Ruger Air Scout Magnum, 4.5 mm

The Ruger Air Scout Magnum is a spring-powered break-barrel air rifle in 4.5 mm (.177) from Umarex, built under licence from Ruger. You cock the rifle by breaking the barrel, load a single diabolo pellet directly into the breech and close it again. With 32 J and a quoted muzzle velocity of 345 m/s, it is the Magnum version of the Air Scout series – designed for shooting at longer ranges than the lower-powered leisure models.

The rifle has a synthetic stock with cheek piece, rubber butt pad and a 495 mm barrel, giving an overall length of 1294 mm. A spring-piston break-barrel is self-contained: there is no compressed air to fill and no cartridges to buy, so pellets are your only running cost. That makes it an obvious choice for target shooting on your own land or at the club when you want more power than a beginner's rifle.

Ruger Air Scout Magnum – key features

What you need to know about the rifle:

• 32 J from a spring piston: Umarex quotes 345 m/s – well above the Air Scout base models at 7.5 to 19.99 J, and enough for a flat trajectory at longer target distances.
• Self-contained break-barrel system: One movement cocks the spring and opens the breech for loading. No air tank, pump or cartridges – the rifle is always ready.
• 495 mm barrel: 20 mm longer than the standard Air Scout, giving more leverage when cocking and a longer time to accelerate the pellet.
• Fibre-optic adjustable sights: The light-gathering fibre front and rear sights are quick to find in poor light, and the rear sight adjusts for both elevation and windage.
• Automatic safety: The safety engages when the rifle is cocked, so you must actively take it off before shooting.

Maintenance and safety

• Do not leave the rifle cocked for long periods, and never fire it without a pellet – dry-firing can damage the spring and piston.
• Only use 4.5 mm diabolo pellets. Roughly every 250 shots, Umarex recommends shooting an oil-soaked cleaning pellet through the barrel and giving the breech joint and lock a few drops of gun oil.
• Wipe the metal parts with a cloth lightly moistened with gun oil, and never force a cleaning rod through the barrel.
• This is a powerful air rifle with a danger zone of up to 1100 m according to Umarex – only use a pellet trap the pellet cannot penetrate, and always keep the muzzle pointed in a safe direction. Check the air rifle regulations in your country before purchase.