Awhile back, when I was selling a new model Ruger 77, I had a guy tell me the old model with a tang safety was a better rifle. I can't remember why he said they were better. I seem to recall he said the had an adjustable trigger, but other than that I'm at a lost. Soooo.. why is the old model a better rifle?

positives of the older M77:
Many hunters prefer the tang safety; for one thing it is not as noisy as the current three position safety. It is easier to quietly slip it off in the deer woods. The trigger was adjustable, crisper, lighter.
negatives of the older M77:
A negative was that the barrels were from another supplier, and not always uniform in quality. Another negative was that it was not a real controlled round feed (if you are a controlled round feed aficionado)

Dogger has it right. I prefer the old style, that tang safety is great. I have a couple of them (338, 257) and I keep an eye out for good ones whenver I can. Yes the barrels can be iffy, but I put lots of new barrels on lots of rifles, so that isn't that much of a concern to me. Also, I happen to think they were the best looking rifles built in North America (by the major manufacturers) in the last 40 years. FWIW - Dan

When you are referring to older model M77's, how old are you talking about? I purchased my M77 in 1994 and the safety is on the tang. Mine is a nice gun - pretty damn accurate, even with an $80 Swift 3x-9x.

I'm not sure how old it is. I guess I could get the serial number and maybe look it up somewhere.

Had/have both and I like the new model better all shot very well so I must have been lucky that way.

I have three tang safety rugers, a 338 that the first five rounds out of it measured 5/8" at 100 yards. I have a 280, new in box. I bought it because it was the tang safety model. I have a 7MM mag that with 160 hand loads I shot a elk at 425 yards complete pass through. All the M77 rugers I have, have the tang safety, have not tried the new rugers.

My wife shoots a Ruger 77 in 270. It is a tack driver! What is also neat is that instead of a warning being stamped on the barrel, it says "Made in our 200th year of liberty".

I don't remember when they changed the safety from the tang to the bolt. Maybe 10 years ago? - Dan

This morning, while cleaning out an old file drawer, I came accross a Ruger catalog from 1992. In that catalog the M77 Mark II has the 3-position safety while the standard M77 has the tang.

SBT,

What your wife has is called a "Centennial" Model M77. In 1976 Ruger stamped on ever firearm they made the statement "Made In Our 200th Year Of Liberty". I have four handguns and five rifles with that statement on them. Every time I come across one for sale it always seems to follow me home. Lawdog

I've owned both, preferred the old model UNTIL I replaced the trigger in the Mk11 with a Timney - wouldn't go back - the CRF is a real plus for a hunting rifle, as far as I'm concerned. BTW, old models were 25-06's, new is 270 - all have shot extremely well with handloads, especially my current 270 stainless/laminate - 3 shot clover leaf at 100 metres, 25-06 used to get 5 shots into about .75 inches. My 2 cents.

I bought a new Ruger 77 .270 Win. in the early 70's. I liked the tang safety and the gun was the most accurate out of the box rifle I have had. It had a bad stock on it that kept changing and binding the action and barrel. I free floated the barrel and thought I had fixed the problem. Next I had the action bedded. It would shoot fine and the next time I would shoot it the group would be
huge. I traded it off but wish I had put a good synthetic stock on it and had kept it.

Lawdog, "centennial" means 100 years, "bicentennial" means 200 years. Your wife has a "bicentennial" model; 200 years of freedom since the Declaration of Independence in 1776.

Rezdog,

It's not my wife that has that rifle, it's SBT's wife. Yes it is true that it was the Bi-Centennial(1776 - 1976) but in the Ruger catalog they were called the "Centennial" models. I used to have one of the 1976 Ruger Catalogs around but it finally fell apart. I wish I would have had it sealed in plastic or whatever as now they are collectors items too. Lawdog