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Thread: Ruger American 7.62x39, review pt1

  1. #1
    Senior Member kyratshooter's Avatar
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    Default Ruger American 7.62x39, review pt1

    I am going to start something I can not finish with part one of this review. I have now had the Ranch Rifle for a week but due to life coming at me, hunting season coming, and bad weather I have not had access to the range. As it stands I may not be able to shoe horn myself into a slot at the range for a bit. The place is packed daylight to dark.

    I have had time to take this beast down to the butt pad screws and put it back together, mount a scope and get it bore sighted. I now have some pretty firm impressions of the total situation and only await a shooting session to see how all of it flows together.

    Let it be known right now that I have never been one to worship at the alter of the "Great Puking Buzzard". I have had some good Ruger products, and some that were very bad. None of my 10/22 rifles were much to brag about until I spent far too much time and money on them, there was a Blackhawk .357 that would not keep its shots on a garbage can lid @25 yards and an M77 rifle that constantly shot its mounting screws lose causing erratic groups. Also a Mk1 .22 pistol that would only feed solid points and a Mk2 that would not group anything but Winchester Western Super X HP into anything smaller than a dinner plate. There was also the entire shipment of Security Six revolvers sent to a local Sheriff's department that were defective and refused to fire. That was kept quiet and between me and the sheriff, and about 150 deputies.

    There were a couple of Good Blackhawks in .45, and one very good Redhawk, and I had friends that got good specimens, but my luck with Ruger has been spotty.

    That being said I must make note that I was disappointed with the Ruger Ranch Rifle before I had even paid for it at the shop.

    The rifle list price is $450 at this point. I did not pay that much and I still feel I paid too much. This rifle is no better than the Savage or the Marlin economy rifles that cost a full $150 less. A Remington economy grade can be had for $150 with all rebates added up. I would have purchased from any of the other companies, but none offer the 7.62x39 chambering. Perhaps soon that will change.

    The rifle is advertised to accept the Ruger Mini-30 magazines. IT DOES NOT. While in the shop I tried magazines from P-mag, some other off brand and Ruger 10 round and 20 round factory mags and none would fit the RRR. It only accepts its own little 5 round magazine, supposedly one from a Mini-30 but I am not at all sure of that.

    That being said I have one of the very first examples off the line and the following ones may be different. I will be in touch with Ruger on this matter since I believe I know what the problem is. It stems from the "component nature" of this platform. The stocks are all alike and the magazines for various models require a separate insertable magazine well that snaps into place. I may have the wrong mag well.

    I decided I would address the magazine situation at a latter date and accepted the rifle anyway.

    Bringing it home I cleaned it immediately. It was covered with some sticky mess not quite up to par with real cosmoline but still a sticky mess.

    A close examination of this rifle revealed it to be the closest thing to a rifle sized zip gun ever produced by an American firm other than Daisey. Fact is that it reminds me very much in handling, feel and balance to a Daisey pump gun.

    I do have several of the "economy rifles" now available to the general public. Got the offerings from Marlin, Mossberg and Savage. All with easy and cheap production as part of their heritage and none feel as cheap as the RRR. It is not just the plastic stock and thin bluing, it is the flimsy feel of the action, rough internal machining and the ergonomics of the rifle.

    The pistol grip of the stock is small, almost tiny, and the safety is smack in the middle of the PG not where ones' thumb will strike it naturally but where it will jab into the web between the thumb and index finger. Beside being uncomfortable it requires one to move their firing hand out of position to release or apply the safety.

    Then when you release the safety you come to the trigger. Unlike the Savage Accu-trigger and those of the Marlin and Mossberg, which have infinitely adjustable triggers even on an economy grade rifle, the RRR has a trigger designed to protect one from themselves. The trigger is adjustable only in a range of from 4-6 pounds. All the way in is 6 pounds, all the way out is 4 pounds. Feels a bit heavier than 4 pounds but my trigger pull gauge says it is a very repeatable 4 pound pull. I can live with that, I just don't want too. I like a 2 pound trigger.

    And the RRR is SMALL! That could be good or bad depending on your preferences. Stock pull is 13 1/2". Overall length is 36" exactly. Barrel length is 16" on the nose. Adds say it is a 9 pound rifle but my scales say 6 pounds without scope or ammo.

    You are not going to get a bit more velocity out of the RRR than you will from an AK. Less than an SKS. That may not matter to you. I do not think it matters much to me but it does restrict the bullet to the rather loopy ballistics of the 7.62 AK.

    All this gripping done I have been playing with this rifle in the living room for over a week. I have changed out the scope 4 times. A 3-9 overwhelmed the small rifle, a straight 4x shared the "bad feel" of the 3-9, a 1-4 off an AR did not suit me either so I settled on a little 3-9x42 compact scope from Barska. It allows a comfortable carry of the rifle and gives enough magnification that I will be able to properly test the rifle.

    If you put a full sized scope on this rifle it will be almost impossible to carry the rifle in any position except port arms or hanging straight down at your side. Fortunately the rifle is so short there is no chance of the muzzle brushing the ground unless you are munchkin size.

    After the initial shooting tests are done I will be modifying this rifle. It begs to be turned into a "scout rifle" with a forward mounted scope. If I can resolve the mini-30 magazine issues, and the rifle shoots acceptably, I think I can learn to live with the other crap it presents.

    I am also going to need to dial back my accuracy expectations. I do not hand load for the 7.62x39 round so I will be restricted to mil-surp accuracy or factory accuracy at best. I can get sub 2 inch groups from both the AK and the SKS with surplus ammo so this rifle better do at least that well or it is going down the road.
    If you didn't bring jerky what did I just eat?


  2. #2
    Senior Member hunter63's Avatar
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    Not impressed I see......
    I have had good luck with Rugers, generally speaking...except for a Mini 14
    That was a 1976 model....very early production.....cold... shot 1-1/2 first 3 shots.....then walked the paper.

    They also had a bad habit of changing stuff in the middle of a year....so a scope mount for a 1980 model didn't fit my 1976.....
    Was just irritating...

    Actually I not real impressed with the 7.62 X 39 either?....Kinda a military 30-30?
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  3. #3
    Senior Member kyratshooter's Avatar
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    Lots of folks think that the .308, 30-06 or .270 class of rifle is too much for their needs, but think the .243 is too small and the .223 totally unacceptable.

    The 7.62x39 fits right into their plan and is now cheaper than the average 30-30 lever gun.
    If you didn't bring jerky what did I just eat?

  4. #4
    Senior Member hunter63's Avatar
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    The only 7.62 X39 I have done much shooting with, is a Yugo SKS....fun rifle...at the time it was a inexpensive auto loader .....Not so much any more.
    Never got into the AK's.....Don't know why.

    I'm still looking for a H&R Handi in the 7.62 X39 ........LOL
    Geezer Squad....Charter Member #1
    Evoking the 50 year old rule...
    First 50 years...worried about the small stuff...second 50 years....Not so much
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