My New Ruger Scout Carbine

[CAR-AR-M16]

Although it's very cool, I tend to agree that a few enhancements would make it a lot better - here's how I would have designed it:

-18" bbl instead of 16"
-7mm-08 instead of .308
-Some sort of standard mag - M14, FAL, or HK91
-Oversized bolt handle & Winter trigger guard, yup.
-Stripper clip guide I could take or leave, but why the heck not?
-Fixed/integral pistol grip attached to stock.

Other than that, I really like it. I have a poor-man's version of this - No. 6 JC replica with scout mount.

I read the following on another forum and it makes sense to me why they went with the magazine they did:


A) they could not get a double stack magazine to feed reliably with their current bolt design.

B) Their are alot of M14/FAL/HK91 mags out there ranging from very good to very bad. They did not want people buying the gun and blaming the problems they were having on the gun when in reality it was due to crappy 3rd party magazines they were using, then constantly sending the guns back to the factory when nothing was wrong with them. This is something that had plagued their mini-14 lineup for a long time.

 

[gerhard1]

I read the following on another forum and it makes sense to me why they went with the magazine they did:


A) they could not get a double stack magazine to feed reliably with their current bolt design.

B) Their are alot of M14/FAL/HK91 mags out there ranging from very good to very bad. They did not want people buying the gun and blaming the problems they were having on the gun when in reality it was due to crappy 3rd party magazines they were using, then constantly sending the guns back to the factory when nothing was wrong with them. This is something that had plagued their mini-14 lineup for a long time.

This makes sense. However, I just had a device made which makes loading the magazines much easier. I got the idea from the loading devices that Glock and CZ among others, furnish with their handguns. It is big, heavy and bulky, but I find that it makes loading the mags much easier.
It consists of a heavy wooden base, with a woden box attached to the base. YThe inside dimensions of the box fits the magazines. A plastic putty knife handle is then used to push the top cartridge down so the next one can be loaded.
It works fairly well.

 

[Zombie]

This makes sense. However, I just had a device made which makes loading the magazines much easier. I got the idea from the loading devices that Glock and CZ among others, furnish with their handguns. It is big, heavy and bulky, but I find that it makes loading the mags much easier.
It consists of a heavy wooden base, with a woden box attached to the base. YThe inside dimensions of the box fits the magazines. A plastic putty knife handle is then used to push the top cartridge down so the next one can be loaded.
It works fairly well.

trying to picture this...guess you would have to show us

 

[gerhard1]

According to Ruger as reported in the May issue of The American Rifleman, the Scout is doing quite well, and the demand for it is far outstripping their manufacturing capacity.

This is good news for those who hope for a less-expensive After Market Magazine. Ruger is also looking into developing a polymer magazine for the Scout.

 

[gerhard1]

This makes sense. However, I just had a device made which makes loading the magazines much easier. I got the idea from the loading devices that Glock and CZ among others, furnish with their handguns. It is big, heavy and bulky, but I find that it makes loading the mags much easier.
It consists of a heavy wooden base, with a woden box attached to the base. YThe inside dimensions of the box fits the magazines. A plastic putty knife handle is then used to push the top cartridge down so the next one can be loaded.
It works fairly well.

trying to picture this...guess you would have to show us

Four pieces of 2x4 are screwed together, to form a four sided box, the inside dimensions of which are a tad larger than the magazine. This box is then fastened to a heavy base. Mine is made of a 2x10 or 2x12 about a foot long. I wish I had a digital camera.

 

[tinfinger]

According to this month's American Rifleman, the designer of the Ruger scout insisted on a 16" barrel because he liked the way the M77 Frontier (a 16" barrel also) handled. My concern would be the muzzle blast, but if the OP is correct and its not too bad I would certainly be OK with the 16" barrel.

Same article said that Jeff Cooper was a big fan of the Winchester 94 and Mannlicher carbine due to their handling qualities. So a 16" bolt action is in the spirit of those quick and handy carbines.

I looked over a few Ruger Scout at the gunshow and was fairly impressed by the overall product.

The AI single column mag is OK if it is as reliable as people say they are.

 

[gerhard1]

According to this month's American Rifleman, the designer of the Ruger scout insisted on a 16" barrel because he liked the way the M77 Frontier (a 16" barrel also) handled. My concern would be the muzzle blast, but if the OP is correct and its not too bad I would certainly be OK with the 16" barrel.

Same article said that Jeff Cooper was a big fan of the Winchester 94 and Mannlicher carbine due to their handling qualities. So a 16" bolt action is in the spirit of those quick and handy carbines.

I looked over a few Ruger Scout at the gunshow and was fairly impressed by the overall product.

The AI single column mag is OK if it is as reliable as people say they are.

The magazines seem to be reliable, but to be honest they are somewhat of a pain in the ass to load them up. My loading device makes this much easier, but they are still a pain.

 

[Rob72]

They did not want people buying the gun and blaming the problems they were having on the gun when in reality it was due to crappy 3rd party magazines they were using, then constantly sending the guns back to the factory when nothing was wrong with them. This is something that had plagued their mini-14 lineup for a long time.

Not, of course, that they made crappy barrels, or that the people complaining noticed immediate improvement when the barrels were chopped, tensioned or replaced.

In any event, yes, the semi autos mentioned all have significantly different bolt bodies than the old Mauser clone, and it would have required replacement followers or a new bolt.

 

[mavrick]

I really like the idea of this gun. If it takes the AI/AICS mag the best way to go would be the alpha mag its a 10 rnd "double stack" center feed design that is shorter than the 10round AI/AICS mag by about half the length. The AW mag is a true double stack mag that would allow loading through the ejection port but in most rifles running the AICS mags requires some feed ramp mods to make it feed worth a crap. I wanted to try them in my AICS 260 but would need to have the feed ramp tweaked. They are the shortest 10 mag tha would fit the trigger guard. FYI midway sells a C-products mag that would fit this rifle but it seems that they are hit and miss but I have never tried them. I am waiting on the alpha mags to come back in stock @ about $60 each. It would make a nice supressor rig with the short OAL.

Dustin

 

[gerhard1]

I really like the idea of this gun. If it takes the AI/AICS mag the best way to go would be the alpha mag its a 10 rnd "double stack" center feed design that is shorter than the 10round AI/AICS mag by about half the length. The AW mag is a true double stack mag that would allow loading through the ejection port but in most rifles running the AICS mags requires some feed ramp mods to make it feed worth a crap. I wanted to try them in my AICS 260 but would need to have the feed ramp tweaked. They are the shortest 10 mag tha would fit the trigger guard. FYI midway sells a C-products mag that would fit this rifle but it seems that they are hit and miss but I have never tried them. I am waiting on the alpha mags to come back in stock @ about $60 each. It would make a nice supressor rig with the short OAL.

Dustin

I tried to find these but came up empty. Would you be kind enough to perhaps provide a link? Thanks.