Description
The Ruger American Generation II Scout is the scout rifle idea done properly and sold at a price that does not require a second thought. Model 46965 pairs a 16.1 inch cold hammer-forged barrel, finished in Cobalt Cerakote and threaded 1/2×28, with a Leaf Green splatter stock whose length of pull adjusts from 12 to 13.75 inches. It weighs 6.6 pounds and measures 37.35 inches overall.
What sets the Ruger American Generation II Scout apart from every other bolt gun in this bracket is the magazine. It feeds from AR-style magazines, so the PMAGs already in your range bag drop straight in, and a spare costs a fraction of what a proprietary bolt-action magazine does. Ruger includes one in the box.
It also arrives ready to use without a scope. There is an AR-style adjustable front sight, a windage-adjustable rear with a flip aperture, and a factory-installed Scout scope base for an intermediate eye relief optic if you want one. Very few rifles at this price give you both.
Features of the Ruger American Generation II Scout
- 16.1 inch cold hammer-forged barrel, 1:8 twist with five grooves, finished in Cobalt Cerakote
- Threaded 1/2×28 at the muzzle
- Feeds from AR-style magazines, one 10-round magazine included
- Leaf Green Generation II stock with a splatter finish and length of pull adjustable from 12 to 13.75 inches
- AR-style adjustable front sight and a windage-adjustable rear with a flip aperture
- Factory-installed Scout scope base for an intermediate eye relief optic
- Ruger Marksman Adjustable trigger, user-adjustable between three and five pounds
- Three-position tang safety
- Patented Power Bedding integral bedding block with a free-floated barrel
- One-piece CNC-machined stainless steel bolt with a 70 degree throw and an oversized handle
- 37.35 inches overall, 6.6 pounds
Why an AR style magazine bolt action changes the math
- An AR style magazine bolt action feeds from the most common rifle magazine in the world, so spares cost a few dollars rather than fifty
- You are not hunting for a discontinued proprietary magazine in five years time
- Ten-round and thirty-round magazines both work, so the rifle adapts to whatever your state allows
- AR magazines are steel-lipped or polymer-reinforced and far more robust than the thin bolt-action boxes they replace
- It also means the rifle shares magazines with an AR-15 already in the safe, which is the whole point of a truck gun
Ruger 46965 specifications
- Model: 46965
- Caliber: 5.56 NATO
- Capacity: 10 rounds, AR-style magazine, one included
- Barrel: 16.10 inches, cold hammer-forged, Cobalt Cerakote
- Thread pattern: 1/2-28
- Twist: 1:8 right hand, five grooves
- Receiver: alloy steel with a Cerakote finish
- Stock: Leaf Green Generation II with splatter finish
- Length of pull: 12 to 13.75 inches, adjustable
- Overall length: 37.35 inches
- Weight: 6.6 pounds
- Front sight: AR-style adjustable
- Rear sight: windage adjustable with flip aperture
- Optic base: factory-installed Scout scope base
- Trigger: Ruger Marksman Adjustable, 3 to 5 pounds
- Safety: three-position tang safety
- UPC: 7-36676-46965-9
The Cobalt Cerakote threaded barrel and what to hang on it
The Ruger American Generation II Scout wears a Cobalt Cerakote threaded barrel that is cold hammer-forged, which work-hardens the bore and gives more consistent groove dimensions than button rifling does on a production line. The Cerakote is a ceramic-filled coating rather than a bluing salt finish, so it shrugs off weather far better on a rifle that lives in a truck or a scabbard.
The Ruger American Generation II Scout muzzle is threaded 1/2×28, which is the standard 5.56 pattern, so a brake or a flash hider from any AR parts bin will fit. MAG5 Firearms does not sell NFA items such as suppressors or short-barreled rifles; a can on this thread would need ATF approval through a dealer who handles those transfers.
The 1:8 twist is worth understanding. It will stabilize everything from 55 grain up through 77 grain match bullets, which is a wider window than the old 1:9 barrels managed. Barnes Precision Match 69 grain is where this barrel will show what it can do, while Fiocchi 55 grain FMJ boat tail is the sensible bulk load for working the action.
The three position tang safety and the Marksman trigger
On the Ruger American Generation II Scout the three position tang safety is the detail that separates a serious bolt gun from a budget one. Forward is fire, middle blocks the trigger while still allowing the bolt to be cycled so you can unload safely, and rearward locks the bolt closed. Having a middle position matters more than it sounds: it means you can clear the chamber without ever taking the rifle off safe.
The Ruger American Generation II Scout uses the Ruger Marksman Adjustable trigger, which breaks between three and five pounds and which you set yourself with a hex key. Out of the box it is clean enough that most owners never touch it, which is not something you can say about most rifles in this bracket.
Magazines and the rest of the Generation II range
One magazine ships with every Ruger American Generation II Scout. For spares, a Magpul PMAG M3 30-round in 5.56 is the obvious choice and we stock it in very large numbers. Check your state magazine limits before ordering a thirty, because the rifle will run either capacity happily.
If you want the same action in a different shape, the Ruger American Generation II Ranch is the short, plain-stocked version and the Generation II Predator is the varmint configuration. Ruger publishes the full specification for this model on the official model 46965 spec sheet.
Why this firearm earns its place
- AR-style magazines, which is the single biggest practical advantage a modern bolt gun can have
- Iron sights AND a Scout scope base fitted from the factory, so the rifle works the day it arrives
- Adjustable length of pull from 12 to 13.75 inches, which makes it fit a teenager and an adult in a heavy coat
- Cold hammer-forged barrel with Power Bedding and a free-floated profile, at a price where competitors are still using cast receivers
- A genuine three-position tang safety rather than a two-position trigger block
This suits the hunter who wants one short, weatherproof rifle for brush and truck work, the shooter who already owns an AR-15 and wants a bolt gun that shares magazines, and any family where one rifle has to fit several people. The 16.1 inch barrel gives up some velocity to a 20 inch, which is the honest cost of the handiness.
Every firearm we ship goes to a licensed dealer in your state for the transfer and the background check. Call us if you need help finding a shop near you that accepts transfers.
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