but for now it’s the 308 Win., 270 Win. and 30-06.
Aside from being what Ruger refers to as a “full diameter” bolt, other features I immediately noticed upon seeing the gun for the first time at the SHOT Show in January was that it sported a synthetic stock with an in- tegral trigger guard bow; that it had a detachable magazine of polycarbonate; a very streamlined bolt shroud that blended nicely with the top line of the stock; and a tang safety similar to that of the original Ruger Model 77. On removing the barreled action
from the stock, one discovers what is almost a given with a rifle in this price class: that it is based on a tubular receiver. Not that all guns employing tubular receivers are budget class guns, for Kimber and the Dakota 95 also are based on cylindrical receivers. To dispel that “tube-like” look, however, two deep facets or “flats” are machined the length of the receiver at the 10:30 and 1:30 positions, resulting in an octagonal appearance. I was glad to see Ruger joining the
trend toward minimum-size ejection ports with the American. Unless one has the need for a rifle that can be reloaded from above with a pre-charged clip (as in the case of old military rifles like the Mauser, Springfield, Enfield), there’s no need for open-top receivers. By extend- ing the roof across the top and mini- mizing the size of the ejection port, it makes for a much stiffer receiver, which contributes to accuracy. That’s why the most accurate rifles are single-shots hav- ing no magazine cut out in the floor and an ejection port of minimal size. Because there is no way to form an integral recoil lug on a tubular re- ceiver, almost all such actions employ a separate, eccentric washer-type plate sandwiched between the step on the barrel shank and the receiver ring. Not so with the American. Instead, there are four lateral grooves machined at the 5:00 and 7:00 o’clock positions immediately in front of and behind the magazine cutout. These grooves engage steel V-blocks embedded into the synthetic stock. In addition to spreading recoil to two rather than one point on the stock, these V-blocks also provide a two-point, self-centering bedding surface for the re- ceiver. These V-blocks also host the fore and aft action screws. When combined
The receiver is supported only by the two embedded V-blocks seen here, which engage slots milled into the bottom of the receiver.
The V-blocks not only serve as bedding points for the receiver, but as recoil lugs and host to the action screws.
The tang safety is anchored to an extension of the trigger housing. The bolt stop/release also serves as a bolt guide.
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