In this episode of Drop Gear, we ask 'Are Ruger rifles really rugged and reliable?' What better way to find out than to put them in the hands of some former Gurkha soldiers on a range day.

Over at Widdington Shoot on Salisbury plain, we gave some former Gurkha soldiers a Ruger Precision rifle and a Ruger American long range target rifle to find out if they were squaddie proof. We put on top a Leupold Mark 5HD rifle scope to see whether this winning combination could deliver on target. The combination of the Ruger Precision Rifle and Leupold scope is competitive especially on the long-range practical shooting scene. It also performs better than any other rifle/optic combination at this price point globally. We test it out to 185 yards plus. After being through extreme testing, covered in mud, stones, dropped on rocks, thrown around on quads and various other things the soldiers were left  impressed.

“This is a pretty stable well laid out Ruger weapon system. It's comfortable in the shoulder and very easy to align”, comments one of the Gurkhas who trialled the combination. 

Why did we choose to use former Gurkhas?  

Better to die than to be a coward. This is the official motto of the Royal Gurkha Rifles Regiment in the British Army. Gurkhas are soldiers from Nepal, who were recruited by the British Army and have been for the last 200 years. They are known to be some of the most fearless soldiers in combat to this day, they remain renowned for their loyalty, professionalism, and bravery.

The British East Indian Company recruited the first Gurkhas in 1816 following the Anglo-Nepali war. The Indian Mutiny of 1857 is where these unwaveringly loyal soldiers assisted greatly in dismantling the insurrection. Their devotion persisted through the World Wars with 200,000 soldiers volunteering their service to the British-Indian Army.

Since then, of the 10 Gurkha regiments 4 have been reorganised into what is now called the Brigade of Gurkhas. This brigade situated themselves in Malay providing their assistance during the Brunei revolt, Malayan Emergency and Borneo Confrontation. The four regiments of Gurkha rifles amalgamated to form The Royal Gurkha Rifles which were involved in operations within the Balkans, East Timor, Sierra Leone, Iraq, and Afghanistan.

The Royal Gurkha Rifles now consists of three battalions based in either Brunei or the UK. Of the two Light Role Infantry Battalions, one is situated in Brunei where jungle warfare is specialised whilst the alternate is posted to the 16 Air Assault Brigade. These two Battalions interchange every three years. The third Battalion is the Specialised Infantry Battalion located in Aldershot, Hampshire in the UK.

Understanding the steadfastness of the world’s best soldiers and their history makes them the perfect people to test out the Ruger Precision Rifle.