Ruger American Trigger/Upgrades/Mods.

[jedi7]

@Loper. I cut the bottom of the grip off and used screws and JB weld epoxy to adapt a new grip. The grip itself is a piece of scrap 2x8 that I had. I shaped it to basically the way I wanted it, used Bondo to smooth every thing out and then painted.

ETA. If you have the rotary mags, I would recommend contacting Ruger and getting the bottom piece that accepts the AI mags. If your rifle is a newer one that has the removable bottom piece.
I’ve never had any issues with the AI magazines.

[mention]BLJ [/mention] these look great. I have a similar pairing, 22 ARC ranch and 6 CM standard. I’m looking to attempt a similar modification. Do you have any more details on your process steps, how you like it, and what you would change?

 

[BLJ]

[mention]BLJ [/mention] these look great. I have a similar pairing, 22 ARC ranch and 6 CM standard. I’m looking to attempt a similar modification. Do you have any more details on your process steps, how you like it, and what you would change?

I’ll PM with some pictures and info later today.

 

[jedi7]

I’ll PM with some pictures and info later today.

Thank you, I appreciate your help!

 

[sonsalsa]

The biggest problem I have with the Ruger American stocks are their physical flexibility, and how they contact the barrel pretty easily. It resulted for me in some serious POI shift when using the sling for supported shooting, and when putting any load on the bipod. The stock also had that hollow loudness when tapped. What was frustrating is that it was otherwise sub-MOA with the loads I worked up for it. With its otherwise inherent accuracy, and the glass I have mounted on it costing 4x what I paid for the gun, I decided to have something of a fun, gonzo lark of a project to see what I could do in getting the stock up to speed.

Fun was had, as were overall great results in solving all of this for the most part, going after one problem at a time and then coming back for more (putting in QD sling cups, Spartan Bipod mount, Arca rail segment, etc.). I mean, I went full Bubba-after-tax-return on this stock. Overall, I got about 85% of the rigidity I wanted, and all the performance was "sufficient". However, for the time and component/materials put into it with each of these visits to my work bench, it was definitely not "cost effective". Again, fun lark, but a year or so later I went with a Boyd's Prairie Hunter stock, and have been very happy with it. There's just no way to get the full rigidity out of tupperware that you can get from other stock materials.

If efficiency and cost were my priorities, I would have definitely gone with the Boyd's to begin with. Probably the best upgrade you can do for a Ruger American other than trigger and good glass.

Replying to a very old thread but too new here for PM. I am going through the same bit of fun right now and was wondering if you installed QD cups on the bottom or side of the forend and how you did it. I’d like to add them to the side but the stock’s size and geometry don’t seem to make it easy. Thanks!

 

[RockAndSage]

Replying to a very old thread but too new here for PM. I am going through the same bit of fun right now and was wondering if you installed QD cups on the bottom or side of the forend and how you did it. I’d like to add them to the side but the stock’s size and geometry don’t seem to make it easy. Thanks!

It wasn't easy, at all. Had to add a lot of material in the forend and inside the butt of the stock, attached an external mlock-based QD on the back that had to be ground and shaped to fit the curve of the stock, and still wasn't happy with any of it. It was a lark for the fun of it to see if I could make it work, but definitely wouldn't recommend it. Just go with the Boyd's. Seriously. It's not worth the time, parts, or learning curve to bubba the original plastic. The Boyd's is an excellent upgrade, especially with how rigid it is.