Monday, October 6, 2014

ANew Day, A New Gun


I've been after a "hot rimfire" for a while. So after a well-deserved breakfast of Huevos Rancheros, I spun down to Gebo's "Great Service, Low Prices" (all true here) and got one. A Ruger American .17 HMR (Hornady Magnum Rimfire).


I know. I like wood and steel and this gun's black plastic and steel but the price was right, well under "retail," and the build seemed far superior to other rifles I checked out in the same caliber and price range. Solid and substantial, as opposed to tinny and flimsy



The Ruger American comes with a folding-leaf rear sight and a green fiber-optic Williams front sight, that sits on top of its match-crowned, free-floating 22"barrel. The receiver is drilled and tapped for bases and has two grooves machined into it for 1/8" rings. It also has a sturdy 9 round rotary magazine, 10/22-style; a pleasant change from the tinny, flimsy, offerings of competitors. Take note, Savage and Marlin. 

I won't go into this rifle's unique-to-Ruger bedding but suffice to say, it incorporates many of the features you'll find in the American's higher caliber iterations. A lot of quality put into the humble rimfire. And I almost forgot, it comes with an adjustable trigger. It weighs 6 lbs. The rifle, not the trigger.



But did it work? Sure it did, and then some, taking down a steel turkey time and again at 100 yards, with it's bright-as-you-like front sight, smoothly working bolt and crisp trigger. How heavy is the trigger, out of the box? I'd say appx. 4 Ilbs and that's adjustable up to 5 and down to 3. How's the finish? Just fine, what you'd expect from Ruger. But what about the black plastic? Deal with it, it's waterproof. How much does it cost? Stop whining and anyway, not much. Would you recommend it to your friends? I most definitely would.



Is this rifle a "game changer"? Some reviewers think so and that remains to be seen. In the meanwhile, I'd say a lot of quality for very little money.



Get a Ruger American 17 HMR, if you like. I don't think you'll be disappointed.

LSP




12 comments:

Dan said...

Outstanding LSP. Does this one sport the three-position safety similar to what I am used to on my Model 70s?

Excellent fun those 17s.

LSP said...

Good question Dan -- it has a tang safety, which I like, though it's easy to forget about if you're looking for something on the side of the receiver...

Great little gun and I'll scope it up tomorrow.

17, what a blast!

LL said...

I asked some former co-workers for an MP-7A2, which chambers the HK 4.6×30mm cartridge. Close to the same caliber in a much smaller frame. So far, no joy, which is to say that I feel somewhat unloved and forgotten. (boo-hoo)

I own a .17 caliber Javalina, which is based on a .22 Hornet necked down to .17. It's an old rifle made in Czech in the late '50's. I'm not familiar with this rimfire but if it's like the 17 Javalina, it's devastating to deer and medium game at reasonable ranges.

LSP said...

That's too bad of your one-time co-workers. I should keep up the pressure!

.17 Jav -- what a fierce round. The 17 HMR is more of a small game/varmint thing. Some favor it for coyotes.

But I like those old wildcat-style calibers. Don't own one though.

LL said...

Oh, the pressure is unrelenting. I may resort to guilt tripping soon (passive aggressive behavior), suggesting that I'm not getting any younger and the weapon is on my bucket list...

I've been asked occasionally, "do you really need another rifle?" I'm sure that my answer is the same as yours: "YES"

There is only a saturation point until you find another shiny new toy that you must have. It's like asking a woman if she has too many pairs of shoes. Women don't see the comparison, but that's because they're women.

LSP said...

I'd definitely resort to "psyops" --leave no stone unturned. After all, you need that MP.

Granted that there's no "luggage rack on top of the hearse, you can't have too many guns, i always think.

Some women find this confusing, or even worrying, and they're against it. Others, a minority perhaps, understand and encourage. I favor the latter.

Obviously.

LL said...

Women with an appreciation of the value of firearms and trucks are rare gems indeed.

Euripides said...

Ruger does a lot right. And there is always room in my house for another rifle.

LSP said...

Rare indeed, LL! And check one out Euripides -- I think the Ruger compares very favorably with the competition.

LSP said...

The Swiss Guard carry the MP-7A2, apparently.

jenny said...

Personally, I feel I have entirely too many pairs of shoes and my collection is an iota of what most women have. (If flip flops would suffice in the winter, I would have far fewer.)
So I dare not ask how many guns, exactly, y'all have...
:)
I am SURE, though, that y'all need more, as this review clearly demonstrates.

LSP said...

"Too many shoes"?

Phrasing, Jen.