Ruger no.1 build underway, 1000 yrd rifle.

[Huvius]

Are you shooting black powder or smokeless? Handloads? Velocities? I'm putting together as much info as I can on them and since 50-90 and 50-110 are so close, It would be beneficial to know how you are loading that one.

I settled on 80grs of H4350 and 450gr jacketed Hawk bullets and it shot pretty well. I don't know the velocity.
I haven't goofed with it for a few years as I have been working up loads for some BPE rifles and just don't have the time for all of them. Hardly time for any of them really...

[roscoe]

I need a new rifle to shoot Quigley and the other assorted 1000 yrd buffalo matches

You might want to check the rules before driving very far for a gong or buffalo match. The matches I attend, a Ruger #1 would not be allowed. The rifles must be in the time period, 1874 etc, with iron sights or scopes of the same time period. Some are black powder only while others will allow smokeless, but the rifle still has to be in the time period. Just because it is a falling block action does not mean it qualifies.

[Tnfalconer]

I need a new rifle to shoot Quigley and the other assorted 1000 yrd buffalo matches

You might want to check the rules before driving very far for a gong or buffalo match. The matches I attend, a Ruger #1 would not be allowed. The rifles must be in the time period, 1874 etc, with iron sights or scopes of the same time period. Some are black powder only while others will allow smokeless, but the rifle still has to be in the time period. Just because it is a falling block action does not mean it qualifies.

I live in MONTANA about two hours from the club that sponsors all of the matches I intend to shoot, I have spoken to all judges and club officials for both the buffalo matches and the Quigley shoot. IT IS LEGAL for every match here with the exception of NRA Silhouette. Just because a club somewhere else doesn't allow it doesn't mean anything.

[Tnfalconer]

Just a quick note. My new stocks are about a week out. I can't say enough about Gail at CPA rifles. They are great to work with! Can't wait to have the new wood in house to start initial assembly.

[Tnfalconer]

Barrel is now ready to install although not chambered as of yet. Turning that big BMG blank into something sleek and sexy was a chore. I really like the chrome lined bores for this style of rifle. I have used many of them in the past with great success. This one started out life as a new m-2 aircraft barrel. Stocks are still inbound, haven't seen them yet.

[Clark]

Phase two starts with a new chromoly 15 twist barrel in the lathe.

What does a #1 rebarreling entail? I have some donors.
I have done Mausers, Rem 700, Sav110, ... all easy
I have done Sav99, Mosin 91/30 all hard to do.
I have done Win1885... really hard to do.

[Frank46]

Do yourself a great big favor. Listen to my tale of woe. Sent in a ruger #3 which was a 45/70 to be rebarreled to 30-30 with full diameter barrel 28" long. I measured 1000 RP 30-30 cases to get the median rim thickness so I could tell the smith how much of the base should be sticking out the barrel. Upon firing the newly rebarreled rifle I had the primers all of them sticking out 7-8 thousandths. He obviously did not follow my directions. probably used go and no go guages. Sent it back and I was told that he had set headspace as I requested. I replied yeah well you tell me why I have primers extending out past the base of the cartridge on the first 20 cartridges fired in the rifles you rebarreled. I specificallt told you to make up a dummy guage .004 and that was supposed to be the go guage. Ruger's breech blocks can be moved forward even for standard catridges. I told him that move the breech block as far as you can and see how much you get. Never answered my questions. Frank

[bigted]

And I thought my rifle was worn out what with the block moving forward and back.

[Certaindeaf]

Do yourself a great big favor. Listen to my tale of woe. Sent in a ruger #3 which was a 45/70 to be rebarreled to 30-30 with full diameter barrel 28" long. I measured 1000 RP 30-30 cases to get the median rim thickness so I could tell the smith how much of the base should be sticking out the barrel. Upon firing the newly rebarreled rifle I had the primers all of them sticking out 7-8 thousandths. He obviously did not follow my directions. probably used go and no go guages. Sent it back and I was told that he had set headspace as I requested. I replied yeah well you tell me why I have primers extending out past the base of the cartridge on the first 20 cartridges fired in the rifles you rebarreled. I specificallt told you to make up a dummy guage .004 and that was supposed to be the go guage. Ruger's breech blocks can be moved forward even for standard catridges. I told him that move the breech block as far as you can and see how much you get. Never answered my questions. Frank

Rifle actions flex and you probably got exactly what you asked for.

[Frank46]

Maybe so but since the primers stick out .007-008 from the case head. Took over a year and cost some decent money. Frank

[Nrut]

Tnfalconer,
What type of sighting system are you going to use on your Ruger?

[Tnfalconer]

What does a #1 rebarreling entail? I have some donors.
I have done Mausers, Rem 700, Sav110, ... all easy
I have done Sav99, Mosin 91/30 all hard to do.
I have done Win1885... really hard to do.

No.1's are very easy. Cut and single point in the threads. Cut chamber and recess for case head, check headspacing then measure and remove barrel to cut for ejector. Simple.

[Tnfalconer]

Tnfalconer,
What type of sighting system are you going to use on your Ruger?

For this rifle I will be making my own tang sights, Goodwin style long range sights.

[Tnfalconer]

Do yourself a great big favor. Listen to my tale of woe. Sent in a ruger #3 which was a 45/70 to be rebarreled to 30-30 with full diameter barrel 28" long. I measured 1000 RP 30-30 cases to get the median rim thickness so I could tell the smith how much of the base should be sticking out the barrel. Upon firing the newly rebarreled rifle I had the primers all of them sticking out 7-8 thousandths. He obviously did not follow my directions. probably used go and no go guages. Sent it back and I was told that he had set headspace as I requested. I replied yeah well you tell me why I have primers extending out past the base of the cartridge on the first 20 cartridges fired in the rifles you rebarreled. I specificallt told you to make up a dummy guage .004 and that was supposed to be the go guage. Ruger's breech blocks can be moved forward even for standard catridges. I told him that move the breech block as far as you can and see how much you get. Never answered my questions. Frank

Well since the gunsmith working on this rifle is me, I won't be doing that. I don't use go-no go gauges as I am looking for a match chamber. I have done several in the years past and never heard of this issue you had.

[Tnfalconer]

I'm sort of sitting here waiting on all the parts to come back from various sources for various reasons. Receiver is being engraved by a friend, stocks have no arrived although they are expected anytime. Steel and parts for custom vernier sights has been ordered and awaiting shipment. This is the part of projects that I hate, waiting. I sit here twittling my thumbs with a shell of a rifle that I plan to build. I really want to get this thing to a point to start load development with it before the snow flies but we'll see what happens. If nothing else it will be a gorgeous thing to look at until I can get out and play with it....

[Tnfalconer]

I had to take a minute to post a picture of my receiver for this rifle build. This is the side engraving for "Ma Belle"....she is getting closer by the day to being ready to "Reach out and TOUCH somebody"....

[Idaho Sharpshooter]

I am reminded (painfully) of the year I shot Quigley between my Brother Ed and his 16 lb Sharps 50-90 and some guy and his silhouette legal weight Sharps 50-140.

[Tnfalconer]

Duelling big 50's....hmmm.

[Tnfalconer]

Stocks came in today. This picture does not do them any justice at all. This is a FINE piece of wood from CPA rifles. Bastogne walnut shaped in the Scheutzen style for the Ruger no.1 I am deep lust already. The heavy marbling and figure shows a little in the forearm. I am excited to get them under sandpaper with a little finish to see what they are really going to look like. I have some work to do to them before that but I am chomping at the bit to get them going. VERY tickled with these.

[Tnfalconer]

Just got the email my receiver is heading back, stocks are in with new butt plate, barrel is almost done in the shop and now the real work begins of turning this pile of really nice parts into a fine rifle. Looking forward to the process but I have a good amount of work to do before I can start finish work.

The stock will be getting a "Max" recoil reducer. The forearm will be milled for an aluminum bedding block to stabilize the forearm to the receiver. After first rough fit, the entire rifle will be balanced to a neutral weight in the left hand for offhand shooting. That will be tricky as it will require adding more weight to the butt stock and possibly to the fore arm. This is an old highpower trick, that I will use to make the rifle a little easier to handle for the offhand rounds at Quigley. Keep your fingers crossed, it's all starting to come together.