204 Ruger, which factory rifle?

[MTPaul]

Many thanks to those of you who took the time and shared your thoughts on what direction I might want to consider taking with my 204R pursuit. The end is near...

After an exhaustive search across many different rifles both new and used, I was finally able to turn up a used Cooper model 21. Judging by over a dozen pictures and the sellers own rating (Excellent) of the rifle's condition after a ten-point inspection, the rifle is now on its way to my FFL. For peace of mind, the rifle also comes with a no questions asked return policy where for a period of 3 calendar days after I take possession, the seller will accept a return of the rifle regardless of reason for a full refund. On top of that, there is an additional 7-day timeframe where a full refund is provided for any mechanical defects that are discovered.

I plan to take the rifle to my trusted gunsmith and have him give it a thorough inspection. If it passes muster, I'll finally have another addition to my gun safe. If he gives it a thumbs up then the fun begins...threading the barrel, adding a scope, ammunition evaluation and finally airborne critters!

[skipper]

Well, congratulations.

[SecretCode]

Sweet. I love it when we get to help spend someone else's Money! All seriousness congrats on finding the model 21. Any idea on date of manufacture?

[MTPaul]

Secretcode. I need to do a little digging to get the manufacture date. Since Cooper was purchased by Nighthawk and they moved the manufacturing and administration from MT to AR, I don't know how many of the legacy records went to AR. I have to make a few more calls and/or emails to do try and sleuth out that information.

[RowdyYates]

Great choice. I also have a Cooper in .204R (M21 Varminter); getting ready to downsize a bit, and that one stays. What barrel length and configuration - Varminter, Montana Varminter, Classic, etc. is your’s?

[MTPaul]

Hi Rowdy! According to the carrier (UPS) the Cooper should arrive at my FFL today! Excited? You bettcha! Since I have yet to put my hands on the rifle, I will provide the seller's description. The rifle is a Montana Varminter, walnut stock with the classic "Buick holed" stock inlets. It has a 24-inch, non-threaded barrel with a 1:12 twist rate. I am still sleuthing the date of manufacture.

Once the rifle arrives, I'll take it to my gunsmith for a thorough stem to stern inspection. If it passes muster, the real fun begins...

[Rick in Oregon]

Once the rifle arrives, I'll take it to my gunsmith for a thorough stem to stern inspection. If it passes muster, the real fun begins...

Great news there, Paul! I can almost feel your enthusiasm and excitement from here. It makes guys like us feel like kids again, waiting for Santa to bring that first 22 rifle at Christmas. It's a good feeling for us older guys.

So your Cooper Montana Varminter should look pretty much like mine in the pic below. Mine was sent back to the factory for cutting the 26" barrel to 24" for much better handling characteristics and a chamber cast so I'm aware of both the neck I.D. and freebore. I'm not concerned about losing 25 fps of velocity, as it still vaporizes any PD or ground squirrel in great fashion and carries better, less bulk and to me just more eye-appealing. Mine likes any of the 32gr bullets, and really seems to like the 39gr SBK for a heavy bullet option. I use my 11T M700 for shooting the 40 grainers when I'm after more wind-bucking or longer range.



Some of the MTV's came with very nice wood. Mine is about what I'd call typical for the time of production, right around 2014 or thereabouts. I installed a Jard 10 oz trigger in mine, as it only gets shot off the bench in the rat patch, and the factory trigger can only be reduced safely to about 3 lbs.....much too heavy for precision bench work.

One caveat I'll offer, is to not thread that Cooper barrel! Doing so will kill the overall resale of that rifle, and if it's a 26" barrel now, will be ridiculously long with a can screwed on. If shooting a 204R suppressed is important to you, I"d go with a push-on can like in the pic below to avoid the cost, machine work, and the detrimental resale factor. My #2 son Dave in the pic has suppressors on most of his rifles, and swears by the push-on cans he uses.



We're looking forward to seeing your new Cooper MTV 204R, especially how you lucked out in the Cooper stock wood lottery. Good luck!

[MTPaul]

Hi Rick! Yes, kid in a candy store...guilty as charged! One comment you made got me to thinking and it had to do with your admonition NOT to thread the barrel on the Cooper 204R rifle as it would "kill the overall resale of that rifle." While I don't doubt the threading of a barrel on a Winchester 1873 made in 1885, or any other rare or collectible rifle for that matter, would diminish the value, I wasn't sure whether the same would be true for a production rifle like the Cooper. Certainly, I recognize there are those folks who perceive altering a rifle as running counter to the nature of the manufacture's original intent and from a purist's perspective there is value attached to having a rifle in its original condition. I can also see the value to some folks in having a barrel threaded to help preserve their hearing, myself included. To these latter people, there might actually be an increased value to having a threaded barrel.

I'm not doubting your conviction, nor your experience gathered over the years on such matters. Would you mind providing a little more background or perspective on why the value of a Cooper 204R rifle would be diminished if it was threaded?

[Rick in Oregon]

Paul, I'm only commenting on the cadre of Cooper rifle lovers, collectors and owners who feel that anything like barrel threading is considered sacrilegious to a pristine Cooper rifle. But as it's your rifle, it's yours to do as you please with it.

We all know the benefits to shooting suppressed, no argument there at all. I was only trying to make you aware of this, and suggested a push-on can as opposed to threading, that's all. A push-on can would retain the appearance and value and still give you the benefit of suppression without altering that nice Cooper.

My son has a number of suppressors, but prefers the push-on cans for the utility they offer of similar barrel O.D.'s, being able to use one on several of his rifles. His came from an outfit in ID, not sure of the manufacturer, but I'm certain there's more than one that offers this feature.

I do not shoot suppressed, never felt the need or want. Virtually all my friends have one weapon or another suppressed, and I'm the odd man out in that regard. Just never felt the need to spend a grand on something I've never needed or wanted for what I do with my rifles, but do not demean others who do. Besides, during a ten day period in the rat patch, cleaning rifles daily and/or hourly, having yet another item to solvent and brush clean has never been high on my list of things to do. But again, we all have our own personal wants, needs and preferences.

[MTPaul]

Thank you for that level-headed, thoughtful and reasoned explanation. I certainly agree there are those Cooper rifle lovers who would consider making modifications to their rifles akin to a cardinal sin and I don't fault them in the least. Typically, when I make a firearm purchase, I buy the item I want in its original state, or I modify it to be what I want based on how I intend to eventually use it. While I don't disregard the effect making a modification may have on the resale value, it isn't necessarily front of mind. All of the modifications I have made to my firearms over the years have been accomplished by a trusted and competent gunsmith. Granted, there are some who may see making these modifications as having diminished the firearms value and I appreciate that. When my grandkids occasionally keep me company, whether we are target plinking or red misting distant targets, having sound suppression for their young tender ears is a decided priority. My hearing, having served in the Navy and worked around jet engines for my entire enlistment, is far from ideal but I do want to help preserve what little I have left.

In the case of the suppressor, and not to get too far off track with one type of suppressor choice versus another, I have used the Thunderbeast type suppressors for many years and one reason, beside the sound reduction they provide, was the lack in POI shift when I attached my rifles. Afterall, as attributed to Colonel Townsend Whelen, "Only accurate rifles are interesting."

[Rick in Oregon]

My hearing, having served in the Navy and worked around jet engines for my entire enlistment, is far from ideal but I do want to help preserve what little I have left.

I'm sure adding a suppressor to my rat shooting kit would be a reasonable thing to do. But I'm just not inclined to go that route, as I'd rather spend my money on more components, rifles and pistols, but I completely understand why you and others go that route.

My hearing is toast after two tours in RVN, my GQ station was directly under a quad 3"/50 gun mount, and when those babies were torched off, it was like being inside a large bell with some brute smacking it with a sledgehammer. And being a Radioman in the beach assault boats, I had a .50 cal BMG right over my head, raining down hot fired brass onto me. No bueno, not to mention the concussion of being so close to the gun. But that monthly gvmt VA check doesn't hurt.

Old veteran guys with hearing loss.....lol, nothing to write home about, but it sure helps the suppressor industry!

Looking forward to seeing your MTV and how you did in the stock wood 'lottery'.

[Tom Kat]

Add me to the non surpresded group. I dont have anything against it, I just dont see a need to spend more money in that particiular way. I am an anti government type and dont like the idea of them asking more questions of me. They KNOW all about me, the sheriff has my fingerprints from my CCW applicaiton, and numerous new gun purchases.

I dont have anything against them. Its just not my thing, at least not yet. My new Ruger 204 came with a threaded barrel so I can add one if I want

[mike4aera]

Love our Savage 110 varmint rifles, 26" barrels with 1-12 twist. We shoot Hornady 40 gr Vmax with 22.7 grains of H322, the fps is mid 3200, they are tack drivers

[Jim White]

These aren't 204's but Cooper's are pretty darn good out of the box plus you get the load they tested the rifle with.

[Rick in Oregon]

Nice stock wood on those two Coopers there, Jimmy! For routine factory stock wood offerings, Cooper was pretty much at the top of the pile during their production period. It's most likely now a thing of the past, as I have zero hope NH will continue what the MT Cooper factory did for so many years.

Pity, as there is still quite a market for single shot bolt guns with nice features that outfits like Cooper offered. Dakota is one high-end production rifle maker that still offers these features, but it seems anyone born after 1990 just must have something 'Tacticool' instead.