Ruger M77 VS Ruger M77 Mark II

The Ruger M77 is a bolt-action rifle produced by Sturm, Ruger & Company. It was designed by Jim Sullivan during his three years with Ruger. The rifle features a traditional Mauser-style two-lugged bolt with a claw extractor. From the beginning, the Ruger M77 was intended as a modernized Mauser 98, though numerous changes were made. Bill Ruger wanted to use investment casting in place of a forged receiver. The Sullivan-designed bolt dispensed with the Mauser blade type ejector and instead used the simpler plunger style of ejector. A two-position tang safety and redesigned trigger system were also designed from scratch. Perhaps the most novel feature of the M77 is the only one that has not been redesigned, the angled action screw. The front action screw of traditional bolt-action rifles draws the receiver directly down against the stock. The M77 uses an angled screw that draws the action down and to the rear, tightly bedding it against the stock.

The major changes to the M77 that were made to create the M77 Mark II were to the safety, trigger and bolt. The original two-tang safety has been replaced by a three-position mechanism which allows the chamber to be loaded and unloaded while the bolt can move (as well as locking it in position to prevent it moving all together). The original trigger has also been replaced, with a two-stage trigger designed to remove large amounts of movement and weight in the trigger to make firing easier.