How About An EBR; The B Stands For Bolt

[Blaine]

First off, I think I'm about maxed out on long guns. I really don't plan to Bug Out, but to hold tight here at home. I don't really care for Semi-Auto rifles. However, if I ever thought I would need a long range combat rifle, I'd seriously consider one of these with my Leupold Scout Scope mounted. The dang magazines sure are pricy, though. This might be the ultimate dual purpose rifle.

[olyinaz]

Perfect example of works for most things but good at nothing. I'd rather have an arm that excels at something.

I'd take a BLR, Savage 99, or Winchester 1885 over that thing also.

Oly

[Blaine]

The gauntlet has been thrown down.....Defend yourself, Sir I recall reports of MOA or so with this rifle. Having worked with M16s for 20 years, I don't agree with you. If it was up close and personal, I'd use a 1911 or the 870 eight shot. You're other choices in lieu of a 10 shot bolt with a magazine would be painful and perhaps fatally slow to reload. (nuttin' but net)

[Barcelona Rick]

Mr. BlaineG......is it a Ruger ?? What caliber ?? I never have understood a large capacity magazine on any bolt rifle...guess I am not Zombie qualified....BTW I do appreciate your service to our Country....

rick

[Blaine]

Mr. BlaineG......is it a Ruger ?? What caliber ?? I never have understood a large capacity magazine on any bolt rifle...guess I am not Zombie qualified....BTW I do appreciate your service to our Country....

rick

YesSir, it's a Ruger. Fashioned after the Col. Jeff Cooper-inspired scout rifle concept. A large capacity for when you absolutely need it for non-hunting, serious applications. Three and five shot mags are available. A trapper length is just that...why would this one suck?

[Cliff]

Nice looking rifle. As you say magazines can be expensive. I wonder if one can figure a way to adapt either the rifle or the magazines so something like the M-14 magazines would work or not. I am sure some have tried. I see MagPul is making some7.62 Nato mags for some use. Who knows maybe they can come up with something. Just Saying, I like Rugers, the Scout Concept and of course still like my Enfield 303's, might also add the Indian Arsenal version of the SMLE in 7.62 NATO. Not as accurate I imagine. Good Luck and all the best.

[3leggedturtle]

I even fondled a left-handed version at Cabel'a last November. Just dont care for that short of a barrel on anything short of a 22 or 9mm type of rifle. It came up nice and felt fairly light.

[Rusty]

Yep, I had a Spanish FR-8 at one time with a short barrel like that. Man was it loud!

[shawn_c992001]

I would like to see the mags changed also. Maybe use a AR-308, or a FAL mag. 20 rounds would be more than enough.

Cliff I have one of the Indian SMLE Jungle Carbines. It is more accurate than people give them credit for, holds 10 rounds, and can be fired as quickly as other Enfields.

[AkRay]

Buy one Blaine, that is if you can find one. I haven't seen one on a store shelf since last October or so, and the one I saw at a gun show in February had a high price on it. The one I've tried shot and handled well. Hearing protection makes even loud guns, and I don't know if this one is excessively loud, safe for your ears.

[rjohns94]

Recently there was one for sale on this forum. I would give one a try if I didnt have a styer scout rifle. I like the concept. Here in penn's woods, that is legal for hunting while a semi auto is not

[Barcelona Rick]

Mr.BlaineG......I certainly did not imply that it "sucked" ?????? At least I didn't think I did ??

rick

[RIHMFIRE]

i like it!

[FWiedner]

I like the concept.

I wonder if you got another model Ruger EB(olt)R with a couple of 4 or 5 round detachable box magazines if you couldn't accomplish the same purpose but lower the purchase cost and avoid having to use a scout-scope.

[olyinaz]

Buy one Blaine, that is if you can find one. I haven't seen one on a store shelf since last October or so, and the one I saw at a gun show in February had a high price on it.

My local shops in town have them in stock and have for some time.

Oly

[Blaine]

Mr.BlaineG......I certainly did not imply that it "sucked" ?????? At least I didn't think I did ??

rick

No Sir...you did not....Did not intend for you to think that you did

[Bridger]

I sort of like it for some reason, but I just keep looking at it trying to figure a comfortable way to carry it.

[MrMurphy]

Side sling mounts, across the chest like an M4.

Short barrels come in handy for vehicles, buildings, tunnels, portapotties, aircraft, and all the other interesting places i've gone into muzzle-first with a rifle, yet it can still hit at 200-300 without an issue.

It's more or less the modern version of the Lee-Enfield or Mauser cavalry carbine of the 20s. Short, handy, with the possibility of high capacity.



The M14 magazine was considered, but their first design criteria was "It Must Work" and with the wide variety of M14 manufacturers out there for magazines, they could not get it to run reliably with all M14 mags. And since most morons will blame the gun, not the $4 gunshow special magazine.....they went with a magazine they KNOW works. The AI mag, which has 10 years of combat service with the British Army in their L96 sniper rifle. Not as cheap but it DOES work. They now have polymer mags that are less expensive.


I'm planning on getting one for general-purpose duties. I have enough fighting guns for serious work if it comes down to it, but I can still run a bolt with a magazine faster than I can run any levergun (I grew up on Mausers and Lee-Enfields), so in a pinch, this would do.

As even the Brits conceded when things get real interesting at close range, a semi beats a bolt, every time in short to medium range encounters with multiple bad guys. The old L-E can still get it done (I have two) but if you're shooting at two-legged varmints not four, better to have the semi than not.

[model55]

And they make one for lefties .

[DixieBoy]

Once again MrMurphy nailed it. Ruger wanted the rifle to work with the factory supplied mags, not worry about some gun show mag casting doubts on the new rifle's reliability.

Blaine, you know, the more I look at Ruger's Scout Rifle, the more I like it. Some buddies and me were talking about it the other day. It's good to 300 yards. How many of us are taking longer shots with a carbine length long gun ?

The picatinny rail, which put off a lot of folks initially on just aesthetic grounds, DOES allow you to mount a scope Scout style, if you're comfortable with that setup. Or, you can mount a conventional scope in the "normal" fashion, and do some serious shooting at realistic distances. Or, you can use the ghost ring sight for close stuff.

The freedom to set up length of pull, with the supplied spacers, to exactly suit the user is pretty cool too.

The laminated stock is robust, and the flash hider helps to tame the fireball a 16" barrel might otherwise produce with a .308 round.

As has been noted by you and others, the magazine choices are pretty good now too: 3 round, 5 round, and 10 round. That's sharp.

The more you look at this rifle, the more you realize that this is one heck of a versatile rifle. Darn you, Blaine ! Now I REALLY want one. - DixieBoy

[mikld]

I saw an article on TV (Guns ans Ammo TV?) last week about this rifle. The one shown/used was in .308/7.62 Nato and two fellers were shooting it on a "Combat Course", moving, shooting, moving, shooting at different distances, etc. Rifle w/Scout scope seems easily/quick to handle and shoot. Slow shooting produced very good accuracy and all around pretty good rifle. I'd buy one if I were a hunter or had some land to defend (I can defend my homestead from zombies with my short range weapons, 45 ACP and .44 Mag. Puma! )

[L_Kilkenny]

For a multi purpose rifle bolt actions are quite possibly the worst action available IMO (OK, second worst with singles taking the lead). Tops is semi, followed buy levers and pumps. Looks aside (I kinda like it), a tactical inspired bolt gun = yuck, puke, gag.

LK

[Blaine]

For a multi purpose rifle bolt actions are quite possibly the worst action available IMO (OK, second worst with singles taking the lead). Tops is semi, followed buy levers and pumps. Looks aside (I kinda like it), a tactical inspired bolt gun = yuck, puke, gag.

LK

I've never, ever had a bolt jam or stovepipe. I can not say the same for Semi, pump, or lever.

[L_Kilkenny]

For a multi purpose rifle bolt actions are quite possibly the worst action available IMO (OK, second worst with singles taking the lead). Tops is semi, followed buy levers and pumps. Looks aside (I kinda like it), a tactical inspired bolt gun = yuck, puke, gag.

LK

I've never, ever had a bolt jam or stovepipe. I can not say the same for Semi, pump, or lever.

I've short stroked a bolt action when trying for follow ups on coyotes. Not any harder to do or less common than with a pump shotgun but never talked about for some reason. Jams it up tight and a pain in the rear to clear! Far worse than any stove pipe I've ever had. Personally I think a GOOD semi is more reliable under stress since it removes some human error which sad to say is usually ten times greater than most guns made.

[MrMurphy]

When Cooper and others came up with the idea, semis were not as accurate (reliably) as they are now. They were also trying to keep weight down.

Their premise was need for an absolutely accurate first round hit, maybe two. That is where bolts shine. As he wrote, you're one man alone, shoot and scoot, you don't need fire superiority or suppressing fire, and you shouldn't be doing room-to-room stuff alone. Getting off an aimed shot or two and running for it was the general (survivable) idea. Displace, fall back, if necessary, keep up the harassing fire, but you're never firing a LOT...you're firing an aimed round or two. That's why detachable magazines were never a requirement, just a nice thing to have. If you couldn't get magazines then the other requirement was the ability to charger load (stripper clips) if at all possible since you might in fact, need to load in a hurry.

Bolt actions can be used in the worst conditions possible, and they have very, very few parts to go wrong. They're also fast to load.

Thus why no army post 1870 or so, excluding the Russians (who at that point, took anything) have used a lever, and none have used a pump except for shotguns.

You can kick a bolt open if necessary. You can also work one prone in a hurry. Properly trained (being the key to any action type) you can keep up an insane amount of aimed fire, the all time record being around 37 rounds in a minute (British army trained musketry instructor in the 1930s with a Lee-Enfield).

The Ruger's based off the original Mauser bolt design from what I remember, and it's about the most reliable on the face of the earth.

I like leverguns, and especially for mounted use they do well. But I'll always be a bolt-action man first (if I can't get a semi) if the rifle is set up correctly, more or less like the Ruger (no large scope and irons that are usable). I have very little use for pump rifles, they have always been a niche market.

[Catshooter]

Where do they balence? Kinda looks like the pistol grip is the only place to carry one in hand, or not?

I really like the idea. I do agree with the idea that the mag should run, but why not a twenty rounder too? If they'd done that I'd have one by now. A double coulum twenty would be the same length as the ten.

Oh well. At least since that swine Bill senior died it looks like they are trying to get their act together.

So Blaine, did you buy one yet?


Cat

[Blaine]

Where do they balence? Kinda looks like the pistol grip is the only place to carry one in hand, or not?

I really like the idea. I do agree with the idea that the mag should run, but why not a twenty rounder too? If they'd done that I'd have one by now. A double coulum twenty would be the same length as the ten.

Oh well. At least since that swine Bill senior died it looks like they are trying to get their act together.

So Blaine, did you buy one yet?


Cat

After I fix the roof on the carport/sheds, I'll be lucky to have any gun money this year

[Catshooter]

Are you saying it could rain in Spanaway? (I'm from Tacoma.)


Cat

[MrMurphy]

Having handled several, point of balance is the front of the mag, much like an AR. Handy to carry in one hand or both.


Ten rounds of .308 approaches the level of 'enough' to handle immediate problems.

Thus the reason combat bolt actions never exceeded 12 rounds in the magazine. The L-E had 10, the Swiss had a 12-rounder at one point, most had five or six rounds.

20+ rounds did exist in 'trench magazines' for sustained firing from one position, but they were apparently rather heavy and unwieldy for regular use.

[Blaine]

Are you saying it could rain in Spanaway? (I'm from Tacoma.)


Cat

Oh....every so often

[Cliff]

On the subject of large magazines and trench magazines, I seem to remember one objection to them was they stayed in the rifle and were loaded with stripper clips. It was found that in the trench warefare, a lot of crud was introduced into the extended magazines with all the dirt and muck and mud from the enviorment when in use in combat. The British favored the ten round as it seem less prone to this problem. They Lee Enfield was originally meant to have fully replaceable magazines issued with the ammo already loaded in them, but the manufacture of them was not uniform and each magazine was more or less hand fitted for each rifle. This was too costly to do on a large war time production footing. Just saying. ATB

[KCSO]

Probably would be if you could get one, they have been on allocated (read big guys only) since they first came out.

[Catshooter]

Having handled several, point of balance is the front of the mag, much like an AR. Handy to carry in one hand or both.


Ten rounds of .308 approaches the level of 'enough' to handle immediate problems.

You make two very good points Mr. Murphy. I both thank and curse you for them!

Now, I wonder just who might have one . . .


Cat

[MrMurphy]

The L-E had been intended to have detachable magazines, but as stamping/pressing was not yet around in large quantities, both the QC (fitting to the gun) and cost were a factor, so charger loading became the norm.

The Remington-Lee had detachable magazines, same issue came up.

[Molasses]

The L-E had been intended to have detachable magazines, but as stamping/pressing was not yet around in large quantities, both the QC (fitting to the gun) and cost were a factor, so charger loading became the norm.

The Remington-Lee had detachable magazines, same issue came up.

MVC-131F.JPG

What I always wondered about that is why ol' James Paris Lee didn't make coming up with some sort of fix a priority when the issue first came up with his earlier versions. Failing that, why the bright folks at Enfield, Lithgow, Ishapore and wherever didn't come up with an improvement in that regard over the years they dealt with the Lee action/magazine. By the time the last version of the L-E came down the pike, there'd been literally decades of manufacture of good, interchangeable magazines in other guns.