too. It was a well made, very nice looking rifle, with nice wood and a nice blue finish. It was also quite pricey at the time. If I remember right, I paid something like $475 for it, and that was in the late 80's, early 90's.

Only problem with mine was, it wasnt very accurate. The best it would do at 25 yards was groups the size of a half dollar, when my 10/22, and my dad's 10/22, would both shoot dime sized groups at the same distance.

Guv · April 15, 2016, 09:19 PM

I guess I got lucky with mine, it does really well with Winchester Super X 36gr hollow points. It does have a Vari-X II 2X7 on it but it has been mostly a hunting/varmint rifle.

Scorch · April 15, 2016, 11:56 PM

Ruger still makes the 77/22 in blued/walnut as well as stainless. But the trigger guard is not steel, it is made of aluminum. My 3 77/22s all shoot very well once they were tuned and properly bedded. My first 77/22 would shoot Winchester Super-X hps into 1" at 100 yds. My Target Grey shoots about 2" at 100 yds, not terribly impressive considering I have had 10/22s turn in better groups. But all in all, I like them.

Guv · April 16, 2016, 05:20 AM

Thanks Scorch!
My experience with various Ruger rifles over the years has been that they can vary quite a bit as far as accuracy is concerned. My Dad's old 6mm 77 always seemed to be an underachiever while I had a .308 Lightweight that would do under an inch (5 shots @ 100yds) with most any ammo. I ended up glass bedding the 6mm and this made all the difference.

redrick · April 16, 2016, 07:01 AM

I have heard about the bad accuracy of the 77/22 on these forums .

A friend of mine bought a new 77/22 for squirrel hunting last year . I was at the hunting club when he was sighting it in using a Leupold 2-7x28 rimfire scope . It was very accurate from about 35 yards to about 75 yards and it was not picky about the ammo he was using .

The rifle is very nice looking . The only negative I give it , is the price .

Guv · April 16, 2016, 08:04 AM

I paid $375.00 in 1997 for mine from a friend. He had bought it when they first came out in 84 and never fired it. I think they go for more than a similar year and condition M-77, I don't think I would pay what everyone is asking these days.

redrick · April 16, 2016, 11:31 AM

I would pay $375 for one in a heart beat . I think my buddy paid over $800 for is from our local GS .

FrankenMauser · April 17, 2016, 01:52 AM

My 77/22 is of 2010 production, I believe.
Blued/Walnut.

Unless Ruger uses some kind of magnetic aluminum, the trigger guard and bottom plate are steel. It has some rough edges and nasty machine marks on the inside, but the areas that are visible were well machined and polished.

Mine, too, is a shooter. With ArmsCor 38 gr HPs* or Aguila SuperExtra 36 gr HPs* and a 4x28mm scope, it'll shoot 3/4" or better at 100 yards.
*(I may have the weights mixed for those loads.)

But, woe is me. BOTH of those loads have been discontinued and I'll have to transition to something else when my supply runs out.

It does pretty well - usually 1.5" or better (100 yards) - with other loads; but it does its best with the Aguila and ArmsCor.

I also have one of the aluminum floor plate Ruger 77s. It started life as a .220 Swift and did very well for itself. Now the barrel is living its second life in Montana, and the action is screwed on to a ".243" wildcat barrel.
But, the action has been out of the stock too many times, the wood has been crushed by over-torqued screws, and the floor plate is a little worn. So it's not shooting as well as it should, and the floor plate loves to pop open under recoil.
It's time for a new stock -- to make that stupid floor plate design work as intended, again. I could do a bunch of bedding work to build up the problem areas, but I'd rather just get a nicer piece of wood and pass along the problematic "red-pad" stock to someone that's willing to pay too much for it simply because they've heard they're desirable.

Wyosmith · April 17, 2016, 08:59 AM

Bad accuracy?I also must have gotten lucky then.

The very first one I ever saw I bought. It was back in the early 70s some time.

My rifle is all steel, and is super accurate. My wife has a Winchester 52 target.
We have shot them side by side using good ammo, and they are about the same as far as accuracy goes. I have no complaints at all about my Ruger 77/22.

Guv · April 17, 2016, 09:05 AM

Frank,
Does your 77/22 have the "V" block or the threaded barrel? A shame about the ammo being discontinued that yours preferred. I've pretty much settled on MiniMag hollow points for most of my 22's. They may not be the most accurate in a particular gun but they are great for hunting and always function well.

FrankenMauser · April 17, 2016, 10:51 PM

Mine is new enough to have a threaded barrel.

CajunBass · April 18, 2016, 05:22 AM

I had one from the first year production that was about as accurate as any 22 I've ever owned. I don't remember what size group it shot, but with Wally World bulk pack Federal ammo, I sure didn't miss many squirrels.

Alas, I had to sell it during a period of unemployment. I've been eyeing another one at my LGS, but I know I wouldn't use it enough to justify the price.

az_imuth · April 18, 2016, 05:34 AM

I also have one from the first year of production, 1984. I bought it used around 10 years ago and it has proved to be much more accurate than internet lore would have you believe. The only issue I've had is that the chamber is tight and makes extracting a live round a bit of an issue. Well built rifles that are made in the USA, look good, and handle even better.

fourbore · April 18, 2016, 05:37 AM

I believe in those early days Ruger out sourced the barrels. I dont know for a fact, just heard that repeatedly on the web. And from the same web, that these days Ruger does the barrel making in house and can better control the QC. That is a logical explanation why experiences vary so much. Internet lore, exactly. or, you might say the Internet is holding the industry accountable. More so than the old indusry hack magazine reviews.

I was discouraged (back in the day) reading about poor accuracy with the 22 hornet. Even in print! I have settled on 22mag & 223 these days and now I think the interesting nitch 77's are the 357 and 44mag versions.

I do agree, blue steel and walnut makes the finest rifle. that is, IMHO, the whole appeal of the cz 452. I was more than a little disappointed to see the Browning T bolt now uses plastic bottom metal. That is another seriously priced rim fire. Every body is looking to cut a nickel from the cost. Even CZ cheeped out with the new 455.

Ruger now offers a 77 in 17 wsm mag, not blue, not light enough to hunt - but a better quality option than anyone else has fielded. I wonder how that would have done in blue, walnut and hunting weight barrel? Or if a gun is stainless, it should be light enough to hunt. I dont know the mindset of the 17 guys, have to wonder is all.

I add my 3c on triggers. the Ruger American is a much nicer trigger while the 77 is quite bad in contrast. I know you can fix anything, but what a shock to compare the two. The center blade gives up a little in classic style, for a lot more performance.

Guv · April 18, 2016, 06:39 AM

Internet lore is a funny thing, the real truth is probably somewhere in the middle of the best and worst stories. I did really want the discontinued

walnut/blued 77/357, seems like such a sweet combination. I would have preferred the pretty No.1/M77 ramped front sight over the 10/22 style, but I would still love to have one. The 41mag would have been an interesting option and I have nothing against the 44.

bamaranger · April 21, 2016, 01:19 AM

I've got a stainless steel/boat paddle model, not sure of production year. It had set on a LGS rack for a long time, dusty and the stock had faded in the sunlight to some extent. My take on it was nobody was willing to pay the asking price when other ".22's" were available for a fraction of the price.

I made the counter man an offer and they accepted it. I consider the 77/22 one of my "money well spent" items. Trigger was mushy, but a Volquartzen sear and sear spring helped a bunch. Plenty accurate enough to do anything and everything I'd ever ask of a .22 sporter.

April 15, 2016, 03:04 PM	#1
Guv Senior Member Join Date: February 24, 2012 Location: South Texas Posts: 2,126	Blued 77/22 So I was cleaning my early production blued 77/22 and admiring what a nice looking rifle it is. Does Ruger still use steel for the trigger guard and magazine retention hardware? My old 77 6mm (early 80"s) uses an alloy for the trigger guard, seems like Ruger wanted these 77/22's to be kinda special. __________________ Walnut and Gloss Blue, mostly!

April 15, 2016, 09:19 PM	#3
Guv Senior Member Join Date: February 24, 2012 Location: South Texas Posts: 2,126	I guess I got lucky with mine, it does really well with Winchester Super X 36gr hollow points. It does have a Vari-X II 2X7 on it but it has been mostly a hunting/varmint rifle. __________________ Walnut and Gloss Blue, mostly!

April 15, 2016, 11:56 PM	#4
Scorch Senior Member Join Date: February 13, 2006 Location: Washington state Posts: 15,248	Ruger still makes the 77/22 in blued/walnut as well as stainless. But the trigger guard is not steel, it is made of aluminum. My 3 77/22s all shoot very well once they were tuned and properly bedded. My first 77/22 would shoot Winchester Super-X hps into 1" at 100 yds. My Target Grey shoots about 2" at 100 yds, not terribly impressive considering I have had 10/22s turn in better groups. But all in all, I like them. __________________ Never try to educate someone who resists knowledge at all costs. But what do I know? Summit Arms Services

April 16, 2016, 05:20 AM	#5
Guv Senior Member Join Date: February 24, 2012 Location: South Texas Posts: 2,126	Thanks Scorch! My experience with various Ruger rifles over the years has been that they can vary quite a bit as far as accuracy is concerned. My Dad's old 6mm 77 always seemed to be an underachiever while I had a .308 Lightweight that would do under an inch (5 shots @ 100yds) with most any ammo. I ended up glass bedding the 6mm and this made all the difference. __________________ Walnut and Gloss Blue, mostly!

April 16, 2016, 08:04 AM	#7
Guv Senior Member Join Date: February 24, 2012 Location: South Texas Posts: 2,126	I paid $375.00 in 1997 for mine from a friend. He had bought it when they first came out in 84 and never fired it. I think they go for more than a similar year and condition M-77, I don't think I would pay what everyone is asking these days. __________________ Walnut and Gloss Blue, mostly!

April 15, 2016, 03:37 PM	#2
AK103K Senior Member Join Date: May 1, 2001 Posts: 10,223	I had an early 77/22 too. It was a well made, very nice looking rifle, with nice wood and a nice blue finish. It was also quite pricey at the time. If I remember right, I paid something like $475 for it, and that was in the late 80's, early 90's. Only problem with mine was, it wasnt very accurate. The best it would do at 25 yards was groups the size of a half dollar, when my 10/22, and my dad's 10/22, would both shoot dime sized groups at the same distance.

April 16, 2016, 07:01 AM	#6
redrick Senior Member Join Date: December 5, 2007 Location: Virginia Posts: 1,041	I have heard about the bad accuracy of the 77/22 on these forums . A friend of mine bought a new 77/22 for squirrel hunting last year . I was at the hunting club when he was sighting it in using a Leupold 2-7x28 rimfire scope . It was very accurate from about 35 yards to about 75 yards and it was not picky about the ammo he was using . The rifle is very nice looking . The only negative I give it , is the price .

April 16, 2016, 11:31 AM	#8
redrick Senior Member Join Date: December 5, 2007 Location: Virginia Posts: 1,041	I would pay $375 for one in a heart beat . I think my buddy paid over $800 for is from our local GS .

April 17, 2016, 01:52 AM	#9
FrankenMauser Senior Member Join Date: August 25, 2008 Location: In the valley above the plain Posts: 13,424	My 77/22 is of 2010 production, I believe. Blued/Walnut. Unless Ruger uses some kind of magnetic aluminum, the trigger guard and bottom plate are steel. It has some rough edges and nasty machine marks on the inside, but the areas that are visible were well machined and polished. Mine, too, is a shooter. With ArmsCor 38 gr HPs* or Aguila SuperExtra 36 gr HPs* and a 4x28mm scope, it'll shoot 3/4" or better at 100 yards. (I may have the weights mixed for those loads.) But, woe is me. BOTH of those loads have been discontinued and I'll have to transition to something else when my supply runs out. It does pretty well - usually 1.5" or better (100 yards) - with other loads; but it does its best with the Aguila and ArmsCor. I also have one of the aluminum floor plate Ruger 77s. It started life as a .220 Swift and did very well for itself. Now the barrel is living its second life in Montana, and the action is screwed on to a ".243" wildcat barrel. But, the action has been out of the stock too many times, the wood has been crushed by over-torqued screws, and the floor plate is a little worn. So it's not shooting as well as it should, and the floor plate loves* to pop open under recoil. It's time for a new stock -- to make that stupid floor plate design work as intended, again. I could do a bunch of bedding work to build up the problem areas, but I'd rather just get a nicer piece of wood and pass along the problematic "red-pad" stock to someone that's willing to pay too much for it simply because they've heard they're desirable. __________________ Don't even try it. It's even worse than the internet would lead you to believe.

April 17, 2016, 08:59 AM	#10
Wyosmith Senior Member Join Date: December 29, 2010 Location: Shoshoni Wyoming Posts: 2,713	Bad accuracy?I also must have gotten lucky then. The very first one I ever saw I bought. It was back in the early 70s some time. My rifle is all steel, and is super accurate. My wife has a Winchester 52 target. We have shot them side by side using good ammo, and they are about the same as far as accuracy goes. I have no complaints at all about my Ruger 77/22.

April 17, 2016, 09:05 AM	#11
Guv Senior Member Join Date: February 24, 2012 Location: South Texas Posts: 2,126	Frank, Does your 77/22 have the "V" block or the threaded barrel? A shame about the ammo being discontinued that yours preferred. I've pretty much settled on MiniMag hollow points for most of my 22's. They may not be the most accurate in a particular gun but they are great for hunting and always function well. __________________ Walnut and Gloss Blue, mostly!

April 17, 2016, 10:51 PM	#12
FrankenMauser Senior Member Join Date: August 25, 2008 Location: In the valley above the plain Posts: 13,424	Mine is new enough to have a threaded barrel. __________________ Don't even try it. It's even worse than the internet would lead you to believe.

April 18, 2016, 05:22 AM	#13
CajunBass Senior Member Join Date: May 6, 2005 Location: North Chesterfield, Virginia Posts: 4,767	I had one from the first year production that was about as accurate as any 22 I've ever owned. I don't remember what size group it shot, but with Wally World bulk pack Federal ammo, I sure didn't miss many squirrels. Alas, I had to sell it during a period of unemployment. I've been eyeing another one at my LGS, but I know I wouldn't use it enough to justify the price. __________________ For God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish, but have everlasting life. John 3:16 (NKJV)

April 18, 2016, 05:34 AM	#14
az_imuth Senior Member Join Date: September 27, 2008 Location: Texas Posts: 306	I also have one from the first year of production, 1984. I bought it used around 10 years ago and it has proved to be much more accurate than internet lore would have you believe. The only issue I've had is that the chamber is tight and makes extracting a live round a bit of an issue. Well built rifles that are made in the USA, look good, and handle even better.

April 18, 2016, 05:37 AM	#15
fourbore Senior Member Join Date: August 22, 2015 Location: new england Posts: 1,159	I believe in those early days Ruger out sourced the barrels. I dont know for a fact, just heard that repeatedly on the web. And from the same web, that these days Ruger does the barrel making in house and can better control the QC. That is a logical explanation why experiences vary so much. Internet lore, exactly. or, you might say the Internet is holding the industry accountable. More so than the old indusry hack magazine reviews. I was discouraged (back in the day) reading about poor accuracy with the 22 hornet. Even in print! I have settled on 22mag & 223 these days and now I think the interesting nitch 77's are the 357 and 44mag versions. I do agree, blue steel and walnut makes the finest rifle. that is, IMHO, the whole appeal of the cz 452. I was more than a little disappointed to see the Browning T bolt now uses plastic bottom metal. That is another seriously priced rim fire. Every body is looking to cut a nickel from the cost. Even CZ cheeped out with the new 455. Ruger now offers a 77 in 17 wsm mag, not blue, not light enough to hunt - but a better quality option than anyone else has fielded. I wonder how that would have done in blue, walnut and hunting weight barrel? Or if a gun is stainless, it should be light enough to hunt. I dont know the mindset of the 17 guys, have to wonder is all. I add my 3c on triggers. the Ruger American is a much nicer trigger while the 77 is quite bad in contrast. I know you can fix anything, but what a shock to compare the two. The center blade gives up a little in classic style, for a lot more performance. Last edited by fourbore; April 18, 2016 at 05:52 AM.

April 18, 2016, 06:39 AM	#16
Guv Senior Member Join Date: February 24, 2012 Location: South Texas Posts: 2,126	Internet lore is a funny thing, the real truth is probably somewhere in the middle of the best and worst stories. I did really want the discontinued walnut/blued 77/357, seems like such a sweet combination. I would have preferred the pretty No.1/M77 ramped front sight over the 10/22 style, but I would still love to have one. The 41mag would have been an interesting option and I have nothing against the 44. __________________ Walnut and Gloss Blue, mostly!

April 21, 2016, 01:19 AM	#17
bamaranger Senior Member Join Date: October 9, 2009 Location: North Alabama Posts: 8,302	77/22 I've got a stainless steel/boat paddle model, not sure of production year. It had set on a LGS rack for a long time, dusty and the stock had faded in the sunlight to some extent. My take on it was nobody was willing to pay the asking price when other ".22's" were available for a fraction of the price. I made the counter man an offer and they accepted it. I consider the 77/22 one of my "money well spent" items. Trigger was mushy, but a Volquartzen sear and sear spring helped a bunch. Plenty accurate enough to do anything and everything I'd ever ask of a .22 sporter.