Ruger 96/44

[9.3X62AL]

Does anyone here have any time with this rifle? I'm particularly interested in the cast boolit accuracy of the 96/44--its 1/20" twist rate seems a better idea than the Marlin's 1/38" in 44 caliber.

TIA.

[Scrounger]

I had one for a short while about 6 or 7 years ago. It shot skeet patterns with everything I tried in it.

[Johnch]

A freind has one
He has run a fair amount of my cast thru it
I have never seen a group smaller than 1 1/2" at 50 yds most run in the 2 - 3" range With some in the 6"range
But some of that might be the nut behind the bolt

A while back I ask what his bore was , I don't think he ever sluged it
He just shoots my .431 bullets , that may be part of the grouping problem

The Mag will not axcept the Lee 310 bullet or any bullet loaded a little long
Also it hangs up a little with wad cutters and any real large meplated bullet
It will feed them , but you can't just work the lever

IMO not a bad gun , just BUTT ugly

John

[lathesmith]

Beauty is truly in the eyes of the beholder, I guess... I have a 96/44, and I kinda like it. I haven't done extensive cast shooting with it, but it seems to like most everything I have fed it so far. Most of the loads I have tried are in the very mild range, say 900-1000fps, and it will easily do 3/4" @25 yds. I have not tried it at much further range than this. I have tried the Lee 240 TL, it liked it, even though my SBH leads severely with this bullet in a few rounds; it likes 429421's, and my favorite plinking load is the Lee 200gr FP. I haven't tried to hot rod it with cast bullets yet, I may try that in a month or so. As John pointed out, it is fussy about bullet shape, I am not sure how some of these 270gr+ slugs would feed from its box magazine, if at all. That is really the only limitation that I can see.
Lathesmith

[felix]

I have had one since the day they were issued, and just because the twist was faster. Since then, I have shot the thing in quite good. The barrel is quite hard and I think it is made out of the material used for the 454, 480 revolter cylinders. That being the case, it will take quite a few rounds to clean up any rough spots in the throating area. It took a thousand rounds of high antimony, low tin boolits to make it shoot 2 inches at a hunnert. As far as mechanics are concerned, I think this lever design is the best of them all, by FAR. Only the little finger is required to fully cycle the action, for example. The boolit/bullet must be of the cowboy design, and have no more than 0.310 nose length, 0.300 for perfect confidence. Boolit diameter should be 0.433 for optimum fit in the chamber, when using typical RemChester cases. Must size down with fatter cases, like Hornady and Starline. Gaschecks are preferred because of the freebore which is quite long. How much, I don't know because the whole shootin' match is limited by the length of the cartridge coming from the "clip". Would I buy the gun again? You bet, for charging tin cans; only an auto will shoot faster. The barrel is hammer forged on new equipment, new when the gun was first made. Handles full power loads well. ... felix

[6pt-sika]

I had one in my hands at the local gun emporium when they first came out .

And correct me if I am wrong but I believe the one I had in my hands that day was stocked in walnut as opposed to the later ones in birch if memory serves me .

At the time I wanted one because I was on a 44 MAG kick , but now I am fairly content with my three Marlin 44 MAG's ..

Also believe on the first 96/44's the lever was color case hardened .

[44man]

I worked on a friends Ruger .44 auto, stock work, and found it shot very good with the 320 LBT. I single loaded them. I hate that little rotary magazine. It might work to use .44 special brass and work loads with a heavy boolit like the Lee 310. You would not give up much.
I had to shoot the gun in the opposite direction on my range because the farmer was working his field. I didn't notice the big 18" diameter tree in line with the gun. I shot through it. It's still alive after all these years though, gave it some air I guess. :Fire:

[9.3X62AL]

I didn't notice the big 18" diameter tree in line with the gun. I shot through it. It's still alive after all these years though, gave it some air I guess. :Fire:

No penetration issues, it would appear. :-)

Still mulling this one over, I have a chance at a recent Marlin with Ballard-pattern rifling at a good price, thought I would see what folks here thought of the Ruger before "jumping".

Many thanks!

[felix]

Al, the guns are so different in feel that they cannot be compared. The ruger feels like the familiar ruger 22LR, or for that matter, the military carbine M1, and handles exactly the same as either. Assuming you never felt one, the lever 44 or the auto 44. ... felix

[9.3X62AL]

The Ruger 96/44 looks like the mating results of the Savage 99 and the Ruger 44 Auto Carbine to me--and is largely an unknown quantity to me. The Marlin.......I know pretty well, including its flawed twist rate--which I count as its only defect.

We'll see.

[lathesmith]

You mean the current 96/44's don't have a color cased lever? I guess mine is one of the "early" ones, because it has this, and I like it. I understand Bill Ruger was heavily influenced by the Savage 99, and this was incorporated into the design of the 96/44. I do like the short lever throw, it is definitely one of the rifle's best features.
I also have a 96/22 as a companion gun, although I found a 24" target grey stainless barrel from a 77/22 and fitted it to mine. Both of these guns have a fairly stiff trigger compared to my T/C's, but with a little practice it isn't too bad. At least they break clean. The 22 is good for acclamation practice, then lighter 44 loads in the 96/44, then on to full power.
Lathesmith