A Problem With ALL Ruger American centerfire rifles

[bigpapa]

Im not sure whats going on but I have 4 of these rifles and lucky enough haven't had a problem. I do a lot of yote hunting and hog. hope you can work it out

 

[SMK1000plus]

Don't get much cheaper than a Savage and they lock the bolt on the third position...not sure about the Axis...I have one, but tore it apart before I messed with it very much.

I have an Axis, also in 7mm-08. The Axis safety does not lock the bolt closed on safe. There is however, more than enough tension/friction on the bolt lugs when closed, to hold the bolt closed even cocked on an empty chamber.

The OP needs to get a set of headspace gauges and check his headspacing. Chambered factory ammunition should have more than enough tension in the bolt to hold it closed, if the headspacing is correct. Try another brand of factory ammo to see if it fixes the problem.

If you reload, you should have no problem. Just don't bump the shoulder back, or don't bump it back too far. Also neck sizing only will certainly help stop the issue.

Definitely check the factory ammo and headspace first!

 

[sconnierider]

Snag a Steyr Pro Hunter. Has a 3 position safety, the third position locking the bolt down with or without a round in the chamber safely. And the finest hammer forged barrel in the world. $599.99 plus $50.00 if you want it in stainless......

And the factory trigger is a dream....

 

[newtonian]

Laelkhunter above gives the answer to this. I nearly always hunt alone in rough elk country. I usually carry a cartridge in the chamber, but since I don't trust the safety enough, I keep the gun uncocked. Theoretically, that could be a problem in a fall if the firing mechanism is exposed too much when cocked. I will quickly cock the rifle by raising the bolt handle when I expect to shoot, maybe use the safety then. It goes without saying that one has to be very careful when lowering the bolt handle to uncock with a live one in the chamber.

 

[Buck Buster]

My buddy and I both have the RAR predator in 308, he had a failure to fire on a live deer because the bolt handle had raised enough to prevent the firing pin from reaching the primer (barely marked it) If the safety locked the bolt the way most rifles do it wouldn't be an issue.

I got my daughter an RAR compact, I kinda like being able to unload it without taking the safety off, I guess that's the trade off...

That would be enough for me! It would be going back. That sounds bad, what would have happened had it hit hard enough to detonate the primer? Ouch!! I wouldn't take a chance on it firing with the bolt partially open. Good luck hunting and be safe.

 

[Mike 338]

Snag a Steyr Pro Hunter. Has a 3 position safety, the third position locking the bolt down with or without a round in the chamber safely. And the finest hammer forged barrel in the world. $599.99 plus $50.00 if you want it in stainless......

And the factory trigger is a dream....

I'll second that. I snagged one in '06. It's my new hunting rig now. I thought I was getting a beater but it shoots like a match rifle. Stuck a super lightweight VX-2 on it and it does all I ask of it.

 

[George Dean]

I own several Ruger rifles:
-> stainless 10/22
-> 96/22 magnum lever action rifle
-> Ruger Precision Rifle (6.4 CM)
-> Ruger American Predator

I like them all but one has a true problem endemic to its design.

While hunting with my RAP I lost cartridges on three different occasions. The problem was that the bolt handle easily moves up and the bolt falls open, extracting the cartridge. I have had this happen two times with my Kifaru Gun Bearer and once just using the rifle sling on my shoulder.

I contacted Ruger and the upshot was that their techs said my rifle design was not at fault and was "safe". But the customer service rep said that Ruger would buy my rifle back at the price I paid for it if I sent it in with the receipt.

Well fat chance that would happen now, after I had purchased their outrageously expensive $45. spare magazine, a Timmy trigger and a Boyd's Classic laminated stock and alloy trigger guard.

So, my alternatives are:
1. See if a gunsmith can do a mechanical fix (which would void any Ruger warranty, natch)
2. Do a "redneck fix" such as tie an elastic loop to the trigger guard and up around the bolt handle but make it so it is fast to remove from the handle.

Potential Ruger American rifle buyers should beware of this problem. Jus' saying'...

Eric B.

I suggest that you locate another owner of that rifle, in the same caliber and try their bolt in your rifle and your bolt in theirs. It seems to me that some surface is not camming properly--unsat tension? It could be at the rear of the bolt & handle or in the cocking mechanism for the firing pin. Checking against another system may reveal a flaw in your bolt, the bolts lugs, your receiver or as you suspect, the Ruger design for that rifle model.

 

[Laelkhunter]

Laelkhunter above gives the answer to this. I nearly always hunt alone in rough elk country. I usually carry a cartridge in the chamber, but since I don't trust the safety enough, I keep the gun uncocked. Theoretically, that could be a problem in a fall if the firing mechanism is exposed too much when cocked. I will quickly cock the rifle by raising the bolt handle when I expect to shoot, maybe use the safety then. It goes without saying that one has to be very careful when lowering the bolt handle to uncock with a live one in the chamber.

I am not sure that is a safe way to carry your rifle. I believe (someone correct me if I am wrong), but when the rifle is uncocked, the firing pin is protruding through the hole in the face of the bolt. Therefore, it would be in direct contact with the primer of the chambered cartridge. Any sudden force applied to the rifle (falling, dropping, or just placing the rifle butt down when leaning it against a tree) could result in the firing pin to dent the primer enough to discharge the gun.
I hope I misread your reply, and you don't actually carry a bolt action rifle uncocked with a round in the chamber. If the rifle has a floating firing pin, then it might be a different story.
I would think it would be safer to carry it cocked with a round in the chamber and the safety on, than to carry it the way you described.

 

[SMK1000plus]

I am not sure that is a safe way to carry your rifle. I believe (someone correct me if I am wrong), but when the rifle is uncocked, the firing pin is protruding through the hole in the face of the bolt. Therefore, it would be in direct contact with the primer of the chambered cartridge. Any sudden force applied to the rifle (falling, dropping, or just placing the rifle butt down when leaning it against a tree) could result in the firing pin to dent the primer enough to discharge the gun.
I hope I misread your reply, and you don't actually carry a bolt action rifle uncocked with a round in the chamber. If the rifle has a floating firing pin, then it might be a different story.
I would think it would be safer to carry it cocked with a round in the chamber and the safety on, than to carry it the way you described.

Good luck trying to "decock" the firing pin on most modern rifles. Most rifles made in the past 50 years have a bolt shroud that covers the end of the firing pin/bolt sear assembly. Trying to uncock it, on a live chambered round, is commonly known as "shooting"!

 

[bigngreen]

If you hold the trigger while closing the bolt the cocking piece just runs back down the cocking ramp till the firing pin is resting on the primer, decocked. No way in H#LL would I do this though on a live round, I decock on an empty chamber every time I put my gun away.

 

[SMK1000plus]

If you hold the trigger while closing the bolt the cocking piece just runs back down the cocking ramp till the firing pin is resting on the primer, decocked. No way in H#LL would I do this though on a live round, I decock on an empty chamber every time I put my gun away.

"Roger that", empty chamber! But NEVER on a live round! Some rifles, particularly those with heavy firing pin springs, still drop way too fast, possibly fast enough to set off a live round, should the sear hang on the way in...

 

[Laelkhunter]

Good luck trying to "decock" the firing pin on most modern rifles. Most rifles made in the past 50 years have a bolt shroud that covers the end of the firing pin/bolt sear assembly. Trying to uncock it, on a live chambered round, is commonly known as "shooting"!

Exactly !! That's why I mentioned it. What he is probably talking about is opening the bolt, holding the trigger back while he SLOWLY lowers the bolt handle. I do this to avoid "dry firing" the rifle, but NEVER NEVER NEVER on a chambered round. Again, I hope I misunderstood his post, and he really doesn't do it. He only has 5 posts since July 2013- Maybe he is just having fun with us.

 

[Country Bumpkin]

Has there been issues with the Ruger mag? I personally think they are genius. Light weight, easy to load, and feed well.

I will say that the Ruger Americans that we have have been used as bullet testing rifles and only carried for hunting a little bit, but never a problem.

Steve

I had a problem with the mag that came with my RAP, rounds one and two fed perfectly, round three jammed nose-first into front of mag. Yes, I had ensured that they were fully seated at the back. It happened consistently. I wrote to Ruger and they sent me a replacement, no questions asked, points for customer service. In the meantime I got a 2nd mag for Christmas from my Wife, same issue with that one (round 3 into the front of the box). My replacement mag does the same thing, but not as consistently.

All 3 mags have issues with round 3 feeding.

Other than that, I got this rifle out the door including tax for $406, I love this rifle for what it is. Impressively accurate, but it's a two-shot. I need to do another web-search to see if anyone offers an aftermarket alternative (I'd buy 3).

 

[huntsman22]

I went thru 7 mags to get 3 that worked.......