"extremely rare" M77

[Ruger8r]

Merry Christmas!
https://www.gunbroker.com/item/11452479 ... 0uRblhLA8Y

[Ruger8r]

Yes, it REALLY is. Take a closer look - the rarity is not in a plain sight.
Closes Christmas Day.

[KWend54]

It is interesting! Early stock without cut out at loading port with flat bolt but a pre fix serial number? Not sure how that one would letter. But with all the mods made to it, no telling what is original

[Ruger8r]

All that is true and the trigger mod with no safety bothers me. But what distinguishes this rifle is that the front sight is slotted for a hood; SN 70-09740 falls within the correct range and is called "extremely rare" in The Reference.

I was going to lay off but I just couldn't bring myself to do it and I wound up owning the darn thing. So Merry Christmas to myself, maybe. Cheers!

[ruger66]

Sorry I bid against you. Still sorry I didn't stick with it! I have one a little rarer a 6mm with a slotted front sight.

[Ruger8r]

So, it was YOU! I'm curious, did I tip you off or had you seen it, already? Well, you should have hung on because I was at my top (ha ha). By the time I'm done with fees and taxes I'm in for a lot more. Had I known a collector was on it I might have laid off; I didn't want to see it go to an unappreciative hunter. Then again...there can't be very many of these and they should be highly collectable.

[ruger66]

That's okay I'm getting old enough I shouldn't be looking at them anyway. Don't worry about the trigger and the safety you should be able to put that together with stuff on eBay and other vintage parts. Very easy to lose that safety link and the button if you're not careful.

[ruger66]

I would think the stock is correct on that gun too. The parts bin theory

[chet15]

It is interesting! Early stock without cut out at loading port with flat bolt but a pre fix serial number? Not sure how that one would letter. But with all the mods made to it, no telling what is original

It is original.
They started using the contoured stock about that time and there are a few grooved front sight bases about that time as well. Ruger must have rid themselves of the grooved base at that time.
Chet15

[Ruger8r]

Thanks, Chad.
I was pretty sure it was original.
I always like to talk to sellers during a transaction; Bob was surprised by the high bids and said that his consignors can really use the money. They seem happy and I think it was a fair price with the missing safety, which has to be restored. Hard to believe someone hunted it in that state.