Saddam Hussein and his $40K Ruger
Recently the former president of Iraqi’s personal Model 77 International came up for auction. Its story is rather interesting. Back in 1988, Strum Ruger Model 77RSI, serial number 77022927 was born. It was a beautiful deep-blued bolt-action rifle in .243 Winchester caliber. The RSI series, introduced in the 80s and discontinued in 1993 was the so-called “International Rifle.”
This is because it had a carbine-length 18-inch barrel set into a full-length Mannlicher-style walnut stock that came to the end of the muzzle. These guns were patterned after the old European mountain rifles of the early 1900s and chambered in .243, .270, .308, and 30-06 as well as the more hard-to-find 7x57mm, 7mm-08, and .250-3000 Savage. The short action and abbreviated barrel gave the rifle a weight of 6.95-pounds and an overall length of but 38.5-inches– about the same as a WWII US M1 Carbine.
They were handy little rifles and, while not well liked in the States, had a good following with collectors. One collector overseas even found himself the proud owner of this very gun.
While it is not known exactly when the Ruger was brought into Iraq, it was seen on New Year’s Eve 2000. There, at the largest military parade since the 1991 Gulf War, Iraqi President Saddam Hussein, wearing a very dapper suit and hat rather than his trademark olive drag uniform and black beret, fired this rifle several times into the air to celebrate….
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