First Ruger Rifle-M77

[Cary]

My father-in-law passed away 1/5/11 and I was given his M77 M II chambered in 243 Win. I have been in the process of gathering information on the gun and found out from Ruger it shipped on 4/93. They said the correct model number is KM77RP MK II. I haven't been out to shoot it yet but it looks to be in good condition. I would appreciate any information you can tell me about this model. I believe this would be called the all weather rifle per the SS construction and synthetic stock. Did Ruger use the Hawkeye designation at that time (4/93)? I pulled up the spec sheet on the current HKM77RFP and it looks similar on many counts. This one has the dished out portion in the shoulder area of the stock. Was that for weight reduction? As time goes on I'm sure I will have more questions and I appreciate any help you can give me. I plan to shoot the gun and then pass it on to another family member when I'm done with it per instructions to keep it in the family. Thanks for your help.
Cary

 

[Chief 101]

Sorry for you loss neighbor. My first Model 77 was a older 243, it was a great shooter and a great looker. You should get many years of enjoyment out of yours. Chief aka Maxx Load

 

[Cary]

Sorry for you loss neighbor. My first Model 77 was a older 243, it was a great shooter and a great looker. You should get many years of enjoyment out of yours. Chief aka Maxx Load

Thanks for the kind words. Yes, he will be missed and each time I take out this Ruger I will think of him and his gifts to me. My great wife and this M77.
Cary

 

[Yosemite Sam]

Cary, sorry to hear of your loss.

The .243 is (IMO) one of the most versatile rifle calibers out there, with the ability to shoot anything from 55gr pills at wicked velocities to 160gr match bullets. I'm sure you'll get years of service from the gun.

I cannot answer the Hawkeye question, but I'm sure someone who can will be along shortly. If both sides of the stock are "hollowed out" it sounds like you might have one of the skeletonized/"boat paddle" stocks, but I could be wrong about that, too: I just got into Ruger bolt guns, myself.

-- Sam

 

[Beachbum]

My first Ruger bolt rifle was a Frontier Rifle in .243. I have found it to be extremely accurate and compares favorably to my Remington 700. The action is every bit as smooth plus the Ruger has controlled round feeding where the 700 is a push feed action. In comparison, the Remington was no where near as accurate with its 24 inch barrel as the Ruger's 16.5 inch tube.

I now have an older tang safety M77 in .243 on layaway at a local shop. I expect good things from it. By the way, I sold the Remington at a gun show to pay for tires for my wife's car. It was pretty but didn't shoot well. I no longer miss the gun much.

 

[Cary]

Thanks for the feedback guys. This is my second Ruger product. My other is a 6" GP100.
Cary

 

[TBear77]

The MkII in the model number indicates it isn't a Hawkeye. The MkII is very similar, but with a better finish, a different style stock, and probably an older style trigger (some of the MkII had the LC6 trigger from the Hawkeye, mostly in the 791-prefix serial number or later). Your father-in-law's rifle has one of the earlier stocks (commonly refered to as the 'boat-paddle'stock, so it would have shipped from Ruger with the older style trigger.

The KM77RP MK II model number designates:
K=stainless reciever.
M77=model family-bolt action.
R=shipped with Ruger scope rings
P=Zytel (plastic) stock, early stocks had the dished out stock like yours, later rifles had a full contour stock.
MkII=second version of M77 rifles (the earlier rifles are refered to as 'tang safety' rifles; the MkIII designation was dropped in favor of Hawkeye.

Hope this helps,
Ted

 

[Cary]

Thanks for the information Ted. I'm going to record this and keep it to pass down with the gun when that time comes. Some people, like me, want to know the details.
Do you know if the twist for the barrel on my gun is 1:9 RH like the current Hawkeye .243? I assume it is but I want to record accurate info.
Cary

 

[TBear77]

Cary,

I don't believe the twist rate has changed between the MkII and Hawkeye. But a simple trick to verify the twist rate is to use a tight fitting patch on a cleaning rod.

Insert the rod far enough to get the patch started in the bore. Then mark the 'top' of the cleaning rod with a Sharpie, or similar pen, just before it enters the chamber (or bore guide if you are inseting from the muzzle end) and a second mark back approximately 10" from the first mark.

Push the cleaning rod in until it makes one complete turn, then mark the cleaning rod again just like the first mark. Remove the cleaning rod from the rifle. The distance between the first and third marks is your twist rate.

Ted

 

[Cary]

Thanks Ted. That should tell the story.
Cary