Ruger Gunsite Scout: Hard pass

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  • 135sohc

    Ultimate Member
    Oct 27, 2013
    1,157
    I'll start with the good: The trigger is single stage but clean and light. The machining overall looks good and the safety positions/setup is solid as well, that's about it.

    I cannot understand all the rave and ogle about the AICS magazines. I wont ding them on price, I knew going in they would cost more. What I will ding them on is just about everything else. Excessively bulky/chunky for their capacity and cartridge size. Being a single stack/single feed they have to be loaded from the end and your fighting the follower the entire time because the follower is not an anti tilt/anti jam design. Internally there is about .250" of excess space on the fore-aft dimension so the cartridges when loaded in will slide front-back which causes jamming/double feeding. :tdown:

    The magazine interface/engagement to the receiver is sloppy and installing into the rifle is a clumsy operation. It has to be tipped forward like an AK or mini-14 and then pulled back to lock in. Your fighting the mag catch the entire time. :tdown: Part of the sloppy loose fit allows the magazine to tilt front-back and if tilted forward when you go to push the bolt forward it will ram the cartridge into the receiver below the feed ramp again causing it to jam up.

    It has the mauser style extractor but does not catch the case rim at all, pushing the bolt forward lets the case pop up/out of the magazine and its functioning like a el cheapo push feed rifle. Continue to push forward and to the get the bolt fully closed/locked up that last little bit your fighting it until that extractor bends out of the way and you feel it snap around the rim :tdown: Wonder how long that will last until it breaks off ?

    I bought the scout rifle as I wanted a less expensive caliber to shoot vs 8mm or .30-06 and with the straight wall cartridge allowed for hunting that was an added bonus to take the plunge and get a .350 caliber. For the $1300 I have invested into this POS so far I would have rather picked up a shot out mauser and spent a small fortune to have it re-barreled to .308
     

    Sundazes

    My brain hurts
    MDS Supporter
    Nov 13, 2006
    21,304
    Arkham
    You must have gotten a lemon. Mine is fantastic. Have prolly 1K thought it with not one hiccup. Everyone that shoots it, loves it, especially suppressed. No issues with the mags either. I use Ruger mags so that could be part of your issue with feeding.
     

    Jed195

    Ultimate Member
    Oct 19, 2011
    3,901
    MD.
    I'm glad I never looked into these when they were new. I have a Socom 16 that fill the scout rifle role albeit not a bolt gun, I'll take it over the Ruger Scout.
    My Savage 10 FCP SR has a 10 round mag but not the problems you described about the one in the scout. I haven't been a fan of the newer Ruger offerings save for the 1911 they put out.
     

    135sohc

    Ultimate Member
    Oct 27, 2013
    1,157
    You must have gotten a lemon. Mine is fantastic. Have prolly 1K thought it with not one hiccup. Everyone that shoots it, loves it, especially suppressed. No issues with the mags either. I use Ruger mags so that could be part of your issue with feeding.

    Genuine Ruger.

    Is yours in .308 or .223 ?
     

    HiStandards

    Active Member
    Aug 1, 2017
    571
    Anne Arundel Co
    I bought a used one in .308 for my son. No problems with mags. Controlled round feed is very consistent. Added a Vortex scout scope and military shooting sling. Very handy set up. If you're having problems it should go back to Ruger; give them a chance to demonstrate the excellent customer service everyone raves about.
     

    135sohc

    Ultimate Member
    Oct 27, 2013
    1,157
    Took it shooting, what a POS. Almost every time on the 2nd to last round it would kick up and jam nose up, the last round in the magazine would nose dive and jam downwards :mad54:

    drop the magazine free and the top round would fall out, the last round still in the magazine would 50% of the time stay jammed downwards, the other 50% it would kick back up.

    Defective follower, sloppy magazine fit and the extractor claw is pathetically undersized. When compared to the extractor on either the 1917 or VZ-24 it is proportionally about 1/3 the engagement area on the rim of the case vs the bigger calibers.


    I have started an inquiry with Ruger. I dont expect anything and between this and a few other turds in the safe I think its time to cash out while the market is still hot.

    Pretty sad when you attempt to copy the finest bolt action ever invented and fail so miserably :o
     

    My Toy

    Ultimate Member
    Jul 31, 2008
    1,194
    Westminster
    I bought a used one in 308 from a forum member about 2 years ago. Couldn't be more pleased with it. Topped it with a long eye relief Leupold (can't remember whether it is a 2x or 4x) and can shoot sub-MOA all day with my handloads. I'm looking for a little brother (Ruger Gunsite Scout in 5.56 stainless preferred) and posted an add in the WTB section. Anyway if you have got one to part with let me know. Also have a tranche of guns (handguns and rifles) I am close to posting on MDS so there may be some trade possibilities.
     

    135sohc

    Ultimate Member
    Oct 27, 2013
    1,157
    The more I look at this thing and hearing from everyone here I see a pattern and where the problem lies. The action length/size on the Scout is based on the .308 and it is longer than the .350, the .223 is the same OAL as the .350 but being a bottle necked case it covers up the problem more so than the .350 because that straight wall case has very little tolerance for mis-alighment going into the chamber.

    The cartridge is popping free from the feed lips on the magazine before the bullet tip is even starting into the chamber, instant jam up.


    Comparing the cycle action on my 1917 and VZ, the bullet tip is already starting into the chamber before the transition from where the cartridge is fully released from the magazine and fully taken over by the extractor claw.
     

    rj1974

    Ultimate Member
    Jan 31, 2011
    11,207
    Edgemere , md.
    I have 3 of them and have had no issues with feeding and the accuracy is great . I have the .450 Bushmaster , .308 and the 5.56 they all run fine . I do use the Magpul mags for the .308 and .450 though, the factory mags feed fine but the Magpuls are cheaper .

    The .308 and 5.56 will shoot sub MOA out to 300yards that is the farthest I have had them out so far . The .450 had no issues banging a 6" plate at 200 yards everytime , 200 is the farthest I have shot the .450 so far .
     

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