Page 58 - American Rifleman (February 2020)

RUGER PRECISION RIFLE

1.

2.

3.
Starting from the rear of the ri e, I rst replaced
Ruger’s proprietary Precision MSR buttstock assembly
with Magpul’s polymer PRS GEN3 (1., magpul.com, $255). I next replaced the oversize factory bolt knob with an
Essentially the gold standard for xed, precision-style aftermarket unit from CTK Precision, the Ruger Precision
AR-platform buttstocks, the PRS is compatible with both Ri e Bolt Knob (3., ctkprecision.com, $46). The part con-

ri e- and carbine-length receiver extensions, the latter of sists of a 6061 hard-coat-anodized aluminum knob head at
which is used by the RPR. Both stocks are capable of tool- the end of a high-strength steel extension that is threaded
less length-of-pull and comb-height adjustment, but I nd 5/16x24 TPI. The elongated head can rotate 360 degrees,
the dual thumbwheels of the Magpul (with an audible and and an integral set screw allows it to be locked in place in
tactile click accompanying each setting detent) to be easier the orientation of the shooter’s preference. I found that con-

to use for smaller, more precise adjustments than are the guring the knob so that its widest dimension ran parallel
two cam levers employed by the Precision MSR. to the barrel was a very ergonomic setup for me, making an
The shape of the Magpul is also much more conducive to already-easy-to-run bolt even faster and more natural.

reaching back and using the support hand to help stabi- In its factory con guration, the RPR’s pivoting magazine
lize the rear of the ri e, while likewise being considerably release lever, found between the trigger guard and the maga-
more visually appealing. The PRS GEN3 also incorporates zine well, necessitates the use of the shooter’s support hand
two M-Lok-compatible accessory attachment slots into its in order to actuate it. An ambidextrous, U-shaped accessory
toe for the mounting of a folding monopod—a setup that that mounts directly onto the release lever via a single screw,
is unobtrusive when not in use—and is personally prefer- the Ruger Precision Ri e Mag Release Extension (4., $37), also

able to the exposed Picatinny rail of the Precision MSR. by CTK Precision, allows the lever to be tripped by the trig-

Replacing the factory Ruger assembly with the PRS GEN3 ger nger while maintaining a ring grip. This frees up the
did add 6 ozs. to the weight of the RPR, however, I think support hand to focus solely on the task of loading a fresh
this is a fair trade-off for a full-featured buttstock that magazine, greatly speeding up the reloading process.
both looks better and feels better in the eld. While my original barrel hadn’t yet shown any signs of
The RPR’s bolt shroud is af xed to the rear of its bolt, wearing out, it had been well used during the past four
guiding the tail of the assembly as it travels within the years, so a fresh replacement was probably not necessary,
ri e’s vacant receiver extension during manipulation; but it was timely nonetheless. Helix 6 Precision is a maker of

depending on the time of the gun’s manufacture, the part carbon- ber barrels, and, in addition to blanks in a number

is either polymer (pre-May 2016) or aluminum (post-May of bore diameters, it also offers pre- t barrels for the RPR in
2016). Anarchy Outdoors offers Bolt Shroud Replacements in 6 mm Creedmoor, 6.5 mm Creedmoor and .308 Win. A hand-
a number of con gurations, but the one that most caught lapped 416R stainless steel core wrapped in carbon ber

my eye was the variant constructed of uted and polished using a proprietary process, the 6.5 mm Creedmoor barrel

high-grade titanium (2., anarchyoutdoors.com, $80). (5., helix6precision.com, $1,449) I selected for this project
Available with or without provision for the RPR’s ring pin measured a consistent 0.98" along its entire length, with

tool, and sized to accommodate either the short-action button-ri ed 1:8" twist ri ing and a 5/8x24 TPI threaded

or the magnum ri es, the tightly toleranced replacement muzzle. Thanks to its carbon- ber construction, the Helix 6
shroud reduces play in the bolt, resulting in a superbly replacement barrel weighed only 2 lbs., 12 ozs., shaving 19 ozs.
smooth stroke. off the weight of the factory 4140 chrome/moly steel barrel,
despite both being 24" long; once installed, this made a tan-
6. Removal of the factory barrel gible difference in the overall heft and balance of the RPR.
required the use of a barrel While the procedure of removing the RPR’s barrel is quite
vise from Farrell Industries. simple in principle—that of loosening the barrel nut using an
The heavy-duty aluminum vise AR-15 armorer’s wrench—it was a beast in practice, as Ruger
allowed the barrel to be secured had really tightened that thing on there. The process does
in place while the barrel nut require the use of a barrel vise to secure the tube in place
was torqued around it. while the nut is torqued around it, and a heavy-duty alumi-
num vise from Farrell Industries (6., kenfarrell.com, $185)
was used for this project. Once the factory chrome/moly steel
56 FEBRUARY 2020 AMERICAN RIFLEMAN