Ruger American Rifle Generation II Prairie .223 Remington
Model: 46974
Ruger American Rifle Generation II Prairie .223 Remington
Model: 46974
Full Specifications
About This Firearm
Prairie is the varmint trim of Ruger's Generation II line, and .223 Remington is its natural chambering. The barrel is bull contour with shallow spiral flutes cut for cooling, 20 inches on a 1:8 twist that will take the heavier .224 bullets, and the magazine is AR-pattern, so a 10-round box is standard and spares are a commodity. It weighs 6.8 lbs, measures 41.25 inches, and has an MSRP of $769.
The rest is fit and mounting. A one-piece Picatinny base is installed and there are no sights. The three-position tang safety locks the bolt closed and still allows the rifle to be loaded with the safety on. Length of pull shortens when the installed spacer comes out, and the comb insert lifts out for low-mounted sights. The muzzle wears a thread protector rather than a brake, which leaves the threads free for a suppressor, and the oversized bolt handle unscrews so the knob can be swapped.
The Bergara B-14 Hunter in .22-250 Remington has an MSRP of $949 and takes the same job up a cartridge, with four rounds in an internal box and a plain muzzle at 7.1 lbs. The same Ruger American Rifle Generation II action in .243 Winchester carries the same MSRP, holds three rounds in a flush magazine and arrives with a radial brake instead.
Best For
Strengths & Limitations
- AR-pattern magazines are the cheapest and most widely stocked centerfire magazine there is, which matters on a rifle that gets fed a lot of rounds in a sitting.
- The threads carry a protector rather than a brake, so a suppressor or a brake is a choice the owner still gets to make.
- Two fit adjustments come built in: the length-of-pull spacer pulls out and the comb insert lifts out, both with a screwdriver.
- One magazine comes in the box, and a rifle like this wants several.
- A bull barrel on a hunting-weight stock is heavy for walking and light for a bench, which is the compromise in a trim called Prairie.
- No sights are fitted and the stock has no cheek adjustment, so scope and ring height have to be worked out rather than copied from another rifle.
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Frequently Asked Questions
What magazines does it take?
AR-pattern magazines, and one comes with the rifle. The magazine type here is AR-style, so standard AR-15 magazines in .223 Remington feed it, which is unusual on a bolt-action rifle and makes spares cheap.
Is the barrel threaded?
Yes, 1/2x28, with a thread protector installed rather than a muzzle device. That is the common .22 caliber pitch, so most brakes and suppressor mounts for an AR-15 thread straight on.
How does the Prairie differ from the standard Generation II?
Barrel and muzzle. Prairie gets a bull-contour barrel with shallow flutes and a thread protector in a Smoked Bronze Cerakote finish; the standard rifles use a medium contour with deep flutes, a radial port brake and a gray finish. Action, trigger, safety and stock hardware are shared.
Can the stock be shortened?
Yes. A spacer is installed at the butt and removing it shortens length of pull, and Ruger sells spacers of other thicknesses for a closer fit.