Ruger #1 worth keeping?

Hookeye said:
For 10 bucks you can get the Ruger factory to do a research and letter.
I remember Brownells having Ruger barreled actions for sale, dunno if they just had actions.
Be worth the $ and short wait ( a month last letter I got ) to see how that thing left the factory.
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Good idea. I used the Ruger serial number look-up and there were no results...

20230528_230728.jpg
 
Riomouse911 said:
I love the look and feel of Ruger No.1 rifles, and a pair in .300 and .375 H&H were on my bucket list.

But after my most recent range trip with rifles, I decided that I just don’t want to get beat up by recoil anymore. So, those magnum guns will forever remain unowned by me. :)

Good luck finding a buyer. :thumbup:

Stay safe.
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IMHO #1s thump harder than they should.
While the old red pads look great, they don't do much for recoil.
The OP's rifle looks to be wearing something that actually works. The stock dims/style and pad not being factory may do a lot to help tame that recoil.
My first yr production .280 kicked harder than I thought it should. Not horrible but def not as comfy as it should have been.
Was a looker though LOL
 
Hookeye, nice gun with 'honest wear'. Plainly it will reach out and touch something!
I had a #3 in .45-70. Handy little thing, kicked like a mule. Loved how it shouldered, and the feel of the action, but not what happened when you pulled the trigger.
Moon
 
Just checked my dad's old rifle. Its a '74 model and had what some call "swoop" checkering on the buttstock.
That stock cracked at the tang so I put a newer style checkering pattern on it (wood type, figure and color suggest it was from an old redpad).
So it matched pretty well.
I dunno when the "swoop" style was discontinued.
 
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B 22250.jpg

Old B model forend pattern, think this original to my dad's 74 rifle

IIRC this rifle shot like crap and the original owner had it sent back to Ruger and rebarreled in '75. My dad got it just after. Shot fine and still does OK almost 50 yrs later (he didn''t shoot it the last 20 yrs).
 
If the two pieces of wood appear to be the same species, I'd consider stripping and refinishing them - they both seem like pretty nice pieces, but I agree that the contrasting appearance is unattractive.

Of course, I'd also consider rebarreling it to a more useful - to me - cartridge. And at that point, it's reasonable to start wondering whether it wouldn't just be better to trade it off...
 
OK, back to the OP...........

Do you have other Ruger #1's?

FWIW I found that after having a #1, gotta have at least one around.
Just because.

Seriously, for whatever reasons..........I don't feel right if I don't.

Strange.

OP has a nice rifle.
With prices going up, and that being a clean older model w good aftermarket stock set, might be worth just having it rebarreled.

Penrod Precision in Indiana is a well known #1 guy.
 
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Ive thought about having Oregunsmithing do a synth stock for a custom #1 build.
Have not found a donor rifle yet.
May even have them do the barrel work.
But Penrod is in state for me. So proly be barrel here and stock out there.
 
I like that gun but in that caliber would be harsh. I’d sell and get something else. I’ve been changing my inventory to lightweight short action rifles and smaller gauge shotguns with no regrets.
 
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Hookeye said:
IMHO #1s thump harder than they should.
While the old red pads look great, they don't do much for recoil.
The OP's rifle looks to be wearing something that actually works. The stock dims/style and pad not being factory may do a lot to help tame that recoil.
My first yr production .280 kicked harder than I thought it should. Not horrible but def not as comfy as it should have been.
Was a looker though LOL
Click to expand...
I have two red pad Ruger rifles. Luckily the 77 RSI is in .243 and the No. 1 in .223, so they don’t recoil a whole lot.

Stay safe.
 
Falling block single shot rifle have always inspired makers of custom rifles to do their most creative work, with the wide,flat side panels providing engravers with an ideal canvas. Rugers are especially attractive because of their easy accesability and being relatively inexpensive. Here is a quartet of customized 1's, each by different custom stockmakers, with detail pics of exceptional checking patterns and engraving on another action. 21A_3893 (3).JPG 21A_3879 (2).JPG 21A_3909 (2).JPG 21A_3924 (2).JPG 21A_3930 (2).JPG IMG-1201.jpg 21A_3910 (2).JPG 21A_2726 (2).JPG 21A_3400 (2).JPG
 
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Litetrigger said:
Falling block single shot rifle have always inspired makers of custom rifles to do their best work, with the wide,flat side panels providing engravers with an ideal canvas. Rugers are especially attractive because of their easy accesability and being relatively inexpensive. Here is a quartet of customized 1's, each by different custom stockmakers, with detail pics of exceptional checking patterns and engraving on another action.View attachment 1160875 View attachment 1160876 View attachment 1160877 View attachment 1160878 View attachment 1160879 View attachment 1160880 View attachment 1160881 View attachment 1160882 View attachment 1160883
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drooling over here looking at these dang those are so beautiful! @Litetrigger thanks for sharing
 
Litetrigger said:
Falling block single shot rifle have always inspired makers of custom rifles to do their most creative work, with the wide,flat side panels providing engravers with an ideal canvas. Rugers are especially attractive because of their easy accesability and being relatively inexpensive. Here is a quartet of customized 1's, each by different custom stockmakers, with detail pics of exceptional checking patterns and engraving on another action.View attachment 1160875 View attachment 1160876 View attachment 1160877 View attachment 1160878 View attachment 1160879 View attachment 1160880 View attachment 1160881 View attachment 1160882 View attachment 1160883
Click to expand...

Absolutely beautiful! Tastefully done! You and my dad would have gotten along very well.
 
I'll chime in, if you put it up for sale and it's a reasonable price it's likely to sell. If you don't have a big attachment to it, why waste energy and $$ on a gun that doesn't do it for you. Sell or trade it for something else you like and move on. That said, count me in as an interested party if you sell! I think a matched refinish of the stocks would definitely turn out wonderful.
 
marksman13 said:
That fore end is custom.
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Yep. That’s not a Ruger #1 factory forearm. Those all came with Schnabel-style nose ends, not the solid ebony end like on this one.

Noop, somewhere along the line a customizin’ squirrel gotta hold of it.
 
marksman13 said:
Let me back up. It may not be a custom fore end, but it has likely been customized. I don’t think Ruger has put out many No. 1s with an ebony tip. I’m also not convinced that the butt stock isn’t a modified factory stock. It appears to be quality work, regardless.
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A good market for that type of rifle and caliber, maybe, might be finding an Alaskan buyer for it.
 
Mr. Veston, as I'm sure you are aware, the forend of your Ruger #1 is not original factory. As previous posters have correctly commented, Ruger did come with, or offer, forend tips of ebony or any other contrasting wood. Further, though your pics do not clearly show, checkering on the forend is a basic point pattern matching checkering on the buttstock. Attached is a pic of the standard factory checkering for comparison. There have also been well intended commments regarding the forend not matching the buttstock, which indeed seems to appear in your pic. I think an analysis of the pic will indicate otherwise. The main source of light in photo comes from extreme left (muzzle direction) and is clearly seen by the deep shadow aft of the recoil pad, and by the changing lighting of color from muzzle to rear of butt. Making the forend appear to be of a lighter texteur of wood and color than buttstock. I expect different lighting would indicate both are same wood and color and evenly matched, as no self-respecting custom stockmaker, or discrning customer like your Dad, would tolerate otherwise. IMG-4667.jpg
 
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In the USA the 375 H&H is a Walter Mitty cartridge . Of course I have a two 375 H&H's, both of them massive over kill for anything in the Alabama woods. Though there are a lot of Bama Elephants milling about in Stadiums on Football Saturdays!

There are a thousands if not hundreds of thousands of Walter Mitty cartridges and guns sold. I will bet more modern Sharps rifles have been sold in the Buffalo calibers of 45-90 and 45-120 then there are Buffalo roaming the ranges.

Load your 375 H&H with 200 grain bullets and the recoil is manageable. It is not a prone rifle by any means. But if you ever want to use it, it will kill.

Your Ruger #1 has beautiful wood, a neat custom forend, and you are not going to find another that good if you get rid of it.

Shoot it first before you decide, but even before shooting, I would keep it. And dream of African safari's never taken.
 
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