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Magpul Hunter American stock for the RARR

Posted: Wed Aug 29, 2018 7:31 pm
by Whole Bunches
Mine arrived today. Easy to install my Ruger American Ranch Rifle (300 Blackout) and looks great especially with a suppressor to give the bbl some length, but none of my 3 Ruger AICS .223/5.56 mags feed. Bottom of bolt face does not make contact with the base of the cartridge. Magpul Product Manager posted that it would work with Ruger mags, that is why I ordered the Hunter stock. Called Magpul twice. Was advised to buy Accuracy International brand polymer .223 mag. It appears that such a magazine is not listed by Accuracy International. Can find polymer AI style mags made by other than Accuracy International. Have asked Magpul to tell me exactly what brand and model of .223 mag they used that I can buy that will work. Also asked Magpul to note in my account that it is not working so far in case I request a refund. Told Magpul I wished they made a .223 AI style mag, as we know that would work with their stock.

Also took my 2nd RARR and tried it in the Hunter stock. That combination still would not feed due to bolt not contacting the base of the cartridge. Also tried a .223 cartridge in case the longer length made a difference...it will would not be picked up by the bolt. All mags snap into place. Installed and took out the one Ruger action in the Hunter stock 3 times with no change. If you lay the Blackout round on top of the Magpul .308 mag, it will feed, but of course you can't load the .308 mag with Blackout rounds.

Filing inside the Ruger mag feed lips to hopefully allow the cartridge to sit higher only ruins the magazine as the rounds start popping out before they are held high enough to feed. Mag catch nub on the magazine where the mag catch contacts it is in the same place as on the Magpul AI .308 mag.

Will keep you informed.

Re: Magpul Hunter American stock for the RARR

Posted: Wed Aug 29, 2018 8:05 pm
by dellet
AI quit making 223 mags probably 5 years ago, They had some made out of poly and the split at the seems. I have one out of three that has held up. For them to tell you that is pure BS, unless they have recently released one.

Accurate magazine has a steel body one that works well and max OAL of 2.3+.

MDT has a poly that max length is about 2.5

XLR is a chassis maker and they also sell an AI style 223 magazine, but I am not sure of the brand, that may be where my Accurate mag came from.

If any of those will feed in the Magpul stock for the Ruger, I can't say.

Re: Magpul Hunter American stock for the RARR

Posted: Wed Aug 29, 2018 10:11 pm
by bdill
I actually spoke with MDT about their chassis and why it wouldn’t work on Tuesday. I was informed that the mag catch is to short and not allowing it to sit high enough so that the bolt could grab the round and push it into the chamber. This could possibly be the same issue. I have considered trying to make a new mag catch with an extended tang to try but I don’t have the chassis or the magpul stock to test this theory. Also, I don’t have a mag catch to use as a gauge for the dimensions along with much spare time to try it but I have a mill when time frees up if I get the part and the chance to do it.

Is it possible to push the magazine further up and see if the bolt will strip the round?

Re: Magpul Hunter American stock for the RARR

Posted: Wed Aug 29, 2018 10:30 pm
by Whole Bunches
Wow. Thank you for all the info. Now my failure to find AI branded .223 polymer mags makes sense. It could very well be that Magpul had one on hand and that is what they used in designing the stock.

I tried pushing up all 3 of my mags in both of my RARRs. The back of the mags would go up further a few thousands of an inch. The front top of the Ruger mags was tight against the mag well. Both would still not grab the case...it would barely touch the case rim edge. If one took off material from all around the top of the Ruger mag and had a longer mag catch so the whole mag would go further up and be held in that higher plain, that might work. One should not have to do any of that. Both the Magpul techs may have used the term “tolerance stacking” in talking to me.

Re: Magpul Hunter American stock for the RARR

Posted: Wed Aug 29, 2018 10:34 pm
by bdill
That sounds like the case here. If one had a mag they didn’t care to trash then I’m sure removing material would solve this issue. I’ve noticed with RARR I just bought that the mag sits a little lower than i would like.

EDIT. What about removing material from the posts on the bottom metal that could allow the entire mag housing to sit further up. I have this same stock on my remington 700 308 but it’s at the gunsmith getting rebarreled with a Bartlein or I would check myself. It would be easier to put a spacer such as copper washers or arbor washers back in or build material up with jb weld if that didn’t work. Would probably only need to remove 1/8” or so to get the job done and they sale arbor washers pretty cheap.

Re: Magpul Hunter American stock for the RARR

Posted: Wed Aug 29, 2018 11:28 pm
by Whole Bunches
Both Magpul techs warned me to not alter the stock or parts or they would not take it back. Physically the mag will not go up into the stock enough to feed. I tried it without the trigger guard in place and pressed up very hard. While the bottom of the bolt face would now barely touch the edge of the case rim, it would not make enough contact with the case to push it forward to chamber.

Without the action in the Hunter stock and the Ruger AI style mag held firmly against the action with a round loaded in the mag, it will feed.

Re: Magpul Hunter American stock for the RARR

Posted: Wed Aug 29, 2018 11:38 pm
by dellet
You’ve got mail

Re: Magpul Hunter American stock for the RARR

Posted: Thu Aug 30, 2018 12:49 am
by Whole Bunches
FYI

Found in May 2017 the Magpul Product Manager said it would not work with Ruger AI mags. But, in Aug of 2018 he posted it will work with Ruger AI mags. I had forgotten about his May 2017 reply and relied on the Aug 2018 reply when I ordered my Hunter stock.

Re: Magpul Hunter American stock for the RARR

Posted: Thu Aug 30, 2018 6:54 am
by bdill
That’s interesting. I wonder what changed his mind.

I also had to deal with that dilemma. My 700 is left hand but magpul doesn’t sale left hand stocks so I took a long thin carbide burr and followed the grooves for the bolt and safety and made my stock a left hand. I put it in the mill to finish it up. I haven’t filled the other side in yet but it’s on the list of things to do.

Re: Magpul Hunter American stock for the RARR

Posted: Thu Aug 30, 2018 4:06 pm
by Whole Bunches
After trying everything I could think of that wasn't destructive to the stock, it's being returned for a refund. If they find a defect, they are to call me and offer to send another stock with no such defect, which I will consider. I even went so far as to measure the bedding blocks and try them rotated 180 degrees and in different front to back positions, to no avail. Different torque on the screws didn't change anything. Since my mags work when held up to the rifle action with no stock in place, the stock itself is keeping the action further away from the mag well than is needed. He agreed with me that removing material from the top of the mag so it went further into the mag well would not work, as the mag catch position will only keep the mag so high in the well. One would need a longer mag catch to try that technique. He agreed that one couldn't remove enough of the feed lips from the Ruger mags to make a big enough difference, but thought one might be able to do it with a MDT mag.

Magpul tech guy was nice. He told me yesterday after I called and was told to buy a real AI made polymer .223 mag that Magpul investigated and found that (just as I had been told) AI had discontinued that mag a few years ago due to the seams separating. He apologized for the advice I was given. He admitted that Magpul had only used an original AI made polymer .223 in their designing and testing. He admitted that Magpul had not used any another make of AICS pattern .223 magazine in designing and testing. Other than the old AI mag they have, they can't guarantee any AICS pattern magazine will work. Again, I said Magpul needs to make a .223 AICS pattern magazine.

I said the Product Manager hasn't replied to my posts on their forum outlining all I have tried to make it work.

I pointed him to the Magpul forum posting in which the Product Manager said Ruger AICS pattern magazines were correct. He said he interpreted that as not saying the Ruger mags were correct. I said, that although posters try their best in writing answers, sometimes different interpretations are possible. Here's the post FYI: (I added the words Question and Answer)

Question: Just so I understand this correctly.....this stock should work with my Ruger American Ranch in 5.56? I just need aics style mags in .223? If so, I already have some of the steel and plastic factory Ruger .223 mags for a Ruger scout rifle. They are labeled as aics for Ruger Precision rifle and scout rifle.

Answer from Magpul: Yes, that is correct.


If anyone sees a real review of the Hunter American stock used successfully on a Ruger American in .223/5.56 or Blackout, I'd love to see it. So far, I can find no real reviews, only press releases and Magpul's short video announcements. It's a shame, the stock feels so good. Looks a big goofy with a bare 16" bbl, but add a suppressor, and it looks REAL NICE to me.