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Shooting & Reloading - Mausers, Big Bores and others >> Big Bore Rifles

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AzGuy
.333 member

Reged: 23/03/06
Posts: 388
Loc: Prescott, Arizona, USA

Ruger M77 404
#72097 - 21/02/07 09:01 AM

Did Ruger ever offer their magnum bolt action in 404 ?

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Nick_Adams
.300 member

Reged: 20/12/03
Posts: 148
Loc: USA

Re: Ruger M77 404 [Re: AzGuy]
#72121 - 21/02/07 12:35 PM

As far as I'm aware, Ruger didn't chamber the .404 Jeff in their M77RSM (Deluxe Magnum) rifles.

Ruger did, however, do a limited run of 404s in their No. 1 single shots.

But apparently the barrels (or some barrels of this run) were not of the correct diameter for the .404 slug (.423, I believe), so buyers who were primarily shooters and not collectors were not happy to say the least.

I own another "limited-run" No.1, a 300 H&H built on the 26" 1-S medium sporter, and it's a very accurate shooter.

It's too bad, really. I've wanted a .404 Jeff, and would happily take one in a single shot or Magnum rifle if Ruger produced them again.

CZ does make a "high-end" Safari 550 in .404 Jeff but the on-line reports have been so negative (like those posted over on Accurate Reloading) that I've decided to hold off for now.

Hope this helps.

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Remember ...

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.300 H&H.

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Geronimo
.275 member

Reged: 14/04/04
Posts: 83
Loc: Michigan,USA

Re: Ruger M77 404 [Re: Nick_Adams]
#72138 - 21/02/07 02:21 PM

Some years back, Ruger offered their tang safety model, which had a long mauser type extractor with spring loaded ejector, in .375 H&H, .404J, and .416Rigby, and .458WM. Later, when the Mk II came out, only the .375 and .416 were retained. I think only a few of the .404's were sold, and if one was found, today would bring a pretty penny.

Geronimo

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4seventy
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Reged: 07/05/03
Posts: 2210
Loc: Queensland Australia

Re: Ruger M77 404 [Re: Geronimo]
#72140 - 21/02/07 02:31 PM

Quote:

Some years back, Ruger offered their tang safety model, which had a long mauser type extractor with spring loaded ejector, in .375 H&H, .404J, and .416Rigby, and .458WM. Later, when the Mk II came out, only the .375 and .416 were retained. I think only a few of the .404's were sold, and if one was found, today would bring a pretty penny.

Geronimo,
Are you sure about that?
From what I remember of the tang safety Ruger MK 1, the action was never produced any longer than 30-06 length.
It was available in .458 Win Mag but would have been way too short for .375 H&H, .404J, or .416 Rigby.

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AzGuy
.333 member

Reged: 23/03/06
Posts: 388
Loc: Prescott, Arizona, USA

Re: Ruger M77 404 [Re: 4seventy]
#72145 - 21/02/07 03:36 PM

I have seen Rugers in 458 Win Mag with the tang safety.

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4seventy
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Reged: 07/05/03
Posts: 2210
Loc: Queensland Australia

Re: Ruger M77 404 [Re: AzGuy]
#72147 - 21/02/07 03:46 PM

Quote:

I have seen Rugers in 458 Win Mag with the tang safety.

Yes, I have too and stated this above, and I quote..........

"It was available in .458 Win Mag but would have been way too short for .375 H&H, .404J, or .416 Rigby."

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Savuti_One_Shot
.300 member

Reged: 24/01/07
Posts: 139
Loc: Florida

Re: Ruger M77 404 [Re: 4seventy]
#72167 - 22/02/07 12:20 AM

As stated above, the tang safe M77 action was too short for the 375/404 length cartridges.
When Ruger introduced the Mkll Magnum circa '91, they did announce 404 as one of the initial chamberings. However, I'm 99.9% certain that they never made any, and having a little insight into S-R's corporate thinking I suspect I know why. They probably had a verbal agreement from one of the major ammo companies that 404 ammo would be available (Federal comes to mind, since they announced 416 Rig about the same time). When the promised ammo never materialized, they cancelled the 404 rifles, but not before a handful (< 100) of No 1s made it out of the plant.

This would coincide with long standing corporate policy to not build guns in any chambering for which ammo wasn't available from a MAJOR ammo company (read as big 3).

SOS

--------------------
"I've this damned cannon." - Robert Wilson

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AzGuy
.333 member

Reged: 23/03/06
Posts: 388
Loc: Prescott, Arizona, USA

Re: Ruger M77 404 [Re: 4seventy]
#72176 - 22/02/07 02:50 AM

4seventy,

Of course you are correct, I misread your previous response.

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AzGuy
.333 member

Reged: 23/03/06
Posts: 388
Loc: Prescott, Arizona, USA

Re: Ruger M77 404 [Re: Savuti_One_Shot]
#72177 - 22/02/07 02:53 AM

SOS,

Your explaination sounds logical. Does anybody currently offer factory ammo for the 404?

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Savuti_One_Shot
.300 member

Reged: 24/01/07
Posts: 139
Loc: Florida

Re: Ruger M77 404 [Re: AzGuy]
#72189 - 22/02/07 05:05 AM

Certainly none of the Big 3 are loading 404. The logical choice would be Hornady since they seem to be willing to tackle revivals like the 450/400. Should we start calling them the Big 4?

SOS

--------------------
"I've this damned cannon." - Robert Wilson

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Geronimo
.275 member

Reged: 14/04/04
Posts: 83
Loc: Michigan,USA

Re: Ruger M77 404 [Re: 4seventy]
#72242 - 22/02/07 02:14 PM

I had to go back and check my sources. In Lyman's GUIDE to BIG GAME CARTRIDGES & RIFLES Ed Matunas states that the then new Ruger 77 Mk.II Magnum(RSM) is chambered in the above referenced calibers. So it appears I was in error and that it was the RSM to which I was referring. On that same note I have seen one Ruger .404 on one of the auction sites (Gunbroker?) a few years ago. I honestly don't know if this was a legit factory rifle or one someone was trying to pass off as factory.

Geronimo

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Arctic
.275 member

Reged: 01/04/04
Posts: 87
Loc: Arctic Canada

Re: Ruger M77 404 [Re: Geronimo]
#72308 - 23/02/07 06:59 AM

As I recall, they did both in the .404, but limited numbers.
The problem that arose was that there were no SAAMI specs. A Square made ammo, and it worked in them, but Kynoch, etc. did not. Remember, .404's were built from .417 to .428. .....so, it became a safety issue. Similar to .450/400's, with bore of .406 to .414! ~Arctic~

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Yochanan
.375 member

Reged: 26/01/03
Posts: 912
Loc: Volksdiktatur Schweden

Re: Ruger M77 404 [Re: Savuti_One_Shot]
#72321 - 23/02/07 09:15 AM

Funny, I can’t understand why the lack of saami specification was such a problem to start with

Why didn’t Ruger follow the current CIP specs for 404 Jeffery, all the ammo manufacturers (Norma, RWS and Kynoch) follow the standard. Mauser M03 and Heym are chambered in 404 Jeffery from factory.

Friend of mine got a rifle in 404 Jeffery from Heym, it feeds, fires and ejects all three brands of ammo without any problems.

Cheers
Johan

--------------------
© "I have never been able to appreciate 'shock' as applied to killing big game. It seems to me that you cannot kill an elephant weighing six tons by ´shock´unless you advocate the use of a field gun." - W.D.M. Bell: Wanderings of an Elephant Hunter.

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333Jeffery
.300 member

Reged: 21/04/06
Posts: 103
Loc: Florida

Re: Ruger M77 404 [Re: Yochanan]
#72328 - 23/02/07 10:30 AM

Odd thing I came across a few months ago: a listing for .404 Jeffery ammo from Federal. I was going to post the info here, but when I checked the site again the listing was gone. I was hoping one of the big ammo companies would start loading it. Goodness knows, there's certainly enough interest in the cartridge to load it commercially.

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Paatti
.333 member

Reged: 18/01/07
Posts: 301
Loc: Finland

Re: Ruger M77 404 [Re: 333Jeffery]
#72361 - 23/02/07 08:55 PM

Ruger m77 Mk.II RSM Magnum rifle was on the list in 1994 Guns&Ammo. Calibers 375H&H, 404Jeffery, 416Rigby and 458Win mag available.

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BFaucett
.333 member

Reged: 13/01/04
Posts: 451
Loc: Houston, Texas

Re: Ruger M77 404 [Re: Paatti]
#72528 - 26/02/07 05:49 AM

all of the Rifle calibers ever produced by Ruger:
http://www.ruger-firearms.com/Firearms/PS-GaugeCaliberHistory-RI.html

The .404 Jeffery (they misspelled it as Jeffrey) is listed under Single-Shot Rifles but not under the Bolt Action Rifles.

Here's a No. 1 in .404 Jeffery listed on Guns America:
http://www.gunsamerica.com/classifieds/none/_976832251.aspx

-Bob F.

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k80
.333 member

Reged: 07/05/04
Posts: 314
Loc: San Antonio ,Texas, U.S.A.

Re: Ruger M77 404 [Re: BFaucett]
#74239 - 21/03/07 11:50 AM

They say they made 9.3X74r ; but I
have never seen one and have had an
order in for over a year.
Now it is 450 3 1/4. I will belive it
when I have it in my hands

--------------------
Ken
San Antonio

Welcome to South Texas

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AzGuy
.333 member

Reged: 23/03/06
Posts: 388
Loc: Prescott, Arizona, USA

Re: Ruger M77 404 [Re: k80]
#74244 - 21/03/07 01:17 PM

The Tenth Edition of Cartridges of The World says, "....that in 1993, Ruger "announced" that the M77 rifle would be chambered" for the 404 cartridge. Surely some prototypes were made but it doesn't seem that actual production rifles ever hit the market. Perhaps there is still hope.

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333Jeffery
.300 member

Reged: 21/04/06
Posts: 103
Loc: Florida

Re: Ruger M77 404 [Re: AzGuy]
#74300 - 22/03/07 08:45 AM

I'm surprised that Ruger never offered the M77 in .404 Jeffery. It's quite a popular custom rifle chambering, some of which are built on Ruger actions.

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