Ruger No. 3s

forty years ago we had a bunch of them in the frontiersman where i worked part time. in 375 win big bore. couldnt give them away. less than 300. lol. if only....

I always thought the Ruger #1 would make a fine varmint rig but I’ve never read anything saying they have stellar accuracy. Seems strange to me but I’m no expert.

It was the barrels.
Ruger wasn’t making their own barrels.
I had a #3. It had been rechambered to .22 Hornet AI in an attempt to improve accuracy. I traded it off as at the time, I had a young family, and was starting anew job with a relocation. Couldn’t afford a set of custom dies as they represented a week’s salary at the time.

A friend in college had one in .45/70. First year production. It was VERY accurate.

I had a #1 in 243 years ago that was very accurate. It shot around .7 at 100 yards five shot groups and .5 with hand loads. It was a nice rifle. Loved the falling block although not a fan of single shot rifles.

I own both a remodeled No.1B and a No.3 right now.



The 1B was in .270 when I bought it about 15 years ago; it had some pitting on the receiver, and I was frustrated scoping it due to the position of the rib-mounted rings. I eventually decided to start over and recycle the action. I had the receiver refinished by Armoloy and then rebarrelled in 32-40 by PacNor. I also sourced a lightly-used factory laminate stock on eBay to replaced the cracked original. I went with a NECG rear peep mounted on the barrel. The result was sort of a new/old hybrid -- works great in the new chambering.

I bought the 45-70 No.3 in like-new condition a few years ago and all I did to it was to add a globe front sight and rear barrel-mounted Williams peep. Shoots nice groups with light Trailboss 300 gr. lead bullet handloads.

I would love to find a nice No.3 in .22 Hornet someday.

The #3 and #1 are the same action except for the lock on the lever, lock notch on the lower tang and the lever shape. You can exchange the extractors and the barrels and the wood, including the butt stock if you modify the lever on the #3. If you pull the wood off, it is very obvious that they were originally designed to have a free floated barrel. A fellow used to make a replacement butt stock for the #3 that had the pistol grip moved back so the #3 action could be used as designed, giving a longer more plesant to shoot #3 big bore.
The forearm is glass bedded to the hanger. The barrel channel is cut with a channel cutter to give air space for the barrel itself.
The scope mount rib is removed, the end at the receiver is releaved to give a paper thin space between it and the receiver. When put the scope mount rib back on the barrel the screws are snugged with three fingers only, using blue lock-tight. Do not gorilla tighten the screws.
I have a few #1s, a couple #3s and a #13. The 13 is a modified #3, 22 Hornet with all #1 furniture, barrel, wood, extractor, etc, in 7mm RM. I personally do not care if their 4” warranty is voided on a single shot rife if I can make a #1 or #3 shoot .3 inches at 100, by fixing it myself. If you need to have a warranty, be warned that doing anything to it, including all but looking at it real hard, voids the warranty.
I have been an RCA member since 75 when the RCA was formed, but some things Ruger as a company does are just dumb and a single shot guaranteed to shoot 4” is not dumb, it is silly.

Oh, to set things straight on pieces and parts, Ruger makes receivers (a gun by ATF definition), jobbers make the parts to specifications. It is a common practice in manufacturing to contract various non serial number items out. Example, my first production MRC WSM actions were cast at Ruger, rough finished at S&W and final finished and assembled with the bolt at MRC then shipped to me.

my ruger #3 in 45-70 shoots like this at 100 yards with 50 grs H-4198 and a hornady 300 gr jacketed bullet at close to 2000 fps.

I have 2 #3s, one in 45/70, which I havnt shot in a while, and the other in .444 Marlin that some one rechambered, to that cal. They bothe shoot minute of deer, nothing spectacular.
Dave

I had a #1 in .270 Win. It shot fair but I believe the barrel had either been set back a smidgin or the holes for the Ruger scope base were not straight and true because the only way to get a scope on paper was to use Burris Signature rings with the eccentric plastic liners. It took most of the allowance in the rings to get the scope pointed at the same target as the bore. Sold it without any heartburn.
Had a #1B in .308. Shot fair to good. Nothing spectacular and the wood was fairly plain. Traded it to a buddy. No tears.
Then I got a deal on a Browning 1885 High Wall in .30-06. That one would shoot! 3/4" at 100 yards with IMR 4350 and 180 gr. Sierra Game Kings. Swapped it to the same buddy because he fell in love with it.
Only single shot I have right now is a Browning 1885 Low Wall that I got for a nice price. It, too, will shoot 3/4" at 100 yards with IMR 4350 and Sierra 100 gr. Game Kings. This one is really sweet and the same buddy that has the .30-06 is pining for this one, too. He is a single shot fanboy, but I am going to keep this one just to keep him whining.

my ruger # 1 in 45-70 shoots the same load as my ruger # 3,(50gr H-4198 with a 300 gr hornady bullet) like this at 100 yards. both groups shot off of a good rest. with nothing done to the rifles from the factory..

They have always been somewhat hit or miss. My 1975 Ruger #3 in 30-40 has been a hit. Plenty accurate and a platform that allows 308 level loads, should one so desire.

Ive seen some #1s shoot well.
Shot two diff #3s and they were not as good.
Have a line on a #3 that was rebarreled. Old school cartridge.
If I buy it it will be to rebarrel to something else.

Here is a good article, if a bit older, on improving No 1 and 3 accuracy.

http://rvbprecision.com/shooting/accuracy-tips-for-the-ruger-1.html

Also there is the Hicks accurizer.

I purchased a #1 (25-06) in 96. Thing is deadly accurate. I have taken an antelope every year with it. Now if I could just find 95 gr molly coated Berger bullets I’d be a happy person

FWIW my 67 Number 1 had the forend screw go directly into the hanger. There was no pivot pc in the hanger.

So a Hicks would not work without hanger mod.

I found an ammonit kinda liked and took it hunting. Alas, to pretty for the creekbottom and in B type config, was a little long n heavy

The crappy red recoil pad did nothing to tame the .280 rem w 150s.
My 3006 in bolt gun more comfy.

If I build a #1 it will run a decent pad, no matter what chambering.