Ruger Goes Left-Handed For New Gen II American Rifles

I wonder if anyone else realizes that we're watching the slow demise of the bolt action rifle. Ruger dumped their 77 Scout rifles, all models, just before bringing out the southpaw American II's. I won't be surprised to see the rest of the Hawkeye line up fade away, until only special runs are being produced, much like the No. 1. The turn bolt is slower than any action other than single shots. The motion to operate the bolt is unnatural, using muscles that aren't usually well developed. It's only advantages when the '98 came out were controlled round feed, and massive camming force during extraction. Push feed actions get rid of those advantages, but that's where the industry is going.

The push feed turn bolt exists for one, and only one, reason; economics. they're cheaper to make than most other actions, which means they can be marked up more while still lowering the average price point. Profits are not determined by the price of a good, but the mark up - the difference between what it costs a business to make the product and what it can be sold for. For the consumer, they don't make much sense when other actions are faster and just as accurate. I looked for a bolt gun for a couple of years recently, but I'm a left handed, left eye dominant shooter who wanted iron sights, CRF and .30-06. I couldn't find it at a price I could afford, and finally threw in the towel and went back to my lever guns and semi-autos.

Most new shooters and hunters are choosing MSR's, largely due to their military service (that's why the bolt gun reigned supreme for so long), but also because AR's are like Legos. You can DIY almost anything you want for a reasonable price. Then there's the fact that Americans have finally noticed the straight pull action. With CRF gone, These rifles make a lot more sense, as Savage's sales figures have proven. They completely dropped the ball for lefties, but Beretta is now marketing one here, and Mauser is close behind. Prices are coming down, and I fully expect Ruger to jump on the band wagon before the end of next year.

The bolt gun is not going to disappear; it will be with us for a long time, just as the '94 Winchester and .30-30 have, but over the next few decades you're going to see more and more MSR's and straight pulls at the range and in the field, and fewer and fewer traditional bolt actions.

HURRAH!