Free: Contests & Raffles.
Ruger LC6 TriggerThe Ruger trigger supplied in the M77 Mark II was a big step backward from the very good trigger mechanism used in the original M77. The Mark II trigger is creepy, heavy and not user adjustable. (It can be lightened by removing the trigger return spring and clipping off one link, but that is hardly "user adjustable" by normal standards and the excessive creep remains.) The Ruger M77 is a very popular hunting rifle, and generally deserves to be, but its trigger has been widely and justifiably criticized. The usual solution for M77 Mark II owners is to replace the stock trigger assembly with an aftermarket trigger.For years, Ruger refused to budge on the trigger issue, despite all the criticism the Mark II trigger received from practically everyone who owned one, including the reviewers at Guns and Shooting Online. However, the pressure from the AccuTrigger and other "improved" triggers made some improvement of the Mark II trigger necessary if the M77 rifle was to remain competitive in the marketplace.This was accomplished with the introduction of the M77 Hawkeye rifle, which incorporates the LC6 trigger mechanism. The LC6 is derived from the Mark II trigger with some internal and manufacturing improvements. Ruger advertises "smooth, crisp performance right out of the box." Guns and Shooting Online reviewed an early Hawkeye rifle and found the trigger to be even worse than the last M77 Mark II we had reviewed, creepy, gritty and heavy. The LC6 triggers that I tried at the 2008 SHOT Show were considerably better than the example in our test rifle. Either they were specially tuned for the SHOT Show or Ruger has improved their quality control. However, the LC6 is not user adjustable, is set for a (too heavy) nominal five pound pull at the factory and remains clearly inferior to the original M77 trigger as well as the Savage AccuTrigger and the new triggers from Browning, Marlin and Winchester. This is a shame, as anyone who has owned an original M77 knows that Ruger is perfectly capable of producing a good, adjustable trigger should they choose to do so.