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I’ve spent numerous time with the brand new Ruger American Rifle Era II over the previous couple of weeks, searching with it within the discipline and wringing it out on the vary, and am assured that Ruger has one other success on their fingers.

This rifle is a big replace over the corporate’s widespread first-gen Ruger American Rifle, which set a brand new high-water mark for reasonably priced efficiency when it was launched in 2010.

This new iteration options improved performance, an progressive modular inventory, and higher aesthetics for not far more cash. The Era II lists for about $130 greater than the unique Ruger American, placing it squarely within the mid-priced rifle phase.

Ruger American Rifle Era II Specs

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Caliber: 6.5 Creedmoor (examined)
Different Out there Calibers: 308 Win., 7mm/08, 450 Bushmaster, 204 Ruger, 223 Rem.
Capability: 3+1, removable polymer field journal
Inventory: Grey splatter, modular
Barrel: 20 inches, fluted, 1:8 twist, threaded 5/8-24 with radial muzzle brake
End: Gun Metallic Grey Cerakote
Size: 41.25 inches (relying on size of pull)
Size of Pull: 12 to 13.75 inches
Weight: 6 kilos, 7.8 ounces (measured, with empty journal)
Set off: Consumer adjustable, 4 kilos 2 ounces (measured)
Security: Three place, ambidextrous
Value: $729

What’s New with The Ruger American Rifle Era II

This rifle isn’t a mere line extension, however a respectable reconfiguration of the platform. Whereas it does share some components with the first-generation Ruger American, there’s a lot that’s totally different.

Ruger American Gen II Main Upgrades

Ambidextrous three-position security
Configurable modular inventory
Improved aesthetics

These are the three greatest areas of differentiation between the Era II and Era I Ruger American.

The linkage within the Ruger American Rifle Era II set off connects the tang security to a plate with three detents, one for every of the security’s three positions. John B. Snow

Three-Place Security

Whereas there’s nothing mistaken with a traditional two-position security, you may not understand what you’re lacking for those who haven’t carried and shot a rifle with a three-position security. Having the bolt of your rifle locked in place whereas the gun is on protected is a useful function when traversing terrain. It affords peace of thoughts that your bolt gained’t inadvertently elevate open as a result of it snagged on brush or received caught on the strap of your pack.

The center place of the security mechanism unlocks the bolt and means that you can unload or verify the standing of the rifle while not having to position it on “hearth.”

Ruger centered the security simply behind the tang, so it’s as straightforward to function with both hand. The protection strikes simply via the three positions with out a lot strain required to control it.

The inventory on the Ruger American Rifle Era II has a modular design. John B. Snow

Modular Inventory

The rear swivel stud on the rifle is tucked right into a recess on the toe of the inventory at a 45-degree angle. This design makes the stud much less obtrusive, which is good, nevertheless it performs a extra necessary operate past securing the decrease half of your sling.

Unscrewing the stud means that you can take the butt of the inventory aside and swap out the spacers that management the size of pull and comb top.

From the manufacturing facility, the rifle comes with a 13.75-inch size of pull, the usual dimension for an grownup. However you should purchase a spacer equipment that allows you to cut back the LOP to 12 inches, for youthful shooters or these with smaller builds. Equally, you possibly can swap cheek items to boost the peak of the comb if desired.

Ruger additionally affords a weight equipment to tune the stability and heft of the rifle. With an empty journal, mine tipped the scales just below 6.5 kilos, which is a helpful weight for ease of carry. However with the rising use of suppressors, which are likely to make rifles muzzle heavy and impede easy dealing with, it may be preferable so as to add some weight to the butt to even issues out. Additional weight can also be useful for mitigating felt recoil. Ruger says the equipment can add as much as 1.6 kilos to the butt inventory.

Ruger American Rifle Era II Disassembly

One other modular aspect on the inventory is the magazine nicely, which might be swapped to accommodate several types of magazines. Mine got here with a polymer AICS-pattern 3-round journal, which is commonplace on this mannequin. Different iterations of the Ruger American Gen II will take AR-style, Mini Thirty, and flush magazines.

Eradicating the journal nicely and disassembling the rifle contain the identical course of. There’s a 3/16-inch hex-head fastener in entrance of the magazine nicely, and one other tucked in behind the journal launch latch.

The rear fastener tucked behind the magazine latch is a ache to get to and requires a round-head hex driver. So, for those who don’t have a type of in your device field you’re going to need to add it to your assortment for those who get a Gen II Ruger American Rifle.

Even for those who don’t intend to swap journal programs on the rifle, it’s necessary to have the ability to entry the innards of the firearm as that’s the way you modify the trigger-pull weight and carry out a deep cleansing on the gun.

The deep spiral fluting on the barrel and dramatic contours molded into the inventory enhance the rifle’s seems, dealing with, and stability. John B. Snow

Improved Aesthetics

Whilst you can’t argue in regards to the efficiency of the unique Ruger American Rifle, particularly contemplating its worth, nobody ever accused it of being a looker. It has a primary, utilitarian design typical of an entry-level rifle.

The Gen II rifle has higher aspirations. The strains of the inventory are far more attention-grabbing than the unique. It has many sculpted, however sensible, contours molded into the fore-end, grip, and butt.

Ruger completed the inventory in a spider-web fashion platter end that provides strands of black and lighter grey to the bottom battleship grey of the inventory.

The metalwork is upgraded too. The 20-inch barrel is reduce with deep spiral flutes that trim some weight from the entrance of the gun, but in addition look sharp. And the Ruger American Rifle Era II’s steel—particularly the barrel, receiver, muzzle brake, and bolt deal with—is completed in a gorgeous grey Cerakote.

Total, the rifle has a racy, rugged look that elevates it above the primary era.

The creator carried the brand new Ruger on a whitetail hunt in West Texas. John B. Snow

Operating the Ruger American Rifle Era II

One factor I like about this new Ruger is the way it builds upon the profitable basis of the unique whereas augmenting the function set. It checks a formidable variety of bins for the worth.

As with most issues in life, nevertheless, you get what you pay for, and the Ruger American Rifle Era II is not any exception. That is most evident within the rifle’s dealing with and ergonomics.

Now don’t get me mistaken—the rifle runs nicely and is an excellent worth. There’s no head-scratching aspect in its design. The whole lot in its development serves a helpful function and does what it’s presupposed to do.

However it’s nonetheless a $700 rifle and isn’t as refined as its pricier competitors. As an example, the journal suits snuggly within the journal nicely and doesn’t drop freed from its personal accord when the discharge lever is actuated. It is advisable give it a light-weight tug to tug it free. And when inserting the journal, it takes a little bit of fiddling to get it began—it doesn’t effortlessly slide into place, although as soon as in it does seat with a optimistic click on.

Three-Lug Motion

The brand new Ruger American Rifle makes use of the identical three-lug motion as the unique. Twin cocking ramps assist mitigate the trouble required to run the bolt via its 70 levels of journey when working the motion, which was some of the notable design improvements of the platform.

The complete-diameter bolt physique retains bolt chatter to a minimal when transferring the bolt up and down the receiver for dependable, optimistic feeding.

The bolt head incorporates a Sako-style extractor in one of many lugs and a plunger-style ejector. Within the couple hundred rounds I ran via the rifle I had no points with both.

However the rifle does take some effort to cycle. It doesn’t go into battery as simply as another three-lug actions and the bolt has a barely clunky really feel. It isn’t that noticeable when working the rifle onerous beneath discipline situations however is extra obvious with deliberate capturing from a bench.

Attending to the set off adjustment screw requires taking the motion out of the inventory. John B. Snow

Consumer-Adjustable Set off

I’ll be the primary to confess that I’m a bit spoiled by my rifle triggers. If a rifle of mine doesn’t include a premium set off it tends to be the primary part I improve.

From the manufacturing facility, the set off on my Ruger American Rifle Era II had a pull weight of 4.25 kilos. A pair many years in the past that may have been deemed greater than acceptable. By at this time’s requirements, although, it’s on the heavy facet for a bolt-action. On prime of that, the set off has a good bit of creep previous to the break. The motion is easy—there’s no grit within the set off pull—however the creep is noticeable, and I discovered it distracting.

To get to the set off’s pull-weight adjustment screw you might want to take away the motion from the inventory, per the method I described above. The three/32-inch Allen head adjustment screw is positioned on the entrance of the set off housing and is secured in place with some kind of thread lock.

After turning the screw counterclockwise to minimize the pull, the set off on mine broke at 3 kilos, 15 ounces, which was as gentle as I might get it to go. Screwing it in deeper, the set off maxed out at 4 kilos, 6 ounces, so there wasn’t actually numerous adjustability within the set off—about half a pound—no less than on mine.

Inventory and Bolt Interface

The contours and texturing of the inventory present the shooter with ample grip and management of the rifle whereas capturing from sensible discipline positions. The spherical bolt knob is easy however generously sized, additionally giving wonderful management. The knob is secured in place with a 5/16-24-inch fastener and might be simply changed with an aftermarket design, if desired.  

Dealing with and Stability

This degree of management coupled with the rifle’s good stability make for nice capturing. No matter quirks the rifle displays on the bench fade into the background when working the gun from the shoulder.

Pulling up on a goal, flicking the security off, breaking the shot, and working the bolt all really feel fluid and intuitive. The one draw back I skilled was that I couldn’t single load rounds into the motion after working the journal dry. While you toss a single spherical into the rifle the tip of the bullet jams in opposition to the shoulder of the barrel, so you might want to coax the cartridge into place together with your fingers if you wish to load one this fashion.  

The rifle produced many tremendous teams with searching ammunition together with with Sig’s 130-grain Elite (prime) and Federal’s 140-grain Fusion. John B. Snow

Ruger American Rifle Era II Accuracy

I bear in mind being shocked by the accuracy of the unique Ruger American Rifle, so my expectations for the Gen II have been fairly excessive.

The rifle didn’t disappoint. I put 19 teams for file down-range, capturing seven totally different manufacturing facility hundreds via the gun.

One load shot very poorly—and in reality is from numerous ammo I’ve formally retired from my testing protocol as a result of no gun of mine shoots it nicely. Discounting these three dog-puke teams—all of which have been between 1.76 and 1.78 inches, so no less than it’s constant—the rifle averaged 1.061 inches for five-shot teams.

Sub-MOA Efficiency

Of the 19 teams, 9 have been sub-MOA, and got here from 4 totally different hundreds. They included Federal’s new 140-grain OTM Middle Strike, Sig Sauer’s 130-grain Elite Hunter Managed Growth, Freedom Munitions’ 140-grain BTHP Match, and Federal’s 140-grain Fusion.

This final load deserves particular point out. The 2 back-to-back five-shot teams I put via the rifle with it measured .747 and .764 inches, which is great for a bonded soft-point searching bullet.

By way of the Ruger’s 20-inch barrel the ten photographs averaged 2547 fps, with an excessive unfold of 48.6 fps, and an SD of 16.3, which is about nearly as good as mass-produced manufacturing facility ammo will get.

(I measured the velocities of this and the opposite hundreds with Garmin’s superlative Xero C1 Professional chronograph.)

That pace included no matter enhance my Gunwerks 6IX+Ti gave the rounds. Whereas the rifle ships with an efficient radial muzzle break, I ditched it in favor of a suppressor after the primary few teams to save lots of the pounding on my ears.

Mounting Optics

The Ruger American Rifle Era II comes with a Picatinny rail that runs alongside the complete size of the receiver. I mounted considered one of my go-to scopes for this analysis, a Leupold Mark 6 3-18x44mm FFP, which fits nicely with the rifle, notably when assessing accuracy and long-range capturing potential. 

The brand new Era II Ruger American Rifle is made in Mayodan, North Carolina. John B. Snow

Looking with the Ruger American Rifle Era II

A couple of weeks in the past I received an opportunity to take the rifle trying to find every week in Texas, chasing an elusive Carmen whitetail, which is a diminutive critter, just like the better-known Coues.

That included numerous hours of stalking via the rugged damaged nation of West Texas the Carmen name dwelling. I racked up miles on foot and in vehicles scrambling over jagged cabinets of granite and weaving via thickets of cat’s claw and cholla in what final proved to be a fruitless quest for a buck—although it did present an illuminating have a look at the Gen II’s charms.

The rifle was proper at dwelling on this hunt. Straightforward to hold. Impervious to the dings and scratches doled out by onerous use. And able to making a protracted shot, ought to the chance come up.

That have, as a lot as my intensive vary time, solidified my opinion on the utility and worth of this rifle as a searching device.

Ruger American Rifle Era II makes use of the identical V-shaped bedding block design the place the motion and inventory come collectively. John B. Snow

Execs and Cons of the Ruger American Rifle Era II

I’ve touched on a number of the highs and lows of the rifle on this assessment, however to recap:

Execs

Wonderful accuracy
Modular design
Upgraded seems
Rugged
Superb worth

Cons

Heavy set off
Some unrefined ergonomics

Remaining Ideas on the Ruger American Rifle Era II

The unique Ruger American Rifle has been round for 13 years now, so it is sensible that Ruger has selected a refresh.

I’m glad to see they went a lot deeper than a mere line extension. The Era II lives as much as its title, taking the well-regarded Ruger American Rifle to new heights, and giving it significant upgrades and a brand new lease on life as a stable mid-priced rifle.