GEN II
AMERICAN RIFLE GEN II
Sturm, Ruger & Co. Inc. ruger.com Bolt-action repeater
MANUFACTURER
TYPE
6.5 Creedmoor
CALIBER
3 rounds
MAGAZINE CAPACITY
20 in.
BARREL
41.25 in. 6.5 lbs. Synthetic
OVERALL LENGTH
WEIGHT, EMPTY
STOCK
Adjustable, 12 or 13.75 in. Gun Metal Gray Cerakote barrel and receiver, gray and black stock
LENGTH OF PULL
FINISH
None
SIGHTS
4.5-lb. pull (as tested)
TRIGGER
Three position
SAFETY
$729
MSRP
Also new is the Gen II rifle’s safety. It is a three-position, forward-to-fire mechanism. The middle position prevents the trigger from being operated but allows the bolt to open for unloading a chambered round with the safety engaged.
The stock also features Ruger’s patented Power Bedding integral bedding block system that pos- itively locates the receiver and free-floats the barrel; a wide, soft-rubber recoil pad that progres-
sively collapses to reduce felt recoil; and steel sling-swivel studs. Also new to the Gen II is an intuitive, tang-mounted, three- position safety that prevents inadvertent bolt opening while allowing the rifle to be unloaded with the safety engaged. The “Fire” position is all the way forward, and in this position, a red line at the rear of the safety button is visible. The middle posi- tion prevents the trigger from being squeezed but allows the bolt to be operated so that a loaded cartridge can be removed with the safety engaged. The third position (all the way to the rear) locks the bolt from being raised and prevents the trigger from being operated. White lines ahead of the safety button indicate each of the “Safe” positions. Moving the safety button from position to position is both audible and tactile. Speaking of the trigger, the rifle utilizes Ruger’s Marksman Adjustable Trigger, which has a safety blade integrated into the mechanism. The trigger pull is user-adjustable from 3.0 pounds to 5.0 pounds. Right out of the box, our sample’s trig- ger pull averaged 4 pounds, 8 ounces over five measurements with an RCBS trigger pull scale. The highest measurement was exactly 5 pounds, and the lowest measurement was 4 pounds, 4 ounces, and that indicates good consistency. The pull was smooth, and let-off was crisp.
I wanted to see how accuracy was affected with the trigger pull as it came from the factory, so I didn’t adjust it. You will see later that I achieved very good accuracy with the rifle, so as far as I’m concerned, the 4.5-pound pull did not have any adverse effect. For anyone who wants to know the procedure to adjust the trigger pull, I’ll direct them to the operator’s manual because it has very detailed instructions. I’ll just say here that the barreled action must be removed from the stock to adjust the trigger, and there are good instructions on how to do that in the manual as well. By the way, the manual also presents detailed information on how to remove the stock’s length-of- pull spacer and the comb riser. Other Features The Gen II American Rifle has a lot of other great features. The full-diameter stainless-steel bolt is CNC machined and has three locking lugs and a 70-degree throw. The threaded bolt handle comes with a round anodized knob installed, but the threads allow easy customization of the knob. The Standard rifle’s detachable box magazine is made of a synthetic material, and it holds three rounds. For our 6.5 Creed- moor-chambered Standard rifle, it’s an AI-style magazine. The
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SHOOTING TIMES • APRIL 2024
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