Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Hunting Rifles Ruger American Gen 2

Anyone have their hands on one of these yet? For the price point it checks a lot of boxes. Cerakote, adjustable comb/LOP, threaded muzzle, etc.

I had a first gen 7mm-08 and it was incredibly accurate regardless of the price point.



https://ruger.com/products/americanRifleGenII/overview.html

I have a rail, scope, rings and a Jard trigger just waiting for the Ranch in 22ARC to hit the streets.....

Huntsman,

I have been contemplating using a JARD trigger to replace the OEM trigger on my Win Model 70 MOA.
Factory trigger was lame and could not adjust to my satisfaction. Do you have much experience with JARD?
Thanks for feedback.

I have a Gen 2 in 7-08 with the 20” barrel and it handles well and shoots better than it should. The action is much smoother than the Gen1 and the stock seems to be much stiffer as well. The 3 position safety is a nice feature.

As you mentioned it checked a lot of boxes for me. It’s a great suppressor host. I mounted a Trijicon Credo 2.5-10x56 and it fits perfectly (1/4” gap to barrel) with the rail and medium rings.

I am still trying to fine tune the load using Lapua 150Gr Sencar L, RE15, or Big Game.

Have a Gen 2 Ranch in 300 BLK showing up this week, will be happy to provide a comparison the the Gen . The stock definitely looks a bit thicker in the forearm.

Hoping to replace the AR magwell with one for a rotary magazine to have the option for flush fit mag carry when hunting and swapping back and forth.

Any idea if these will be offered in a left hand configuration?

Ruger says, "working on it". Their version of- if you see it sometime it means they made it.

Sometimes their ideas never hit production, and many times they had unannounced releases

Ruger has done a pretty good job taking care of us lefties with the MK II, Hawkeye and gen 1 American. Would be surprised if they don't offer the gen 2 in LH eventually.

Hope they worked on the feeding but doubt it. They are accurate but feed from the magazine like crap. Was shooting a friends Grendel last week and his Ruger made my Howa feel like a tuned Mauser. Sold my 350 L for the same reason.

Decent tools, but the price is getting up there for what they are.....

That depends on the mag system.

100% mag system related. Hint.

If it's AICS,you are golden...if not,you are pissing up ALL ropes. Hint.

Just sayin'..............

Related to the Gen 1 rifles or the Gen 2? Did they make a Grendel in Gen 1?

My friend just got it. It has the green and black stock with AR style magazine. Pretty sure it was Gen 1.

It shot pretty well but feeding was rough. Another disturbing feeding aspect with my American, was that you could get the bolt to turn down prior to engaging bolt slot in the stock. Found this out while working the bolt briskly. I'm not a fan. The American rimfires are Great though....

It was a hairbrained half-assed idea on their part to use the AR mags on that bolt action.

They should have just stuck to the simple polymer stack magazine like they provide on the 450. Many use those in place of the rotary mags.

They had to butcher the bolt body to get the action to work with the AR mags.
Many were hoping the Gen2 rifles would drop the AR mags. No luck.

I about bought a new Gen 2 yesterday wanting a short barrel 300 blackout for all these reasons. but they happen to have a brand new gen 1 they were really want to sell and price did $150 cheaper. so I bought it instead and I'll pick up some Gen 2 later on in a few different calipers.

as to the mag feeding issues yes the rotary flush fit mags are absolute junk in my book.. converted a few to the Asics type my ex and have zero issues. I've never personally issues with 5.56 and blackouts using the AR mags.
done that AICS mag conversions on a 22-250 and a 223 that is dropped in to magpul stock
I do like the generation 2 is quite well.. already on a list for the 22 ARC version. not sure what else I'll get chambered in that.


I think I've got six of the Ruger Americans now..

yes I have one shoots excellent. uses a specialty Grendel AR type mag

What is the going price on them?? I have yet to see one in a store.

around here most are 600 bucks one store about an hour from me has advertised them at 589

I picked up the Gen II in 7-08 a couple months back. It shoots dang near anything i feed it well. I've settled on a 139 Interlock that prints .75" and under groups easily. Bolt is smooth as butter compared to the Gen 1

I was/am a big fan of the Gen 1s, must be lucky in that I never ran into any feeding/operation woes. Had them in 223, 7.62x39, 300 Blackout and 6.5 Creedmoor.

The Gen 2 is definitely an improvement. The stainless seel bolt IS smoothed out more than the original. It isn't Tikka smooth but its much smoother than Gen 1 bolts before they are broken in. Stock is more rigid, and a bit thicker in the forearm. Feels like holding a Roughtech stock, although the butt feels hollower. Still, its a better stock. Ergos for me are great with the clip-on black cheekpiece removed.

This ones a 300 Blackout. Feeds from the supplied Pmag just fine. Had thought about swapping it for a different setup but no need. Works great with the AR mag, as did the 223 version I had.

Saw one in the flesh at my LGS. I’m not a fan of the looks of many guns these days, but they certainly look more like a quality item than the old ones.

I need another rifle (I know, I know) like I need another winky, but I’d certainly consider one, preferably one without the release hanging out the bottom.

OTOH, I don’t see what they offer over a similarly-priced Howa, so it would maybe come down to the cartridge.

Haven't owned a Gen 2 or Howa so can't pass along first hand experience. But on paper the Gen 2 wins for Cerakote and threaded barrel.

Both my current Howas are threaded, and one is stainless. Cerakote is fine, but definitely not as desirable as SS IMO. Howa offers multiple finish and stock options, though not all at RAR prices. The RAR is a good value, as long as the standard configuration pleases you.

One point that matters to me is the integral trigger guard of the RAR stocks. Those can and do break; my RAR .17 M2 was broken in shipment, possibly by the unsecured bolt rolling around in the box. Standard Howas have an aluminum hinged floorplate, which IMO work perfectly. The MINI guards are plastic, and I replace those with aftermarket parts, but if the OEM part breaks, it’s an easy and cheap fix, not a stock replacement.

I didn't love when some of the Howas were pawned off as SS, when it reality it was a SS-coloured Cerakote finish over blued steel.

After owning Howas and CZs in mini format, I think the mini action isn’t a ‘must’ for me vs standard short action, even in the 223-class of cases. The shorter bolt throw of the 3-lug design is a more useful thing when shooting vs lower scopes/thermals, and seems to speed things up, in spite of extra length or some magazine roughness on the bolt during the cycle, for the ranch series. It may be different for others, but I do like the clearance on some things, though I have plenty of 2-lug 70/700-style bolt guns that I like just as well.

I will say that all stainless isn’t equal, and cerakote is a good thing on these.

Hideous and cheap

I’m waiting for Ruger to release them in a nicely finished Walnut stock…

The bore is that which matters most and Cerakote is a joke. Hint.

All Ruger had to do,was poke their former S/S Ranch with the 223 chamber/throat,in a Boyds,wearing AICS DBM. Hint.

The Howie Carbon Mini's in 224/243 Grendel/ARC are a great platform,with JO V2 BDL metal. COAL is too trite,to yield a Skookum 223. Again,S/S is hilariously lacking there too. Hint.

AR mags quickly outrun their COAL,to meet the barrel's RPM in 223. Thus the AICS affinity,though Teeker CTR's are fhuqking sound. Hint.

Just sayin'..............

I never saw Cerakoted Howas advertised as SS, but they did claim it was more corrosion-resistant. Well maybe, as long as the finish is intact, and if you discount the bore. The best solution IMO is nitride, especially over SS, which has been done here and there. CZ rifles currently have a very attractive matte nitride, inside and out, and hopefully more rifle makers will follow the trend by handgun companies and make that standard. Even when it looks worn, nitride stays on the job, though I yet to wear one through.

Here's an example:

https://www.guncity.com/-388423

Wordsmithing to make it sound like the rifle is made of SS. It's actually stainless-coloured Cerakote, not Cerakoted stainless steel.

I own more Rugers than any other brand, but am glad I sold the only American centerfire I had. Heavy action, poor feeding, flimsy stock and cheap looks were all a turn-off.

Maybe they fixed some of those issues, but from.the pictures, they're still ugly, as are most modern plastic Rugers.

That copy looks like the dealer wrote it, not Legacy. I recall Legacy claiming it was better than stainless, but never calling it Stainless Cerakote. That dealer BTW is in NZ, so Legacy, the U.S. importer, isn’t even involved.

Don’t see any Cerakote in the 2024 catalog, but there are some in SS. Old listings here in the U.S. say Cerakote, Black Cerakote, or Tactical Gray, not Stainless.

I

They may have stopped marketing it that way, but it was quite common a few years ago.

A local shop has a Gen 2 in 6.5 and an older Predator in 308. Not sure if it was that particular example but the Gen 2 bolt movement was terrible. Sticky, clunky, bindy , and a lot of movement.

The Predator was a lot better in my opinion even with the zip. The Gen 2 was listed at $620. That particular example would be an easy pass for me at that price point.

Just my opinion

picked up a new Gen 2 predator chambered in 6ARC yesterday.

yeah they're smooth out a bit from the first generation but I never had a problem from the first generation.
just stay away from the Ruger rotary magazine and you're good.

everybody that talks about it being flimsy and ugly really doesn't have a clue... but then again beauty is in the eye of the beholder some guys like fat chicks some guys like meth whores...

Agree, they're uglier than a bucket full of democrat's [bleep], but they shoot. The first 5 shots out of my 22-250 were thumbnail size. However, don't get me started on expensive "modern" rifles.

I bought a Predator in 6.5 Creed on impulse. It's continued to amaze me. I don't care how it looks anymore;


There are some groups I shot after switching over to the 2.5-10 SuperChicken UltraLight so I can hunt it. This is not supposed to happen with this rifle/scope combo. Oh Yeah...the ammo was Factory Hornady White Tail 129 gr!!!

If the Mark II version has improved the rifle, I'm all for it. Color me a Ruger believer now.