The picatinny rail forward of the bolt is for the scope.

Looks like it may have been influenced by this CZ carbine. .223/7.62 makes more sense in a carbine this size anyway.

Wow, did Ruger copy another one? First the KelTecs, now the CZ's?

I would opt for that CZ over the Ruger any day. And the CZ is cheaper.

The design was influenced by Col. Jeff Cooper's Scout Rifle concept, which has been built by various manufacturers over the years. It's not a copy of the CZ.

Anyway, this rifle would be perfect for use with a suppressor. 1 in 10" twist and a threaded muzzle...it's just begging for a nice .308 can.

Otherwise, I could see it being a pretty good camp rifle. It could serve double duty as a camp hunting rifle and as a defensive rifle against two and four legged animals. I would probably throw an Eotech on it. The big 65 MOA ring would be fast to aim for bear, feral dogs, big cats, whatever; the small 1 MOA dot could probably be used for hunting up to, say, 200 yards. Perfect compromise for a multi-purpose rifle.

I like the setup. Time to save the clams.

Bill

It's a nice looking rifle. I used to want something similar. But then I got a 16" AR. If I was going to go the route you are thinking I'd go with a Tikka T3.

Here's the scout version
http://www.hyattgunstore.com/tikka-t3-sc...-20-barrel.html

Personally I'd want more barrel for a 308 though. Out of concern for carrying too much diversity of ammunition I'm buying...

http://www.tikka.fi/t3models.php?litess

in .223

Based on looks you may like...

http://www.tikka.fi/t3models.php?laminatedss

This is a nice alternative to the Springfield SOCOM M1A derivative, which I had a hard time not buying.

http://springfield-armory.primediaoutdoors.com/SPstory28.php