RUGER M77 .220 SWIFT

An Old Turn-Bolt in an Even Older Cartridge

- Patrick Meitin

Sturm, Ruger & Company introduced the M77 bolt-action rifle in 1968, a design refined by Jim Sullivan during his three year stint with the company. The M77 is often described as a modernized Mauser ’98, including a two-lug bolt with a claw extractor, though several revisions were introduced. Legendary stock maker Lenard Brownell was tapped to create the classically lined stock of straight-grained walnut. Bill Ruger made the decision to create receivers through investment casting instead of more costly traditional forging methods. Sullivan’s bolt design eliminated the Mauser blade-style ejector and replaced it with a simpler plunger-style version. The inherently-intuitive, two-position tang safety (which locks the bolt when engaged), crisp, user-adjustable trigger system and angled action screw were also new.

The latter is significant and another example of Ruger’s genius for streamlining mass production. The Mauser’s forward action screw draws the receiver straight down into the stock, while the M77’s angled action screw pulls the action both down and rearward. The traditional vertical configuration used on Mauser designs pulls the receiver flat straight down behind the recoil lug and into the wood. This requires precise in letting to assure the stock doesn’t split in that area, a task that can add an hour of handwork while assembling a rifle, increasing labor costs. The M77 is inletted to close, but not precise, specifications and the angled screw is used to pull wood and metal together to produce a close-fitted, well-bedded mating while minimizing labor costs.