I just acquired one of these in .30-06. The seller thought it had an aftermarket stock so...
It looks to be in excellent condition with great colors but no box. The SN, 771-93286, is later than the published range in RENE by 226.
This will be my first laminated rifle stock and I'm wondering if it will be as heavily impregnated with resin as the laminated revolver grips are. I just finished a set of Ruger black laminate grips that arrived unfinished from ShopRuger. I decided to tackle it myself instead of sending it back and I was able to get a mirror shine with BLO after sanding. Can I do that with this stock and is that even desirable? Will BLO darken it like it does walnut? Here are some pics:
"My greatest fear is that, when I die, my wife will sell my guns for what I told her I paid for them." Anonymous Collector
Probably the correct thing to do, Terry. I just think it would look amazing with a satin-gloss finish, giving depth to the grain and making the colors pop. Got a look at it yesterday prior to a 10-day wait - metal is excellent and might be unfired but has a couple of very small dings in the stock.
Can anyone ID those rings? No markings. They look like lightweight steel - there are grooves on the inside. Here's a pic.
"My greatest fear is that, when I die, my wife will sell my guns for what I told her I paid for them." Anonymous Collector
Thanks Hawkeye28.
Seems your right - they didn't show up in my original search. I don't intend to scope this rifle, anyhow, so they'll go in my possibles box.
Really nice handling rifle. Love the ultralight stock. The M77/22RSH also has an ultralight stock - it's my favorite shooter.
"My greatest fear is that, when I die, my wife will sell my guns for what I told her I paid for them." Anonymous Collector
From the box end photo this one comes up as a 7766. Mine comes up as a 7767 and looks like a DZ. Chad, could those numbers be for the DZ instead of the BZ? Looking at the OP photo, it is clearly different with only two colors compared to the three on mine. His SN comes up as model 0709 - is the .30-06 BZ model 0710?
I decided that since mine isn't spanky new it would be ok to polish the stock up a little bit. So, without disassembly, I carefully went over the whole thing with some 4-0 steel wool and one application of BLO then hand rubbed. Shined up nicely - really stunning.
I noticed that compared to the other two examples on this thread it appears to have a higher lustre blueing, though the photos aren't that clear. Then I realized that it has the warning statement on the barrel. Does that make it more unusual? Here are some photos:
Last edited by Ruger8r on Sat Nov 12, 2022 11:13 am, edited 2 times in total.
"My greatest fear is that, when I die, my wife will sell my guns for what I told her I paid for them." Anonymous Collector
Carbineguy wrote: ↑Tue Oct 25, 2022 8:19 pm
From the box end photo this one comes up as a 7766. Mine comes up as a 7767 and looks like a DZ. Chad, could those numbers be for the DZ instead of the BZ? Looking at the OP photo, it is clearly different with only two colors compared to the three on mine. His SN comes up as model 0709 - is the .30-06 BZ model 0710?
I decided that since mine isn't spanky new it would be ok to polish the stock up a little bit. So, without disassembly, I carefully went over the whole thing with some 4-0 steel wool and one application of BLO then handcrubbed. Shined up real nice - really stunning.
I noticed that compared to the other two examples on this thread it appears to have a higher lustre blueing, though the photos aren't that clear. Then I realized that it has the warning statement on the barrel. Does that make it more unusual? Here are some
Yes, your 771-93286 is definitely a DZ desert camo with the 3 color laminate.
The M77RLS-DZ in .30-06 is Ruger model 7767 while the same in .270 is model 7766.
The M77RLS-BZ in .270 is Ruger model 7758
The 0709 and 0710 are not laminate numbers. They are early model 77 designations, should be walnut stock. Perhaps Ruger sent one out with an incorrect model number?
Chet15
Ignore the serial number comment from earlier - I was looking at the RLSBZ range.
I am still curious about the metal finish quality. Why do some tang safety 77s have higher polish blueing than others? My 1985 RSI also has a high polish finish. Both have the warning statement.
I wonder if the original rings were also polished? Sure would like to find a nice set though I will never scope it. Hell, I'll never shoot it. Just too nice.
In the right light, the plum color of the receiver really pops.
"My greatest fear is that, when I die, my wife will sell my guns for what I told her I paid for them." Anonymous Collector
