Unusual Stainless M77 Tang Safety

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Mtmtnmn

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I purchased a M77 Tang Safety model Sn 71-55XXX that I cannot identify. It has a walnut checkered stock with an all black butt pad with Ruger Logo. It has a bead blasted tapered stainless steel barrel and receiver with no sights. The Ruger info was stamped after the bead blasting so I think it is factory. The bolt, trigger guard, bolt release and magazine cover are all matt black. It has a round bolt knob and integral scope mounts. It is in .257 Roberts. I can find no reference about 1975 for a stainless model nor a .257 Roberts.

Does anyone have one of these and what can you tell me about it?
 

hittman

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RENE shows a VMG meaning Varmint HEAVY barrel with gray matte finish. That does not explain your tapered barrel though.
 

gunzo

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No stainless steel tang safety 77's were ever cataloged, & in that time frame as were no 2 tones or matte finishes. Plus, while not 100% sure, the black butt pad is also wrong for that time frame.

The 257 R was cataloged in 1975 in a 77R model.
 

Sugar River

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Most likely you have a rifle that was blued originally and has had a finish applied which resembles bead blasted stainless.
Robar comes to mind as a possibility.
 

Mtmtnmn

Bearcat
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Thanks for the replies. I believe this is a factory rifle because the gray matte bead blasting was done before the logo, model number and caliber markings were applied. No one would have gone to the trouble of doing those marks. The barrel had scrapes and chips so I tried bead blasting the barrel which only left white spots and of course has ruined the looks of it. My bad, I should have left it alone. The stock refinished very nice though and I got the rifle from a pawn shop for $175 so I think
I will paint the barrel and shoot it.
 

Mtmtnmn

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A couple of images so you can see what I was indicating about the finish. I had to paint the bbl.

5Nqnwis.jpg


5Mo6F98.jpg
 

mike7mm08

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I would say it was coated with something. A good finisher can easily leave stamping unmolested. I had a Remington 600 refinished in cerakote. Had to be bead blasted first. If anything the stampings are cleaner looking now than original.

As for your rifle I would say rebarrel and coated. The black of the bottom metal, bolt, and bolt release don't match anything Ruger ever did. The grey finish is not even close to the later offered Target grey.

I say rebarrel based on your pic which is a little unclear. But there is typically a proof mark at about 1 o clock in relation to the caliber stamp.

As said a Letter would clear everything up. But I think you got yourself a great shooter,that some one put way more money into than you paid for it.
 

Mtmtnmn

Bearcat
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Thanks for all the replies. I am glad now to know that I did not ruin some rare variant and don't feel
so bad about painting the barrel.
 

dgr416

Single-Sixer
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Jan 4, 2008
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I have a crome coated tang safety ruger 77 that some one made up .It was a mess broken trigger guard whittled stock not a single right screwdriver in it and rings would not fit a scope in them but were ruger rings .THE guy that sold it to me on gunbroker said it was stainless but it was coated. I spent more money than I paid for that thing fixing it .
 

collectormzornes

Blackhawk
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Oct 25, 2007
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Looks like a blues receiver that got blasted. Looks like the letters are still color filled black(blued). Also appears to have maybe a newer model barrel like the target grey finish on some of the MK IIs. So could be a FrankenRuger or I could be completely wrong which I have before.
 
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