Low prices on the Ruger American Rimfire Compact 18" Threaded Barrel in .17HMR start at Champion Firearms-

"The Road Not Taken" is a narrative poem by Robert Frost that symbolizes life's complex and difficult choices, and the Ruger American is a perfect example of this principle in action. With so many bolt action rifles on the market today, a quick glance at the American's price tag will undoubtedly leave some skeptical about its true capabilities and overall quality. The old adage, "if it sounds too good to be true..." certainly comes to mind, because in reality, how good can a $285 bolt action rimfire rifle really be? The answer may just surprise you.

With the flood of cheap (and I don't mean affordable) bolt action rimfire rifles that have hit the market in recent years, it's no wonder buyers have grown weary of bargain basement guns built using sub-standard materials and perform poorly. To the company's credit, Ruger chose another path and in this instance, the road not taken was the decision to avoid sacrificing quality for the sake of economy.

The engineers of the American didn't just set out to build another cheap rifle. Instead, they set out to build a very nice rifle that just happened to be inexpensive-- which is the very reason the series has been so successful. In fact, Ruger is so serious about building quality rimfire rifles that they built an entirely new plant in Mayodan, North Carolina to do just that.

Sturm, Ruger and Company was founded in 1949 by business partners Alexander ("Alex") McCormick Sturm and William ("Bill") Batterman Ruger. Prior to the partnership, Bill Ruger had previously designed machine guns for the U.S. military during World War II and afterwards, successfully duplicated two Japanese Baby Nambu pistols in his garage based on samples acquired from a Marine. It would serve as the basis for launching the company when Ruger ingeniously combined the looks of a German 9mm Luger with rimfire engineering from the Colt Woodsman and the operating mechanism of the Nambu.

Bill Ruger and Alex Sturm rented a small machine shop in Southport, Connecticut and immediately introduced the world to the greatest rimfire pistol in history-- the legendary MK-I, which still continues to this day in its third generation. Alex Sturm was married to the granddaughter of President Teddy Roosevelt, was a Yale graduate, a talented artist and business entrepreneur that supplied the capital investment to start the fledgling company.

In addition, he personally designed the famous Germanic heraldic red eagle that still serves as Ruger's company logo. Bill Ruger supplied the business acumen plus technical-know-how as a skilled gunsmith and celebrated inventor. Tragically in 1951, Alex Sturm fell seriously ill and died at the age of 28 just as the company was beginning to gain traction.

After Sturm's passing, Bill Ruger mourned the loss of his old friend and business partner by permanently changing the company's distinctive red eagle logo to solid black (or white, shrouded in black), where it remains to this day in remembrance. Bill Ruger would go on to lead the company to world prominence, becoming the largest manufacturer of firearms in the United States.

A pioneering legend in American industry until his death in 2002, Ruger had a hand in the design and styling of every single gun the company produced while under his direction. To date, Sturm Ruger has manufactured more than 30-million firearms, while also becoming a leading supplier of precision investment castings in diverse industries such as aerospace, automotive and even golf clubs.

Unlike many "price point" models, the Ruger American Rimfire Compact is a handsome rifle with sleek lines, a well designed stock, an excellent trigger and a very accurate barrel whose combined synergy have resulted in a high performance package. At the heart of the design lies a smooth action with a short 60- degree bolt throw.

The 4140 chrome-moly receiver starts out as a block of bar stock steel that is then milled to precise tolerances. It is paired with a 18" fully free-floated, cold hammer forged (carbon steel) barrel with ultra precise rifling and a threaded muzzle (1/2-28 TPI) that has been target crowned. This ensures exceptional accuracy, longevity and easy cleaning.

Among rimfire rifles, the Ruger has a unique safety feature that allows ready removal of the bolt. As such, a receiver mounted release does not require that the trigger be pulled to disassemble and clean the action and bore. Innovative new "Power Bedding" technology has provides a rock solid system that further enhances accuracy.

A front and rear slot has been machined into the underside of the receiver. The action is then mated to a stainless steel V-block molded into the stock, and a set of Allen head screws secure everything in place. The result is a steel-on-steel system immune to warping during inclement weather. Exacting tolerances guarantees that the Ruger American action will index and seat consistently each time the screws are securely torqued down.

Barely noticeable is a nut which attaches receiver to barrel. During assembly, a collet grabs the barrel nut and applies the proper amount of torque without marring parts. This is a great way to set minimum headspace quickly and efficiently, while also increasing accuracy.

All metal parts are then finished in a corrosion resistant black oxide that is expertly applied. There is a two-position, top tang safety located just behind the bolt shroud, which is easily accessible under all shooting conditions. The safety does not actually lock the action closed, so to unload the chamber, you can still cycle the bolt while the gun remains on "Safe".

The Ruger American Rimfire Compact weighs in at just 5.38 pounds empty and has what the company refers to as a "Marksman" trigger system, which is user adjustable from 3-to-5 pounds. Turning a set screw at the front of the trigger body allows you to change the pull weight. Most shooters are familiar with the center safety blade system that protrudes from the trigger's face in a similar fashion to Glock's Safe Action or Savage's AccuTrigger.

The stock is nicely contoured and outfitted with unique finger grooves in the forearm. It is constructed of a highly weather resistant glass filled polypropylene. A palm filling pistol grip, which features an enhanced molded-in gripping surface for exceptional handling and control.

Each Ruger American Rimfire rifle includes two interchangeable stock modules that provides a comb height for running optics, and a low comb for use with iron sights. Since this is a Compact model, its modules are both short length of pull (12.5"). By simply removing the rear stock swivel stud, modules can be replaced in seconds.

A flush fit 9- round Ruger M77 rotary magazine is supplied with the package. While the Ruger American Rimfire features a 10/22 style adjustable "V-slot" folding leaf rear sight with a Williams fiber optic front, a 3/8" rimfire scope base has been machined into the receiver for mounting rimfire rings. It has also been drilled and tapped to accept Weaver #12 bases (not included).

While Ruger does not provide a written warranty, the company has always promptly, professionally and courteously repaired the extremely limited number of malfunctioning firearms we've sent them. In our humble opinion, they have a better warranty and service track record than many manufacturer's offering a so-called "limited lifetime" policy (which by the way is not your lifetime, but what the manufacturer deems to be the life of your gun).

Like all Ruger firearms, the American Rimfire Compact is 100% made here in the U.S.A. Overall, it's an insanely accurate, reliable, lightweight and affordable hunting rifle built to provide decades of reliable service in the field.

Established in 1993, Champion Firearms is a retail gun store and indoor range located in College Station, Texas.

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