Trouble with Ruger M77 trap door

[DRM]

Sorry if my terminology is off - lol.

New-to-me Ruger M77, the magazine trap door underneath is kind of sloppy, and the slightest jostle - or firing the weapon - pops it open and all ammo is dropped noisily to the deer stand mesh (still got 2 that morning - humph!).

Anyway - does anyone know what the metal trap door is made of? If weldable - my first thought was to simply enlarge the retaining "button" for better engagement with the release. Second thought was to drill the button out, then install a small adjustable cap head screw to get the engagement I need - lock in place with locktight, then countour the cap head for optimal fit.

Or is this as simple as just ordering a $10 replacement part from Ruger?

Any suggestions appreciated

[Guest GunTroll]

Some are steel some aluminum. Try a magnet to find out. I would not advise re-inventing the wheel on this one. With all the 77's out there and the vast majority of them not having this problem.....yours can be fixed with minimal effort. I'd look at the floor plate (or door) and see it the "nub" that catches the release lever is broken. After that look at the release/latch its self. Perhaps its broke or the spring is broke and or missing.

gunpartscorp.com

brownells.com

midwayusa.com

any of these places should have the parts you need.

Edited December 2, 2010 by GunTroll

[DRM]

Trigger guard latching mechanism and spring all seem to function well. The door however seems to be a bit of a sloppy fit - both side to side, and fore/aft. I will take a closer look as soon as I get home.

As for "reinventing the wheel" - it seems one of my favorite (not) pastimes lately has been to spent time in the shop building a tool, so I can then build the part...

[DRM]

The price sucks, but out of stock anyway: MOYERS : RUGER® 77 STEEL FLOORPLATE - World's Largest Supplier of Firearm Accessories, Gun Parts and Gunsmithing Tools

No picture to verify - is this is? Still too expensive, IMHO. RUGER : FLOOR PLATE ASSEMBLY, LONG ACTION, MATTE, SS - World's Largest Supplier of Firearm Accessories, Gun Parts and Gunsmithing Tools

I did read up a bit and maybe I can adjust things a bit. I do recall the retaining nub that contacts the trigger guard latch on mine is rounded off, not the square face I see in the picture at the top link I posted.

[gregintenn]

I once had a similar problem with a model 70 Winchester. It seemed the wood was a bit proud around the floorplate area, not allowing it to close completely. Perhaps moisture got into it and it swelled a bit? After carefully removing a bit of wood, it worked like new. I'm not saying this is what's wrong with yours, but something to consider.

[Guest sneakboxer]

I have a M77 (tang) and have noticed that the floorplate release tension changes after i field strip the rifle. Mine only gets tighter unlike your problem. I have found that loosing the trigger guard screws and reseating it (with a jiggle) solves the problem. You might want to check your screws first.

Best of luck,

[DRM]

As usual - simple fix... lol.

When I had checked it previously - I simply checked to see that the screws were tight. This time, I removed the screw holding the floor plate in place, removed it entirely, then reinstalled it. Upon re-installation, I noticed that if you were not careful, the floor plate mounting bracket would "ride up" on the stock wood, causing the entire assembly to sit too far forward, and a bit too high off the stock surface. Making sure the mounting hinge was seated properly this time, then tightening the screw achieved the proper fit that I was looking for.

Thanks guys - made me slow down and pay attention to the small details

Edited December 3, 2010 by DRM

[Guest GunTroll]

Good.