ruger M77 opinions

[rockydoc]

The best 77 tang safety I ever owned was a 358 Norma. It was born in 1983 when I bought it new in 7 mag. I spent a fortune in powder, primers and bullets trying to get that thing to shoot...no luck. Finally I took the barrel off and sent it to
Douglas and had them duplicate the taper and chamber it to 350 Remington Mag. It shot ok but never got the speeds I was looking for so while talking to Jimmy McCoullough (McCollough Rifle Co) one day , he said I just happen to have a 358 Norma reamer. I shot cast in it as well as 250 Noslers. I was really accurate as long as the shoulder held out!

Was that Jimmy McCollough from a little town a few miles down the highway from Tuscaloosa toward Centreville. I think the name of the town is Douglasville (maybe). If so he was a good friend and he built a couple of custom rifles for me when he lived in Tuscaloosa and I was enrolled at the University of Alabama in the late’50s.
Rocky Stone

[rockydoc]

Come to think of it, I think the guy I am talking about was named Jimmy McCollum. He is deceased now, he was a director of the NRA for a while.

[murf205]

No doc, I knew who Jimmy Mccollum was and the Jimmy I am referring to is Jimmy McCollough and he is very much alive. His shop is in Valley Grande, Al just north if Selma . He was the main gunsmith at Walker Arms before they closed their doors and he opened McCollough Rifle Co. This old Marine is probably the best all around gunsmith I ever had the pleasure of knowing, and knows more about firearms history than anyone I've ever met.