Ruger 44 Carbine

[glockman55]

Picked up this cool little Rifle. Ruger 44 mag, Carbine.. Shoots and functions without a hitch.. kind of a Unicorn you might say..

[PolarFBear]

Picked up one of those at a pawn shop a few years back. It was priced at $89! I think they thought it was a 10/22. Now, it's mine. Note, it IS a single shot with a 44 special round.

[dahermit]

I got one shortly after they first came out. They are a very handy little deer carbines. Fun to shoot, easy on the recoil (relatively).

There was some criticism about them firing before the bolt was fully closed but I never had that happen. The speculation back then was it was handloads with a high primer that was causing it...of course the handloaders who had it happen always insisted that their handloads did not have high primers.

In all, I had two of them...the first burned in a fire along with 22 other guns. The second I sold-off to finance grad school.

In short, a handy little close-range carbine that I found to be very handy Michigan's typical close-in deer hunting. Enjoy!

Addendum: As I remember, there were two different Ruger Autoloading (and one lever action as I remember) .44 Carbines. I had the original autoloading .44 Carbines. After they were discontinued, Ruger re-introduced the .44 autoloading carbine that had a different action...as I remember the early models had an action that looked like the 10/22 whereas the re-introduced model had an action that looked (and operated) like the Mini-14.

[TX Nimrod]

Which model 44? Auto, bolt or lever action? Original auto with tube magazine, or later model with detachable magazine?



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[44 AMP]

My brother had one of the "Deerstalker" guns in the early 70s. Tube magazine, looked like a 10/22's big brother.

Light, handy, accurate and powerful enough for the deer woods (100yds and under), easily scoped, and felt recoil (to me) matched a Win 94 .30-30.

They got bashed because "nothing but the 240gr bullet shot accurately", and because gas operated rifles and cast bullets don't play well together...

My only real complaint was the "loading gate" button on the bottom was awkward for me to use, especially with cold stiff fingers and never could work the damn thing with gloves on.

And, of course, trigger pull was not great, but it wasn't made to be a target gun, but a deer woods carbine. Ought to have some set up for a sling, too, but very little in those days did....

Don't use lead bullets in them, they do pretty well, over all.

[bamaranger]

Yeah, no pic with the OP, I wonder to which auto carbine he is referring?

The old tube feed models surface somewhat routinely around here, and bring a premium price. The later poly handguard, mag fed version does indeed seem a rare bird, and bring absolute top dollar, sometimes near four figures.

I've a good bit of experience with the old models, and still hunt one routinely. I tried very hard to talk a guy out of a new model about a decade ago, he wouldn't sell......then hit hard times and sold it for a song (with no magazine) to some thug he knew. What a pal!

The new models are twisted faster and should provide better accuracy across a wide range of bullet weights than the older, slower twisted original. My older version shoot best with light bullets, 180-200 grains. Others report acceptable accuracy with the standard 240 gr slug, but I get pie plate accuracy with 240's, whereas 200's will group into about 3" at 100. I've found that the 180 grain bullet, while accurate, is fragile at carbine velocities and I deem it not suitable as a deer bullet.

Ruger no longer supports the old model. While the actions themselves are quite strong, all forged and milled, NOT cast as in other Ruger firearms (not to imply that castings are weak) incidental parts breakage is not uncommon if the rifles are shot a lot. I bought a "broken" model to serve as a parts gun, only to discover that a simple matter got it running just fine, so I have two.

[glockman55]

Mine is the tube fed semi auto .. 1977.. I can never post Pics on this forum.. stopped by size limitation.. I don't know how to make smaller.

[dahermit]

As a handloader (and bullet caster...most of my guns have never seen a factory bullet or a factory round), the ONLY complaint I had with the Ruger .44 Carbine was that it threw the empty casings where I could not find them when I was hunting.
In short, I felt that same as a handloader in one of the old gun rags wherein after another guy shooting the first guy's gun, empties the cases into his hand and proceeds to throw the spent casings into the brush. "If you wanted something to throw, I would have given you a handful of quarters!"

[T. O'Heir]

"...threw the empty casings..." My Plainfield Carbine does that too. I think of it as a tax.
"...like the Mini-14..." I think, it was a Mini-14. Known as a Deerstalker. Made from 2000 to 2006. The original looked like a 10/20 on steroids.

[bamaranger]

I think you will be very pleased with your old carbine. I have never had a feed function issue with mine, despite shooting a wide variety of jacketed ammo/bullet shapes through it. The Ruger Carbine may well be the handiest "deer rifle" I have in the safe, nothing seems to carry easier. It is a joy to manage when sitting in a tree stand as well, short and light.

Pull the butt plate off and use a long screw driver to snug up the bolt that secures the tang. The tang is often a bit loose, especially on older rifles like yours. snugging up the tang may help accuracy, and will prevent a split at the pistol grip of the stock as well, also frequently seen. Tighten the forward barrel ring as much as caution allows, but watch out, the original barrel ring IS a casting and can be cracked or stripped. There was an outfit that sold a more sturdy barrel ring, but I think they are long gone. Snugging the barrel/receiver, fore and aft, will help milk what accuracy can be obtained from the little rifles.

[44 AMP]

Pull the butt plate off and use a long screw driver to snug up the bolt that secures the tang.

There is no tang screw/bolt in the Ruger 44 autoloading carbine. I'm talking about the original tube fed semi auto, with its one piece stock.

you have, perhaps, confused this with a different rifle??

[sevt_chevelle]

Part number 52.
https://www.gunpartscorp.com/gun-man...ger/44-carbine

[QUOTE]here is no tang screw/bolt in the Ruger 44 autoloading carbine. I'm talking about the original tube fed semi auto, with its one piece stock.

you have, perhaps, confused this with a different rifle??/QUOTE]

[44 AMP]

I saw that, and part #52 is identified as Recoil Block Bolt, not Tang screw.

[Lavan]

As a handloader (and bullet caster...most of my guns have never seen a factory bullet or a factory round), the ONLY complaint I had with the Ruger .44 Carbine was that it threw the empty casings where I could not find them when I was hunting.

WHAT? More than one round needed when hunting????

[glockman55]

44 AMP I pulled the butt plate off and got about a half turn on the stock screw,, thanks,,DSCN1797.JPG

DSCN1798.JPG

DSCN1799.JPG

[dahermit]

Originally Posted by Lavan

WHAT? More than one round needed when hunting????

When one shoots once or several, that/those empty(s) case(s) is(are) thrown out...what is hard about that to understand.

[Scorch]

part #52 is identified as Recoil Block Bolt, not Tang screw.

Po-TAY-toe, po-TAH-to. Yes, it has a drawbolt for the reinforcement plate for the stock. Keep it tight. But it is not a tang screw.

[bamaranger]

Right rifle, wrong wording. Got it, NOT a TANG, poor choice of phrase and terms on my part. But, keep that DRAWBOLT tight. Lots of those old carbines will display a significant chip were the recoil block and stock meet. I have read where some folks went so far as to glass bed the recoil block. One of mine is so modified (when I got it), the other not. The one glassed in is more accurate, could be something, could be coincidence.

[Nacho Man]

Growing up as a teenager, Dad's 44 Carbine was one our favorites. Older brother has it now

[Erno86]

I probably wasn't visibly upset at the time --- but later I was and am still now --- while back in 1963 when I was 12 years old; when I read in some gunzine advertisement about the Ruger Deerstalker Carbine --- That had a hunter pose beside a male silverback gorilla, that he claimed he shot an killed it with the Deerstalker Carbine over in Africa.

But later...it was widely criticized, and considered distasteful to publicize such a photograph of the hunter posing alongside a dead silverback that he claimed he shot an killed.

Y'all can see the photograph when you search "Bill Ruger's gorilla".

[sevt_chevelle]

Out of curiosity did you mount that scope yourself or was it already mounted, that one piece mount is something you don't see?

[glockman55]

It had see through two piece rings/mount on it, I found the single piece mount on E Bay made for the Carbine.

[Sure Shot Mc Gee]

I didn't care for the one I still have. Not very accurate. At one time Hornady made a 265 gr Flat point jacketed bullet for the reloaders who owned the little semi carbine. In short order those who owned found the 240s gave the best accuracy. Maybe if I had mounted a scope? But doing would eliminate the rifles intended purpose. Quick_light weight_powerful_close range big game killer. Some rifles came with square notch open barrel sights others had a factory peep. Shot 180 gr thru to 265 gr thru mine. Results: (a 300.00 closet Queen)

[44 AMP]

Bama, I will admit to a degree of OCD when it comes to using the correct terms for firearms parts, but I will accept Drawbolt, as that's what it does.

I spent a lot of years, some in the military, many more after, working in fields where precise, correct nomenclature of parts and machinery was vitally important.

Sometimes the names used in casual conversation will not be found on the parts list.

[bamaranger]

Words have meaning, use the right words, advice to myself...... No problem.