The Ruger American Rifle
It’s a simple rifle, an accurate rifle and an affordable rifle. The Ruger American Rifle is a means of heading afield with a reliable firearm without breaking the bank or having you sleeping solo on the sofa. However, we riflemen also like to personalize our chosen rifles, whether it be through choice of optic, caliber or ammunition, or sometimes by replacing certain parts to give a different feel or level of performance. Some guns are easier to work with than others, but the Ruger American is a rifle that doesn’t require an engineering degree to tinker with. Let’s take a look at some options to take your Ruger American to the next level, and make it something a bit different.
Timney Triggers
Trigger Upgrade
To me, the trigger is the nucleus of a rifle. The finest rifle can be a nightmare if it is equipped with a terrible trigger. And, with all due respect to Sturm, Ruger and Co., the Ruger American Standard has a pretty awful trigger. Yes, the Predator model has a much better trigger, but the Standard has a trigger that, well, sucks. I’ve thrown a digital trigger scale on some and found that they break at nearly seven pounds. That’s too heavy for me, and too heavy for accurate shooting. The first stop on the road – for this author at any rate – would be at Timney Triggers. For just shy of $130, you can drop in a Timney and completely change the feel of your rifle, irrespective of caliber. Adjustable for weight of pull (from 1.5-4 pounds), and for creep and overtravel, a Timney breaks like an icicle, and will only enhance accuracy. Fundamentally, the Ruger American is an accurate rifle, but without a trigger that allows you to keep the rifle on target you’re fighting an uphill battle.
The MagPul Hunter American Stock
Stock Upgrade
The stock of the Ruger American – a molder polymer affair – certainly functions, but may not be exactly what you’re after. It’s really not a big deal to change stocks, and thereby radically change the rifle. There are a couple of cool options, depending on what it is you’re after. The MagPul Hunter American stock offers a pretty radical departure from the traditional hunting stock, and if that’s your thing – it’s much more of a tactical/target stock – then take a good look at this stock. Using reinforced polymer construction, steel recoil lugs and an aluminum bedding block, the American Hunter stock will hold the Ruger American action firmly in place, and like a good trigger, aid in accuracy. It is available for the short-action rifles only, and is compatible with the Mag Pul P Mag 5 7.62 AC magazine; which is a solid design in and of itself. The Hunter American stock is adjustable for both length of pull as well as comb height, in four cool colors,
