Ruger American Rifle Generation 2

Real Romance

The hunter is the romantic. That may not be the first word that comes to mind when you picture Ed, or Jim, or Marge headed to their deer blind. It’s not exactly a Lady-and-the-Tramp Endeavor, the pursuit of wild game.

That is, you wouldn’t think so if you haven’t spent much time talking to hunters. Most any of them have tales of fathers or grandfathers, quests for wild beasts, challenges overcome, victory in the face of certain failure. No, don’t mistake it, these are romantics.

The shooters though, these are the tacticians. I wouldn’t call them all cold or unfeeling, certainly not to their face. They do have a bit of a distance to them, though. They have reams of ballistic information, handload configurations, dope charts, and bullet weights stored physically or mentally. These are data-driven souls. Their minds aren’t changed or opinions influenced by some flippant anecdotes or whimsical tale of valor.

“Just the facts, ma’am,” as Joe Friday may or may not have said.

So, when a gun like the Ruger American Gen II comes along and I sit here in my basement cave thinking about who it appeals to and how, I’m struck dumb at the notion it just might serve both sides of the ledger without any compromise.

The only thing better than a great original is a well-done sequel. Who among us doesn’t love to see our favorite film franchise run it back for a second go-round? The first-generation Ruger American was somewhat of a watershed moment itself.

I’ve been blessed to have come of age during the height of firearm technology and development. I remember being dumbfounded when the budget-rifle boom was happening. Ruger, Remington and Savage were delivering solid rifles at prices consumers loved. These rifles weren’t the glossy-stocked sexed-up tarts of yesteryear, they were utilitarian workhorses and they all flat-out shot.