Have just purchased a Ruger 77 MkII in .300 Win Mag that th previous owner had broken the stock at the wrist after only 5 shots. Ruger sent him a new stock, but he doesn't trust this rifle anymore.

What is the best way to reinforce the grip so I don't have to worry about it? I did look up one earlier (2002) suggestion to drill a hole up through the grip and install a section of threaded rod, thoroughly epoxying the rod in the hole. Any comments?

What can you tell us about the original stock ? Have you seen it ? That might tell you if it was defective wood.
In any case reinforcing the stock means drilling a hole and epoxying a piece of hardwood dowel or threaded rod.

How did it break the stock through the grip ?

I'd work that out first.

Ruger's have a history or breaking the stocks
because of the tang hammering back and this could have caused your break depending on how it cracked.

What is this nonsense? Just tighten and lock the guard screws and put a little glassbed in the recoil lug recess.

I would have commented the same thing, install a wrist pin. Relieve the tang area of the stock a little so the action doesn't hammer into the stock each shot as well.

The wrist pin is fairly easy to install, done it several times. If you do a search in the big bore section, there will be tons of info on it for you, but basically grab a piece of threaded rod (I like 5/16") drill a hole from the tang angling towards the grip or the toe of the buttstock and epoxy the threaded rod into that hole.

The grain flow might also have been to blame on the last stock. If the grain runs short across the grip, it's going to weaken that area.

If you do decide to drill the grip.....use a carbon shaft not steel

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If you do decide to drill the grip.....use a carbon shaft not steel

Just curious why?

My only guess could be weight savings.

wrist pin will work, but if you don't want to have it show on the bottom of the grip, drill it from the rear action lug down, then bed both the pin and action in glass

Thanks for the information, guys. I didn't get all the info on the stock break, nor get to see the broken stock since it had been discarded. I had heard about other Ruger stock breaks though and did not want one to happen to me.

quote:

I had heard about other Ruger stock breaks though and did not want one to happen to me.

Breaks I've seen with Rugers is not enough relief behind the rear tang so that the wrist will split. Good bedding and relief behind the tear tang take care of that. A wrist pin down through the wrist will not help the split issue.